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Episode 279-Bang or Bong. Maybe both. Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode Transcript Page – 1 – of 11 Gun Lawyer — Episode 279 Transcript SUMMARY KEYWORDS Supreme Court case, marijuana user ban, Second Amendment rights, ACLU, NRA, New Jersey, Hughes amendment, West Virginia, machine guns, loopholes, gun rights, felon restoration, Epstein files, Michael Bloomberg, gun violence prevention. SPEAKERS Speaker 2, Evan Nappen, Teddy Nappen Evan Nappen 00:16 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:18 And I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:20 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. So, we have some exciting things coming in the future here. I want to make sure the listeners are well aware. In the Supreme Court, we have a case coming up that is going to look at the prohibitor for firearm possession concerning marijuana use, if you’re a user of marijuana. And the case is U.S. versus Hemani. This is very interesting, because it is widely believed that the Court is going to strike down the gun ban for marijuana users. Regardless of how you feel about marijuana use, I’m looking forward to seeing this opinion, because it may be useful in knocking down other gun disqualifiers. Because, folks, gun disqualifiers, such as the gun ban for marijuana use, is an area of exploitation by the gun rights oppressors. Evan Nappen 01:38 So, if they can’t just get a flat out gun ban through, which they try to do all the time, if they can piece meal gun bans to various classes of individuals, then they get the job done that way. That’s why you see the ever expanding list of persons who they try to get disqualified from being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights. And this case has, I believe, potentially very far reaching implications as to subverting that anti-gun rights, that gun rights oppression tactic. So, we want to look at it at as more than just the marijuana. It will be fascinating to see it be a victory, because we have parties in support of this ban going away as diverse as, on the same side now, the ACLU and the NRA. Both. The ACLU is in favor of getting rid of the marijuana user gun ban, because it is, of course, beneficial to in their view, I’m sure, legalization of marijuana, which is something that they would be in support. The NRA is in favor of it going away, because it is consistent with The NRA’s position of supporting Second Amendment rights. So, this has created the classic strange bedfellows situation. (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/aclu-attorney-confident-supreme-court-will-strike-down-gun-ban-for-marijuana-users-after-oral-arguments-next-week/ ) Page – 2 – of 11 Evan Nappen 03:28 But ultimately, what we see coming from it should be a victory for gun rights. And I believe and hope it will be even further reaching than simply addressing the marijuana question. It’s going to be, I believe, very helpful in fighting other disqualifications. Remember, New Jersey is one of the states that tries to always have an expansive list of what disqualifies a person from being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights. They love to create disenfranchisements of our rights because they are rights oppressors, and this tactic, hopefully, will be taking a hit here. So, we’ll keep you informed about the progress and what occurs under the Hemani decision. Teddy Nappen 04:30 I will say, just from the ACLU, just to be clear, they are heavily backed by the Democrat for their super PACs. I’m just saying. Like that is the, and I can’t wait to see all the individuals of the ACLU all out in mass as they’re about to help win a pro-gun victory as well. Yeah. Evan Nappen 04:55 I guess they’re looking at it more as a pro-marijuana victory and ending prejudice toward marijuana users. But whatever their motivation may be, we are going to be consistent in our support for Second Amendment rights. Getting rid of disqualifiers is getting rid of disqualifiers that are disenfranchisements to our Second Amendment rights. So, hey, at least they’re on the right side on this one, and maybe we can get them to continue to see the light on other disqualifiers. Such as restoration of rights for felons and such, right? I mean, this is something you would think they would be in favor of, as well, for restoration of rights. You paid your dues. You served your time. And if you’re not a violent felon, why are you disenfranchised of your rights? I mean, even violent felons, when you get right down to it. I mean, there’s, I missed that in the Second Amendment, where it says we have a right to keep and bear arms, unless you’re a felon, you know, or any of these exemptions. They aren’t there. So, to what degree we tolerate them, to what degree we may think they’re even valuable, I don’t know, but we need to. I’d rather be seeing us pull back on every type of ban and maximize freedom and maximize our Second Amendment rights. Evan Nappen 06:31 Also, in regards to maximizing our rights, there is a really interesting I just love this. I love this. There is an attempt, now, a very shrewd attempt on the pro-rights side to create the ability to get around, yes, a loophole, folks. Because you know what loopholes are. Loopholes are freedom finding a way. And this. Teddy Nappen 07:08 I thought it was a hole in a Castle. Evan Nappen 07:10 Yeah. Right, exactly. Loopholes were the hole in the castle that you would fire your arrows from, because you would still be protected. You could still fire through those, those square, rectangular hole. They’re the loopholes. So, that’s why they’re called that. But, anyway. The key loophole here is in the Hughes Amendment. What there’s an attempt to do, particularly in West Virginia, who has taken the lead here with a bill in West Virginia, which is SB 1071. This is right from AmmoLand, by the way. Page – 3 – of 11 (https://www.ammoland.com/2026/02/contact-chairman-willis-now-sb1071-could-restore-machine-gun-rights-in-west-virginia-if-it-gets-a-hearing/) It could restore access to modern machine guns. That’s right. Evan Nappen 08:00 What they’re doing, what they’re attempting to do is a bill that will create a state run Office of Public Defense within the West Virginia State Police. To procure and sell modern, select-fire machine guns directly to qualified, law-abiding citizens. That’s right. You know how some states have State liquor stores. This will become the state machine gun store. That’s right. It can operate via the Hughes Amendment. Now, the Hughes Amendment was the law back in ’86 that prohibited the, I mean, actually the Hughes Amendment prohibited the new, the sale of new manufacture of machine guns. Okay? So, that created this situation we have now where it’s legal for a citizen to obey the NFA and acquire a machine gun and pay the $200 tax. But the problem is no new machine guns could be put into registration, you see. And that created this essentially, artificially, ridiculously high, crazy prices to own full auto. So, this bill takes the Hughes Amendment and essentially flips the script on the Hughes Amendment by stating that, and this is under Title 18 922(o), that the Hughes Amendment. Here’s, the key loophole language. “. . . does not apply with respect to a transfer to or by, or possession by or under the authority of, a State or any department or political subdivision thereof.” Evan Nappen 10:20 So, in other words, the bill will create a State agency that purchases machine guns and transfers them by quote, right in the law, “by or under the authority of”, the State of West Virginia. The transfers are therefore fully compliant with federal law and critically exempt from the National Firearms Act $200 transfer tax because they’re government facilitated. It’s brilliant. It’s brilliant. It’ll make it so that qualified persons, any adult, who can legally possess firearms under federal and state law, they’d undergo a background check at state police, state police troop headquarters. The office would, where possible, prioritize West Virginia manufacturers, operate distribution points using existing facilities, and issue official state certificates of transfer. Subsequent transfers between qualified citizens would require a simple $275 re-transfer fee through the office, which is waived for heirs. A $250 surcharge per gun plus a modest administrative fee capped at 50 bucks, would flow to the new Public Defense Fund to cover costs, generating revenue for the state without raising taxes. Evan Nappen 11:48 And it was GOA (Gun Owners of America) that drafted this bill. This is really cool. And now I think Kansas is putting a bill forward, and I’m sure we’ll see other pro-gun states moving to create this. This way we can gut the Hughes Amendment and open up the market for new full auto. And by doing that, they’ll become even more commonly owned and become an even greater argument for the Second Amendment and their protection. Eventually, with enough exploitation of loopholes, laws themselves that created the original ban become useless and in fact, go away. We’ve seen this happen. We’ve seen this happen. For example, when it came to NFA Trusts, to purchase NFA, you had to get, at one point, what was called a chief law enforcement officer to sign off. And if your chief didn’t sign off on that, you could not appeal it. You were just dead in the water and could not acquire NFA. Then along comes the idea of setting up a trust where trusts do not require a chief law enforcement to sign off. So, everyone started doing NFA Trusts to acquire NFA, because it avoided the Chiefs sign off. And Page – 4 – of 11 because of that, there were about 10,000 trusts at ATF on NFA. So many just got around it that they finally just repealed the rule and said, guess what? You don’t need to have your chief law enforcement approve it. They just have to get notice of it. But they got rid of the sign off. Why? The loophole defeated it. Evan Nappen 13:50 We see that even going on with switchblades. We’ve seen how there’s been a huge expansion in knife rights based on the ability to work the loopholes for interstate sale and for state sales to be independent. And how the federal prohibition was simply affecting very specific transactions under federal law. To the point where the federal government, in trying to uphold the federal switchblade law, said, as one of their justifications, well, the law isn’t even enforced anymore. That’s right. Why? Loopholes! Loopholes. Freedom finding a way. And so this is exciting to see this taking place on machine guns. Finally going at the NFA. Not shying away from taking on the big stuff. Not letting them get away with claiming that any firearm is somehow intrinsically evil, wrong or bad. We’re finally fighting back with offense. Offense for once. Not just totally on the defense. Evan Nappen 15:07 Speaking of which, you may encounter a new group called “Bridging the Divide”. (https://bridgethedividenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brief-Policy-Outline.pdf) Bridging the Divide on Firearm Policy. Oh yeah, they’re claiming that there’s some bipartisan, that they have taken pro-gun folks and anti-gun and uniting them on principles that everybody believes in. They’re claiming to do this. And here’s their wonderful policies. Lo and behold, when you look closely at this so-called, you know, “Bridging the Divide”, which is, you know, bridging the gap, which is more of laying a trap, my friends. Laying a trap. What you see are their policies that they’re claiming is, you know, they have this bipartisan, so to speak. This is pro-gun and anti-gun right oppressors. Gun rights oppressors and gun rights people. Evan Nappen 16:08 And of course, here’s their policies. They have eight of them, eight of them. This so-called “Bridging the Divide.” One, Prohibiting Factors for Firearm Purchase and Possession. This is right from their “Firearm Policy Outline.” They want to prohibit gun possession by those convicted of violent crime at the misdemeanor level while removing state restrictions on those non-violent felonies. So, they want to expand prohibitions to misdemeanors. Claiming, of course, non-violent felonies, right? Yeah. And then remove prohibition of gun purchases by persons who use marijuana. Well, yeah, guess what? The Court’s already going to kill that. So, they’re throwing this in. They want to, essentially, what they’re looking to do is expand prohibitions to misdemeanors. Who’s kidding who? Come on. Give me a break. Evan Nappen 17:04 Two, Background Checks. Create state level background checks for private sales. Oh, so, in other words, Universal Background Checks, and they want to impose it state by state. More of that. So, end private sales. But they want to have “logical exemptions”? Well, it’s the same, so-called logical exemptions. Let’s just instead of logical, we’ll call it “narrow”, narrow exemptions. No. Private sales should remain private sales. It is more of an intrusion, more of oppression, on our gun rights. How about three? What’s the third thing? Extreme Risk Protection. Oh, seriously? Red flag. We have seen, Page – 5 – of 11 experienced, and are currently experiencing the unbelievable denial of due process that takes place from that garbage. Evan Nappen 17:55 Four, Dealer Registration and Gun Trafficking. They want to focus on the small number of dealers from whom the majority of traced crime guns originate. Oh, really? Well, guess what? What creates those statistics? Anytime they’re run – when guns are seized. And if you’re seizing guns the way New Jersey does, at the drop of a hat and those guns are run, that raises dealer numbers as quoting “crime guns”, even though they’re not crime guns. It is absolutely a flawed basis, and they want to focus on that. Five, Child Firearm Access Prevention. Oh, lock up your safety. That’s what that’s called. Lock up your safety to protect the children. Here we go again. Six, Firearm Suicide Prevention. Ah. In states where murder rates are low, well, let’s go at suicide. Anything we can do to go at the guns, right? And what happens with suicide prevention? Oh, well, that’s the wellness check. You know what’s going on in New Jersey with wellness checks? Anybody calls on anybody, and the police come. They take you away. They take your guns. They hold you for about three days to see if you’re okay. And even though you’re fine, now we got to fight to get your rights back. Fight to get your guns back. There’s a million ways to kill yourself, folks. Focusing on the gun isn’t the answer. Focus on actual causes. But no, it’s just an excuse. Teddy Nappen 19:34 I think the biggest issue with this whole concept of “Bridging the Divide” is take a step back and let us, let us be on equal terms. Here’s the problem, they cannot define what an assault firearm is. They are. Evan Nappen 19:50 Wait, wait, Teddy. I haven’t even gotten to that yet. I haven’t gotten to that. Teddy Nappen 19:54 All right. Evan Nappen 19:54 Number seven, Firearm Injury Prevention Education. They want to tie public health to firearm injuries. Why? Because that goes to healthcare so they can regulate it. Get it regulated back through the health, federal health agencies. Get it back to the CDC. Get them back on it. Cranking out anti-gun nonsense. That’s the game. Eight, Community Violence Intervention. Oh, that gets funding to who? Anti-gun groups. That’s what it’s about. Evan Nappen 20:33 So, we’re looking at these policies and then who’s on it? Well, their board is chock full, chock full of all former and bunch of all anti-gun rights folks. Then they sprinkle in a few that are supposedly pro-gun. So, who’s one of them? Rob Pincus. Rob Pincus is on there, proudly on there. They have listed him as a gun rights advocate. Except here’s a little article from Lee Williams back in March 29, 2021, from thegunwriter.com. (https://thegunwriter.substack.com/p/huh-rob-pincus-supports-expanded?utm_source=publication-search) It says, “Huh? Rob Pincus calls for expanded background checks, gun control and then says he didn’t.” Oh, really? Interesting. You can read that article and see. Page – 6 – of 11 The people they’re getting on board. There’s no major player there that is truly an advocate of our gun rights that I could find, and plenty that aren’t. Evan Nappen 21:30 Nowhere in their policy does it say repeal assault firearm bans, repeal large capacity magazine bans, repeal sensitive place prohibitions, or enact national reciprocity. All the things that we’re fighting for, for our rights. No. All it is is more, more, more. Just a subterfuge of more bans, more back doors to taking away rights. I didn’t see a damn thing here that expands our rights. Nothing. It’s just take, take, take. And package it as some kind of compromise. Their compromise is always us giving up our rights. Forget it, folks. Just forget it. Evan Nappen 22:18 And finally, let me point out, right from The Trace, right from The Trace. Sent out in an email blast, and I just want to read you this from The Trace. (https://mailchi.mp/thetrace/inside-the-loosely-regulated-world-of-gun-manufacturing-4869976?e=a13774efb8) This is fascinating. “Since the Trump administration snatched. . . ” This is The Trace. Snatched. They think of the Mel Brooks. You know, sees snatched, right? But anyway. “Since the Trump administration snatched funding from gun violence prevention . . .” Oh, in other words, let’s decode that. Since Trump took away all the money going to gun rights oppression groups, “. . . the field’s practitioners have had to confront an uncertain future.” Oh, they’re no longer getting the money from the Government. Huh. “Without federal dollars, state and local governments will have to decide whether to pick up the tab. It’s far from a sure thing. Gun violence intervention programs have long had to fight to prove the value of their work. The problem, however, is that it’s difficult to measure. Studying gun violence is expensive, and the nature of violence makes it a uniquely challenging subject to pull apart.” In other words, to propagandize into an anti-gun policy, to take away our rights. “And while gun violence research has seen a resurgence in recent years, the Trump administration cut funding for that field, too.” Yeah, isn’t that cute? I love it. “. . . meaning the available evidence for these programs could grow slimmer.” Evan Nappen 23:46 So folks, The Trace is bitching and moaning about losing their money, and who took it from them? President Trump. And it’s about time. There’s no reason our tax dollars need to go to oppression of our gun rights, and it’s the Trump administration that ended this funding. Keep that in mind. Teddy Nappen 24:10 Just to kind of going back to the whole issue. Whenever the Left try to present themselves like no, no, we need to find these common sense issues. Okay. Let’s define our terms, because the Left does not see the Second Amendment as a right. We know this because the Left wing nut case of a judge, Jackson went and broke down her entire descent of Bruen, describing how it is not a right. It’s a privilege. Arguing that when we deal with gun cases, you have to consider the victims of gun violence rather than looking to the law and the Constitution. That is where they’re coming from. They’re coming from the stupidity and suicidal empathy when they say they’re bridging the gap. That is their argument. Page – 7 – of 11 Evan Nappen 25:01 Just don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for it. But here’s something that you would, that you would like to do, something that you should do, something that you would enjoy doing. And that is going to WeShoot. WeShoot is an indoor range in Lakewood, New Jersey. It’s the range where Teddy and I shoot and where we get our training. You will love WeShoot. And WeShoot is offering some great deals on guns. As a matter of fact, they have a Troy A4 Defender. It’s compact, balanced, and NJ compliant. This platform delivers serious capability in a maneuverable package. It shoulders naturally, runs smoothly, and feels purpose built. They also have a Sig Sauer P365 AXG Fuse. This is where innovation meets metal. The AXG alloy grip module gives you the premium weight and control, while the longer slide and enhance sight radius makes fast, accurate shooting effortless. Try out that SIG P365 at WeShoot. Evan Nappen 26:16 They’re also offering a Smith & Wesson CSX. Now, this is a micro-compact with an aluminum frame and a very crisp single-action trigger feel. It’s slim. It’s refined, and it’s built for discrete carry without sacrificing shoot ability. It has that classic metal construction in a defensive, ready size. Also, you can see Julianna and the MAC 5. This is a retro-inspired style with modern execution. The MAC 5 delivers iconic roller-delayed energy, and Juliana brings the confidence to match. So, check that out as well. Go to weshootusa.com, weshootusa.com. Check out the guns, check out Julianna, and check out the great things that are offered there. Fantastic training, top training. You can get your CCARE certificate so you can get your carry and have a great time in their pro shop. The service you’ll receive is second to none. Go to weshootusa.com. Evan Nappen 27:37 Also, please, please make sure you are a member of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. They are the premier gun rights group in New Jersey. They are the umbrella organization of gun clubs in New Jersey. They are fighting for our rights. My good friend and colleague, Dan Schmutter, is there in federal court. He’s doing a great job. We’re waiting for some more results to report. Exciting times. We’re going to have some, I feel, excellent results over “sensitive places”, the magazine ban and the assault firearm ban, as we keep fighting and slogging through it. Getting our rights back. Plus the Association is on guard at the courts, at the legislature and the courthouse, both. We have a full-time paid lobbyist and, man, New Jersey is always a challenge. So, make sure you’re a member. Go to anjrpc.org and join today. You’ll get news sent right to your email. You’ll get a beautiful newsletter, and you’ll know that you’re part of the solution. You want to be part of the solution. The solution to the problem. The problem is gun rights oppressors, and the Association fights them in the belly of the beast, New Jersey, right there. ANJRPC.org. Evan Nappen 29:04 And don’t forget to get a copy of my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It’s the bible of New Jersey gun law. It is the book you need to navigate through the insanity that is New Jersey gun law. I try to make it as easy as possible. Question and answer format with 120 topics. It’s a book everybody uses, and you need one. Just go to EvanNappen.com and order yours. And when you get it, don’t lend it out, because you’ll never get it back. I hear that complaint all the time. So, make sure you keep your hands on it, or you’ll lose it. Go to EvanNappen.com and get a copy of New Jersey Gun Law today. Now, we have Press Checks with Teddy. Teddy, what do you have for us today in Press Checks? Page – 8 – of 11 Teddy Nappen 29:50 Well, as you know, Press Checks are always free, and I just want to preface this on this one. Where you see in the news media, they’ve been pushing the whole Epstein thing. All right? They’ve been trying to push that. And of course, the Left ended up destroying themselves, as they’ve lost multiple power players who have been implicated in the whole, in the whole surroundings that it comes with the Epstein files being released. And one of the individuals who, by the way, this individual had close ties to Jeffrey Epstein since, like, the early days, Michael Bloomberg. You know, maybe it was because he had a, you know, big gulp in his hand, and that’s why, you know, he’s like, Oh, how dare you. But, yeah. Teddy Nappen 30:41 So, we go to AmmoLand, where this was a wonderful article written up by Alan Gottlieb. (https://www.ammoland.com/2026/02/ccrkba-demands-bloomberg-come-clean-about-epstein-relationship/) Regarding the fact that now we are demanding that all the anti-gun groups, including Everytown, including all of his multi anti gun right the gun rights oppressors groups cut ties with Michael Bloomberg. You know, the money. And there was, I actually went. And funny enough, anyone can do this. You can go on to the Epstein files on the government website, and they have the entire files library. You can type in word searches. So, you type in “Michael Bloomberg”. I went and read through the different documents on it. Now, to preface this, there was no showing of wrongdoing in what was discovered by the fact he was. However, he was invited with Michael Bloomberg, George Stephanopoulos, Eric Schmidt, all these individuals, to a cocktail party with Jeffrey Epstein to watch The Imitation Game. You know, that movie about Alan Turing where he broke the German Enigma. Okay. Bear in mind, this is 2015. Jeffrey Epstein had already been convicted of the first initial charges back in 2000. Evan Nappen 32:05 He was a felon, you know. So, hey, they love to make a point that they shouldn’t have guns. Epstein kept trying and trying and trying to get his rights back so he could get guns. Yet, here he is with the king of anti-gun funding, Bloomturd. Teddy Nappen 32:25 Yeah. Evan Nappen 32:26 What’s that all about? Teddy Nappen 32:27 There was also a letter. Now, again, there was no direct correspondence with Michael Bloomberg. However, there was a letter from Maxwell, Jillian’s mother, basically inviting him to attend a premiere, apparently, this was a movie, Power of Good. I’ve never heard of this one. But this very clearly shows that there was direct information going back and forth. There was also, it seemed to be, there was a massive invitation, and Jeffrey Epstein was trying to create this almost investor group. I want to tell you. Like he wanted to make this online new media. He was naming these board of directors, one of which was Michael Bloomberg, the Rothschild, Lee Rothschild, Alan Goodman. So, various individuals. He Page – 9 – of 11 seemed to be almost like a financial advisor or a bank roller for Jeffrey Epstein. Again, there’s no showing of wrongdoing, but it’s just, clearly, he had a relationship with him. Even highlighted to the articles where, in 2011 the Palm Beach Daily News, Epstein’s address book included Michael Bloomberg. In 2013, there were multiple pictures taken with Bloomberg and Maxwell together having book parties at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, where I guess they were reading gender queer, but also the level. Evan Nappen 33:51 Well, the way they brought in the Clintons to the committee, they need to bring Bloomberg in. I mean, you know, this is. The Left kept pushing and pushing and pushing about the Epstein files. Hoping against hope, that they could somehow get President Trump on this, when, in reality, what we’re seeing is it blowing up in the Left’s face, aren’t we? Teddy Nappen 34:12 Yeah. Also, here’s a really big one. Epstein was invited to a Bloomberg hosted fundraiser for Plaskett. Congresswoman Plaskett. You know, the woman who took direct funding from Jeffrey Epstein, actually got donation money. So, not only was he hosting the dinner, cordially inviting Epstein to come on down. Even writing a letter. Please join our host. Michael Bloomberg. Dear Jeffrey Epstein, please join our host, Michael Bloomberg, to the dinner. So, very clearly he was running in these circles. There’s a very clear tie relationship. Again, no showing of wrongdoing. There wasn’t a direct correspondence with him in the emails. And if you actually go through a lot of the emails, he would email news articles. That’s why you know Bloomberg News. And he would email them to others. So, that did also come up. It just shows the very clear ties. This is the one that really sticks out to me. Documents release revealed he was interested in gun politics and Bloomberg’s work. They don’t show direct donations to EveryTown. However, in 2013 there’s an email soliciting Epstein for a donation to American for Responsible Solutions, which is run by Gabby, Gabby Giffords, who later became Giffords. Evan Nappen 35:34 That’s right. But all they care about with Epstein is Trump. And how does that all relate? Is Trump in the Epstein files, Teddy? Teddy Nappen 35:46 Oh, very much. Yes, yes, Trump is in the Epstein files. Okay, I’ve got to tell this to everyone here. The black pillars, all those out there, we do not have all the information. We know that for a fact. Okay? Has it been mishandled? Absolutely. Pam Bondi should resign. Fall on her sword. Because she has damaged the administration on Trump for the mishandling with the stupid binder gate, all the stupidity of, oh, I have the client list on my desk. That was a lie. And the whole situation there. However, if you actually look at the timeline, you can go see the articles. See the full breakdown of it for Donald Trump. Teddy Nappen 36:24 Here’s the timeline, 2004 to 2005, there was reported abuse by a 14-year-old girl by Epstein. Then Trump immediately ended the relation with Jeffrey Epstein. Banned him from Mar a Lago. In 2008, Epstein was convicted with the help of Donald Trump, who cooperated with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyer, who fully deposed himself to the lawyers. As opposed to all the other people that are Page – 10 – of 11 implicated, who just stayed away. He actually went in to help the victims. Imagine that. And going in next 2000, after Maxwell is convicted as well, where she trafficked to Epstein. Also in 2019, he’s later arrested again. Guess who’s President in 2019? Donald Trump. He was arrested for sex who invested arrested Epstein for sex trafficking, and then he’s later dead in 2019. So, not only does it exonerate, where, after he was convicted, Trump broke off all relationships with Epstein. He helped get Jeffrey Epstein. That is all that they have on Donald Trump when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. Teddy Nappen 37:32 All the fake news, all the fake and you know why he said hoax? He wasn’t saying the Jeffrey Epstein whole pedo ring was a hoax? No, he is saying hoax, as in talking about the Dems whole plot to directly connect Trump to the pedophile ring. That is their plot. That was the hoax. Was it misspoken? Yes, Trump fires from the hip. Sue him. That’s how it goes. But actually looking at the facts of what came down, this is what he should have said. Under four years of Biden, not one committee was formed to go at the Epstein files, to go after the Epstein files. The Dems didn’t even want to touch it, which, by the way, all the people that were running in Epstein circles, Schumer, all the, all the heavy donators, Bill Gates, all these individuals are running in Michael Bloomberg, running heavily donations, including Jeffrey Epstein, who heavily donated to the Democrats. So, it’s the level of insanity that goes into it. Teddy Nappen 38:37 By the way, for everyone to remember. Did you know? Did you also know the fact that all of a sudden, the victims who never spoke out during the four years under Biden are now taking Super Bowl ads saying, release more files. Okay, what happened to we have our list. We’re making our list. Just say it. Are you worried about defamation? Musk said he’ll pay for defamation. And good luck as trying to go after women of victims of sexual abuse. I’m sure a go fund me will be immediately formed and covered. So, what are you waiting on? Oh, that’s right, these are just political cudgels for you to abuse. Okay? That is a fact, and that’s what I’m saying to the victims who, all of a sudden, will not name names. So, that it’s one of the big things, like, very clearly, it’s being used as a political tool. They don’t actually want to release the names. Evan Nappen 39:28 Well, I think it’s interesting that it’s come around to Mr. Bloomberg, and that has major effect in terms of funding of further gun rights oppression. He needs to explain the way they’re looking at it. Forced it to be opened up. Hey, guess what? You’re there. You need to explain it now. At least do that. Teddy Nappen 39:52 Also this. Evan Nappen 39:53 There you go. Teddy Nappen 39:54 Proof in concept. Peter Mandelson, who was directly connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He was Keir Starmer’s Cabinet Minister, who just recently resigned. He resigned in shame. So, the proof is in the Page – 11 – of 11 proof is, in fact, that this has the effect. If we could break up Bloomberg from EveryTown. I mean, there is their money. They have nothing aside from. Evan Nappen 40:17 Well, they’re not getting funding anymore from the Government. Yeah, from USAID killed all that. Yeah, so that’s good. Well, let me tell you, Teddy, about this week’s GOFU. That is a Gun Owner Fuck Up, where you learn about expensive mistakes that others have made so that you don’t make them. Now this week’s GOFU that I want to talk about, might even be considered a future GOFU. But it applies still today. If West Virginia, Kansas, or any of these places end up creating State machine gun stores, if you will, which I believe they will, and this ends up taking off, make sure that you do NOT, as a non-resident of those states, acquire a machine gun from those states and then, no less, bring it to New Jersey. In other words, the GOFU, in the big picture, is you have to be cognizant of your jurisdiction and what you’re doing in your jurisdiction, and when you’re in another jurisdiction, what you can and can’t do. Evan Nappen 41:34 We see the jurisdictional problem arise all the time. Whether it’s in carrying a gun where you’re allowed to carry in one state and not in another, whether it’s purchase or possession of a firearm in any given state versus another, people bringing guns or accessories or other things that were legal in one place and illegal in another. The burden is on you to know this. I am constantly seeing cases where people make that very critical error. So, the GOFU, in a general term, my friends, is make sure you know your jurisdictions laws and do not inadvertently violate them because you are in another jurisdiction, and you are coming into this other jurisdiction, this is where the trouble can begin. It can be quite serious. So, be very cognizant of this when dealing with guns. Evan Nappen 42:40 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Speaker 2 42:51 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S5 E279_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions  talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America.  Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL.  Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits.   Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";

This podcast episode elucidates the pivotal rulings of the United States Supreme Court in the year 2025, emphasizing their profound implications on the executive actions undertaken by the Trump administration. We commence with a succinct overview of the most salient verdicts, transitioning thereafter to an examination of the legal predicaments faced by former administration officials, Jack Smith and James Comey, who themselves encountered judicial scrutiny. A notable focus rests on the unprecedented utilization of the Supreme Court's emergency docket, which facilitated the rapid adjudication of numerous pressing cases, with a remarkable 25 cases reaching the Court within the year. Of these, the Supreme Court ruled predominantly in favor of the Trump administration, thus underscoring the significant authority held by the current judicial composition. We conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of these judicial decisions within the context of American governance and the rule of law. A salient feature of this podcast episode is its rigorous exploration of the 2025 Supreme Court verdicts, as articulated by the hosts during their insightful discourse. The episode commences with a succinct summary of the significant rulings that have emerged from the Supreme Court, providing listeners with a foundational understanding of the pivotal legal issues at stake. Subsequent discussions reveal the stark differences between the U.S. Supreme Court and the Dutch judicial system, particularly in terms of authority and the procedural mechanisms by which cases ascend to the highest court in the land. The hosts elucidate the complexities inherent in the Supreme Court's decision-making process, particularly the discretionary nature of which cases are selected for review, emphasizing that only a fraction of those petitioned for certiorari actually receive a hearing. In the latter segments of the episode, attention pivots to the unprecedented utilization of the emergency docket in 2025, reflecting the tumultuous political landscape characterized by numerous legal challenges to actions taken by the Trump administration. The hosts detail how this mechanism was employed to expedite the Supreme Court's review of urgent cases, resulting in an extraordinary number of rulings that favored the executive branch. Specifically, of the 25 emergency cases presented, the Court sided with the Trump administration in 21 instances, thus raising crucial questions about the implications of such a ruling pattern on the balance of power and the judiciary's role in safeguarding civil liberties. This critical examination is further enriched by discussions surrounding the broader societal ramifications of these judicial decisions, particularly as they relate to the rule of law and the preservation of democratic principles. As the episode draws to a close, the hosts reflect on the significance of these Supreme Court rulings within the broader context of American governance. The conversation concludes with a contemplative outlook on the judiciary's evolving role in the face of political challenges, fostering a nuanced understanding of the interplay between law and politics in contemporary America. This episode serves not only as a thorough analysis of the Supreme Court's actions in 2025 but also as an invitation for listeners to engage critically with the ongoing discourse surrounding judicial independence and executive authority.Takeaways:In the realm of U.S. law, the Supreme Court possesses significant authority that supersedes lower court decisions, ensuring uniformity in legal interpretation across the nation.The process through which cases ascend to the Supreme Court is intricate, often requiring numerous procedural steps that can obfuscate justice for the average citizen.During the year 2025, the Supreme Court witnessed an unprecedented influx of emergency applications, reflecting the contentious nature of the political landscape under the Trump administration.A striking majority of the Supreme Court's rulings in 2025 favored the Trump administration, raising concerns about the implications for judicial impartiality and executive power.The Supreme Court's recent decisions underscore the delicate balance between federal authority and individual rights, particularly in cases involving immigration and executive actions.The confirmation process for Supreme Court justices has evolved, now requiring only a simple majority in the Senate, which has profound implications for the political dynamics of judicial appointments.Companies mentioned in this episode:AARPMaduroAmerican Civil Liberties Union

AJ is a former senior CIA operations officer and twice-selected Chief of Station who served across the full spectrum of clandestine operations, including warzones, denied areas, and austere overseas postings. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a B.S. in Physics and a former Marine combat arms officer, AJ spent his career leading high-risk missions in defense of U.S. national security. In 2021, while serving in Southeast Asia, AJ experienced what he describes as a directed energy attack associated with reported Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs). He recounts an acute neurological event followed by lasting cognitive, physical, and autonomic symptoms. Subsequent medical evaluations documented biomarkers consistent with brain injury and confirmed dysautonomia, among other measurable abnormalities. Drawing on historical research into directed energy programs and Cold War-era microwave investigations, AJ has spoken publicly about the broader national security implications of emerging non-kinetic weapons. Following his medical retirement, he became an advocate for transparency, proper medical protocols, and full implementation of the Havana Act, engaging with congressional oversight bodies and senior national security officials to push for accountability and care for affected personnel. Follow the market - https://polymarket.com/event/us-confirms-havana-syndromecausing-device-by-march-31 Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide. Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get 10% off at https://hexclad.com/srs ! #hexcladpartner If you're serious about selling to the Department of War, go to https://SBIRAdvisors.com and mention Shawn Ryan for your first month free. Live better longer with BUBS Naturals. Get 20% OFF on collagen, MCT creamers, and more with code SHAWN at bubsnaturals.com/srs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Panning for Gold in Bigfoot CountryA lifelong outdoorsman from a Texas cattle-ranch background (former pro rodeo rider, music teacher, avid camper, fisherman, hiker, and fossil/rock collector) recounts two eerie, unexplained experiences that ultimately convinced him Bigfoot is real. While renting a remote 26-acre cabin outside Kerrville, Texas, he regularly fed local wildlife. For several nights he heard loud slapping/banging on the cabin walls; one night the impact was so violent it shook pictures on the wall beside his bed. His dogs were terrified. A trail camera later captured a large, shadowy face peering through the brush exactly where the noises occurred. Around the same time, a reported Bigfoot sighting happened just eight miles away. After moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, he had a similar feeling of being watched while alone with his dogs on the remote Holy Ghost Trail (an area locals call haunted); the dogs bolted back to the Jeep in fear. In March 2021, during a solo gold-panning trip to Willow Creek in the Santa Fe National Forest, he discovered a set of enormous fresh footprints paralleling the creek—16 inches long, 5 inches wide, with a 4.5-foot stride. His dogs froze, staring into the brush; he felt intensely watched. He measured and photographed the prints (with his foot for scale) before racing back to his truck. Subsequent research revealed dozens of Bigfoot reports in both the Texas Hill Country and northern New Mexico locations where he had lived and hiked, including one near his old cabin on the exact night of the slapping incident. A hunter had also gone missing in the Willow Creek area, later featured on a TV show. Now living on the Texas coast (where sightings are also reported), he remains an enthusiastic outdoorsman but never hikes or camps without a firearm and keeps a close eye on his dogs. Though he never had a clear visual (Class A) sighting, the cumulative evidence has made Bigfoot “always on his radar.”Join my Supporters Club for $4.99 per month for exclusive stories:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-if-it-s-true-podcast--5445587/support

Bill Roggio and John Hardie reflect on four years of war in Ukraine, examining initial intelligence failures regarding Russian capabilities and the subsequent shift toward defensive, drone-centric modern warfare.  1916 ODESSA

Episode #490: Matt Walton, a political theorist and scholar of Buddhism and politics in Myanmar, and author the acclaimed Buddhism, Politics and Political Thought in Myanmar, argues that Burmese political life cannot be understood through secular or Western democratic frameworks alone. He contends that struggles over democracy, authority, nationalism, and pluralism in the country unfold within a shared Theravāda Buddhist moral universe whose internal logics remain consistent even as they produce sharply divergent political outcomes. Ethical life, political legitimacy, and social order are deeply embedded in Buddhist moral reasoning, shaping how political ideas are articulated and contested. In his undergraduate years, he developed an interest in meditation, which took shape during his first visit to Myanmar. Initially going as a backpacker, he joined a demanding 21-day vipassanāretreat in the Mahāsi lineage in the Sagaing Hills. That retreat proved pivotal for him both as practitioner and professionally, sparking his interest how embodied Burmese Buddhism plays out in social, cultural and political spheres. Subsequent travels through Myanmar helped crystalize his awareness that democratic aspirations and rights discourse in the region operate within Buddhist concepts of causality, responsibility, and ethical conduct rather than liberal political theory. He devoted himself to the study of Burmese language, Buddhist philosophy, and political thought. Central to Walton's analysis is the relationship between lokī, the mundane sphere, and lokuttara, the supramundane orientation toward insight and liberation. These are not opposing realms but relational categories that structure political reasoning. Burmese discourse recognizes that ethical practice depends on material conditions, while also warning that excessive supramundane focus can undermine worldly governance. Political legitimacy emerges from negotiating this tension. Walton shows how Buddhist texts can generate competing political interpretations, supporting both hierarchical authority and participatory responsibility. Across history—from U Nu and Aung San to Ledi Sayadaw, Buddhist nationalism, and contemporary pluralist debates—Walton emphasizes that the same moral universe underlies empowerment and violence alike. Understanding this coherence, he insists, does not imply moral endorsement but is essential for grappling with Myanmar's political crisis and imagining more inclusive futures. Walton cautions against assuming secularism would offer a neutral alternative, noting that secular governance elsewhere remains shaped by Christian histories, and instead calls for explicit, critical engagement with Buddhist moral reasoning to identify resources for genuinely inclusive coexistence.

This week, EconoFact Chats features an abridged version of an Ask Me Anything Webinar held on January 16th, 2026, featuring Heather Long of the Navy Federal Credit Union (formerly at The Washington Post), and John Hilsenrath of Serpa Pinto Advisory (formerly at The Wall Street Journal). The webinar touched on a wide range of issues including the uneven economic recovery since COVID, America's transition from an economy driven by manufacturing and services, to one driven by tech and information, and the effects of tariffs on prices and American manufacturing jobs. The next EconoFact Ask Me Anything Webinar on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at noon Eastern Time, which is open to all, will be with John Cassidy (The New Yorker) who will answer questions on, among other topics, his new book Capitalism and Its Critics. Subsequent monthly AMA webinars, such as the one with Mark Zandi, Chief Economist of Moody's Analytics, will be exclusively available to Premium Subscribers. You can sign-up for a Premium Subscription at https://secure.touchnet.net/C21525_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=157. The $50 annual fee helps support EconoFact in its efforts to bring timely, accessible, and unbiased analyses on important economic and social policy issues.

The Lord said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” How do you do that? How do you live in a troubled world and not be troubled? How do you live in a fearful world and not be afraid? How do you find peace? Introducing a new original series from Scripture Central. The Stand Forever Series is a cinematic presentation of a Christ-centered book written by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge (Emeritus General Authority Seventy), a book that may never be published. The book and now this series share the same title as a BYU devotional address given by Elder Corbridge in 2019, the elements of which are critical pieces to a larger puzzle. The Stand Forever Series is the larger puzzle revealing why we believe and follow Christ to the end, engaged in His work, and help others do the same. Although this first episode is the longest and one of the last of the series, it is being released first because it is especially timely. Subsequent episodes will be released in order every Saturday. We invite you to join us on this journey and Stand Forever. A downloadable transcript of this message can be found here: https://scripturecentral.org/shows/stand-forever/episodes/stand-forever-peace-let-not-your-heart-be-troubled-elder-lawrence-e-corbridge

4.  Guest: David Rooney. Rooney concludes the saga with Alcock and Brown's successful landing in Ireland and the subsequent celebration. Winston Churchill awarded the prize money, marking a pivotal moment where former rivals celebrated opening the future of aviation.

James Shapiro details Welles's innovative Voodoo Macbeth, its anti-fascist themes, the racial condescension of white critics, and the production's massive success and subsequent national tour across America.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy kicked off a decades-long effort to reduce the risk of nuclear war, when he signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty. Subsequent presidents forged new agreements, but now that global order to safeguard and reduce nuclear arms is deteriorating.This month the last bilateral nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired. Meanwhile, President Trump is pushing the international order to a breaking point, and European leaders are speculating about a new path forward for their collective nuclear defense. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Christine Wormuth, former Secretary of the Army and now President and C.E.O. of The Nuclear Threat Initiative, about the possibility of a new nuclear arms race.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.  Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Karen Zamora and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Brett Neely and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In this episode, Kayleigh sits down with Abigail to talk about her first birth complicated by low amniotic fluid, a late preterm induction, and a long, emotionally exhausting NICU stay, and how that experience shaped her postpartum mental health and feeding journey. Abigail also shares her second birth story, including intentional preparation, advocacy, and what it looked like to face another NICU admission without it becoming traumatic. This episode is a powerful conversation about control, grief, healing, and how trauma-informed care and support can change everything.In this episode, we talk about:

From Historic Roots to Modern Mission The Youth Development Center has found its new home in the heart of Winchester, and Executive Director Sarah Fishel couldn't be more excited about what this means for the community. Speaking with host Janet Michael on The Valley Today, Sarah traced the organization's journey from its 1990 founding to its March 2025 relocation to 302 South Loudoun Street, right off the walking mall. The YDC's story began with a simple yet powerful vision: community leaders and business people wanted to create a space where children could grow, learn, and experience opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have. Tom and Sheila Baker donated their home to launch the initiative, and the organization quickly became a Winchester institution. By January 1996, the YDC was hosting its first high school dance—a tradition many locals still remember fondly. A Building with History, A Vision for the Future The new downtown location brings its own rich history to the table. Previously home to YHB accounting firm, a downtown athletic club, and even a funeral home, the building features remnants of its past, including two racquetball courts that delighted visitors during the recent Preservation of Historic Winchester holiday house tour. Sarah notes that this historical connection helps parents feel more comfortable bringing their children to explore what the YDC offers today. Moreover, the location itself proves ideal for accessibility. Families can walk to the center, catch the bus, or use the spacious parking lot for drop-offs. This strategic positioning in downtown Winchester removes transportation barriers that might otherwise prevent children from participating in programs. Addressing Today's Challenges Sarah identifies a critical shift in the challenges facing today's youth compared to previous generations. While Janet recalls her own childhood spent "riding the strip" with nowhere to go, today's children face a different problem: they're glued to their screens. Furthermore, Sarah points out that many children, particularly "COVID babies," missed crucial developmental windows for learning basic social skills like making eye contact, smiling at strangers, and engaging in face-to-face conversation. The YDC aims to fill this gap by creating an environment where children can practice these essential life skills. Sarah emphasizes that the center wants to be "a place where kids can come in, learn a little bit, but have some fun and just create the relationships that maybe were easier for all of us, pre-COVID or pre-iPhone." Programs That Make a Difference Read Start: Building Confidence Through Literacy The YDC's Read Start program tackles one of Winchester's most pressing educational challenges: children reading significantly below grade level. Led by Shenandoah University student Rowan Lippy, the program goes beyond traditional reading instruction by incorporating movement and energy to keep kids engaged. Sarah emphasizes the connection between reading ability and confidence, noting she can't imagine sitting in a classroom unable to read alongside peers. The program costs $10 per class, though scholarships ensure no child is turned away due to financial constraints.  Saturday Art Classes: Creativity Without Judgment Every Saturday, program coordinator Lindsay Browning leads free art classes that teach children more than just painting techniques. The sessions encourage kids to embrace their feelings, follow directions while making them their own, and most importantly, create without fear of judgment. Janet highlights how art education teaches children not to judge others—a crucial skill in today's divided world. Sarah shares a touching story about a young student who drew her a stick figure tutorial after she joked about her own artistic limitations, demonstrating how the program fosters problem-solving and kindness. Financial Literacy: Real Money in a Digital World Starting March 4th, United Bank will teach "The Money Playbook," a financial literacy course that addresses a skill often overlooked in traditional education. Pete Warren and his team from United Bank, named the YDC as their premier community partner, will incorporate games and interactive elements to make financial concepts accessible to young minds. Both Sarah and Janet acknowledge the challenge of teaching financial responsibility in an era of Apple Pay and Venmo, where money doesn't feel tangible. The course aims to help children understand that digital transactions represent real money leaving their accounts—a lesson that will serve them throughout their lives. Midday at the YDC: Homeschool and Beyond Launched on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 1 PM, this program welcomes homeschool families and anyone else who wants to use the YDC's resources during the day. For just $5 (free the first Tuesday of each month), children can access game rooms, art supplies, reading rooms, and even an eSports room. When Women Lead: Amplifying Voices In March, Sarah will launch a speaker series close to her heart: When Women Lead. Every Wednesday from 6 to 7 PM, panels of accomplished Winchester women will discuss different aspects of female leadership. The series kicks off March 4th with "The Path to the Table," featuring Lauren Clouse, Blair Jewell, Adrienne Patrick, and Karis Frey. Subsequent weeks explore "Leadership in Motion" (March 11th), "Building What Lasts" (March 18th), and "Shaping What's Next" (March 25th). Each panel brings together women from diverse professional backgrounds—teachers, healthcare leaders, city officials, and business executives. While geared toward women, Sarah stresses that men are equally welcome. In fact, she hopes to see mothers bringing their teenage sons, recognizing that change happens when everyone participates in these conversations. The Power of Partnership Throughout the conversation, Sarah repeatedly returns to one theme: Winchester's remarkable spirit of collaboration. United Bank doesn't just donate money—they send staff to teach financial literacy. Shenandoah University doesn't just support from afar—they send students and professors to lead programs. Local businesses and civic groups consistently step forward with resources and expertise. Sarah admits she rarely needs to ask for help because community members proactively reach out, asking how they can contribute. This culture of giving back, which Sarah learned from her mother during 36 years at Valley Health, continues to drive the YDC's success. Looking Ahead As the YDC approaches its one-year anniversary in the new location, Sarah's goals remain ambitious yet grounded. The organization plans to revamp its afterschool program, bring back the mentorship initiative, and reimagine Summerfest and Winterfest to meet kids where they are today—not ten steps ahead or behind. Sarah's philosophy centers on trial and error: "Why not try something? If it doesn't work, then we know. We'll move on to the next thing." This willingness to experiment, combined with deep listening to parents, educators, and community stakeholders, positions the YDC to remain relevant and responsive. A Community Investment Ultimately, Sarah views the YDC as more than a youth center—it's an investment in Winchester's future. "Winchester only stays the great place that we all love if we bolster the younger generation," she explains. By providing spaces where children can discover their passions, build confidence, and develop essential life skills, the YDC ensures that the next generation will continue making Winchester a community worth celebrating. For those interested in learning more or getting involved, visit myydc.org or follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram. Whether you're a parent looking for programs, a professional willing to share expertise, or simply someone who believes in investing in youth, the YDC welcomes you to be part of Winchester's ongoing story.

It's that time of year, with many focused on year-end reporting. After wrapping up our Year-end toolkit series last week, we revisit another set of conversations that are especially relevant right now. We're re-releasing the kickoff episode from last year's Reporting reset series.This first episode sets the stage for the series by covering foundational reporting principles, key disclosure considerations, notable differences between public and private company financial statements, and accounting changes and error corrections. Links are provided to other episodes in this presentation and disclosure series.In this episode, we discuss:1:25 – Foundational GAAP and SEC requirements for financial statement presentation3:09 – Determining appropriate reporting periods5:25 – Balance sheet presentation: classification, required disclosures, and best practices11:44 – Income statement presentation: structure and key considerations21:31 – Accounting changes, estimates, and error corrections29:53 – Subsequent events: recognition and disclosureFor more on this topic read the following chapters in our Financial statement presentation guide:Chapter 1: General presentation and disclosure requirementsChapter 2: Balance sheetChapter 3: Income statementChapter 28: Subsequent eventsChapter 30: Accounting changesBe sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guestPat Durbin is a PwC National Office Deputy Chief Accountant. He has over 30 years of experience consulting with our clients and engagement teams on complex accounting matters, including issues related to revenue, compensation, income taxes, and inventory under both US GAAP and IFRS.About our guest hostDiana Stoltzfus is a partner in PwC's National Office who helps to shape PwC's perspectives on regulatory matters, responses to rulemakings and policy development, and implementation related to significant new rules and regulations. Prior to rejoining PwC, Diana was the Deputy Chief Accountant in the Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) at the SEC where she led the activities of the OCA's Professional Practices Group.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

This episode we are talking about the Four Great Temples--Asukadera, Daikandaiji (aka Kudara Odera), Kawaradera, and Yakushiji.  Much of the information, outside of the Nihon Shoki itself, comes from Donald F. McCallum's book:  "The Four Great Temples: Buddhist Archaeology, Architecture, and Icons of Seventh-Century Japan". For sources, photos, and more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-142 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 142: The Four Great Temples   Rising up into the sky, the bronze spire atop the pagoda seemed to touch the heavens.  The beams, doors, and railings were all painted bright red, with white walls, and green painted bars on the windows.  At each level, the eaves swept out, covered in dark ceramic tiles, with shining bronze plaques covering the ends of the roof beams.  At each corner, a bronze bell hung, chiming in the breeze.  This pattern continued upwards, tier after tier. Around the base of the pagoda, throngs of government officials dressed in their formal robes of office moved past, flowing through the temple's central gates.  As they passed, they looked up at the impressive tower, the largest of its kind in all of Yamato.  From somewhere, a deep bell chimed, and the crowds made their way towards the lecture hall.  There, the monks were prepared, with sutras and voices at the ready.  Facing a sacred image, they would read through their sutras in unison.  Their voices would carry through the great empty space and reverberate through the crowds—those that could get close enough to hear, anyway.  The chanting created a musical cacophony.     In that sea of human voices, one could almost sense something more—something spiritual.  A power, that one could almost believe could hold at bay just about any disaster that could befall a person—or even the state itself.   Alright, so this episode we are still in the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  I know we've already seen how that ends, but there is still a lot to cover. But before I go too far, I'd like to first give  a shout out to Lisa for helping to support the show on Ko-Fi.  I can't tell you how much we appreciate it.  If you would like to support us as well, we'll have more information at the end of this, and every episode. We've talked about how the reign of Ohoama was a time where the court reinforced, but also subtly adjusted, the laws of the Ritsuryo state.  They seem to have equally courted the Kami, Buddhism, and even continental ideas of yin and yang.  Today we are going to dive into Buddhism and the State.  More specifically, I want to talk about something called the Yondaiji, the Four Great Temples, and look at how these government temples, also known as "kanji" or "Tsukasa no dera" came to be, what we know about them from archaeological research, and the role they played in the State.  This is going to probably recap things from earlier episodes.  I am also drawing a lot from a book by Donald F. McCallum called, appropriately, "The Four Great Temples", which goes into a lot more detail than I'll be able to get into, here, but I recommend it for those who are really interested in this subject. Up to this point, we've talked a little about the relationship that the court had with Buddhism.  By the late 7th century, Buddhism had spread throughout the archipelago, and there were many temples likely created by local elites.  Sensoji, in Asakusa, Tokyo, claims a founding of 628, though it may have actually been founded sometime just after 645.  There are other temples around Japan, far from the Home Provinces, which likewise had similar claims to being founded in the early to late 7th century, and I question how much a role the government had in each of them. .  In 673, there were two temple-related mentions of note in the Chronicles.  In one of Ohoama's earliest edicts he orders the copying of the Issaiko, the Buddhist canon, at Kawaradera.   That same year, 673, Prince Mino and Ki no Omi no Katamaro—whom we discussed last episode—were sent to build Takechi temple, later known as Daikandaiji.  I mention Daikandaiji specifically because while it was originally built as the Temple of Takechi, at some point took on that other  name—"Daikandaiji", aka Ohotsukasa no Ohodera—which Aston translates as the "Great Temple of the Great Palace", as it appears to have specifically been designated as the great temple of the government. In other words, it is one of a few National Temples.  And this became particularly important in the year 680, which is the year we are told the government stopped administering—and, more importantly, stopped funding—all but a handful of so-called "national temples".  At this point, as I've mentioned, Buddhism was widespread enough that there were enough adherents that could maintain their own local temples. Of course, local elites likely found some cachet in funding temples, and communities of believers in various areas would likewise have been asked to provide funds as well. So the court accordingly declared that going forward, the government would only administer 2 or 3 national temples.  For all other temples, if tthey had been granted the proceeds of sustenance-fiefs, those would be limited, from the first year to the last, of 30 years in total.  As I read it, that indicates that if they had received the fiefs 15 years ago, they would be allowed to hold onto them for another 15 years, after which point they would need to find alternative sources of funding.  The early national temples appear to be Daikandaiji and Kawaradera.  Finally, there is Yakushiji, which Ohoama began construction on in 680 for his queen, Uno no Sarara, when she was ill—and just hold on to that for now.  Interestingly, Asukadera, or Houkouji, in many ways the original national temple, was not designated as such in the new reorganization, but it would continue to be administered by the government as a temple in a special arrangement. That's why the original count in the Nihon Shoki mentions "2 or 3" national temples instead of four.  These four temples are mentioned in the Shoku Nihongi, the Chronicles following the Nihon Shoki, as the Four Great Temples, or Yondaiji.  Although that work wasn't compiled and published until the end of the 8th century, the term Yondaiji appears in an entry for 702, about five years after the last entry in the Nihon Shoki, and over a decade before its publication So at this point we're going to look at each of these "great" temples individually, plus a couple of other important ones, and what they tell us about the history of Buddhism, Buddhist temples, and the Yamato state at this point in Ohoama's reign. The first of these four temples, chronologically, is Asukadera.  This is the temple originally built by the Soga, and the first major Buddhist temple built.  Its layout shows three separate golden image halls, or kondou.  And here we should probably recap something about the general layout of a Buddhist temple, so we can understand what we are talking about. The most important buildings in a Buddhist temple at this time were the kondou, the golden image halls; the pagoda, or stupa; and the koudou, or lecture hall.  The golden image halls held golden Buddhist images—Buddhas, Boddhisatvas, Arthats, and more.  These rooms are often somewhat dark, and would have been lit mainly by candles, as well as the sun coming through—though even then the sun often is obscured by overhanging rooves and latticework.  Sometimes the doors would have small openings so that the sun's rays strike in a particular way at different times.  All of this presents an image of bright gleaming gold in the darkness—a metaphor for the teachings of the Buddha, but also an intentionally awe inspiring display for those who came to view them and pray. The kondo were usually the first structures to be built for a temple, so if your temple had nothing else, it probably had an image hall. The next structure that one would probably build would be the stupa, or pagoda.  A pagoda was a tower, in which were sometimes kept images, but more importantly, it would often hold some kind of relic.  The idea of the stupa originated as a place to house relics—often bone fragments and teeth attributed to the Buddha, even if those were actually precious stones.  Stupas were originally (and still, in many places) large mounds, but as Buddhism made its way over the Silk Road, these were replaced with multi-tiered towers. Pagodas are often 3 or 5 storeys, though the number of stories can go up to 7 or 9 or as low as 1.    Once again, in a world where most buildings, other than perhaps a specially made lookout tower, were only one or maybe two stories in height, a three to five story pagoda must have been something to behold, especially covered with tiled eaves, adorned with bronze bells, and brightly painted in the continental fashion. In Europe I would point to similar uses of gold and ostentatious ornamentation on the cathedrals of the day, and even in churches more generally, if on a smaller scale.  This is meant to impress and thus lend authority to the institution.  And of course, because that institution was so closely aligned to the State, it gave the State authority as well.  We mentioned, previously, how the monumental structures of the kofun had given way to the Buddhist temples as a form of ritual display. The last of the three buildings I would mention is the lecture hall, or Koudou.  This would also likely have Buddhist images, but it was more of a functional hall for conducting rituals, including recitation of sutras and presenting Buddhist teachings.  The koudou was often at the back or north end of the temple complex.  In early Buddhist temple layouts, it was common to have everything in a straight line, more or less, and to remain symmetrical.  So there would be a main gate through which one would enter.  In front of you there you probably saw the pagoda.  Beyond the pagoda was a path, and then the kondou, or image hall, typically with a lantern in front, and behind that was the koudou, or lecture hall.  This was all typically oriented on a north-south axis, such that one would enter through the southern gate and walk north towards the lecture hall.  The north-south orientation is likely another feature from the continent, where the most important buildings were often south-facing, and thus in the north of the compound.  This was the same with the palace layout, and likely for similar reasons—not just cultural, but also practical.  After all, the sun, in the northern hemisphere, remains slightly to the south, and so this would have provided the most light through the day.   This layout was not strictly adhered to, however. For instance, if we look at Asukadera, you would enter through the southernmost gate and you were then met with another gate for an inner compound.  This middle gate would lead you to a large courtyard, about 320 meters on a side, with a covered walkway, or gallery, along the entire circumference of the compound.  Entering through the middle gate one would have first noticed the large pagoda and not one but three golden image halls.  A path led to the pagoda, and then beyond from the pagoda to the central kondou.  There is even a stone where a large bronze lantern was likely situated between the pagoda and the kondou.  Based on archaeological evidence, it appears that there was originally just one image hall, directly north of the pagoda, but at a later date, they added two more kondou to the east and west of the pagoda.  This has been compared to a temple layout found in Goguryeo, but given that these were likely later additions, and we know that Baekje artisans were involved, I suspect that is just later coincidence. Connecting the layout of the temples to continental examples has been a keen area of study for many scholars.  The general theory is that temple layouts can help point to whether there was more of a Baekje, Silla, or Goguryeo influence during the construction of the temple, and what that might have meant for Yamato's international relations as well as various political factions in the court who may have leaned more towards one group or another. The last building at Asukadera, the koudou, or lecture hall, was directly north of the kondou, but you couldn't get there directly.  The entire pagoda and image hall compound was separate from the lecture hall, which stood north and apart, though still on the temple grounds, which would have been surrounded by an outer wall.   At this point, since we're talking about the layout of Asukadera and where it came from, I'm going to digress from the next of the four great temples and talk about two other early temples that are important for understanding Buddhist temple building at this time. So bear with me for this slight detour. The first of these is Shitennoji, the Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings, in modern Osaka.  This temple is said to have been built in 593, and is attributed to Shotoku Taishi.  Presumably he made a vow to do so during the war between the Soga and the Mononobe, which we discussed back in episode 91.  As you may recall from that and earlier episodes, the Mononobe were considered to be against the idea of Buddhism, while the Soga were promoting it.  Shitennouji was important, but doesn't show up in the Chronicles as much as other temples, and was all the way over in Naniwa.  As such, I suspect that it was not considered a good candidate for "national" temple status at the time.  Still, if we look at the original layout, Shitennoji is quite similar to what we see in Asukadera.  Everything is on a north-south axis.  You go through a middle gate to the inner compound.  There you find a pagoda, and past that, a lantern and then the kondou.  Unlike Asukadera, the koudou, or lecture hall, is incorporated into the back wall, such that the gallery continues from the middle gate around to either side, and then meets at the sides of the lecture hall.  There are also east and west gates, as well as other buildings, but the main layout is pretty comparable. The second is another temple, which also lays claim to being founded by Prince Shotoku Taishi, and which was not included in the four great temples.  This may have had to do with the fact that it wasn't in the Asuka valley, but also may have had to do with just the timing.  That temple is the famous one known as Horyuji.  Horyuji was founded on the site of the Ikaruga palace, said to have been the home of none other than Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi.  As such, one imagines it was quite the prominent temple in its day.  However, it was at a distance from the capital, and it also had the misfortune to have burned down in about 670, just before Ohoama ascended the throne, and it wasn't fully rebuilt until about 711, leaving a forty year gap where the temple was not necessarily at the forefront of Buddhism. Still, like Shitennoji, it is interesting to look at the original layout for Horyuji and compare it to Asukadera.  First off, you have the same north-south orientation, and you have the same separate, internal compound for the image hall and the pagoda.  Unlike in Asukadera, however, the kondou and the pagoda, which both faced south, were on an east-west axis, flanking the central pathway.  Entering through the middle gate one would have seen a five storey pagoda on the left and the kondo on the right.  The Koudou was outside the inner compound in the rear, along that central north-south axis.  There is also evidence of two other buildings.  One likely held a large bell—and possibly a drum—and the other was likely a sutra repository, where they could keep holy texts and various ritual implements. I will also note that, even though Horyuji burned down in 670 and was accordingly not that prominent during Ohoama's reign, it is absolutely worth visiting because substantial portions of those rebuilt buildings are still standing today. Indeed, both the Horyuji pagoda and kondou are among the oldest wooden buildings in the world. The central pillar of the pagoda was felled in 594 according to dendrochronological dating. The kondou was damaged by fire during a restoration in 1949, but about 15-20% of the original building from 670 still remains.  Going back to the Great Temples, the next of these to be built was Kudara Ohodera.  Kudara here means "Baekje", but this appears to refer more to the temple's location near the Kudara river, rather than to the kingdom of Baekje.  Kudara Ohodera is remarkable in a couple of different ways.  First off, there is the fact that it is the first temple with a firm royal lineage—that is to say a temple that claims to have been founded by the sovereign.  Asukadera was founded by Soga no Umako, the Prime Minister, and though Prince Umayado is said to have been the Crown Prince, nonetheless, he never reigned as sovereign, though he was considered the founder of both Shitenouji and Houryuuji.  Kudara Ohodera, however, is said to have been founded at the behest of Tamura, aka Jomei Tennou, who reigned from 629-641.  The temple appears to get its start in a record dated to 639, and by 645 it appears to be fully operational. There is another tale of its founding—in the Daianji Engi, the history of Daianji, a successor temple to Kudara Ohodera, there is mention of a Kumagori Dojo, and many modern histories claim that this was the actual first temple, but there isn't much evidence.  Donald McCallum, in his treatment of Kudara Ohodera's history in his book, "The Four Great Temples", suggests that the Kumagori Dojo story is likely a later legendary founding that got recorded, as there is scant evidence for it, and no mention of it in other records.  On the actual founding of Kudara Ohodera, however, there does appear to be general agreement with the Nihon Shoki, despite some minor differences in the dates. The call to build Kudara Ohodera comes alongside Tamura's also building Kudara Palace.  Kudara Ohodera was also built on a grand scale, and it is said to have had a nine-storey pagoda—almost double the size of a five-storey pagoda, which already towered over other buildings of the time. Despite all of this, for a long time it was unclear where Kudara Ohodera was actually situated.  There were several sites proposed, but most recently archaeological research on Kibi Pond seems to have placed the temple there.  At excavations on the southern side of the pond were found remnants of the foundations of two buildings, arranged in an east-west format.  The western foundation would appear to be for a pagoda—but one much larger than any of the five storey pagodas we've seen elsewhere.  And to the east was the foundation for what appears to be the kondo.  This golden image hall, however, is likewise much larger than any other hall of this time.  This arrangement would fit very well with a Houryuuji-like temple layout.  There were also various other traces that were consistent with the early mid-7th century, which would coincide with the 639-645 dates for Kudara Ohodera's construction.  Subsequent excavations appear to have found quarters for the priests, as well as at least part of a gallery wall and one gate, situated due south of the kondo.  There may have been another gate south of the pagoda.  The koudou, the lecture hall, may have been in the area that was later excavated to create the pond, and therefore we may never have any hard evidence of its location, despite numerous attempts to dig trenches to find more of the temple buildings.  This probably also means that, similar to Shitennouji, the lecture hall  was incorporated into the enclosing gallery wall rather than being outside, because if it was outside, then it likely would have been farther north and we would probably have seen some trace.  As it is, the lack of any trace suggests that it was inside or part of the enclosure with the pagoda and kondou. The large size of this archeological site concurs with what we know about Kudara Ohodera, both in its description and in the fact that it is referred to as "Ohodera", or "Great Temple"—no other temple has really been given that name directly, though there are a few references to "Ohodera"  that are ambiguous and might refer either to this temple or Asukadera..  Still, if this temple, sometimes also called Kibi Pond Temple due to its location, is *not* Kudara Ohodera then that just brings up more questions.  How could there have been such a monumental Buddhist temple this close to Asuka and within the bounds of the later Fujiwara-kyo and yet nobody thinks to mention it?  It doesn't appear to have been started and abandoned, as there were quite a few structures built.  So if this isn't Kudara Temple then someone has some 'splaining to do. Indeed, McCallum notes that while there are some objections, the preponderance of evidence seems to lean greatly in favor of the Kibi Pond site for Kudara Ohodera.  We still have yet to find the Kudara palace, however, so who knows.  There are also questions about the construction as various architectural features are missing in ways that are not consistent with other sites. Some oddities, such as a seeming lack of rooftiles given the apparent size of the building, actually may be a point in favor of this being Kudara Ohodera, since we know that the temple was moved in 673 when Ohoama requested that they build the Takechi Ohodera, which appears to have been Kudara's successor temple.  If they had reused the material from Kudara Ohodera to build, at least in part, Takechi Ohodera, that could explain why rooftiles and other such things are not present in the numbers expected at the Kibi Pond site. Takechi Ohodera is another bit of a mystery.  I can't help but note that Takechi is the name given Ohoama's son who was with him on the front lines of the Jinshin no Ran.  We also see a "Takechi no Agata-nushi", who is noted as the governor of the district of Takechi.  In all cases here it is spelled "Taka-ichi", or "high market", and it is not an uncommon name—we even find a Miwa no Kimi no Takechimaro.  In the record of the Jinshin no Ran it is noted that the governor of Takechi was possessed by the kami of Takechi and of Musa.  These were named as Kotoshironushi and Ikuikazuchi.  They claimed that they had been the kami that escorted Ohoama to Fuwa and saw him safely there.  As such, donations were made to their shrines.  Musa is an area in modern Takaichi district, which includes the area of Asuka, and is part of Kashihara city.  The Takaichi Agata Jinja—or the Takechi District Shrine—sits in the Shijo area of Kashihara city, north of Mt. Unebi. There are several proposed locations for Takechi Ohodera, but despite excavations, no clear temple features have been found.  As such, there isn't anything to clearly point to one or the other. What we do know is that Takechi Ohodera underwent another transformation.  According to the Daianji Engi, the Takechi Ohodera was renamed to Daikandaiji in 677.  There is no specific mention of this in the Nihon Shoki, other than a note that Takechi Ohodera was also known as Daikandaiji and a reference, in 679, of "fixing the names".  Personally, I can't help but wonder if this is a case of a nickname becoming the name-in-fact.  As I mentioned earlier in the episode, Daikandaijij, which can also be read as "Oho-tsukasa no Oho-tera" can be translated into something like Great Government Official Great Temple or Great Temple of the Royal Court.  We do know the location of this temple in later years, but this is probably not exactly where Takechi Ohodera was originally built. For one thing, it is suspicious that the temple lines up exactly with the later grid for Fujiwara-kyo, the later capital city that was built north of Asuka.  We also are told by the Daianji Engi that a nine storey pagoda and kondou were built between 697 and 707 CE.  There are also notes about activities at the temple mentioned in the Shoku Nihongi for the same period.  And yet there were also activities being held during that time which would not seem feasible if they were renovating in place.  So likely the new construction was at a new site—possibly near the old site.  And at this later site, the rooftiles were from a later period, closer to the period of the later construction and not really matching with earlier construction dates. So what did this temple of many names – Kudara Ohodera, then Takechi Ohodera, then Daikandaiji – actually look like?  We probably have a layout for the original temple and the later temple.  If Kibi Pond Temple is the original Kudara Ohodera, the original temple had the kondou and the pagoda on the same east-west axis, and likely had the koudou north of that – very Horyuji-like.  But based on the layout at the later temple site, we have something quite different.  From the central gate, there is a path straight towards the Kondou, with the Koudou directly north of that, and the nine-storey pagoda in an odd, off-set position, southeast of the kondou.  This disrupts the symmetry even more than the Kudara Ohodera layout.  There is some speculation that this asymmetry was temporary and that they planned to fill the other space but just never got around to it, but there is no indication that they had prepared for anything, either.  Also odd is the fact that the koudou, the lecture hall, was the same size as the image hall, the kondou, and that was roughly the same size as the enormous hall at Toudaiji, which is really saying something.  This really was a tremendous building, fitting for the main temple of the royal government. The third of the four great temples is Kawaradera, and this one is challenging to plot out chronologically as there isn't a lot of documentation.  There is no exact date for the building of Kawaradera.  There is a mention of it in 653, but the same entry in the Nihon Shoki also states that there are sources that claim it should be Yamadadera, instead.  Based on other evidence, this actually seems more likely.  Yamadadera is thought to have been the work of Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro, and it is where he eventually fled when accused of treason.  It was founded in 641, according to the Joguki, the record of Prince Shotoku, but construction didn't actually start until2 years later, and monks only began to occupy it in 648.  The following year, however, construction halted as that is when Ishikawa no Maro fled there and committed suicide.  Construction was resumed in 663, but still took time.  Still, even in the middle of this very long DIY project, it makes sense that there might be some activities in 653, even if construction was paused.   Later the temple would be completed, and seems to have had powerful backing.  Uno no Sarara, Ohoama's queen, was a granddaughter of Ishikawa no Maro, and so likely had a connection to the temple, but it never attained the status of a national temple the way the others had.  As far as its layout—it was similar to Shitennouji, with the pagoda, kondo, and koudou all in a line on the north-south axis. Kawaradera was another matter.  Though we aren't sure when it was built, exactly.  If we discount the 653 date as applying to Yamadadera instead, then the first date we really see anything at Kawara is Kawara Palace, built for Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou—who took up residence there when the Itabuki Palace burned.  Later it would be used for her mogari—her temporary interment.  The next mention of a temple at Kawara isn't until this reign, in 673, when Ohoama had the Buddhist canon, the Issaiko, copied, as I noted at the top of the episode.  So it must have been established and built some time before 673. Although we don't know when it was founded, we very clearly know where it was, as the foundations stones are still present, and quite clear—and unlike other Asuka era temples, it would stay in Asuka, rather than being removed up to the new capital at Heijo-kyo. Given everything else and its apparent importance, the lack of information on when Kawaradera was established is quite odd.  McCallum suggests that this could have been deliberate as a way to help delegitimize the temple in the 8th century, but also admits that it may have just been due to the general problems with early record keeping back in the day and there may not have been a good record of why and when the temple was founded.  The rooftiles are similar to those used during the time that the court was at Ohotsu.  I would also note that there is a connection between the foundation stones and a quarry up near Ohotsu at what is, today, Ishiyamadera.  That still doesn't tell us when Kawaradera was founded, as that could have been any time, and doesn't necessarily mean that it was during the time the court was in Ohotsu. Regardless of what textual evidence does or does not exist, the archaeological evidence is pretty staggering.  Even today you can go and see some of the exposed foundation stones.  This was a massive temple.  There was a south gate and then a middle gate just north of that.  The main enclosure was divided into two courtyards.  In the first, just beyond the middle gate, at the north end was the middle kondo, while in the courtyard itself, facing each other on an east-west axis, was a western kondou and the temple pagoda.  Past the middle kondou was a larger courtyard, with the koudou, or lecture hall, in the north, with a bell tower or sutra hall in the south west and southeast corners.  The walls of the enclosure were made up of a covered gallery, and around the outside of the northern courtyard, containing the koudou, were smaller chambers believed to be the monks quarters, something we don't necessarily see at all of the other sites. Despite being an important temple, and one of the Four Great Temples during the Asuka periods, when the capital eventually moved to Heijo-kyo, in modern Nara, Kawaradera had the distinction of being the only one of the four that was not moved as well. All three of the other Great Temples had new compounds built in Heijo-kyo, and the temples were thus "transferred" to the new capital.  Presumably that means that most of the monks and administration moved there, and those new temples took up the roles, duties, and responsibilities of the old temples.  The temple complexes in Asuka were not necessarily destroyed or deconstructed, but instead were apparently left to their own devices, becoming reduced in status.  Many of them fell into disrepair, and when disasters, such as fire, struck they were not rebuilt to the same extent as before, if at all.   Kawaradera, however, appears to have not been transferred.  It would eventually be replaced as one of the Four Great Temples by the temple of Koufukuji, which was specifically a temple for the Fujiwara family, who were having a bit of a moment in the Nara period.  Some have speculated that Kawaradera was specifically left behind in Asuka for that reason—so that the Fujiwara family temple could sneak into the ranks of national temples.  Or it may have been that Kawaradera had a particular connection to Takara Hime and the site of her interment.  If it was a memorial temple to her, then perhaps it didn't seem appropriate to remove it from its physical location.  McCallum also suggests that it was so powerful in its position in Asuka that it preferred to stay and keep its stipend-fiefs, perhaps believing that even the move to Heijo-kyo would be just another short fad, as had been Ohotsu and Fujiwara-kyo.  Of course, if so, they were sorely mistaken. And so Kawaradera would eventually fade from the picture, but during the time of Ohoama's reign, and into that of his immediate successors, it seems that it certainly held some sway. The fourth of the Four Great Temples was the temple of Yakushiji—the temple of the Medicine Buddha.  This is the latest temple of the bunch.  Its construction was ordered in the year 680 in response to Ohoama's queen, Uno no Sarara, falling ill.  And so he vowed to build a temple for her—specifically a temple to Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, whom we discussed last episode.  That said, there is considerable time between the order to construct a temple and getting enough of it built to actually be functional.  I haven't really touched on this, except when I briefly discussed Yamadadera and how long that took to build, but all of these temples were massive works, much more complicated than the traditional palace buildings.  For the most part, palace architecture could be built relatively quickly with the tools and labor available.  This was a good thing, seeing as how, for many years, the sovereign had moved again and again, either because of the previous sovereign's death in the palace or just because they chose a new location for a palace.  As such, one couldn't spend years building a new palace.  So palace buildings were simply made with wooden posts, sunk into the ground, with thatched roofs.  In a few examples we see attempts to use wooden boards or tiles, but they weren't complicated. A temple, on the other hand, was something different.  Temples were largely wood, but they were massive in size and their roofs were covered in heavy ceramic tiles.  All of that weight had to be properly distributed on a strong base—simple posts were not likely to work.  Instead they were built on raised stone foundations.  That's great for us looking at them, today, but at the time it would have been an inordinate amount of labor.  Hence why a temple like Yamadadera took so long to build. So Yakushiji may have been founded in 680, but was likely not finished until much later, which is why we don't really see it in the records for Ohoama's reign and why the order for national temples probably only states that there were just two or three.  However, it would become one of the four great temples, and is also notable because, in its transfer to Heijokyo, it largely retained its shape and layout, meaning that you can go to it, today, and still get some sense of what it may have been like back in the Asuka period.  Granted, there are certainly differences, but there are enough similarities that it is likely worth a visit.  Many of the other temples were significantly modified when they were rebuilt in the new capital in Nara.  The layout for Yakushiji is a basic rectangular layout.  North of the central gate there is not one, but two pagodas, on an east-west axis from each other, flanking the path to the kondo, roughly in the center.  Finally the koudou at the north end, built into the roofed gallery.  The modern Yakushiji, a UNESCO world heritage site, maintains one of the pagodas from 730.  Other buildings have been lost and rebuilt over the years.  Today, the covered gallery only goes around half of the compound.  This temple would be important, but mostly in the period following the current reign. This period of the four Great Temples perhaps gives us some insight into the relationship between Buddhism and the State.  Early on, Buddhism was the province largely of the Soga family, and Soga no Umako was apparently the most powerful figure of his day.  He founded Asukadera, and early temples weree founded by Soga or their associates, including Prince Umayado.  McCallum points out that the National Temples, however, were, with one exception, founded by sovereigns.  Kudara Ohodera was the first, Kawaradera was likely founded for Takara Hime, and Yakushiji was founded for Queen Uno.  The only one of the four that wasn't expressly founded on a sovereign's order was that of Asukadera, the temple by Soga no Umako.  This may explain why it was both included and excluded as a national temple in the Chronicles.  After all, there is no doubting its importance, but the narrative of a single, strong, royal house is somewhat impeded by the idea that one of those temples was founded by what was, for all of his power and authority, a private individual.  Ultimately they didn't include it in the edict and yet still acknowledged it as one of the Great Temples. McCallum also points out that these four may not have been fixed quite so early on.  For example, on the matter of Houryuuji—there is a bronze plaque that mentions an "Ikaruga no Ohodera", suggesting that the Ikaruga Temple—that is to say Houryuuji, founded on the estates of Prince Umayado—was at one time granted that title.  Of course, there are questions as to the exact date of the inscription, and whether or not they meant "Ohodera" in the later sense of a national temple or simply in the sense that it was large; and the term may have meant something else, earlier on. The roster of official temples, the Tsukasa no Tera or Kanji, would grow over time, but that is something for a later period.  It is worth noting, though, that the Chronicles at this point seem to distinguish between three types or levels of temples at this time, based on other edicts that we see.  There is also the matter of temple names. The first edict is from the 5th day of the 4th lunar month of 679, six years into Ohoama's reign.  The declaration states that the court would consider the history of any temple with sustenance fiefs and add or remove them as appropriate.  This suggests that there were temples with sustenance fiefs—that is, that had stipends based on lands whose official output went to their upkeep—and temples without such fiefs.  The latter were likely more local temples, likely funded by local elites, possibly out of actual devotion, or an attempt to gain the power that Buddhism presumably brought, or possibly just in emulation of the central court, much as the peripheral elites had also constructed the keyhole shaped kofun.  Along with the adjustments of stipends, we are also told that the administration quote-unquote "fixed" the names of the temples. This again goes to the government's control of the temples and Buddhism.  McCallum suggests that what is meant here is that they moved away from locative names to Buddhist names for the temple; up to this point, temple names appear to be about the location of the temple.  So we have Asuka dera, or Asuka Temple, built in Asuka.  Kudara Ohodera is Kudara Great Temple because it was by the Kudara river and the Kudara palace.  When it was moved to Takechi, they changed the name to Takechi temple.  Kawaradera was at Kawara, while the temple we know as Houryuuji was known at the time as Ikaruga Temple—or possibly Ikaruga Great Temple.  But later these temples would be known by their Buddhist names, so Asukadera is Houkouji.  Kudara Ohodera becomes Daikandaiji—and in fact, it is after this point that we see Daikandaiji in the narrative.  Ikaruga dera—though not one of the yondaiji, or four Great Temples—becomes Horyuuji.  I'm not quite so sure about Kawaradera, but Yakushiji, which is founded after this decree, comes to us with a Buddhist name rather than just the name of a location. This change in name likely simplified, somewhat, the concept of moving, or transferring the temples.  Rather than establishing a brand new temple with new administration and everything, they could build a new temple, but grant it the name and rights of the old temple.  The old temple grounds could still be used and occupied—it was still *a* temple, but it was no longer *the* temple, at least for official purposes.  It would be strange, however, to move the Asuka Temple up to the area of modern Nara city and still call it the Asuka Temple. The year after reassessing the stipends and fixing the names of the temples we get the edict about the 2 or 3 national temples.  And we've mostly discussed that, but here I would just point out that it does add a third distinction to the types of temples.  So we have temples with no stipends, temples with stipends—but they would only last for 30 years total after which they were expected to find new sources of funding—and the national temples, which would presumably receive funding through the government in perpetuity—or until the court changed its mind. So why do we care about any of this?  Obviously Buddhism has had a huge impact on Japanese culture.  However, this isn't just about the religion as an idea, but about the institutions.  These temples—especially these great temples—contained a fair amount of wealth.   It wasn't just the golden images, or the elaborate amount of work and materials that went into the creation of the buildings.  There was also the sustenance-fiefs that were paying for the upkeep.  These temples were also being managed by formal government administrators.  They also performed rituals that the court relied on.  Association with these temples was no doubt important.  Later we see princes and other members of high status families taking high ranking positions, and the temples ended up cultivating their own power.  Over time, the power of various Buddhist institutions would grow,  often challenging or even rivaling the power of the court itself. There are a few other items from this reign that we see related to these temples and Buddhism, more generally.  In 677 we see a Buddhist festival at Asukadera, where the entire canon was apparently reda out.  The sovereign himself showed up and did obeisance to the Three Precious Things—an interesting bit of religious piety and humility.   At the same time, he had all of the Princes and Ministers find one person each to renounce the world and become a monk or nun—both men and women were chosen, without apparent distinction.  We are also assured that they all did so of their own volition, and weren't forced.  In 679, we see a regulation on the clothing of priests and nuns, as well as the men and horses who  accompanied them when they traveled.  If priests are going around with a full on noble retinue, well, that probably says something about the status of priests—at least the abbots and heads of these institutions. 680 – A fire breaks out at the nunnery at Tachibana temple.  Tachibanadera is situated south of Kawaradera, and similar to that temple, it seems to have previously been the site of a royal palace and also isn't recorded as being founded in the Nihon Shoki—it appears fully formed in this record.  Tachibanadera's own records seem to suggest that it was founded in 606, and claims a founding by Shotoku Taishi.  It is also said to be the site of the palace where Shotoku Taishi was born to his mother, Princess Anahobe no Hashibito, consort of Tachibana no Toyohi, aka Yomei Tennou.  Shotoku Taishi is also the subject of the primary image of Tachibana temple, today.  Although Tachibanadera wasn't one of the Four Great Temples, it was likely connected to one—Kawaradera.  Not only was it built on the same north-south axis as Kawaradera, but some of the tiles are similar to Kawaradera's founding tiles.  The layout was similar to Yamada-dera or Shitennouji, with the pagoda, kondou, and kooudou, all in a single north-south orientation.  It is possible that Kawaradera was a monastery for male monks while Tachibanadera may have been the complementary nunnery for female initiates.  680 had a lot going on.  In the 10th lunar month, the sovereign handed out alms to monks and nuns—silk and cloth.  A month later, Ohoama vowed Yakushiji in hopes that it would help his wife, Queen Uno, who was unwell.  He also granted a general amnesty, likely to just add further merit.  Apparently it was successful, as she would go on to live for quite some time after that, even helping to take the reins of government when Ohoama himself fell ill. In 682, Princess Hidaka fell ill.  190 people, both men and women, were pardoned for capital or lesser crimes, in an attempt to make merit, and the following day we are told that over 140 people renounced the world at Daikandaiji—likely on the Princess's behalf. The year after that, 683, we see the sovereign making appointments to the official buddhist offices of Soujou, Soudzu, and Risshi—Doctors of the Law.  This was probably a somewhat regular occurrence, though this is the first time we see the Risshi, it seems.  The mention here is apparently due to the admonition given that "Those who control the monks and nuns should act according to the law."  Definitely seems to be something there—perhaps a reason as to why the Soujou and Soudzu were being appointed.  But the Nihon Shoki doesn't give us a lot more to go on other than speculation. Later that same year, in the 7th lunar month, we see priests and nuns gathered at the palace for the first ever ango, or retreat.  An ango is where priests and nuns of different temples are brought together.  The term refers to a practice said to come from the time of Shakyamuni, before there were temples.  Shakyamuni's acolytes, who spent much of the year wandering, would return to one place during the rainy season. At that time they would listen and discuss Shakyamuni's teachings.  In some sects, this practice of coming together would be particularly important, and it was a mark of honor for how many retreats a monk might have attended over the years. In 685, the court promoted Buddhism with an edict requiring every household to maintain a Buddhist altar, with a statue of the Buddha and a copy of a sutra inside.  It is unclear to me if this was just for merit-making or what, but it must have been somewhat lucrative for the various temples, who would have likely been the source for said sutras, and, at least peripherally, the statues as well.  Later that year, in the 4th lunar month, there was another ango at the palace.  The month after that, Ohoama went to Asukadera and presented precious objects and worshipped.  In the 8th lunar month Ohoama went to Joudouji – Aston claims this is Asukadera, also known as Houkouji—and the next day he visited Kawaradera and provided rice to the monks there.  One month after that, Ohoama was feeling ill, so the court ordered Daikandaiji, Kawaradera, and Asukadera—the three Great Temples that were fully operational at that point—to chant sutras for his sake.  In return they were granted various quantities of rice. Ohoama recovered for a time, but it was perhaps a precursor of what was to come.  A month later a monk from Baekje and a lay monk were sent out to seek a medicinal herb known as white okera.  Today, a similar compound is known in Chinese traditional medicine as Bái Zhú.  A few months later Ohoama went to the medicinal herb garden of Shiranishiki, and a few weeks later he was presented with Bai Zhu, the boiled white okera.   That same day, ritualists performed the Chikonsai, the "Calling of the Spirit".  All of this seems to indicate the early onset of symptoms that may have been temporarily abated, but likely were part of the disease or illness that would eventually take his life. But we covered most of that last episode, and we are already dragging on longer than I expected, so I think I'm going to end it here.  Coming up in the narrative, since I started to mention it, I'll probably take a look next at the founding of the new capital of Fujiwara kyo, and what that would mean, along with other initiatives that would outlive Ohoama. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

On the eighth day of the 12th month on the Chinese calendar, which falls on Monday this year, the aroma of laba porridge will drift across Beijing and the rest of the country, signaling the arrival of the Chinese New Year season.农历十二月八日，今年恰逢周一，腊八粥的香气将飘荡在北京及全国各地，宣告春节时节的到来。The character "la" refers to the 12th month on the Chinese calendar, while "ba" means the number eight. For most people, savoring labaporridge— which is typically made of at least eight ingredients including glutinous rice and red beans — is more than a traditional ritual, because it marks the moment when the year-end countdown starts and serves as the prelude to new beginnings.“腊”字指农历十二月，”八”则代表数字八。对多数人而言，品尝腊八粥——这种通常由糯米、红豆等至少八种食材熬制的粥品——不仅是传统习俗，更标志着岁末倒计时的开始，为新年的启程奏响序曲。Despite the cold spell in the Chinese capital, warmth will fill the halls of its historical temples on Monday. Yonghegong, also known as Lama Temple, a magnificent testament to Beijing's rich culture and spiritual heritage, will launch its annual laba porridge distribution, as will Guanghua, Tanzhe and other temples, drawing large crowds of visitors.尽管北京正值寒潮，在周一，这座历史名城的寺庙殿堂里却将充满暖意。作为北京丰富文化与精神遗产的壮丽见证，雍和宫（又称喇嘛寺）将启动年度腊八粥发放活动，广化寺、潭柘寺等寺庙也将同步开展，吸引大批游客前来。Temple-based porridge distribution remains central to the laba tradition in Beijing, with Yonghegong being the most anticipated site. Bowl after bowl of steaming hot porridge there is not only expected to help buffer the winter chill, but also provides people with a shared sense of hope.寺庙供粥仍是北京腊八传统的核心环节，其中雍和宫是最受期待的地点。一碗碗热气腾腾的粥不仅能驱散冬日的寒意，更传递着人们共同的希望。Since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), laba porridge prepared at the temple has been one of the city's most significant seasonal events. From emperors to ordinary residents, everyone believed — and still believes — that partaking of a bowl of the temple's porridge brings good fortune and peace in the year ahead.自清朝（1644-1911）以来，寺庙里熬制的腊八粥便成为这座城市最重要的季节性盛事之一。从帝王到百姓，人人都相信，时至今日也依然如此——品尝一碗寺庙的腊八粥，便能为来年带来好运与平安。Historical records show that Emperor Yongzheng attached particular importance to the laba ceremony, elevating it to a rigorously regulated imperial ritual. Preparations began as early as the first day of the 12th month of the Chinese calendar and continued for eight days.史料记载，雍正帝格外重视腊八节庆典，将其提升为规制严谨的皇家仪式。筹备工作早在农历十二月初一便已启动，持续八日之久。According to Qing Dynasty archives, a single ceremony required more than 720 kilograms of primary ingredients, with the total weight of all ingredients reaching 1,000 kg. About 5,000 kg of firewood was used to prepare laba porridge, reflecting the scale and solemnity of the event.据清代档案记载，单次仪式需耗费720余公斤主料，所有食材总重达千斤。烹制腊八粥约需五千斤柴火，足见其规模之宏大、仪式之隆重。Visitors to Lama Temple today can still see the massive copper cauldron once used exclusively for making laba porridge. Crafted by the erstwhile imperial workshop, the vessel measures about two meters in diameter and 1.5 meters in depth, and weighs around 8 metric tons.今日造访雍和宫的游客，仍可见到那口专用于熬制腊八粥的巨型铜锅。这口由昔日皇家工坊打造的巨器，直径约两米，深约一米五，重达八吨。Originally placed near the temple's eastern gate, the cauldron stood over a deep earthen stove supported by iron pillars to ensure steady heat, offering a glimpse into the grandeur of past ceremonies.这口铜鼎原置于寺庙东门附近，架设在由铁柱支撑的深土灶上以保持恒温，让人得以窥见昔日仪式的恢弘盛况。Traditionally, laba porridge at Lama Temple was made in the same pot six times, with each preparation serving a distinct purpose. The first pot was offered to the statues of Buddha, including those in the Forbidden City and imperial gardens. The second was presented to the imperial family, enriched with cream and preserved fruit to reflect royal refinement.传统上，雍和宫的腊八粥需在同一口锅中煮制六次，每次熬煮皆有特定用途。首锅粥供奉于佛像，包括紫禁城及皇家园林中的佛像；第二锅则呈献给皇室，特意加入奶油与蜜饯，彰显皇室的精致品味。Subsequent pots were distributed among senior officials and monks, while the sixth one was shared with members of the public, embodying the ideal of celebrating together with the people.后续的锅次则分于高级官员和僧侣，而第六锅则与民众共享，体现了与百姓同庆的理想。The ingredients reflected imperial standards. For example, during Emperor Qianlong's reign, laba porridge was made of 13 ingredients, including millet, rice, beans, red dates, chestnuts, almonds and brown sugar.在腊八粥的食材中也体现着皇室标准。例如乾隆年间，腊八粥由小米、大米、豆类、红枣、栗子、杏仁和红糖等十三种食材熬制而成。Other ancient shrines in Beijing have their own laba rituals. The Guangji and Guanghua temples begin distributing the porridge before dawn, with residents lining up in the dark to be among the first to receive a bowl. Tanzhe Temple, which boasts a history of more than 1,700 years, offers what many longtime Beijing residents regard as "a symbol of peace and good health".北京其他古刹也有各自的腊八节仪式。广济寺和广化寺在黎明前就开始分发粥，居民们在黑暗中排队，争相成为最早领到一碗粥的人。拥有1700多年历史的槐树寺所供奉的粥，被许多老北京人视为“平安健康之象征”。Beyond temples, the laba tradition also finds expression in everyday urban life. Huguosi Snack, a well-known eatery in the Chinese capital, recently launched a laba porridge variety on its menu, featuring more than 20 ingredients.除了寺庙，腊八传统也在都市日常生活中得到体现。北京知名护国寺小吃街近日推出腊八粥新品，内含二十余种食材。Aoliao Jiaxin, a user on social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, said she tried the porridge at Huguosi on the first day and found it "packed with real ingredients and very satisfying".社交媒体平台小红书用户阿寮佳欣（音译）表示，她在开市首日品尝了护国寺的粥品，表示“食材真实饱满，非常满足”。Across China, regional variations lend laba porridge distinct local character. Northern versions tend to be thick and hearty, often paired with pickled laba garlic. The porridge in Jiangnan, or the southern region in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, is lighter and delicately sweet, with some prepared in savory form. In the northwest, lamb is a key ingredient for extra warmth.在中国各地，地域差异赋予腊八粥独特的本土风味。北方版本通常浓稠饱满，常佐以腌制腊八蒜。江南地区（长江下游的南方区域）的粥品则清淡甘美，有些还会制作咸味版本。在西北地区，羊肉作为重要食材，为粥品增添额外的暖意。Yet everywhere, laba porridge emphasizes harmony, with the blend of grains symbolizing abundance and envisaging a prosperous year ahead.然而无论何处，腊八粥都强调和谐，杂粮的融合象征着丰饶，预示着来年繁荣昌盛。ritual/ˈrɪtʃuəl/n.仪式；例行公事prelude/ˈpreljuːd/n.序曲；开端cauldron/ˈkɔːldrən/n.大锅；鼎hearty/ˈhɑːti/adj.丰盛的；浓郁的

2. Guest Author: Victor Davis Hanson. Headline: Immigration, Amnesty, and the Erosion of Citizenship. Summary: Hanson critiques the 1965 Hart-Celler Act and subsequent amnesties for prioritizing family ties over merit and failing to secure the border. He argues that the resulting influx of illegal immigration serves corporate demand for cheap labor and political desire for new voters, ultimately undermining the value of American citizenship.1920 BRYAN SPEAKING IN MANHATTAN

Program notes:0:40 Two MMWR reports on wastewater to detect measles1:40 Subsequent detection after early identification2:40 Watch worldwide transition3:15 Weight regain after medication for weight management4:16 Cardiometabolic risk factors return in just over a year5:16 Willingness to use declined with knowledge of regain risk6:16 Prevention of obesity6:33 Chronic kidney disease and heart failure link7:35 Extracellular vesicles found8:35 Precise identification of a tangle pathway9:03 Physical activity types, varieties and mortality10:03 Higher variety conferred additional survival benefit11:03 Will you change your behavioral?12:03 Lower hypertension, BMI12:39 End

In this episode of Derms and Conditions, host James Q. Del Rosso, DO, is joined by Nicholas Brownstone, MD, practicing dermatologist and host of the Cutaneous Miscellaneous podcast, for a case-based discussion on how dermatologists think through challenging presentations and refine their diagnostic approach. Together, they offer takeaways that residents, early-career dermatologists, and experienced clinicians alike can apply when faced with complex or ambiguous cases. The episode opens with a challenging pustular eruption in a 30-year-old male initially labeled as Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN). Through a stepwise reassessment, the discussion walks through acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis versus generalized pustular psoriasis, highlighting latency periods, biopsy limitations, recurrence patterns, and the clinical clues that ultimately prompted a shift in diagnosis and management. The case also surfaces practical access barriers, including insurance denial of spesolimab due to tuberculosis testing requirements, and explores how evolving guidance contrasts with current labeling realities. Subsequent cases broaden the scope to mucocutaneous eruptions, clarifying distinctions among erythema multiforme, Mycoplasma-induced rash and mucositis/reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption, and SJS/TEN. A key takeaway discussed is the importance of prioritizing drug causality when classic triggers and timelines are present, even in the setting of concurrent infection, to avoid potentially catastrophic outcomes. The final case focuses on neonatal lupus and explores how recognizing characteristic cutaneous findings can lead to appropriate evaluation for systemic involvement and timely referral, even when skin disease itself is self-limited. Tune into the episode to follow expert clinicians as they reason through diagnostic uncertainty, rethink initial assumptions, and highlight the small diagnostic details that can meaningfully change disease management.

Jill and Tom open a topic-packed show acknowledging the winners of the 2026 North American Car of the Year voting. Listen in for complete list. Moving on, Tom noted that General Motors CEO Mary Barra said publicly something he had long feared regarding plug-in hybrids. Barra suggests the news will impact future product development. Subsequent to last week's Zeekr conversation, Tom shared some interesting news regarding the prices of the Chinese cars in Mexico versus the maker's home market. Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV in high-end Trail Boss trim. Listen in for her complete review. In the second segment, the hosts welcome Eric Ruble of Nissan to discuss the design of the all-new 2026 Leaf electric crossover. Eric shares a number of insider details related to the Leaf's overall look, including some fun insights regarding hidden Easter eggs hidden in the vehicle's trim. In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's “2026 Honda Accord” quiz, including a Mexican Burger King bonus question. After the quiz, Jill shares her impressions of riding in a Waymo autonomous taxi. 

Mark Carman, of CHGO in Chicago, joined The Drive to discuss the incredible TD throw from Caleb Williams then the game losing pick he threw.

Berlin-based producer Tantum, aka Thomas Koch, came up as a guitarist before channeling a decade of instrumental discipline into a refined electronic sound rooted in analog warmth, restrained tension and steady momentum. Moving fluidly between minimal, techno and progressive house, he broke through with his 2020 debut on Guy J's Lost & Found, setting the tone for a steady run of club-focused releases. Subsequent outings on labels including Bedrock, Radikon, Poker Flat and Monaberry have cemented his reputation, earning consistent support from key selectors across the scene. Since 2025, he has also helmed the keep my letters imprint, extending his curatorial vision while delivering DJ and live sets built around long arcs, deep grooves and euphoric release. For this Balance Selections mix, Tantum delivers a two-hour journey steeped in refined progressive drama. Featuring music from Frankey & Sandrino, Andrés Moris, Guy J and more, this is an impressive showcase of track selection and narrative which unfolds with purpose from start to finish. @tantum-music

Is the freight market finally turning a corner, or are carriers in for more tough decisions ahead? James Currier from Finloc is back for another insightful conversation, covering why the freight market remains weak, how the worst job numbers since 2020 are slowing fleet expansion, and why economic uncertainty and high interest rates are forcing trucking companies to rethink equipment financing, capital spending, and operational strategy! We talk about the disconnect between Wall Street wins and Main Street trucking struggles, rising operating costs, why lenders are now laser-focused on stability, maintenance discipline, and financial transparency and why automation, smarter financial planning, and disciplined execution are the keys to surviving and winning in today's freight economy, especially for small and mid-sized fleets trying to stay competitive in a volatile trucking market. To download the Trucking Resurgence action plan, go to https://truckingresurgence.com/.   About James Currier James Currier is the Chief Revenue Officer at Finloc USA, where James leads the sales team across the country in a relentless pursuit for increased market share in the equipment finance field. After starting his professional career as a Business Analyst in the healthcare field, James came to realize that his passions were best suited to dealing with people and organizations aiming for growth. After a two year contract was completed with Fraser & Interior Health Authorities in British Columbia, a career change ensued and James has not looked back since. Combining the analytical fundamentals learned in healthcare and a natural gravitation towards people and business development, James has thrived in a sales career since 2012, leading, managing, and training dozens of people over the past several years. Subsequent to the completion of a >$400MM acquisition at his previous company, James made the jump to Finloc where he was first tasked with hiring and redeveloping the Ontario, Canada market. James was then assigned to manage the US division for Finloc as a player/coach, originating new asset-based financing opportunities and finding, attracting, and training new talent. James has worked in an exceptionally diverse range of roles since the age of 15, starting as a minor hockey league referee. His openness to new experience has allowed James to experience positions as a head of high-profile security, high-adventure whitewater rafter guide, Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces Infantry Reserve, business analyst, VIP/Private security operative, personal support worker, guitar teacher, and sales leader. As a well-versed hobbyist who enjoys learning and new experiences, James enjoys coaching/playing/watching hockey, swimming, guitar, hunting, fly fishing, boating/canoeing, cycling, hiking, woodworking, motorcycling, reading, DIY projects, and evening walks with his wife, 2 boys, and golden retriever.   Connect with James LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-currier-clfp-232b0842/?originalSubdomain=ca  Email: james.currier@finloc.com  

THE HOSTAGE CRISIS, THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR, AND THE CARTER DOCTRINE Colleague Brandon Weichert. Focusing on the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, this segment explores the American hostage crisis and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War initiated by Saddam Hussein in 1980. Hussein attacked to exploit Iran's post-revolutionary chaos and seize the Shatt al-Arab waterway, fearing the spread of radical Islamism. Weichert explains the Carter Doctrine, which committed the US to military intervention to protect Persian Gulf interests, a policy expanded by the "Reagan Corollary." The discussion notes that neither the American public nor the administration fully grasped the deep-seated grievances fueling the Iranian revolution. SHADOW WAR BY BRANDON WEICHERT NUMBER 21917 BAGHDAD

In this interview recap, Lesley and Brad explore June Suepunpuck's insights on joy, identity, and the courage it takes to pause and reassess the life you're living. They reflect on career versus calling, destination addiction, and the role grief plays in meaningful transformation. This episode is a reminder that sustainable joy grows from self-awareness—and the willingness to be honest with yourself.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Understanding the why behind the dream and its impact on fulfillment.The difference between building a career and honoring a calling.Why addressing grief is a necessary part of finding real joy.How to identify one good thing about today even when you're struggling.How to actively question whether the life you are living brings you joy.Episode References/Links:Pilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsPOT in London - https://xxll.co/potHow To Find Joy Podcast - https://howtofindjoy.buzzsprout.comJune Suepunpuck's Website - https://www.joyguidejune.comSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsOnline Pilates Classes on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClassesEpisode 559: David Corbin - https://beitpod.com/ep559 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! 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DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  You learn from what you did, and you do better the next time. And we have to allow for that, and we can't be so afraid of people who could take advantage on either side that we don't do anything at all. Lesley Logan 0:11  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:50  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the delightful convo I had with June Suepunpuck in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause us now go back and listen to that one. Brad was obsessed with it. He interrupted my work three times a day to tell me how much he appreciated it. So you should go listen to it and then come back and join us, or keep listening and then go listen to that one. Lesley Logan 1:15  Today is January 8th 2026, and it's War on Poverty Day. Brad Crowell 1:20  War on Poverty Day. Lesley Logan 1:21  Okay, ready for it. Annually, on January 8th, we reflect on the impact of the legislation first introduced in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson that collectively expanded economic opportunity through anti poverty, health, education, employment policies. I mean, we can't cosign on this more, I think. Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty was primarily established by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.Brad Crowell 1:46  This is a this is a bit nerdy here, but there's a reason to give a little (inaudible). So the EOA.Lesley Logan 1:51  We're gonna rant in a second with some of you like that. But we got to get you on the same page with us. So created the Office of the EO,Brad Crowell 1:59  the Office of Economic Opportunity. So the EOA was the Act created the OEO. So the Office of Economic Opportunity. Lesley Logan 2:07  I guess I thought it was in a office of, like, OEC, but anyways, I don't know what I'm talking about. So I could never work in government, because I get confused with the letters real quick. So Office of Economic Opportunity, OEO, that's like a song, oh, e, o, oh. Anyways, to oversee new programs, I did not take my focus meds today. Key initiatives include the job corpse head. Key initiatives included the Job Corps, Head Start and community action programs, along with funding for vocational training, college work study and local development. Subsequent legislation and programs expanded on this foundation, including the permanent Food Stamp Act of 1964 and the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.Brad Crowell 2:31  Yeah, so it's possible that you might have heard of the Job Corps. You probably heard of Head Start. You may or may not have heard of community action programs, but you've definitely heard of food stamps, and you've definitely heard of Medicare and Medicaid, right? So all of these came out of LBJ's, War on Poverty program, which included the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and.Lesley Logan 3:08  And if you have, if you're not, if you never had experienced like food stamps or Medicare or Medicaid, right? Medicaid is for the babies and Medicare is when you're older, if I'm correct, if you haven't ever had experienced that it might be really easy to not know how people are served by that, how much they're served by it, like, how do they get that? And so if you have any reasons to go, I can't believe they're paying this much on food stamps, I highly educate would educate yourself on how hard people have to work to get these things.Brad Crowell 3:33  Well, we're talking about, we're talking about poverty here. Right? And so, you know, the reality is that it's a it's, it's actually really, really challenging to get out of poverty. Right, 10% of our country currently 11, it's moving up to like 11% or something, is in the place where we would consider them in poverty.Lesley Logan 3:51  Yeah. And if you want to know what that is, I think the US government considers you in poverty if you make under $20,000 as an individual, which, by the way, is $0 like that. How I don't even know where you're living, that you can afford the food at the grocery store and gas and any part of life. So you know, if you are in that place, a lot of people are working full time jobs ending poverty. Brad Crowell 4:15  For a family of four in in the United States in 2025 the Federal Poverty Level is an annual income of $32,150 or less. Lesley Logan 4:24  How do you feed how do you feed four mouths on that amount of money? Brad Crowell 4:24  For the whole year. Lesley Logan 4:24  Yeah, I don't even understand that. Brad Crowell 4:24  Like that's enough for the food. What about. Lesley Logan 4:24  Well. And then we, and then there's these people have the nerve to tell those people, well, they should just eat healthier. How are you affording lettuce and eggs on that amount of money? And then also. Brad Crowell 4:40  You're able to afford a fast food meal because it's $1. Lesley Logan 4:43  Because it's $1. Brad Crowell 4:44  And that's why it's crap.Lesley Logan 4:45  Yeah, so let me just finish our notes, and then we can (inaudible). One definition of poverty is not have enough resources for your basic needs, and it's a huge impact on people's lives in society. It's a huge impact on society. People think all the time like, oh, I don't want to pay for immigrants to have health care. Well, you don't, but you certainly pay when they go to county, when you go to them, they go the hospital, you pay. So, like, we have, we, I actually don't think a country can be rich if you have all.Brad Crowell 5:09  Let's just make a distinction there. We're not paying for, we're not paying for immigrants to have health care, in the sense of, like, are they on insurance going to the doctor. If they go to the emergency room, yes, right, if they go to jail, yeah, we're paying for that, too. Lesley Logan 5:25  And by the way, if you were traveling a different country that happens to have healthcare for all of their people, you also don't pay like my friend, yeah, as a visitor, my friend had an emergency surgery. They fell in the Netherlands in a race, and they did this crazy surgery that would have costed her so much money, no bill. Anyways, that's another day, another day's holiday. So recent studies show that suggests that the poorest states have a poverty rate of up to 18%. I think we can guess what states those are. Poverty can happen to anyone. This is very important. Poverty can happen to anyone, whether it's students who rely on scholarships to claim their right to education, seniors struggling with rising health care costs, or large families struggling to get food on the table. Poverty is a problem that over 40 million Americans are fighting against on a daily basis, and we'll just say as of 2024 we were down to 10.6% from 19% of our country beneath the poverty line in 1964.Brad Crowell 6:18  Yeah, so in 1964 so effectively, like, if you go back and look at the 30s, where there was the Great Depression, they did all of these government programs to help the country, because everything was in the toilet, right? Well, 30 years later, in the 60s, there was a 19% poverty rate, and it was a problem. And so how could they address these problems? They they put into like, that's how LBJ ran on the war on poverty, and he started to implement these things to support the country, right? And it's taken a long time for us to get down to 10% poverty, 10 and a half percent, yeah, you know. And that was what was happening as of last year. And now things are shifting in the wrong direction. Lesley Logan 6:57  Yeah. And there. And also, by the way, we were, we were recording this before the Thanksgiving holiday. And so what we do know is, on January 1st, everyone's healthcare bills are going up. Ours, we are very lucky that ours only went up 3000 for the year, for the two of us.Brad Crowell 7:09  Yeah, it's, well, it's 25%. Ours went up 25%.Lesley Logan 7:12  Yeah, that is insanity. That is insanity. And can we afford it? Sure, we're just gonna invest less in our retirement, I guess. Like, you know, it's not like, it's that money just doesn't come from somewhere. And what I also know is that there are people in certain states that theirs is going up 48%, and some people are making $85,000 a year. Their health insurance is going to cost $44,000 a year. So we're going to see poverty go up. And if we don't start thinking about it as a way that, like, I think that a lot of people think about people taking like they get these things, and they're taking from the government, and that's coming from your tax dollars. But if we don't help people get ahead, they will always be taking in different ways, right? And so your crime will go up. Why? Because people have to sleep and eat and be warm like they just have to. So we have to think of it as a holistic thing. And I really think that I love what LBJ did, and I love that we're honoring this. And I think like we could be doing so much better by now. I feel like if LBJ was alive, I would hope he'd be disappointed that we don't actually have preschool for every child in the US for free, like Head Start in Vegas, my nail tech, it's a lottery. So some of her kids got Head Start, and some of her kids didn't. And she's like, Lesley, I can tell you a difference in my children my kids can read levels above where their greatest and some of them are behind and and she's like, I can't, I can't teach them that that's not something I didn't teach them, that they learned that at school when they got to earlier. So I just think that we could be doing a better job, and especially, like, we should be thinking about people who'd have less than us and not, how do we give them more? Like, yes, any more money, but how do we actually set them up so that they can do other things? They need trainings, they need childcare. They need it to be they need busses to be free, you know, like, there's just different things we can do. So anyways.Brad Crowell 8:58  Yeah, it's that this is this is a tough thing, you know, like, if you look at the I'm not going to keep going, because I could keep going on. But this, this is definitely a challenging thing. I'm, you know, I'm glad that we have attempted to address it over the years. I don't admit, I don't, I can't, I can't convincingly say that we've done an amazing job of the process of doing it, you know, like, but I, but I think the intention is the right intention, and we should be always looking for ways to make it better. Lesley Logan 9:22  And also, I think, you know, that's exactly the right line, like we're just always looking for ways to make it better, you're going to have people who are going to have nefarious acts that they're using the money for or not doing it correctly. You cannot always be thinking only about those people, because they're always a small percentage. You have to be thinking about the greater good. And then when you figure out how people are usurping the system or doing different things. Okay, you make changes.Brad Crowell 9:43  Well, let's, let's talk about this like I think this is important, because there's always going to be someone taking advantage of the system. But I think even defining it as a percentage seems misleading, because I would imagine the numbers are minutes. We're talking 40 million people in the United States are considered poverty line or below. 40 million people. So even if 10,000 people are taking advantage of it, that sounds like a lot of people, but the percentage is microscopic compared to 40 million.Lesley Logan 10:05  Correct. And also, I wasn't even thinking about the people like this is, right, I think people are thinking about the people on food stamps or whatever, like the Reagan years of all that disgusting rhetoric, but I was actually thinking about, like, the companies that are pretending to help people, to get the government money to do these things, I was actually thinking about like, you know, there are people who can say, Oh, I'm going to do these things with this program and get that money, but I think you just you, you learn from what you did, and you do better the next time. And we have to allow for that, and we can't be so afraid of people who could take advantage on either side that we don't do anything at all? Brad Crowell 10:43  Yeah. Okay, well, hey, thanks for joining us on that journey. That was a journey, that was a history lesson. Lesley Logan 10:48  I just get really upset about this. I was poor. I was so poor, you know. And I was, I guess I was lucky that my parents weren't on any of these stamps, whatever, because they had family to help. But, like, this is how my life started, so I can't even imagine, was, like, if they didn't have that help.Brad Crowell 11:02  Yeah, yeah. Well, I appreciate your passion, and I think it's important. I love it. I really do. I mean. Lesley Logan 11:09  Well, I mean, like, I would, I would not have gone to college had my best friend's parents not cosign a student loan. You know, like, I happen to have those people, and that's why I get to be where I am today. So I'm, I think that, like, I think a lot of people don't realize how close they were growing up, or people in their lives were to being poor, like impoverished. So, January, hi.Brad Crowell 11:30  Let's talk about upcoming events. We're shifting gears. Lesley Logan 11:33  We're home, today we're home. Brad Crowell 11:34  It's January. Today is the eighth we just we are pulling in from tour tonight. Lesley Logan 11:39  We are fixing the roots, changing the nails. Well, they're my nails, but they're getting new they're getting an update.Brad Crowell 11:45  Yeah. And then tomorrow. Lesley Logan 11:45  We drive down to Huntington Beach. Brad Crowell 11:45  We hit the road again. Lesley Logan 11:46  We're leaving Bayon, we're leaving Bayon, and we're we're driving to Huntington Beach for the Pilates Journal Expo. You can go to xxll.co/pilatesjournal. I don't know why I stuttered there, but I thought I said them. That's completely wrong. xxll.co/pilatesjournal. So if there's any spots left, you should totally join us there. There's like, the lineup is insane. Brad Crowell 12:08  Yeah, it's gonna be awesome. Lesley Logan 12:09  The lineup's insane. Then, oh, you know what? We'll tell you this, but I'm pretty sure tomorrow it releases. So you want to get on the waitlist for next year's Cambodia retreat, because.Brad Crowell 12:20  No, this year's. Lesley Logan 12:21  This year's, oh, it's this year. Well, you need to change that copy, my friend. You want to get on the waitlist for this year's Cambodia retreat details. We'll be having early bird presale right now. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, it starts tomorrow, but only for those on the waitlist, crowsnestretreats.com is where you go. Brad Crowell 12:40  I thought it was the 12th, but it could be the ninth. Lesley Logan 12:43  I think it's the ninth. Brad Crowell 12:44  Anyway, get on the waitlist, crowsnestretreats.com you'll find the waitlist there. Lesley Logan 12:46  This is what happens when we're recording early. Okay, then next month we have Agency Mini. It'll be happening this year's February, and you want to get on the waitlist for that, for it prfit.biz/mini who is it for? It is for the teachers, Pilates teachers and studio owners who work for themselves or want to, and they want to have ease in their business, without the overwhelm, and they actually want to be in control of things and not feel like they're always like reacting, because that's annoying in the business. So pfit.biz/mini we only are doing Mini, I don't know, maybe twice this year, but for sure, one. Brad Crowell 13:17  The plan, the plan is two times in 2026. Lesley Logan 13:19  Okay, great. Well, you don't want to miss this one. You'll go, oh, I'll do the next one because that could be, that could be the fall. I don't even know what it's going to be. Oh, it's going to be the fall. We could find out on the flight.Brad Crowell 13:26  Yeah, end of Q3 beginning of Q4. Lesley Logan 13:30  And then. Brad Crowell 13:30  So, but the point is this, why wait another six months? It's, we're talking it's early it's going to be early bird. Lesley Logan 13:38  By the way, it's only $25 when it's early bird, and it's $65 full price. If what we teach you makes you an extra. Brad Crowell 13:43  $25 Lesley Logan 13:46  Over six months. No, I was gonna say, do the math like, okay, six months is what? 26 weeks? 26 weeks, right? 24 weeks this I'm not a mathematician, so 24. Let's say, let's just say, all we do is make you an extra $100 a week. That's $2,400 you're fucking welcome, for 25 bucks go to prfit.biz/mini then in March, Brad and I are taking off to Europe for a month. I'm teaching the Poland Controlology Pilates conference with Karen Frischmann, xxll.co/poland and then the next week, where Karen and I are in Brussels. Brad's joining us along for the ride. xxll.co/brussels we're super excited about both events are selling really fast. I think our sessions are very much taken in Brussels, but there might be some spots left in Poland and then, okay, we've been saying, like, I don't know if we can announce it yet. I don't know. Well, here's what I do know. As of December 2nd, it was official to announce that we were going to be in London. So it's a few can now buy your ticket. And I don't know if the early bird is happening still or not, because I don't know anything, but I do know we'll be there. And I have workshops, I have a booth, you going to want to go to xxll.co/pot, so go there. Okay. Brad Crowell 15:00  Awesome. Lesley Logan 15:00  We have an audience question. I promise not to take too long.Brad Crowell 15:02  We sure do. Yeah. Instagram, (inaudible) reached out asking if OPC has a certificate of training online, and she said she wants it to be a Pilates instructor, mostly for knowledge. So she's not trying to be a teacher. She wants it as a practitioner to know specifically for herself. Do we have any recommendations? Lesley Logan 15:24  Well, I love this question, because I always want to do this with Anthony for yoga, like I always wanted him to teach a yoga training, but just for people who just wanted to learn it better and not be a teacher, because almost every teacher training that I've ever heard of in life is going to teach you how to teach it. And so what I would say is I don't know of a program that does that, especially online, that's going to be solid that I know about. I know that the Pilates Center out of Boulder does have online trainings, but again, they're going to train you to teach it, and there's going to be requirements for you to teach it. So what I would probably also just encourage you to do, because this is something that I realized now that we've trained with Anthony for over 10 years, is that the more you just do classical Pilates with us at OPC, you will become more educated and knowledgeable about the practice, especially for your body. So what I would actually suggest, and I know this sounds like a shameless plug, but seriously. Now at OPC, we follow Joseph Pilates' orders on all the pieces of equipment. And yes, there's other equipment that we don't talk about in OPC classes, but you can always ask us about them. And you can take advantage of the FFF and submit videos of you doing exercises, and I will give you specialized feedback for your practice so you're more knowledge about your body. You can come to the live class every month, and ask questions for your practice, and I will answer that for your body, and you can get the flash cards. So you do those things.Brad Crowell 16:46  So do, do we have a certificate of training online? No, but I don't know that you need one the tools that we've created will will support you in your goal, yeah, which you know we're assuming is to further your personal practice. Lesley Logan 17:01  And if you're like, I don't want to pay you a dime, LL, great. Our YouTube videos are free. Go have fun. You can do it between the flash cards and the YouTube videos. You can really understand it for your practice. You don't need to pay thousands of dollars for training where you only want half of the information. That's what I would do. If you would like to ask me a question. You can go to 310-905-5534, you can text us, call us, or you can go to beitpod.com/questions and send one in. Brad Crowell 17:24  Love it. Lesley Logan 17:25  And you can send your win in because I really love seeing those. All right. Brad Crowell 17:29  Stick around. We'll be right back.Brad Crowell 17:31  All right, now, let's talk about June Suepunpuck. Okay, June is a joy guide. She's a speaker, and she's the host of the How to Find Joy Podcast. She helps high achieving, heart-led leaders who have reached the top and still find themselves asking, is this it? Or what's the point? With a background in psychology and tools like human design and nervous system healing, June guides people through the process of reassessing their goals, addressing destination addiction of finding fulfillment in daily life rather than in the next achievement. This conversation lit me on fire because I, I'm I'm telling you, we've had a handful of other guests that talked about joy, and we had the doctor who was doing the research on it, and I was, like, really intrigued by that, but I don't know this. I really connected with the way that she talked and spoke and the things that she dug into. So I'm very excited to discuss this. So tell me what you loved about this convo.Lesley Logan 18:33  Okay, so we, I mean, there's so many different things, but like, I really love that she found a way to articulate the difference between, like, a career versus a calling. And that, like, you know, once you figure out what your calling is, it becomes, oh, it becomes really clear, like, this is the point. She said, like, this is the point, why we do it. I also love that she emphasize differentiate, differentiating between career versus calling, because it's, like, the important, because it's a why behind the dream, and it will determine if the result, the resulting fulfillment, will be fleeting or sustainable. So because if you're not clear on the dream, then it's really easy for us to, like, have an achievement, and then literally, three minutes later, go on to something else and a whole other feeling, like we've all done that, right? We're like, have this amazing high. And then you need a text message like, oh, fuck, right. And then, like, the high is gone. Where'd the high go? It's just totally gone. So, you have to have that clarity. Because I will say, like, I feel like I'm very much doing my calling. And the more I get clear on, like, not just what we what I know, I've always known what we're doing and why we're doing it, but the more you work on it, the more you're like, oh, I can make this better. Oh, we this could be the next thing that we do. And even on the hardest days you feel fulfilled, is more sustainable than like, going with the highs and lows of the business, like, I can have a good day only when the business has a good day. Brad Crowell 19:52  Yeah, I think, I think, like to clarify the career versus the calling thing. You know, it's put it into context, I think. She specifically meant. Mentioned her the influence of her parents on her college direction, you know, which is very typical for a first generation American, right? Her parents emigrated here. She was born here, and then what did they tell her, you got to be a doctor, basically, right? Lesley Logan 20:17  I know I had friends whose parents like, you can do whatever you want. I'm like, what? I'm not a first generation American. I was the first person to go to college like you figure out a degree that pays this bill back. That's what you have to do. Brad Crowell 20:28  Well, the the so for her, she, you know, it's like, now, go pursue your goals is what she said. And I listened to that part twice because I thought this is really interesting, you know, because she started saying, well, are these actually my goals? I don't know that these are my goals. I don't know. Am I excited about this at all? Right? This is going to put me on a career path that's going to make me probably the money that, you know, my parents want me to have, which is great, or the whatever that my parents want to have, awesome. But you know, is this my calling? And the answer is most likely no. So career versus calling in that sense, right? And she said, why are we doing the career? What is it about it? Right? We're, we're been told, Well, that's going to get you the financial independence, the house, the car, the money, the whatever, you know. And then, because you're in a parent child relationship, you know, how are you supposed to say, No, that's tough, right?Lesley Logan 21:20  Yeah, oh, I don't think, I don't even know that you she had the opportunity to you just, you don't have the life experience to know you can.Brad Crowell 21:27  Yeah, sure, and, you know, and then and then, and then, and then, what happens? Then, like, you know, you have your midlife crisis, and you're like, I hate everything about what I'm doing, you know, because once you've gotten the money, once you've had the time in the career. Does it make you happy? Probably not. Probably not. So now you're disenchanted, because you're like, Well, what the hell I thought that when I got here, it was going to be different. I was going to feel happy and fulfilled and better and ready to go, and I'm not. I don't feel that at all. So now, why am I doing it? And that's when people blow up their lives. And I really appreciate it when you and her were both talking about this moment where kaboom, right, quit everything, all of it, or it fell apart around you, you know, like in your case, it started with one decision you made, and then all these other things happening on top of it.Lesley Logan 22:13  Yeah, I like detonated something, and then like that detonated a lot of things. Brad Crowell 22:13  Yeah. So, you know, and I appreciated you sharing your story then, because I thought that was really, really awesome. But you know, the differentiating between the career versus the calling is important because of the why behind the dream and really knowing the dream. How do you know your dream? You need to know yourself, right? And that's, that's really tough.Lesley Logan 22:39  Yeah, I mean, like, I think that's where people are really struggling, is, like, getting to know themselves. I don't think, like, I think that a lot of people have been being, especially women who listen this podcast, right? Like, like, they have been trying to be the perfect daughter, perfect wife, perfect sister, perfect employee. Like, don't take up too much space. And like, now they're, they're 40s plus, and they're like, I'm fucking tired of that. But then it's like, okay, what? Okay, then, who am I? Right, right? Yeah, you know. So it's not, it's not the easiest thing, but I think it's the most essential thing to figure out.Brad Crowell 23:12  Yeah, yeah. 100% and, and, you know, so, and then there's a couple of other paths here, right? If you've hit that point of, like, I hate what I'm doing, you know, and you make a change, you know, there's, it's terrifying, it's scary. There's all these things. And that's when I, when I was really, you know, intrigued, because she said, yes, I coach people on finding joy. But I'm actually also like, a grief coach too, because when you make a change, there is grieving that happens. It just does, like, there's no way around it, right? And so what I really liked, when she was talking about this, she said, you can't it's kind of like what Anthony said, you can't have, you know, war without peace. You can't have light without dark. You can't have good without bad, right? You can't have these things. You need that polarity and joy was, was reiterating that. She said experiencing deep grief is actually necessary, because you wouldn't have understood how joyful you can be if you haven't personally experienced those dark places. I mean, I personally connected with this in my with my journey, with my story, where my, you know, I thought I was happy with my my old relationship, everything went to ship, and then I was incredibly set right, and now I have this marker in my life where I'm like, I am so much in a different place from where I was after that. And I can, I can measure against that and go barometer of in the shit versus not even close to that anymore. I am very happy today with who I am now because I had that negative experience, so.Lesley Logan 24:52  Yeah, I do think like and I think, I think it's really easy when you're in the grieving part to just go, Well, this is all happening for a reason. Correct it is. It doesn't mean you don't, you skip the part where you feel it, you know, like, and I also think it's really easy for us to want for others to not feel those things. We're like, trying to help people out in our lives from like, we try to make sure they don't make the same mistake as us. And so then we end up telling them things that make them just like, doubt what they're doing, and it's so important that, like, I remember one of the coaches we had said you can't take someone's rock bottom away, and I think that, like, you've got to be there for people when they hit it, but you kind of got to let people experience it, otherwise they're going to hit it again.Brad Crowell 25:34  Yeah, but I think there's a second step here, and I think I agree with you 100% and I think it's important for you can't take away someone's rock bottom, no, because otherwise you're just enabling them. And they're gonna they're never gonna change or learn or transform. But there's a second part of transformation after you hit the rock bottom, you have to address the grief.Lesley Logan 25:54  That you will that goes back to what June was saying. You have to. A lot of people, don't, I think they just like, want to skip over to the feeling good part.Brad Crowell 26:01  Right. And, and addressing the grief is where the self-reflection happens, the the analysis of, where were you and that you know, where were you before the shit? How did you get into the shit? Like, how do we not want to be in the shit, and now that we're now, how do we get out of it, right? And, and there's a lot of, that's right.Lesley Logan 26:01  Who do we need to see or who are you going to ask for help or. Brad Crowell 26:24  Self-reflection. Lesley Logan 26:25  Yeah, I will. There you go. That goes back to the same other thing as, like, people don't know themselves. This helps with that, because you, you, well, it's inside you, but you can't always articulate it, like, sometimes it comes out better in a journal.Brad Crowell 26:40  Yeah, sure. I mean, there's a lot of different methods to to get it out of your head, get it out of your you know, subconcsious. Lesley Logan 26:45  There was that one guy who tries to grab a journal, but close your eyes and just write what was coming up with your eyes closed. Lesley Logan 26:50  Oh, that's interesting. Lesley Logan 26:51  It was like David, somebody on the pod, like David Grove Gore Groban. Starts with a G. It was in the last 100 episodes.Brad Crowell 26:51  It's in the last 100 episodes.Lesley Logan 26:51  But I liked it. I like the idea of that, like there's different ways to do self-reflection. And when you self reflect, it allows you to know yourself, which allows you. Brad Crowell 27:08  Corbin. Lesley Logan 27:09  Corbin, not Groban, okay. So you can the more you know yourself, the more you're gonna understand, not just like your calling, but also how you experience joy and grief. Yeah.Brad Crowell 27:22  Yeah, awesome. Well, anyway, I, I, I would suggest going back and watching this episode again or listening to this episode again. Really, really awesome. Lesley Logan 27:30  She's so authentic. I really enjoyed her. Yeah.Brad Crowell 27:33  Yeah, and also very willing to be transparent. That's great. Lesley Logan 27:37  Yeah I was like, whoa. So, like, I so appreciate her transparency, because usually people come on and they like, be her like, they, like, they, they, for lack of better word, like, like, they whitewash the experience. Like I was here and now I'm here, and it's like, okay, but hold on, how do we get here? And they like, are so good at like, going around it? And she's like, nope, this is the it. This is how it was. And I, I really enjoyed that.Brad Crowell 27:58  Yeah. Well, stick around. We'll be right back, because we have some great be it action items from June. Brad Crowell 28:05  Welcome back, welcome back. Let's talk about those Be It Action Items that we got from your conversation with June. So what bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from that convo? She suggested journaling, but she gave some very specific journaling tips, which we love here. Lesley Logan 28:25  She's a fan of the show, so she knows the rules. Brad Crowell 28:27  Although, yeah, yeah, absolutely, although, ironically, she was, she was myth-busting the perfectionism. I was really interested in listening to her first season of her podcast because she was trying to, like, break down the steps of how to be joyful. And in season two, she's basically already decided there's no one way to do it. And this entire way that I thought that I was creating in season one, I don't think I agree with myself anymore, and I was laughing about that. So sorry, perfectionist, but this, I thought, was a very actionable tip. She said, identify one good thing about today. One good thing about today. It's not a gratitude journal. This is she because she believes that gratitude is very hard to reach when you're struggling. So you're just identifying one good thing about today. You're focusing on only the one good thing, such as, I woke up tonight, or I woke up today. You know, provides a vital step on the path towards joy, even when deeper feelings of appreciation or joy feel very out of reach. So thought that was a great simple like just baby step kind of a thing to to support, especially if you're looking at everything as scary or frustrating. So, yeah. What about you?Lesley Logan 29:36  Okay. This is huge. I think this is amazing. Ready? Stop lying to yourself. That's what she says. Be It Action Item. We've never had anyone say this. And I was like, yeah, actually, that's probably the best way to be it until you see it. Stop lying to yourself. Where are you lying to yourself in your life? You need to get honest. You must figure this out. And she said, actively question the life you are currently living by asking, are you living this life that is your dream? Is it expired? Does it still even bring you joy? And so there's ways to find yourself and discover this new version of yourself that can support by reaching you can get support by reaching out to her and get support and go to therapy. But I love this, like, where am I living? Is this the life that I wanted to live? Is it the life that I wanted to live while did it expire? Did I did I move on from a new life to a new life? Does it even bring me joy? We only get this one life, you know, that's what we know.Brad Crowell 30:29  I remember this made me think back to my childhood dream, where they're like, what do you want to be when you grow up? You know, and everyone's like an astronaut, firefighter.Lesley Logan 30:38  My sister said, an adult. Brad Crowell 30:39  Brilliant. I told everyone I was going to be a professional soccer player, and I was preaching that since I was, like, six years old and. Lesley Logan 30:48  You mean, you could have done it, babe. Brad Crowell 30:49  I could have done it, except that when I got into high school and I was 75 pounds, it was pretty tough for me to be able to muscle people off the ball. So it became pretty, pretty quick that physically, it was gonna be really challenging for me to be able to compete. Lesley Logan 31:04  But look at you now. Brad Crowell 31:05  Look at me now. Lesley Logan 31:06  You, maybe you're, maybe you're a late bloomer.Brad Crowell 31:09  Pro soccer. Here I come, 43 I got this. Lesley Logan 31:12  Require you to be so consistent. Brad Crowell 31:15  But I, but I, yeah, which, which you know that's, well, that's my MO, consistency, but, but here's the here's the reality is that I also wasn't really enjoying it in my teens as much anymore. When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was soccer. I loved it. I went out, I juggled, I did the backyard thing, all that stuff. I was excited about it. But when I got in my teens, I was not as excited, not as enthusiastic. I was doing it because I thought I had to. So, you know, it was interesting to shift. Same thing happened with my music career, where I was like, I define myself as a musician. This is the only thing I actually ever want to do with my life. And then years later, I was like, well, I kind of want to do other things too. You know, is this really giving me the joy? And there are definitely pieces of the music element that I missed, don't get me wrong, for sure, but also too, I'm so grateful that I was willing to redefine who I am, how I am, because it really wasn't bringing me the joy that I thought it was and or that it initially did. So yeah, yeah, stop lying to yourself. Very, very tough. Lesley Logan 32:14  I love it. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 32:15  And I'm Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 32:16  Thanks so much for listening to this, you know, our rants, to our favorite takeaways, to our episodes. Who are you going to share this episode with? I would certainly share June's first and then this one. And because your friends need to hear it, they need to hear these Be It Action Items. They need to hear these things and it allows us to have not just friendships where we cheer each other on, but friendships we can hold each other accountable. So we can be it till we see it together. So you know what to do, until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 32:46  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 32:42  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 33:24  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 33:29  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 33:34  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 33:41  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 33:44  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg analyzes the recent U.S. invasion of Venezuela, noting that while the event disrupted predictions, its global significance ultimately depends on the subsequent U.S. decisions regarding regime support and governance in Caracas. Turning to domestic politics, Sternberg predicts the 2026 midterms will be unusually significant as both parties face internal identity crises, with Democrats torn between centrist and socialist wings and Republicans struggling to define their future path as the Trump era eventually concludes.1900 Venezuela

Hello nerds.It's been a while since I sat down and did what Nerds for Humanity was originally built for. Not shorts. Not algorithms. Not rage bait. But long-form, structural analysis of how power actually works in this country, and why things that feel shocking in the moment are often the predictable outcome of rules written decades ago.This livestream was about Trump's military operation in Venezuela. But not in the way cable news framed it.I wasn't interested in relitigating whether Trump is reckless, authoritarian, or dangerous. If you're reading this Substack, you already know where you land on that. The more important question is this.How was he able to do it?How was a single president able to order a major military operation against a sovereign country, deploy massive air and naval assets, seize the country's leader from its capital, and then inform Congress afterward?The uncomfortable truth is that Trump didn't invent some new authoritarian power. He exploited one that has been sitting in plain sight for more than fifty years.And worse, he did so largely within the mechanics of existing law.The law that was supposed to stop thisIn 1973, in the shadow of Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution. Its purpose was simple. Presidents were not supposed to be able to drag the country into war on their own.The law created two central guardrails.First, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing US forces into hostilities.Second, unless Congress authorizes the action, those hostilities must end within 60 days, with an additional 30-day period allowed for withdrawal.At the time, this seemed reasonable. Military action moved slowly. Wars took time to prepare. You could not overthrow a government in a weekend. The assumption was that Congress would have ample opportunity to intervene before anything irreversible happened.As I said on the livestream,“At that time in 1973 the thinking was well, surely no one can invade a country and capture the head of state inside of 48 hours. They would need weeks to prepare for it.”That assumption is now dangerously obsolete.We are using 1973 traffic laws for modern warfareOne analogy I used resonated with a lot of people.Trying to govern modern warfare with the War Powers Resolution is like applying 1970s traffic rules to autonomous flying cars.The law was written for an era of B-52 bombers, carrier groups, and weeks-long mobilizations. It was not written for drones, cyber operations, special forces insertions, precision strikes, and operations capable of destabilizing or decapitating a regime in days or even hours.Today, a president can dramatically alter another country's political reality before Congress has even finished debating whether the notification email landed in the right inbox.The time-based trigger is the flaw. It assumes time equals restraint. That is no longer true.As I put it during the stream,“This time-based system is flawed. It doesn't work for a world where you can basically destabilize and replace a regime in a few hours.”Trump didn't invent this powerIt is tempting to treat Trump as a unique aberration. He isn't.Modern presidents of both parties have steadily expanded executive war-making authority.George H. W. Bush built up a massive military force in the Gulf before Congress voted, and then received authorization shortly before the 1991 Gulf War began.George W. Bush secured a separate 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force to invade Iraq, and the post-9/11 era normalized expansive readings of both congressional authorizations and Article II authority.The Obama administration conducted extensive drone campaigns and the Libya intervention without a formal declaration of war, arguing that certain operations did not meet the War Powers Resolution's definition of “hostilities.”Every modern president has pushed the envelope. Trump simply sprinted through it.As I said on the livestream,“This has been a loophole that's been used by many presidents. We just relied on them to exercise judgment and honor the office. That honor code is clearly gone.”A system that relies on voluntary restraint is not a system. It is a gamble.Language laundering: from war to “kinetic action”One of the most revealing shifts has been linguistic.Presidents learned that if you do not call something a war, you do not need a declaration of war.So we get euphemisms.“Kinetic action.”“Law enforcement operation.”“Targeted strike.”As I pointed out,“They don't want to say we are conducting warfare. If you don't call it a war, then you don't need a declaration of war.”This is how large-scale military action against a sovereign state becomes a “police-like operation.”If another country flew dozens of military aircraft into Washington, DC and seized the US president, we would call it an act of war without hesitation. Euphemisms only work when we are the ones using them.The public justifications kept shiftingThe administration's public rationale for the Venezuela operation evolved quickly.Initial statements emphasized fentanyl and drug trafficking. Analysts and critics noted that available trafficking data does not identify Venezuela as a significant fentanyl source, which raised questions about that justification.Subsequent messaging emphasized cocaine trafficking and broader security threats, but those claims were also contested.What became clearer over time was that the operation was aimed at exerting decisive pressure on the Maduro regime itself.As I said during the livestream,“What some messaging from inside Trump's orbit suggested was that this was really about regime change.”Trump later publicly discussed American oil companies entering Venezuela, reclaiming seized assets, and modernizing infrastructure as part of a post-Maduro arrangement.If that sounds familiar, it should.“That sounds a little colonial to me.”Because it does.The moral high ground is not abstractEvery time the US violates the sovereignty of another nation under contested legal theories, it weakens the norms it relies on to restrain other powers.As one viewer put it during the livestream,“I'm afraid the US just gave a license to Russia to take Ukraine and China to take Taiwan.”You cannot argue that international law matters only when it constrains other countries. Either it restrains power, or it doesn't.Trump's actions did not just affect Venezuela. They further eroded America's standing in a world already drifting toward a more unstable multipolar order.This is bigger than TrumpOne of my core arguments, and the reason this livestream mattered, is simple.Trump will not be the last president to exploit this structure.Even if Trump disappears tomorrow, the authority remains.History shows that presidents, particularly lame ducks, often become more willing to take foreign risks once electoral constraints disappear.As I said,“We can't rely on Trump or any president. Every president eventually realizes how much power this office has.”This is not about stopping one man. It is about fixing a system that assumes good faith in an era where bad faith is a governing strategy.How the law could actually be fixedThe War Powers Resolution does not need cosmetic reform. It needs modernization aligned with modern warfare.I outlined several possible approaches.First, scale-based triggers. Certain actions should automatically require prior authorization, regardless of duration, such as the use of specific aircraft types, large troop deployments, or major munitions thresholds.Second, target-based triggers. Actions aimed at heads of state, national command infrastructure, or critical civilian systems should never fall under a post-hoc notification model.Third, funding enforcement. If authorization is not granted, funding freezes. No money, no mission.As I argued,“Sometimes the US will have to use force. But introducing liabilities for the whole country should not be determined by one branch alone.”In corporate governance, CEOs cannot acquire companies without board approval. Presidents should not be able to remake countries without congressional consent.A simple test for candidatesThe good news is that this is a fixable problem.Congress can change this law.And elections create leverage.As I said on the livestream,“Now is a great time to ask every candidate one simple question. Do you support updating the War Powers Resolution?”Not a detailed proposal. Not a legal dissertation. Just whether they believe the current system is acceptable.If a candidate believes any president should have a 60-day blank check to wage war, they should say so plainly.The uncomfortable truthI said this near the end of the stream, and it bears repeating.“This is a known vulnerability in the system. It's just time to patch the bug.”We like to tell ourselves that American democracy is protected by norms, traditions, and good people.But systems that rely on virtue instead of constraints always fail eventually.Trump did not invent this power. He stress-tested it.And it failed.Support the channelIf you found this analysis useful and want Nerds for Humanity to keep doing long-form work like this, consider supporting the channel directly.You can become a YouTube channel member to help cover operating costs and get a shout-out on every livestream.Thanks for sticking with the long version.Bye nerds. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdsforhumanity.substack.com

PEARL HARBOR AND LINDBERGH'S BLOCKED MILITARY SERVICE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsrecounts the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Japanese strike and Hitler's subsequent declaration of war united the European and Asian theaters, resolving FDR's political dilemmas. Lindbergh attempted to volunteer for the Army Air Corps but was blocked by the Roosevelt administration due to his pre-war criticism. Consequently, he served as a civilian consultant, eventually flying unauthorized combat missions against the Japanese in the Pacific. NUMBER 8

Prince Andrew repeatedly refused to cooperate with formal legal requests seeking his testimony about Jeffrey Epstein, denying at least three documented approaches from attorneys representing Epstein victims and, later, U.S. authorities. Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre first sought Andrew's cooperation during civil litigation in the United States, requesting interviews and testimony about his relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew declined to participate. Subsequent formal requests—renewed as evidence mounted and court deadlines approached—were likewise rejected, with his legal team maintaining that he would not submit to questioning or provide a sworn account.That pattern continued even as pressure escalated. U.S. prosecutors publicly stated they had made repeated efforts to speak with Andrew as part of their Epstein investigation, only to be rebuffed each time. Legal experts noted that while Andrew was under no obligation to voluntarily cooperate as a foreign national, his refusal to engage stood in sharp contrast to public claims that he was eager to help authorities. The denials became a central feature of the case's narrative, reinforcing criticism that Andrew avoided scrutiny not through legal immunity, but through strategic non-cooperation—declining every formal opportunity to explain his role in Epstein's orbit under oath.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Prince Andrew repeatedly refused to cooperate with formal legal requests seeking his testimony about Jeffrey Epstein, denying at least three documented approaches from attorneys representing Epstein victims and, later, U.S. authorities. Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre first sought Andrew's cooperation during civil litigation in the United States, requesting interviews and testimony about his relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew declined to participate. Subsequent formal requests—renewed as evidence mounted and court deadlines approached—were likewise rejected, with his legal team maintaining that he would not submit to questioning or provide a sworn account.That pattern continued even as pressure escalated. U.S. prosecutors publicly stated they had made repeated efforts to speak with Andrew as part of their Epstein investigation, only to be rebuffed each time. Legal experts noted that while Andrew was under no obligation to voluntarily cooperate as a foreign national, his refusal to engage stood in sharp contrast to public claims that he was eager to help authorities. The denials became a central feature of the case's narrative, reinforcing criticism that Andrew avoided scrutiny not through legal immunity, but through strategic non-cooperation—declining every formal opportunity to explain his role in Epstein's orbit under oath.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

THE DEATH OF CLODIUS AND THE REPUBLIC'S END Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin recounts the violent death of Clodius by rival gangs, marking a turning point toward the Republic's collapse. He views Clodia's subsequent disappearance from history as a symbol of the loss of women's influence and civic rights, framing her story as a cautionary tale about political violence. NUMBER 16

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that the purpose of visualizing the mandala is to attain those paths within one's own heart. To collect the most extensive merit for this practice, Lama Tsongkhapa advised to do the visualizations clearly and visualize as many as possible.Rinpoche describes how to start the day with a bodhicitta motivation and a meditation on impermanence-death. We should think how wonderful it is to wake up alive again as a human being. Every second of our life is more precious than the whole sky filled with wish-granting jewels. By reflecting on impermanence and the precious human rebirth, we should determine to practice the three levels of teachings based on correctly devoting ourselves to the virtuous friend.After that, Rinpoche advises to think, ‘I'm going to die today.' By thinking like this, you'll engage in practice, and you'll be prepared for death. Then, the question arises, ‘What should I do?' The answer is to cherish other sentient beings. By thinking of the shortcomings of self-cherishing and the benefits of cherishing others, we then engage in tong-len practice. From this, we conclude to never separate from bodhicitta. In this way, all our activities become the cause of enlightenment.Rinpoche completes the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra and talks about the benefits of this sutra. He says that even hearing one word of it brings unimaginable purification.Rinpoche says that for all attendees who undertook hardships to complete the retreat, there's some benefit. However, he emphasizes that intellectual understanding is one thing, but what he is really looking for is practice and to have some effect, some change in the heart.From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

BENEDICT ARNOLD AND PEGGY SHIPPEN Colleague Professor Richard Bell. Professor Richard Bellcontinues, discussing Peggy Shippen's influence on Benedict Arnold's defection and their subsequent life in London. NUMBER 15 PEGGY SHIPPEN

Although prior ankle or subtalar arthrodesis is thought to affect outcomes at adjacent joints, previous studies have not distinguished between successful and failed prior fusions. This study examines whether prior successful vs failed ipsilateral arthrodesis influences nonunion risk in subsequent ankle or subtalar fusion. The primary objective of this study is to examine nonunion rates after subtalar and ankle arthrodesis in patients with and without prior ipsilateral arthrodesis, and vice versa. In conclusion, our analysis of the TriNetX Research Network database suggests that when the primary ankle or subtalar arthrodesis is successful, performing a subsequent adjacent fusion does not significantly increase the risk of nonunion compared with an isolated fusion. However, failed prior arthrodesis substantially increases nonunion risk, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between successful and failed prior procedures in clinical decision-making. Click here to read the article.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes the motivation, visualizations, and dedications for making our offerings expansive. With a bodhicitta motivation, we should visualize that we are offering all the offerings in all FPMT centers on behalf of all sentient beings to the ten-direction Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, thinking that their essence is the root virtuous friend.Rinpoche goes into detail about incense offerings and describes how they can become a means for healing illnesses. He says that most sicknesses are related to spirits. He explains how reciting Hayagriva and Vajrapani mantras can cure cancer because Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda protects sentient beings from nagas' harms. He also relates a story about how Guru Padmasambhava did an incense puja to protect Songtsen Gampo and his wife from sickness due to pollution. After the puja, they were completely healed.Rinpoche describes the visualization for offering the bell. He says that after offering the bell to the guru, when you ring it again, all the hell beings hear the sound and realize emptiness. Again, as you ring the bell, all the pretas, animals, human beings, sura, asura, and intermediate stage beings hear it and realize emptiness.Rinpoche describes the offering mandala with the golden earth, golden base, four continents, and Mount Meru. He says that it becomes a pure land, and you should visualize it as whichever pure land you want to be reborn in. Then, you think that sentient beings are born there, receive teachings from the buddha of that pure land, and become enlightened. Rinpoche emphasizes that the minute you visualize the mandala offering, you must offer it immediately.From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

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He tied a red string to his wife's hand and tied the other end to his own hand. He picked her up in his arms, then jumped into the river with her. He did this because he had late-stay stomach cancer, and the doctor told him he had only three...

The first thing the girl did after being reborn was cut off her own mom hair with her own hands. Because only by doing this could she save her life. The girl was originally the daughter of the richest man in her previous life. She won an International Best Actress...

Lama Zopa Rinpoche talks about the Arya Sanghata Sutra. He says it is an incredible source of collecting merit. The minute you hear this Arya Sanghata Sutra, it completely purifies all the five uninterrupted negative karmas. It's like an atomic bomb to purify negative karma.Rinpoche says that to build the Maitreya Buddha statue as quickly as possible, many sangha and students have been reciting this sutra. Rinpoche explains that this project requires a lot of merit due to the inconceivable benefit that it will bring to sentient beings.Rinpoche describes how thousands of pilgrims will come to see the Maitreya statue every day. Due to the power of the holy object, they will be liberated from samsara. Rinpoche emphasizes that the existence of these holy objects makes it unbelievably easy for us ordinary sentient beings, who don't have special realizations, to create the cause for enlightenment. Every time we offer one stick of incense, a flower, or anything else to the holy object, we create the cause for enlightenment.Rinpoche says that Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche explained that having received the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra makes a huge difference when you read it. After receiving the transmission, the power of the merit of reading it once is equivalent to reading it one hundred times. Thus, Rinpoche begins the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra and completes the first section.From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Strategic Independence After China — Gregory Copley — Copley traces Australia's historical American security dependency to the 1941 Singapore surrender and subsequent reliance on U.S. military protection against regional threats. Copley notes that Canada possesses potential opportunity to fundamentally rethink military procurement and strategic positioning amid escalating political rifts with the Trump administration. Copley observes that both Commonwealthnations are gradually recognizing the diminishing salience of China as a peer threat and consequently reconsidering the necessity of independent strategic capabilities alongside their continuing participation in the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance. 1944 BURMA

Last time we spoke about the beginning of a conflict between the USSR and Japan. In the frost-hardened dawns by the Chaun and Tumen, two powers eye a ridge called Changkufeng, each seeing a prize and fearing a trap. On the Soviet side, weary front-line troops tighten their grip, while Moscow's diplomats coaxed restraint through Seoul and Harbin.  As July unfolds, Tokyo's generals push a dangerous idea: seize the hill with a surprise strike, then bargain for peace. Seoul's 19th Division is readied in secret, trains loaded with men and horses, movement masked, prayers whispered to avoid widening the rift. Japanese scouts in white Hanbok disguise, peering at trenches, wire, and watchful Russians. Russian border guards appear as shadows, counters slipping into place, yet both sides hold their fire. On July 29, a skirmish erupts: a platoon crosses a shallow line, clashes flare, and bodies and banners ripple in the cold air.    #178 Night Attacks and Diplomatic Strains: The Lake Khasan Conflict Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. A second troop train was scheduled to depart Agochi for Nanam on the night of 29 July, carrying back the initial elements of the 75th Infantry. At Haigan, regimental commander Sato was pulling on his boots at 16:00 when the division informed him that fighting had broken out near Shachaofeng since 15:00 and that the Russians were assembling forces in that area. Suetaka ordered Sato's 3rd Battalion, which had not been slated to leave until the following night, to proceed to Kucheng; the remainder of the regiment was to assemble at Agochi. After consulting with Division Staff Officer Saito at Agochi, Sato returned to Haigan with the conclusion that "overall developments did not warrant optimism, it was imperative to prepare to move the entire regiment to the battlefield." One of Sato's first actions was to telephone a recommendation to the division that he be allowed to occupy Hill 52, which commanded the approaches to Changkufeng from south of Khasan. Suetaka approved, and at 17:30, Yamada's company was ordered to proceed to Shikai along with Hirahara's battalion. Meanwhile, Suzuki's 15th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment, which had been among the last units ordered to leave, had finished loading at Agochi by about 15:00. Sato recommended to Suetaka that a portion of Suzuki's regiment be attached to him; this was why Suetaka decided to transfer one of the two batteries to the 75th Infantry. The rest of the heavy artillery concentrated at Kyonghun. Suetaka's orders, issued at 18:20, called for Sato to have two of his battalions, the 1st and 3rd, cross the Tumen as soon as possible, with engineer support. Attached was Narukawa's heavy battery. Sato's mission was twofold: to assist Senda and to watch the enemy in the Changkufeng area. Sato arrived at 21:15 in Shikai. There, he assembled a number of his officers, including Yamada, and explained his plan: the 1st Company plus machine guns were to cross the Tumen from Sozan ahead of the other units, occupy Hill 52 with an element, and concentrate the main body at the foot of Fangchuanting to await Hirahara's battalion. A portion of the 19th Engineers would go to Sozan to assist the 1st Company with its river crossing. Amid heavy rain and darkness, the various units set out at 22:15. The platoon sent to Hill 52 arrived before dawn on the 30th, the rest of the forces somewhat later, though Sato had intended to move everybody across the river by the early hours. On the 29th the engineer regiment commander, Kobayashi, had also arrived at Shikai. He ordered Captain Tomura to handle the crossing in the vicinity of Sozan, as well as preparations for a future offensive with the main body. When Kobayashi reached Kucheng, he learned from Hirahara not only about the front-line situation but also about Sato's important plans: "The K. Sato force is going to cross the river tonight, 29–30 July. A night attack will be launched against Changkufeng on the night of 30–31 July." Kobayashi issued orders to his two commanders to assist the crossing by Nakano's infantry unit, 1st Battalion, 75th Regiment at Matsu'otsuho and Sozan, and, in addition, to cooperate with the position attack by Nakano and help in the assault at Hill 52. Most of these young officers, such as Seutaka dishing out orders were performing what the Japanese termed "dokudan senko" or "arbitrary or independent action". Japanese operational regulations actually contained a section dealing with dokudan senko, by which initiative, not imperiousness, was meant. Two elements were involved: control but encouragement of self-reliant thinking. This subject became important in training officers, all of whom, including such infantry experts as Suetaka, were well acquainted with the requirements. Combat missions were stipulated in operations orders, but, if these were not realistic, initiative was to come into play, though only when there was no time to contact superiors. By the same token, commanders had to be ready to assume full responsibility if matters turned out adversely. "We were disciples of the 'Moltke' system of AGS control, with dual authority vis-à-vis the local forces and the chief of staff."  The Korea Army's version of events on 29 July, there was no mention of any report received from the division prior to 17:30. Details did not reach Seoul, in the form of printed divisional intelligence reports and operational orders, until 1 August. The late afternoon report from Kyonghun provided the Korea Army authorities with little solid information, but Seoul had to notify higher headquarters immediately. Kitano sent messages to Tokyo and Hsinking at 19:15. The command and Kwantung Army were told that, in addition to Senda's assault party, 40 Japanese soldiers were deployed west of Changkufeng and at Yangkuanping. The division's main forces had begun the rail pullback from the 28th, leaving behind only two infantry battalions and a mountain artillery battalion for the time being. At 21:20 on 29 July, Korea Army Headquarters received the text of Suetaka's full report, which concluded: "With a view toward a possible emergency, the division suspended movement back of the 75th Regiment and is making necessary arrangements to have them advance instead. The latest affair derives sheerly from the enemy's unlawful challenge. It is my firm belief that the nature of this incident differs completely from the one at Changkufeng and should be handled separately. At present, since communication with the forward lines is not good, Lieutenant Colonel Senda (who is at the front) has been entrusted with command, but I assume entire responsibility for the consequences." Instead of boarding their trains at Agochi, Sato's regiment and supporting engineers moved to the Manchurian side of the Tumen as soon as possible. Suetaka called Sato's 2nd Battalion to Kyonghun as divisional reserve. Subsequent dispatches claimed that: (1) Senda's unit, which had driven off intruders in the Shachaofeng area once, was engaged against new Soviet forces (sent at 18:20, 29th);  (2) Senda's unit had expelled trespassers, and a combat situation had developed near Shachaofeng (22:00, 29th);  (3) fighting was going on in the vicinity of Shachaofeng (06:40, 30th).  Korea Army Headquarters, however, obtained no more important communication concerning the events of 29 July than a report, sent that evening by Suetaka, that revealed his concern about a possible Soviet attack in the Wuchiatzu sector near the neck of the long Changkufeng appendix.  After the clash at Shachaofeng, a general officer, Morimoto, happened to be visiting Colonels Okido and Tanaka in Nanam. Both of them were said to be of the pronounced opinion that no troubles ought to be provoked with the USSR while the critical Hankow operation lay ahead; yet Suetaka apparently had some intention of striking at the Soviet intruders, using the 75th Regiment. They urged that this policy not be adopted and that Suetaka be approached directly; the channel through Y. Nakamura, the division chief of staff, was hopeless. Although in agreement, General Morimoto declined to approach Suetaka; since the latter seemed to have made up his mind, it would be inappropriate to "meddle" with his command. Suetaka was functioning as an operations chief at that time. Apart from the mobilization staff officer, who was not enthusiastic about aggressive action, the only other officer who may have affected the decisionmaking process was the Hunchun OSS chief, Maj. Tanaka Tetsujiro, a positive type who shared Suetaka's views and was probably with him on the 29th as well as 30th. Although developments at Suetaka's command post were known more as the result of silence than of elucidation, we possessed considerable information about thinking at the Korea Army level: "Suetaka contacted us only after his men had driven out the enemy near Shachaofeng. Till then, the front had been relatively quiet and we were of the opinion all or most of the deployed forces were on their way home. We at Seoul had no foreknowledge of or connection with the 29 July affair. Reports came in; we never sent specific orders. Triggered by the affray at Shachaofeng, the division attacked on its own initiative. It was our understanding that very small Japanese forces had been committed to evict a dozen enemy scouts and that, when a platoon of ours got atop the hill, they observed surprisingly huge hostile concentrations to the rear. This was probably why the platoon pulied back, although much has been made of the desire to obey the nonaggravation policy to the letter. We at Seoul felt that this was a troublesome matter—that our side had done something unnecessary. When the division finally made its report, the army had to reach some decision. There were two irreconcilable ways of looking at things. We might condemn what had been done, and the division ought to be ordered to pull out promptly, having arbitrarily and intolerably acted against the known facts that Imperial sanction for use of force had been withheld and Tokyo had directed evacuation of the moved-up units. The opposing, eventually predominant view was that the division commander's course of action ought to be approved. Perusal of small-scale maps of the locale indicated a clear violation of the frontier, something not proved in the case of Changkufeng. We shared the division commander's interpretation. His BGU had its mission, and he was acting with foresight to solve matters positively and on his own, since he was the man closest to the problem. General Nakamura felt that the latest development was inevitable; our units did not cross the Tumen until the Soviets attacked us in force. Therefore, the division's actions were approved and a report was rendered promptly to Tokyo. It could be said that our outlook served to "cover" the division commander, in a way. But if IGHQ had ordered us to desist, we would have".  Nakamura added: "I was of the opinion the only solution was to drive the Soviet troops outside Manchukuoan territory; therefore, I approved the action by the division." Such sanction had been granted on the basis of information supplied to Seoul by Suetaka on the evening of 29 July, again post facto. At 01:20 on the 30th, Nakamura wired Suetaka a message characterized by gracious phrasing that suggested his grave concern: "One ought to be satisfied with expelling from Manchurian territory the enemy attacking our unit on the . . . heights southwest of Shachaofeng. It is necessary to keep watch on the enemy for the time being, after having pulled back to the heights mentioned above, but we desire that matters be handled carefully to avoid enlargement; in case the foe has already pulled back south of Shachaofeng . . . he need not be attacked." Nakamura also sent a wire to the AGS chief, the War Minister, and the Kwantung Army commander. After conveying the information received from Suetaka, Nakamura continued: "In spite of the fact that our troops have been patient and cautious . . . this latest incident [near Shachaofeng] started with Soviet forces' arrogant border trespassing and . . . unlawful challenge. Therefore, I am convinced that this affair must be dealt with separately from the incident at Changkufeng. Nevertheless, I shall endeavor to handle matters so that the incident will not spread and shall make it my fundamental principle to be satisfied with evicting from Manchurian territory the hostile forces confronting us. The Korea Army chief of staff is being dispatched quickly to handle the incident".  The Korea Army, "painfully slow to act," says a Kwantung Army major, was merely the intermediary link, the executor of Tokyo's desires. In the case of remote Shachaofeng, there was an inevitable gap between on-the-spot occurrences and AGS reactions. By then, Arisue, Kotani, and Arao, Inada's observers, had returned to Japan—an important fact, given the "Moltke" system of staff control. Nevertheless, their return must have exerted significant effects on central operational thinking. Kotani remembered that his AGS subsection had given him a welcome-home party on the night of 29 July when an emergency phone call was received from the duty officer. "It was about the clash at Shachaofeng. The festivities came to an abrupt end and I headed for the office. From then till the cease-fire on 11 August, I remained at the AGS night and day." Since the 19th Division had furnished higher headquarters with minimal information, Tokyo, like Seoul, had only a few ostensible facts to act upon. But this had been the first combat test for the Korea Army, which needed all the encouragement and assistance possible. Although Japanese field armies, notably the Kwantung Army, were notorious for insubordination, one could not overemphasize the fact that the Korea Army was meek and tractable. If Nakamura had concluded that Suetaka acted properly (which reports from Seoul indicated), the AGS could hardly demur. It would have been unrealistic to think that Tokyo, although cautious, was "softer" about the Russian problem than front-line forces. There had been no concern over time lags; details were Seoul's province. Reaction took time at every level of the chain of command. Decision making in the Japanese Army had been a many-layered process. The Army general staff had been of the opinion that initial guidance ought to have been provided to the Korea Army soon, particularly since there had been evidence of failure to convey intentions promptly to the front and no high command staff officer remained to direct matters. After hearing from Seoul twice about the Shachaofeng affair, the responsible Army general staff officers conferred at length. Stress had been laid on the indivisibility of the Shachaofeng and Changkufeng incidents. It had also been evident that further information was required. On that basis, a "handling policy for the Shachaofeng Incident" was drafted, and Tada notified the Korea and Kwantung armies accordingly on 30 July. Nakamura had received the telegram at 16:50 and had its contents retransmitted to Kitano, then at Kyonghun: "Shachaofeng Incident is progressing along lines of our policy, leave things to local units, which have been adhering to the principle of nonenlargement. Have them report on front-line situation without fail."  The Army general staff and the Korea Army were calling for prudence, but the division, well down the rungs of the ladder of command, was initiating actions that jeopardized the government's basic policy. Earlier quibbling about restraints on "unit-size" elements crossing into Manchuria had been abandoned after the firefight near Shachaofeng on 29 July. At 15:30, Takenouchi's battalion, part of the 76th Regiment, had been directed to assist Senda near Yangkuanping; at 18:20 Suetaka was ordering the 75th Regiment to head for the Kucheng sector and be ready to assault the Russians in the Changkufeng area. Support was to be provided by Kobayashi's engineers, by Iwano's transportation men, and by Suzuki's heavy guns. Of particular interest had been Suetaka's acceptance of Sato's recommendation that elements be sent to occupy Hill 52, a measure linked with a possible Japanese attack against Changkufeng.   Sato had decided by evening that the new situation required rapid deployment of his forces across the river. At Shikai, he conducted a briefing of his officers. Suetaka's orders conveyed orally by staff officers had stipulated: "The division will take steps to secure the border line immediately, even if the situation undergoes change. The Sato unit will advance immediately to the left shore, reinforce Senda's unit, and maintain a strict watch on the enemy in the Changkufeng area." Around 23:20, the last elements ordered forward arrived at Shikai station. Sato instructed only his headquarters and the Ito company to get off. The rest of the troop train primarily the 1st [Nakano's] Battalion was to move on to Hongui. From there, the soldiers proceeded to the Tumen near Sozan. With his staff and Ito's company, Sato trudged in silence through the mud from Shikai to the shore at Matsu'otsuho, starting at 00:30 and reaching the crossing site at 03:00. Reconnaissance had proved satisfactory, Sato remembered.  At the crossings, the hardworking engineers rowed his 1st and 3rd battalions across, company by company. Near dawn, around 04:30, he traversed the river. The movement had been completed in about an hour. When Sato's infantry finally got across, they proceeded to the skirt of Fangchuanting and assembled in secrecy. Not until about 08:00 did the regimental headquarters, Ito's company, and Hirahara's battalion reach Hill 147, already held by Noguchi's company west of Changkufeng. By then, plans had fallen behind schedule by at least several hours because of difficulties in train movement forward. Sato also remembered torrential rains; other officers mentioned darkness. Members of Nakano's battalion pinpointed a shortage of engineer boats from Kucheng. Engineers rowed some boats downstream during the night, but six of them were kept at Matsu'otsuho. This left only three boats for moving the 400 men of the 1st Battalion, the unit slated to storm Changkufeng, across the river at Sozan. Sato had wanted all of his troops across well before dawn on the 30th. A division staff officer rightly thought that Suetaka had already advised Sato, in secret, to "attack at an opportune time," and that the night of 29–30 July had been intended for the surprise assault. "Perhaps there was not enough time for all the attack preparations." Kobayashi's engineers admitted problems in moving boats to Sozan: "Although the water level had gone up because of daily rains recently, there were still many shallows and the current was irregular. Not only was it hard to move downstream, but dense fog also complicated the work. Nevertheless, the units at both sites were able to accomplish the river-crossing operation approximately as scheduled".  Meanwhile, after reconnoitering Soviet defenses along the Manchurian bank, Suzuki, commander of the 15th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment, crossed the Kyonghun Bridge on 30 July with his 1st Battery and established positions on the edge of Shuiliufeng Hill. Once Captain Narukawa was attached to the 75th Infantry on 29 July, he dispatched his 2nd Battery by train to Shikai that night. Although firing sites had been surveyed northwest of Sho-Sozan, the battery had to traverse two weak, narrow bridges in the darkness. With two 15-centimeter howitzers to haul, plus five caissons and wagons, the unit faced tense moments. The gun sites themselves were worrisome: they were scarcely masked from observation from Changkufeng, and the single road to them from the unloading station ran through a paddy area and was similarly exposed. By 1200 hours on 30 July, Sato exerted operational control over the following units: his own forces, Nakano's battalion east of Fangchuanting; Hirahara's reinforced battalion west of Chiangchunfeng; a platoon from Nakajima's infantry company on Hill 52; and Noguchi's company on Hill 147; and from other forces, Senda's 2nd (Kanda) BGU Company; two reinforced companies from Takenouchi's battalion of Okido's 76th Regiment near Shachaofeng; and a 75-mm half-battery from the 25th Mountain Artillery on the Manchurian side with Sato. On the Korean shore, another half-battery comprising two 15-centimeter howitzers from Narukawa's unit of the 15th Heavy Field Artillery was in place. The 19th Engineers operated near the crossing sites, though one platoon remained at Fangchuanting. Sato said, "We were now deployed at last, to cope with any situation." His command post was set in foxholes on open ground at Chiangchunfeng, a central hill that offered excellent observation and control over actions around Changkufeng to the east and Shachaofeng to the north. Not content with suspending the pullout of units and deploying additional combat troops across the Tumen, Suetaka decided to recall division headquarters, mountain artillery, cavalry, signal, medical, and veterinary personnel from Nanam. At dawn on 30 July, Nanam issued orders for Colonel Tanaka to move 500 men and 300 horses to Agochi by rail; most of the increment came from Tanaka's horse-drawn 25th Mountain Artillery. The colonel reached the Korean side of the Tumen at 05:00 on 31 July. The preceding emergency measures were being implemented by Suetaka, even as he received Nakamura's calming telegram of 30 July enjoining nonexpansion. Changkufeng Hill was not even mentioned. Nakamura's concern was typified by Kitano flying to the front. At 10:00 on 30 July, Kitano sent the division chief of staff a cautious follow-up cable: "Based on the consistent policy for handling the Changkufeng Incident and on the army commander's earlier telegram, kindly take steps to ensure careful action in connection with the affair in the Shachaofeng vicinity lest there be enlargement." At 13:45, Nakamura transmitted another restraining message to Suetaka: "The division is to secure … Chiangchunfeng and … the heights southwest of Shachaofeng, using present front-line units. Unless there is an enemy attack, however, resort to force will depend on separate orders." Several hours later, at 16:50, Nakamura received instructions from Tada: the Shachaofeng case was being left to the local forces, who were pursuing the desired policy of nonenlargement, but prompt reporting was desired. At 19:30, the retransmitted message was received by Kitano, already at the front with Suetaka at Kyonghun. After his units had crossed the Tumen on 30 July, Sato Kotoku ordered a strict watch and directed preparations for an assault based on the plans. He conferred with Senda at Chiangchunfeng and observed the enemy. Even after dawn, the frontline commanders who had crossed the river remained uncertain about when the attack would be staged. While Sato's force conducted reconnaissance to prepare for a daytime offensive, orders arrived around 08:00 indicating, "We intend a night attack, so conceal your activities." Daytime movements were prohibited. Sato then explained the impression he had derived from Senda and the intelligence on which he based his estimates: " Exploiting the impasse in diplomatic negotiation, the enemy side had steadily reinforced front-line offensive strength and trespassed anew near Shachaofeng. They now had a battalion and a half of infantry plus 20 artillery pieces in the area, some south of Shachaofeng and the others at four positions immediately east of Lake Khasan. At least a dozen (maybe 20) tanks were deployed in the sector opposite us. About 300 well-armed, active Russian troops were at Changkufeng. I decided that an attack ought to be staged that night. First of all, we were going to chill the insolent enemy by a courageous night assault—a method characteristic of the Imperial Army. Then all kinds of fire power were to be combined in a surprise attack against the positions. Our intention was to jo lt the Russians, demonstrate the true strength of our combat fire, and, by a combination of night and dawn attacks, cut down losses which our left-flank units would have incurred if a night assault alone were staged. We had considered two plans—a night attack against Changkufeng by the 3rd Battalion from the north, or by the 1st Battalion from the south. On 30 July, I decided to execute the second plan, using my 1st (Nakano's) Battalion, to avoid simultaneous involvement around Shachaofeng where the foe was by now alerted."  The Japanese Army ordinarily favored surprise assaults without supporting guns, since firepower was regarded as secondary in close combat and artillery was in short supply. According to the regimental journal, telephone contacts from the morning of the 30th indicated that the division commander shared the same line of thinking as Sato. By noon, Suetaka made his stance explicit. A phone call from Kucheng conveyed to Sato the gist of a critical division order: first, a detailed briefing on Soviet troop concentrations and dispositions, firing positions, troops, and armor south of Shachaofeng; entanglements and forces at Changkufeng; large concentrations behind west of Khasan; tanks and ground formations moving north of the lake; a heavy concentration near the lake to the northwest; one confirmed and two suspected positions along the eastern shore and another with artillery far to the south. Then the order stated that K. Sato's forces, including the Takenouchi battalion from the 76th Infantry, one mountain artillery platoon, and one engineer platoon were to strengthen their positions and, at the same time, promptly evict from Manchurian territory the intruding and advancing enemy. However, pursuit must not be pushed too far lest the border be crossed. Shortly after noon, Suetaka issued another order to form a new force under Senda, who was to strengthen border security along the Shuiliufeng–Hunchun line. As with Sato, Senda was to eject the intruding and advancing enemy from Manchurian soil but not pursue them across the border. By midafternoon, Sato knew not only what he wanted to do but also Suetaka's intentions. At 15:30, he assembled all subordinate officers at Chiangchunfeng and dictated minute attack instructions. Intelligence indicated that the enemy continued to fortify points of importance along the Changkufeng–Shachaofeng line. Sato's plan was to annihilate hostile elements that had crossed the border north and south of Changkufeng. His concept went beyond a frontal assault. While Nakano's battalion would jump off south of Changkufeng, one reinforced company, Takeshita's 10th was to attack north. Since the sun rose at about 05:00, Sato intended to wipe out the enemy during three hours of darkness. Another battalion, Hirahara's 3rd would be held in reserve, with Ito's 6th Company ready to launch a night attack against Changkufeng from the northwest if necessary. Small forces deployed southeast at Hill 52 were to block the arrival of Soviet reinforcements around the southern shores of Khasan. Only after Changkufeng was secured and fire swept the high ground south of Shachaofeng would a reinforced battalion, Takenouchi's 1st from the 76th Regiment undertake a dawn assault to clear the Russians from that sector. An engineer platoon would assist both the night and dawn assault battalions with obstacle clearing. There would be no artillery support until dawn, when the available guns were to provide maximum coverage. Notably, even the movement of a single antitank gun warranted mention. Sato concluded the attack order by directing that each unit mask its intentions after sunset. Takenouchi was to act to check the enemy as soon as the sun went down. In connection with the dawn barrage against the enemy southwest of Shachaofeng, key personnel were to study the best way to exploit sudden fire described as gale and lightning. They were also to be ready to destroy enemy tanks. A green star shell would be fired to signal the success of the night attack. The code words were shojiki "honesty" and ydmo "bravery". At midnight, the regiment commander would be at the northwest foot of Chiangchunfeng. The order stressed typical night-attack precautions: secrecy and concealment, avoidance of confusion, antitank defense, and flare signaling of success. Sato added his own flair with his daily motto as code words and the reference to "whirlwind" fire. Impending action times were explicitly set when the order was issued at 15:30 on the 30th, more than ten hours before the 1st Battalion was to jump off. The key to success in a night assault lay in an absolute prohibition on firing by their side, and bold, courageous charging. Sato reminded his men that life is granted again after death. Nakano then assembled his company commanders east of Fangchuanting and issued his battalion order at 18:30. A few hours after Sato's briefing of the assault commanders, Suetaka arrived at the 75th Regiment command post. This visit late on 30 July is central to allegations that Sato, not Suetaka, conceived and executed the night attack on his own initiative. Divisional orders giving Sato his core mission had already been conveyed by telephone. After 16:00, Suetaka boarded a motorboat at Kucheng and went to the Manchurian side to verify front-line conditions. Soviet snipers south of Yangkuanping fired several shots, but his craft reached the Matsu'otsuho landing and proceeded to Chiangchunfeng to meet Sato. Sato described the situation: "frontline enemy forces had been reinforced steadily and had begun a vigorous offensive. The foe was provoking us, and the matter had grown very serious. I had already issued orders at 15:30 to take the initiative and deal the enemy a smashing blow." I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On a frost-bitten dawn by the Chaun and Tumen, Russia and Japan lock eyes over Changkufeng. Diplomats urge restraint, yet Tokyo's generals push a bold gamble: seize a hill with a surprise strike and bargain later. Japanese divisions, engineers, and artillery edge toward the border, while Soviet sentries brace for a confrontation that could widen the war. 

Bureau of Meteorology Website Renovation Fails — Jeremy Zakis — Zakis reported on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), which failed to accurately predict the La Niña weather cycle and subsequent rainfall patterns. A $96.5 million website renovation project resulted in a broken, non-intuitive digital platform that systematically downplayed rainfall severity in visual representations. The project's exorbitant cost, attributed partly to expensive consulting fees and extensive testing protocols, has prompted investigation by the Australian federal government regarding waste and contract oversight. 1913 BRISBANE

Craig Unger describes his high-profile investigation at Newsweek, which surprisingly resulted in three articles denying the October Surprise occurred, a result Unger called a great disgrace in the history of American journalism. The subsequent Congressional investigation, led by Lee Hamilton, was dismissed by Unger as a complete whitewash that accepted weak alibis for Bill Casey. Unger was warned by investigative legend Seymour Hersh that he would be crushed if he continued his pursuit. Unger's colleague, Bob Perry, later found a massive archive of 23 gigabytes of documents containing secrets relevant to the investigation, abandoned in cardboard boxes in a former ladies' room under a tampon dispenser in a House office building. Guest: Craig Unger.

2. TITUS'S SIEGE OF JERUSALEM Guest: Professor Barry Strauss Nero's forced suicide in 68 AD and the subsequent chaos confirmed Josephus's prophecy, leading to Vespasian being proclaimed emperor in 69 AD. Vespasian left his son Titus to lay siege to Jerusalem in 70 AD. Though Jerusalem was a strong fortress, the defenders were critically weakened by infighting among three rebel factions and their own destruction of the city's necessary grain supply. 1687

We're excited to share a new podcast from The Intercept called Collateral Damage. The investigative series examines the half-century-long war on drugs, its enduring ripple effects, and the devastating consequences of building a massive war machine aimed at the public itself. Hosted by Radley Balko, an investigative journalist who has been covering the drug war and the criminal justice system for more than 20 years, each episode takes an in-depth look at someone who was unjustly killed in the drug war. This is Episode One: Dirty Business. In 2006, a 92-year-old Atlanta woman was gunned down in her own home by police during a drug raid. The police initially claimed the woman was a marijuana dealer who fired a gun at them. The story might have ended there. But an informant bravely came forward to set the record straight. Subsequent investigations and reports revealed that the police had raided the wrong home, killed an innocent woman, then planted marijuana in her basement to cover up their mistake.In the ensuing months, we'd learn that the Atlanta Police Department's narcotics unit routinely conducted mistaken raids on terrified people. The problem was driven by perverse federal, state, and local financial incentives that pushed cops to take shortcuts in procuring warrants for drug raids in order to boost their arrest and seizure statistics. Most of those incentives are still in place today.The raids haven't stopped. And neither have the deaths.Subscribe and listen to the full series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.