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For Great Deals and Discounts Join our Affordability Flyer: HERESubscribe to Running Scared Media wherever you get your pods!When Princess Elspeth discovers her father, King Henry, has begun selling his own people into slavery, she flees to join the Rebellion and aid their insurrection. However the King dispatches four of the land's best assassins to hunt and kill her before she can find help. With a former solider by her side, Elspeth tries to evade death but runs straight into hell where she finds an army of soulless men and women trapped in cages in the earth, awaiting the call from their master to rise and siege the castle. Surrounded by evil, will Elspeth maintain her faith in all that is holy and good?Best enjoyed on a long run with a good set of headphones!Partners:On Trail Nutrition - On Trail Nutrition, high-energy protein bars built for the outdoors. No crashes, no junk, just steady fuel for your hikes, rides, and long days. Check them out at ontrailnutrition.com and fuel your next adventure.Link: HERECode: RUNNINGSCARED10THN Labs - THN make energy gels in Canada with minimal ingredients. If you're running long and want to actually know what you're eating, hit them up at thnlabs.com.Link: HERECode: RSP15Support the showSubscribe to Running Scared Media wherever you get your podcasts for more episodes!RunningScaredMedia.comVisit our shop to purchase our jogcasts and other merchEmail us at: therunningscaredpodcast@gmail.comFollow us:Instagram @runningscaredmediaJoin our FB Running Group 

Last time we spoke about the Hubei-Henan Campaign of 1940-1941. In November 1940, a Central Hubei operation using multiple task forces aimed to exploit Chinese dispersal, achieving only local successes and no lasting territorial gains. The Japanese then tried again in late January 1941 with a major offensive into southern Henan. Despite concentrating a large force, the campaign failed strategically. After the Henan failure, Japan attempted to regain momentum in spring 1941 by attacking western Hubei around Yichang on the Yangtze. Despite an initial barrage and rapid early gains, Japanese forces became exposed in a narrow salient. The Chinese reorganized their river defenses and launched a converging counteroffensive, driving the invaders back and ending the engagement where it began, with the Japanese suffering heavy casualties and their westward push thwarted.   #206 The Battle of Shanggao 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. The year 1940 had brought a particular humiliation. In August of that year, Communist General Peng Dehuai had launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive — a massive, coordinated assault across North China that shattered Japanese rail and supply lines, embarrassed Imperial General Headquarters, and demonstrated that the Chinese were far from finished. Japan's response had been brutal, the infamous "Three Alls" campaign of reprisals across the countryside. But the damage had been done, and the attention of Imperial General Headquarters shifted northward. The autumn of 1940 had also seen the First Battle of Changsha, where the Japanese 11th Army under General Sonobe Yahachirō pushed south into Hunan Province expecting to overwhelm the Chinese defenders and finally deal a decisive blow to Chiang Kai-shek's armies. Instead, General Xue Yue — the "Tiger of Changsha" — had allowed the Japanese to advance deep into his prepared killing ground before counterattacking from multiple directions. The Japanese had been forced to retreat in disorder, and the front in Hunan and Jiangxi settled once again into sullen stalemate. It was in this atmosphere of frustrated ambition and strategic inertia that the seeds of Shanggao were sown. By February 1941, Imperial General Headquarters had decided to redeploy the 33rd Division — then garrisoned in the town of Anyi, in northwestern Jiangxi — to North China. The transfer was scheduled to begin in early April, and it made strategic sense: the north required reinforcement, and the front in Jiangxi had been quiet enough that one division could be spared. The problem was that the 33rd Division's departure would leave a gap in Japanese dispositions, and no significant offensive operation had yet been conducted to weaken the Chinese forces that would be left facing a thinned-out Japanese line. Lieutenant General Ōga Shigeru, the energetic commander of the Japanese 34th Division, saw opportunity in the window that existed before the 33rd departed. His division was concentrated around Xishan and Wanshou Palace, astride the Xiang–Gan Highway — the main road running westward through Jiangxi — and across that highway lay the town of Shanggao and the Chinese forces defending it. Ōga proposed exploiting the presence of both divisions for a coordinated strike: a sharp, limited offensive to crush Chinese field forces around Nanchang and the Jiangxi interior before the 33rd Division's train north. The 11th Army headquarters, now commanded by General Marube, endorsed a cautious concept — a "quick strike" with limited objectives. But the 34th Division's staff, energized by Ōga's ambition, had already run well ahead of this guidance. Large-scale requisitioning of coolies for logistics was underway; training exercises aimed at the specific terrain around Shanggao had been conducted; planning had progressed in far more detail than a "limited" operation warranted. This eagerness would prove to be the Japanese undoing before the first shot was fired. Chinese intelligence networks, always attentive to the movement of porters and the telltale preparations that preceded a Japanese offensive, quickly detected the scale of these preparations and reported them to General Luo Zhuoying, commander of the Chinese 19th Army Group. By the time the Japanese columns were forming up to march, Luo had already hardened his defenses and laid the groundwork for a trap. General Luo Zhuoying was not a passive commander. He served simultaneously as commander of the 19th Army Group and as Deputy Commander of the 9th War Zone — the latter post placing him directly under General Xue Yue, the victor of Changsha. Luo had spent the lull after Changsha doing what Chinese commanders across the theater had learned was essential: reorganizing, retraining, and above all improving the defensive architecture of his sector. The plan Luo devised for meeting the anticipated Japanese offensive was elegant in its simplicity and demanding in its execution. Rather than contesting the Japanese advance at the frontier, he would allow the enemy to push westward, yielding ground through three successive defensive lines while bleeding the attackers at every step. The first and second lines would slow the Japanese, exact casualties, and stretch their logistics. The third line — anchored at Shanggao itself — would be the killing ground. There, the Chinese forces would hold fast while other formations swung around the Japanese flanks and rear to close the encirclement. The Japanese, having marched deep into Chinese-held territory with their supply lines thinning and their flanks exposed, would find themselves surrounded rather than victorious. For this plan to work, each Chinese formation had to perform its role with discipline. The 70th Corps, deployed in the north along the arc from Shitou Street through Fengxin to Jing'an, would have to conduct a controlled fighting retreat — yielding ground but making the Japanese pay for it, never breaking and running. The 49th Corps would hold the southern flank and create conditions for flanking action. And the 74th Corps — General Wang Yaowu's elite formation, comprising the 51st, 57th, and 58th Divisions — would hold the final line at Shanggao and serve as the anvil upon which the Japanese advance would shatter. The 74th Corps was by 1941 one of the most battle-hardened formations in the Nationalist Army. It had fought at Shanghai in 1937, at Wuhan in 1938, and in the hills and valleys of Jiangxi through the years since. Its men knew the terrain around Shanggao. They had prepared positions in depth, studied the approaches, and rehearsed the defensive plan Luo had designed. When the Japanese came, they would be ready. Against the Chinese 70,000 — distributed across eleven divisions in four corps, with additional provincial security forces for local coverage — the Japanese would throw roughly 20,000 men: three major formations advancing in coordinated columns. The disparity in numbers was stark, but the Japanese had the advantages of offensive initiative, air superiority, and the formidable fighting quality that the Imperial Army had demonstrated throughout the war in China. The question was whether those advantages would be enough to overcome a prepared defense wielded by a commander who had invited the attack. The operational plan devised by the Japanese 11th Army called for three columns to converge simultaneously on Shanggao from north, center, and south — a classic encirclement concept that, if executed with precision, would catch the Chinese defenders in a tightening vice. In the north, the main force of the 33rd Division under Lieutenant General Sakurai Shōzō would drive westward from its bases around Anyi and Ganzhoujie, descending the Liao River valley to threaten the Chinese right flank and prevent the 70th Corps from interfering with operations in the center.In the center, Ōga's 34th Division would advance along the Xiang–Gan Highway — the direct route from Nanchang toward Shanggao — capturing the town of Gao'an along the way and pressing relentlessly westward until it reached the main defensive positions. This was the principal striking force, the column designed to crack open the Chinese defenses and seize the objective.In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade under Major General Ikeda would cross the Jin River and advance along its south bank, eventually swinging north to link up with the 34th Division and complete the encirclement of whatever Chinese forces remained in the Shanggao area. The plan was coherent on paper. But it contained a structural flaw so serious that, in retrospect, it is difficult to understand how the 11th Army's staff allowed it to proceed uncorrected. The success of any converging operation depends on synchronization — on each column hitting its objectives on schedule and maintaining communication with the others so that each can react to developments on the other prongs. Yet the 11th Army headquarters made no recorded effort to coordinate the 33rd and 34th Divisions before the battle began. There was no forward command post established to oversee the operation. General Marube remained at Hankou, hundreds of miles to the north, throughout the battle — as remote from the fighting as a Tokyo bureaucrat. Operational decisions were left entirely to the individual divisions, with no mechanism to coordinate their actions if something went wrong. Something was going to go wrong. Luo Zhuoying had seen to that. On the morning of March 15, 1941, all three Japanese columns stepped off simultaneously, advancing into the misty hills and rice paddies of northwestern Jiangxi. In the north, Sakurai's 33rd Division moved briskly from Anyi toward Fengxin. The town fell by noon, and the division pressed westward in good order. The Japanese infantry moved confidently along the Liao River valley, experienced soldiers who had fought across China and had no particular reason to expect what was coming. The Chinese 70th Corps gave ground — as it had been ordered to — but did so on its own terms, occupying and then abandoning successive pieces of high ground along both banks of the river, making the Japanese advance uncomfortable and costly. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the 33rd Division was being drawn forward into terrain that favored the defender. By March 18 and 19, the 33rd Division had pushed all the way to Guzhu'ao and Huamenlo — a considerable advance, but one that had taken the division far from its base at Anyi. And it was here, far from support and with flanks increasingly exposed, that the Chinese blocking forces closed in. Chinese infantry, who had been waiting in prepared positions in the high ground overlooking the river valley, launched coordinated counter-attacks that struck the 33rd Division from multiple directions. The fighting was fierce and costly. In two days of close combat, the division suffered more than 2,500 casualties — a grievous toll that represented a significant fraction of its effective strength. The northern column had been stopped dead. On March 19, Sakurai ordered the 33rd Division to reverse course. By March 23, after four days of painful withdrawal under pressure, it had pulled back to Anyi — the same place it had started. The northern prong of the Japanese offensive had accomplished nothing except the loss of thousands of men. In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade had a rougher start. Its initial attempt to cross the Gan-Jin river junction at noon on March 15 was repulsed by Chinese defenders, and it was only under cover of darkness that the brigade managed to force a crossing. Once across, it moved westward along the south bank of the Jin River, but progress was slow and contested. A detachment — the Gan River Detachment — ran into fierce resistance from the 26th Division of the Chinese 49th Corps on March 19. The brigade's main body meanwhile fought its way through the 51st Division of the 74th Corps, but the 107th Division and elements of the 51st managed to contain the advance at the Laichunling–Zhutoushan line. On the night of March 20, the main body of the 20th Brigade crossed the Jin River at Huifu to link up with the 34th Division — but a portion of its troops, cut off on the south bank, was destroyed by Chinese forces. The southern column was across the Jin River, but it had taken losses and was already engaged in ways its planners had not anticipated. In the center, the 34th Division fared best in the early going. Ōga's division moved westward from Xishan along the Xiang–Gan Highway on March 16, and by the 17th had captured Gao'an — a meaningful early success. The Chinese 74th Corps, executing Luo's plan faithfully, dispatched only screening forces east of the Tangpu River to slow the Japanese advance rather than contesting it decisively. The main body of the 74th Corps fell back to the third-line positions at Sixi, Guanqiao, and Tangpu, preparing the killing ground that Luo had designated. Simultaneously, the 26th Division and most of the 105th Division from the 49th Corps were shifted across the Gan River to operate south of the Jin River on the Japanese left flank, and the 72nd Corps was ordered to maneuver on a wide envelopment around Daxia and south of Ganfang. By March 20–21, the 34th Division had pressed forward to attack the Chinese positions at Sixi and Guanqiao. Ōga's men were confident — they had taken Gao'an, they were moving, and the objective of Shanggao lay within reach. But as the division pushed toward Shangjijia, it ran squarely into the 57th and 58th Divisions of the 74th Corps, fighting with a tenacity that told the Japanese plainly enough: this was where the Chinese intended to stand. The week of March 21–24 brought the battle to its crisis. The 34th Division hammered at the Chinese positions defending Shanggao itself, while on the flanks, the fighting took on a character that neither side had entirely anticipated. On March 21, General Wang Yaowu — commanding the 74th Corps from his headquarters in Shanggao — decided it was time to do more than absorb Japanese blows. He ordered General Li Tianxia to clear Japanese forces from the south bank of the Jin River and advance on Gao'an, with the aim of cutting the 34th Division's supply line and threatening its rear. It was an aggressive move, and if it had worked, it might have produced a decisive result earlier than history would record. It did not work — at least not immediately. That very evening, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade, which had been reorganizing after the chaos of the river crossing, launched a powerful offensive at dawn on the 22nd. Li Tianxia's lead elements had barely set out from Shitou Street when they collided head-on with the main force of the 20th Brigade, which had crossed back from the north bank of the Jin River. The Japanese thrust was coordinated and aggressive: one column circled wide to attack Lazhu Mountain; another swung south of Hu Family west of Shitou Street to strike Li's division in the flank and rear; and nine aircraft with four artillery pieces bombarded the Chinese positions from north to south. Li's division could not hold against this convergent assault and fell back to the high ground southwest of Shitou Street. Wang Yaowu reacted quickly. He ordered Li's main body to wheel left to face the new threat and simultaneously dispatched the Army's Field Supplementary Regiment — held in reserve near Yintang — on a forced march to Huayang to block the Japanese westward drive. This regiment, racing down roads strafed by nine enemy aircraft, covered 15 li per hour and seized Huayang and the high ground to its northeast by around seven in the morning. By nine, the 20th Brigade arrived in strength and — supported by more than ten aircraft — launched a fierce assault on the regiment's positions. The regiment's officers and men held firm, taking heavy casualties but refusing to break. Frustrated at Huayang, the 20th Brigade shifted its effort to the Kuang Family area, linking up with over a thousand men who had crossed from Baichetou to the south bank and pushing along the river toward Xiongfang in an attempt to outflank the Chinese left wing. The Supplementary Regiment sent its 1st Battalion with a mortar company to meet this threat, and the two forces met in a fierce engagement. When the Japanese reinforced their assault and deployed incendiary bombs and poison gas, Xiongfang fell by early afternoon — but Li Tianxia immediately sent two regiments from his right flank to take it back, and by midnight the position was in Chinese hands again. Shitou Street and Jigong Ridge were simultaneously recaptured. The Independent Mixed 20th Brigade now found itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position, fighting with the Jin River at its back and the initiative slipping away. Meanwhile, the main event was being fought in the rubble and ridgelines around Shanggao itself. From March 22 to 25, the 34th Division and whatever remnants of the 20th Brigade could contribute threw themselves repeatedly at the defensive line anchored on Stone Arch Bridge, Xia Po Bridge, Xu Lou, Pan Family Bridge, Cloud Head Mountain, and Lei Family Mountain. This was not the fluid, mobile warfare that the Japanese had envisioned but brutal, grinding attritional combat for individual strongpoints and ridgelines, with positions changing hands multiple times in a single day. The Japanese air arm was deeply involved. Ōga's division had close air support that could operate even in poor weather, and Group 3 of the Japanese Air Force hammered the Chinese positions with sustained effort. On the morning of March 24, after the 34th Division fed in more than 3,000 additional troops transferred across the Jin River, the Air Force dispatched over seventy aircraft that dropped more than 1,700 bombs, largely destroying the defensive positions of Liao Lingqi's division. The Japanese exploited the resulting chaos and twice broke through gaps in the line — but were driven out each time by Chinese counterattacks. At noon, enemy aircraft bombarded in relays and Japanese infantry broke through at Xia Po Bridge. It was at this moment that Li Hanqing, commanding the Chinese infantry defense in that sector, did what officers throughout history have done when systems fail and only personal example can stem the tide: he personally led his officer cadre in repeated counter-attacks, hand-to-hand fighting in the rubble until the Japanese were finally expelled. By this point, the 34th Division's offensive capacity was nearly spent. At the same time — and this was the critical shift that would determine the battle's outcome — General Luo Zhuoying recognized that the moment to spring the trap had arrived. The northern column had already been broken and sent reeling back toward Anyi. The southern column was pinned against the Jin River with its back to the water. The central column was bled white against the defenses of Shanggao. Luo now ordered all his armies to close in from multiple directions. On the morning of March 22, he had already begun revising his orders; by noon on the 23rd, the forces of Liu Duoquan and Li Jue had occupied Shitou Street, Guanqiao Street, and Yanggong Market, pressing on Huifu and Gaoyao. The encirclement of the 34th Division was not yet complete, but its shape was unmistakably forming. By March 25, the 34th Division knew it was in mortal danger. Surrounded on three sides, its ammunition running low and its casualty lists growing by the hour, the division urgently appealed to the 11th Army for rescue. The message that arrived in Hankou was a shock. General Marube and his staff, who had remained at their distant headquarters throughout the battle without establishing a forward command post, had not properly grasped the scale of the disaster unfolding in Jiangxi. The lack of coordination between the 33rd and 34th Divisions — the structural flaw that had been built into the operation from its conception — had allowed Luo Zhuoying to defeat each column separately, and now the central column faced annihilation. The 11th Army responded in a scramble. Chief of Staff Kinoshita was dispatched by aircraft to Nanchang with Operations Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Yamaguchi and Captain Ōne to organize a relief operation. The 33rd Division — barely recovered from its own battering in the north — was ordered to sortie immediately and fight its way to the 34th Division's relief. Sakurai organized his battered 33rd Division into three rescue columns. Infantry Brigade Commander Araki Shōji took the right column, leading Infantry Regiment 215 with one mountain artillery battalion. Infantry Regiment 214 formed the left column. The divisional commander himself led the central column with the main divisional force. On March 24 and 25, all three columns sortied from strongpoints at Niuxing, Fengxin, and other positions, attacking across the Wuqiao River and through Cunqian Street toward Tangpu and Guanqiao. The relief operation brought the battle to its most complicated moment. On the morning of March 25, the 33rd Division launched a fierce assault on the forces that Luo Zhuoying had positioned to tighten the encirclement from the north — striking Zhang Yanchuan's division at Kengkou Leng, Jiezipo, and Nancha Luo. Zhang's division, struck simultaneously from the front and rear, withdrew at dusk to near Tu Di Wang Temple, where it linked up with Tang Boyin's division. What happened next became one of the most controversial decisions of the entire battle. Zhang Yanchuan was serving as deputy army commander in the absence of Li Jue from the front. Surveying the situation — his own division under heavy pressure, the 33rd Division's relief columns pushing aggressively — Zhang concluded that the position was untenable. On his own authority, without authorization from Luo Zhuoying or any superior commander, he withdrew both his own and Tang Boyin's divisions to Fenghuang Market and Zhuangfang. The consequence was immediate and severe. The withdrawal opened a corridor through which the 33rd Division entered Guanqiao and linked up with the encircled 34th Division. An encirclement that had taken days of blood and sacrifice to construct was torn open by a single unauthorized decision. Luo Zhuoying, when he received word of Zhang's withdrawal the following morning, was furious — but he could not change what had already happened. He could only adapt. The breakout itself was an ordeal. A portion of the 34th Division that attempted to escape to the east was intercepted near Huifu by a division of the 49th Corps and lost roughly half its strength before being compelled to turn back. The main body ultimately broke out on March 27, withdrawing in march order that told its own story of disaster: headquarters, baggage, artillery, casualties, field hospital, rear guard — all moving in what the records describe as "a wretched state." On the night of March 27, Japanese troops escorting the 34th Division's field hospital — a field artillery company of the 8th Battery — were completely annihilated in a Chinese night attack. When the division reached Longtuan Xu on March 28, the stretcher-bearer column carrying the wounded stretched some seven to eight kilometers along the road. That same day, the 33rd Division's Infantry Regiment 214 finally made contact with the 34th Division's headquarters, completing what amounted to a rescue of men who had already endured their defeat. The 33rd Division's mountain artillery batteries exhausted their entire ammunition supply covering the retreat and required emergency aerial resupply drops to continue. The 34th Division limped back to its original garrison on April 2. Despite the setback caused by Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal, Luo Zhuoying did not abandon his design. Assessing his situation on the morning of March 26, he found reason for cautious optimism: Wang Yaowu's army was still making progress at Shanggao; the Japanese south of the Jin River had largely been cleared; and Sichuan Army and Northeastern Army units that had been moving to reinforce the battle had now reached the field, meaning Chinese forces retained significant numerical superiority. He resolved to execute a second encirclement. At nine in the morning of March 26, Luo issued strict orders: Zhang Yanchuan's and Tang Boyin's divisions were to immediately comply with their original orders and block the enemy near Guanqiao; Yu Chengwan's division was to attack northward via Pan Family Bridge; Liao Lingqi's and Song Yingzhong's divisions were to press toward Guanqiao with full force; Wang Kejun's division was to strike the enemy's flank and rear east of Guanqiao; Fu Yi's division was to advance south of Jiang Family Isle; and Chen Liangji's division was to swing southeast via Changpu to complete the enemy's destruction. The second ring was being drawn. On March 28, as the 34th Division's battered column trudged eastward toward survival, Wang Kejun's division advancing from Yanggong Market moved to intercept it. The Chinese occupied high ground north and south of Yanggong Market and along Mozi Ridge, and what followed was a grinding all-day battle that fixed the Japanese column at the Xiama Bei–Huxing Ridge line. Part of the 20th Brigade, moving up from Gao'an to assist the withdrawing 34th Division, was blocked near Long Tu Market. Liao Lingqi's division pursued the enemy rear guard to the Changling–Manmei high ground, where the fighting erupted with renewed intensity. At noon, part of Li Tianxia's division arrived and deployed along the Shangluoxiang–Shanyuan–Fangtounao line to harass the Japanese right flank; part of Yu Chengwan's division reached Longxing Mountain and outflanked Guanqiao Street from the south. The surviving Japanese defenders in Guanqiao withdrew into the town for a last stand, and after Liao's division pressed the assault, street fighting raged until five in the afternoon, when over 600 defenders were annihilated. Over 2,000 troops of the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade conducted a fighting withdrawal from Long Tu Market and Yanggong Market, covered by Japanese aircraft bombing to shield the 34th Division's retreat. By noon on March 30, the Japanese had abandoned both strongpoints and scattered northeastward. One group of over 600 men fled directly into the main positions of Zhang Yanchuan's division — an ironic fate, given Zhang's earlier withdrawal — and were largely annihilated. The encircling forces had been essentially dispersed, and the two pursuit columns now pressed forward under the overall direction of General Xue Yue, who had assumed personal coordination of the chase. On March 27, Luo Zhuoying — confident that victory was secured — issued a general order for a final offensive and announced substantial cash rewards to his troops: prizes offered for the capture of Japanese officers, artillery pieces, regimental colors, and other materiel. The rewards were both a practical incentive and a mark of how far the battle had tipped. By midnight on March 31, Chen Hongshi's advance column had recovered Gao'an; Wang Tiehan's division had recovered Xiangfu Guan. On April 2, the divisions of Zhang Yanchuan and Song Yingzhong recovered Fengxin; that afternoon Wang Tiehan's division took back Xishan and Wanshou Palace — the very base from which the 34th Division had launched its offensive. By April 3, the pursuing armies had reached the vicinity of Dacheng and Ganzhoujie. On April 8 and 9, the 70th Corps recovered the outpost strongpoints around Anyi before halting operations. The Japanese had retreated into their original positions and were defending from prepared terrain. The pursuit was over. The Battle of Shanggao had lasted nineteen days and nights. No battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War was ever free of the fog of competing claims, and Shanggao was no exception. On March 29, before the pursuit had even concluded, Luo Zhuoying telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek with his accounting of the victory. His numbers were dramatic: Major General Iwanaga, the Japanese infantry commander, killed; regimental commander Colonel Hamada, killed; over 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded in total. Chinese losses, Luo reported, exceeded 20,000. Ten guns, over a thousand rifles, and numerous machine guns had been captured. His superior, General Xue Yue, was skeptical. In a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on April 5, Xue reduced Luo's numbers by twenty percent, reporting 12,520 Japanese killed or wounded and 14 prisoners captured. The discrepancy between two Chinese commanders reporting on the same battle speaks to the difficulty of battlefield accounting in any era, and suggests something of the competitive pressures that shaped how Chinese commanders reported their victories to Chongqing. The official Chinese histories, compiled after the war in the History of the War of Resistance, reported approximately 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded, 17 prisoners taken, and significant quantities of captured materiel: 6 mountain guns, 1 mortar, 24 light machine guns, 408 rifles, 24 grenade launchers, and over 111,717 rounds of various ammunition. Chinese casualties, by the same records, were 17,119 killed or wounded and 2,814 missing. Japanese records for the battle do not survive — a consequence of the wholesale destruction of Imperial Army documentation at the war's end. Contemporary scholars, working from other sources, estimate actual Japanese combat losses at approximately 5,500 killed and wounded. This is substantially lower than the Chinese claims, as was nearly always the case in the war, but represents a significant defeat by any measure: roughly a quarter of the force committed, many of them veterans impossible to replace. Chiang Kai-shek subsequently awarded the victorious Chinese units a commendation prize of 150,000 yuan — a substantial sum that marked the battle's significance in Nationalist eyes. The outcome at Shanggao was not accidental. Several interlocking factors combined to produce a Chinese victory, and each deserves consideration. The most fundamental was Luo Zhuoying's defensive plan. The decision to trade space for time — to absorb the Japanese advance through three successive defensive lines rather than contest the frontier — required both tactical confidence and a willingness to accept initial setbacks that could easily be misread as defeat. Chinese forces had to give ground, and they did. They had to suffer through the early days of Japanese advance without breaking and running, drawing the enemy forward and allowing the encirclement to take shape. That they largely succeeded in executing this plan reflects the improving quality of the Nationalist Army by 1941: better trained, better led at the operational level, and — critically — equipped with a strategic design that matched the actual balance of forces. The defeat in detail of the Japanese columns was equally important. By neutralizing the 33rd Division in the north before it could contribute to the central effort, and by pinning the 20th Brigade against the Jin River with its back to the water, Luo's forces ensured that the 34th Division faced the third-line defenses essentially alone — outnumbered, overextended, and unsupported. The Japanese operational concept had been a three-pronged convergence; what actually materialized was a single exhausted division hammering at a prepared defense while two other columns were rendered ineffective. The absence of coordination within the Japanese 11th Army was a gift that kept giving throughout the battle. No forward command post. No mechanism for the divisions to adjust their operations in response to each other's situations. No ability to recognize, in real time, that the northern column was being destroyed and redirect resources accordingly. General Marube's decision to remain at Hankou while his men died in Jiangxi was not merely an administrative failure; it was an operational catastrophe. Japanese commanders acknowledged this failing explicitly after the battle, but the acknowledgment changed nothing for the dead. Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal — the single most consequential individual decision of the battle — ultimately prevented a complete annihilation of the 34th Division rather than affecting the battle's outcome. The 34th Division escaped; but it did so in a "wretched state," having lost enormous numbers of men and equipment. It broke out, not triumphed. The encirclement Luo had constructed was torn open, but the Japanese paid dearly for the breach. The consequences of Shanggao rippled outward in ways that shaped the subsequent course of the war in central China. The transfer of the 33rd Division to North China — the original logistical rationale for the entire operation — was delayed by the division's involvement and subsequent losses at Shanggao. When it finally arrived at the Battle of Central Plains  the following month, it did so on the eve of battle with no time for preparation or orientation, entering combat under severely disadvantaged conditions. The operation that was supposed to facilitate a smooth redeployment had instead damaged one of the two units involved and delayed the other. For the Chinese 74th Corps, Shanggao had an ironic consequence. The Japanese 11th Army, following the battle, formally designated the 74th Corps as a priority target — a "standing enemy" and directed its forces to seek out and destroy it in future operations. At the First Battle of Changsha that September, the 11th Army specifically oriented its forces against the 74th Corps, a testament to the lasting impression that corps's fierce resistance at Shanggao had made on its adversaries. The compliment of being specifically targeted by the enemy was one the 74th Corps had earned in blood at Shanggao's ridgelines and shattered bridges. More broadly, the battle was widely regarded at the time, and has been regarded since, as one of the most significant Chinese tactical victories of the first four years of the War of Resistance. Its significance lay not only in the casualties inflicted — those were contested and probably inflated in the Chinese records — but in what it demonstrated. The improving tactical and operational competence of the Nationalist Army was on display. The deliberate defense, the layered withdrawal, the coordinated encirclement — these were not the operations of an army that had been fighting desperately for survival since 1937 and had learned nothing. They were the operations of an army that had studied its defeats and adapted. Shanggao did not change the strategic situation in China. The front in Jiangxi remained where it had been; the Japanese still occupied Nanchang and the major cities; Chiang Kai-shek was still in Chongqing and the war was still far from over. But it demonstrated something important: that the Chinese Army, given capable commanders, a sound plan, and the discipline to execute it, could do more than survive Japanese offensives. It could reverse them, encircle them, and pursue them back to where they came from. 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. In March–April 1940, Japanese forces attacked Shanggao with a limited, multi-pronged plan. Chinese troops used elastic defense and coordinated counter-moves, turning initial advantages into a trap. After intense fighting and air strikes, a coordinated encirclement and timely breakout routed the Japanese, forcing retreat despite their numbers in a costly battle.

Colonel Robert Howard was a very distinguished member of the top-secret MACV-SOG units that fought during the Vietnam War in America's secret war in Laos and Cambodia. Comprised of only one to a few U.S. special force team members plus a cadre of native Vietnamese, Montagnard, Cambodian (Khmer Krom), and Nung fighters, these recon units operated deep behind enemy lines recovering downed pilots and attempting POW rescues, destroying enemy fuel dumps and caches, conducting wiretaps, gathering intelligence and spreading propaganda which forced Hanoi to divert 40,000 troops—about four divisions—to rear security missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Surrounded by heroes, Bob distinguished himself among his peers, becoming the most decorated Green Beret ever. His medal include the Medal of Honor–for sheer valor and heroism even as he suffered multiple wounds himself defending his men. Today's guest, historian Stephen L. Moore shares Bob Howard's story in his book “Beyond the Call of Duty: The Life of Colonel Robert Howard, the Most Decorated Green Beret.”Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.comNorth Idaho ExperienceIdaho life, real talk. Community, outdoors, and the freedom to live your way.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Welcome to Faith in the Morning! In June, you'll be jumping for joy! Stream to find out about how God has mercy, healing, and benefits for you today!

Welcome back to the Women Petpreneurs Presents Book Club In this week's special book club episode, we're diving into the "Surrounded by" series by Thomas Erikson. Each of us picked a different book from the lineup— Surrounded by Narcissists, Surrounded by Energy Vampires, and Surrounded by Psychopaths—to unpack what we learned and how it relates to both our professional and personal lives. We'll explore which book is the best starting point, why understanding personality types can transform the way we interact with people (and pets!), and share honest thoughts about which recommendations are best for the grooming industry. Whether you've read the series or are just curious about decoding human behavior, settle in for a candid, insightful discussion that promises a few laughs and plenty of real talk.

In 1 John 5, John revisits familiar territory as he reminds believers why he wrote this letter: that our joy may be full, that we may not be deceived, and that we may know we have eternal life. Surrounded by false teachers and competing beliefs, John points us back to the truth that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. John reminds us that loving God's children and obeying His commands is not a burden but a delight. As followers of Jesus, we are called to go to everyone, everywhere, every day with the Good News that whoever believes in Jesus can be born of God. Most importantly, John declares that everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. We were designed to overcome, not through our own strength, but through faith in Jesus Christ. The world can never satisfy the desires of our hearts, but Jesus can. Stay connected to the Source of life, trust in Him, and take what you know to be true and teach it to someone else.Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/ejZAvEPNt-MSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_

The last vestiges of royal authority in South Carolina, huddled within two small warships anchored in Charleston Harbor, survived the autumn of 1775 by cultivating a largely forgotten terrestrial connection. Surrounded by increasingly hostile rebel forces, British mariners established a foothold on Sullivan's Island, both to supply their wants and to nurture an improvised sanctuary for political refugees.

Send me feedback!After a recent Jubilee episode of Surrounded, Nick Matau claimed he caught Glenn Greenwald changing his position on Trump and the Israel lobby. I watched the full exchange. Nick cleverly edited the exchange.Candidate BookingsSUPPORT THE SHOWGet a 10% discount by using the code LibertyDad at Black Guns Matter shop.OR, use the referral linkFIND ME ELSEWHERELinktreeSHOW NOTESJubilee SurroundedSupport the show

Lots of food, lots of questions, you never know exactly where it's going but it was a blast. All Links: https://swolenormous.com

Owen Hanson went from a disciplined kid in Redondo Beach to a USC walk-on football player surrounded by celebrities, pro athletes, and power — before one bad decision became the rush he chased for years. In this raw conversation with Randall Kaplan, Owen reveals the true story behind **Netflix's The Cocaine Quarterback**, his rise from campus hustles to a global drug and gambling operation, his connection to the Sinaloa cartel, and the prison sentence that forced him to rebuild his life.Owen Hanson's story is not just a crime story — it is a story about ambition, insecurity, adrenaline, ego, consequences, and redemption.Randall Kaplan sits down with Owen for a gripping Part 1 conversation that begins with Owen's childhood in Redondo Beach, including his father's strict discipline, his parents' separation, and the early emotional wounds that shaped his identity. Owen opens up about feeling abandoned, learning not to cry, and channeling pain into sports, competition, and survival.From there, the conversation moves into Owen's earliest signs of entrepreneurial instinct — including a childhood gambling hustle with quarters and lunch bets — before tracing how those same instincts later became dangerous when mixed with money, status, and the need to belong.The episode also dives into Owen's rise at USC, where he became a walk-on football player during one of the most iconic eras in college football. Surrounded by celebrities, athletes, parties, and status, Owen explains how access became power — and how that power slowly turned into a criminal network.Randall and Owen then unpack the expansion from campus dealing to a sports betting business, then to international money movement, cartel connections, Australia, cocaine, laundering schemes, and the moment everything began closing in.Timestamps00:00 - The moment Owen realized he was in too deep00:42 - How a USC athlete became connected to the Sinaloa cartel01:52 - The childhood wound Owen says shaped everything07:00 - The 11-year-old hustle that revealed his future instincts10:54 - The line between strategy and manipulation16:47 - The USC setback that sent Owen to Tijuana21:08 - The first lie that gave him the rush he chased for years23:16 - How Owen became the only non-scholarship player to make the USC football team25:11 - Inside the USC football celebrity machine36:16 - The gambling customer who changed Owen's life forever42:38 - The million-dollar-a-day offer that pulled him overseas1:36:39 - How prison became the beginning of Owen's redemptionAbout Owen HansonOwen Hanson is a former USC athlete, entrepreneur, public speaker, and the subject of the Netflix documentary “The Cocaine Quarterback”, produced by Mark Wahlberg. After walking on to the USC football team during one of the most iconic eras in college football, Owen's life took a dramatic turn as he became involved in illegal sports gambling, drug trafficking, and cartel-linked money movement.He was ultimately sentenced to 21 years in federal prison and served 10 years before being released early. Today, Owen speaks publicly about the consequences of his choices, the psychology of addiction to risk and status, and the difficult path toward accountability, growth, and redemption.About Randall KaplanRandall Kaplan is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, professional coach, and the host of In Search of Excellence. He is the co-founder of Akamai Technologies, a global leader in cloud services, cybersecurity, and content delivery, and was an early investor in companies including Google.Through the Extreme Preparation™ methodology, Randall works with founders, CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners to help them perform at the highest level, make better decisions, and achieve extraordinary success.If this conversation made you think differently about ambition, risk, success, or redemption, make sure to like this video, subscribe to In Search of Excellence, and comment below:What do you think was the turning point in Owen Hanson's story?Want to Work One-on-One with Me?I privately coach a limited number of high achievers through personalized one-on-one coaching focused on elevating careers, scaling businesses, and reaching higher levels of success both professionally and personally.If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here for my One-on-One Coaching program:www.randallkaplan.com Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvlFpoLfgs Listen to this episode on the go!Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XIC... For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/ Follow Randall!Instagram: @randallkaplan LinkedIn:  @randallkaplan TikTok:  @randall_kaplan Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplanWebsite:  www.randallkaplan.com1-on-1 Coaching: www.randallkaplan.comCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn 

Classical wisdom should illuminate humanity's path forward and address key questions of our time, including how to keep our world in peace and order, according to an initiative announced at the closing ceremony of the Second World Conference of Classics in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday.周三，第二届世界古典学大会在希腊雅典落下帷幕，会上发布一项倡议。该倡议提出，古典智慧应为人类前行之路指引方向，并解答当今时代的核心问题，其中就包括如何维护世界的和平与秩序。Surrounded by stunning frescoes depicting Prometheus stealing the fire to enlighten the human world at the Academy of Athens, over 200 scholars from Asia, Europe, America and Africa engaged in in-depth discussions to reach the consensus regarding the role of classical studies in safeguarding the future of humanity.雅典学院内，精美壁画描绘着普罗米修斯盗火启迪人间的场景。来自亚、欧、美、非四大洲的200余名学者在此展开深入探讨，就古典学研究在守护人类未来中扮演的角色达成共识。"Only by knowing where we come from can we understand where we stand today and where we are heading," said the initiative.倡议中写道：知来路，方能明当下、知前行。It urged "harnessing the power of virtues in classical wisdom" to remain steadfast on the right course of civilization, "promoting friendship and coexistence" to build a home for our shared future of humanity, "safeguarding peace and order" to strengthen the foundations of future security, and "cultivating humanistic values in the digital age" to guide technological progress.倡议呼吁：汲取古典智慧中的美德力量，坚守文明正道；倡导友好共处，共建人类命运共同体；维护和平秩序，筑牢未来安全根基；培育数字时代的人文价值，引领科技向善发展。"We are confident that classical studies will provide an inexhaustible source of wisdom and strength for humanity's peace, development and shared future," it said.倡议表示：我们坚信，古典学研究将为人类的和平、发展与共同未来，源源不断地提供智慧与力量。Scholars told China Daily that it was the right time for Chinese and Greek academies to co-host the conference in Athens, which is also a symbolic city of dialogue in ancient history, as the world experiences fundamental changes and rising conflicts of interests and ideologies.多位学者在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，当下世界格局发生深刻变革，利益与意识形态冲突不断加剧，中希学界携手在雅典举办此次大会恰逢其时。雅典自古便是文明对话的象征之城。Roger Ames, humanities chair professor at Peking University and vice-president of the International Confucian Association, said the world should congratulate China for helping to shift the world's conversation from geopolitics to civilization.北京大学人文讲席教授、国际儒学联合会副会长罗杰·艾姆斯表示，中国推动全球议题从地缘政治转向文明交流，值得世界为之称赞。"What China has been doing for the last 20 years is promoting a civilizational dialogue where we talk not about money and military power, but about family, values, shared histories, and what we want for our grandchildren," he added.他补充道：“过去二十年间，中国一直在推动文明对话。对话的核心不再是财富与军力，而是家庭、价值观、共同的历史，以及我们想留给后代的未来。”Amphilochios Papathomas, a professor of ancient Greek literature and papyrology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said the escalation of conflicts can be avoided through dialogue.雅典国立及卡波迪斯特里亚大学古希腊文学与纸草学教授安菲洛希奥斯·帕帕索马斯认为，依靠对话能够避免冲突不断升级。"What we have learned from classical authors, like Thucydides, is that we have to be very cautious to avoid a military and political escalation," he said.他说：“从修昔底德等古典先贤的著作中我们领悟到，必须谨言慎行，防止军事与政治冲突持续升级。”Papathomas added that the peaceful shift in the balance of power between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 20th century showed it was possible to avoid the "Thucydides Trap" of military conflict because the two countries had mutual respect.帕帕索马斯还提到，20世纪初英美两国实现权力格局的和平更迭，印证了只要两国相互尊重，就能够规避引发军事冲突的“修昔底德陷阱”。"If we achieve that between East and West by studying Eastern classics and Western classics, we will be able to get rid of this 'Thucydides Trap' and construct a very peaceful and prosperous future for the generations to come," he said.他表示：“倘若东西方能够通过研习东西方经典做到彼此尊重，就能跳出‘修昔底德陷阱'，为子孙后代打造一个和平繁荣的未来。”Hu Yujuan, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World History, said that war cannot be ended by war but by love and benevolence.中国社会科学院世界历史研究所资深研究员胡玉娟表示，以战止战终无出路，唯有仁爱方能终结纷争。She noted that the ancient Roman Empire once revered Mars, the god of war, and achieved only a temporary form of "peace through war". However, after turning to worship Venus, the goddess of love, it entered a period of lasting stability known as the "Pax Romana", a roughly 200-year era of peace and stability.她指出，古罗马帝国曾尊崇战神玛尔斯，依靠战争换来的和平转瞬即逝。而当帝国转而信奉爱神维纳斯后，便迎来了长达约两百年、长治久安的“罗马和平”时代。"Classical wisdom tells us that violence cannot resolve all conflicts," Hu said. "Only the power of love can eliminate conflict and lead to harmony."胡玉娟说道：“古典智慧昭示我们，暴力无法化解所有矛盾。唯有爱的力量，才能消弭纷争、促成和谐。”1. illuminate /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/照亮；阐明，启迪2. fresco /ˈfreskəʊ/壁画3. consensus /kənˈsensəs/共识，一致意见4. inexhaustible /ˌɪnɪɡˈzɔːstəbl/用不完的；源源不断的5. escalation /ˌeskəˈleɪʃn/升级，加剧6. benevolence /bəˈnevələns/仁爱，善心，仁慈

Surrounded by conflicts and controversy, there can be a lot of pressure to speak, whether you're a Christian in a workplace or a pastor speaking to a congregation. The Bible encourages both holding the tongue and the courage to be bold with the truth. It takes wisdom to discern the moment and when God is asking us to speak and when he is asking us to remain silent. In this week's episode, we're exploring the question of how leaders can cultivate the discernment to steward their voice in a noisy and chaotic culture. Pastor Jim offers some practical advice for finding a way forward.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  Surrounded by headlines about money, power, and status, Chris reflects on a different definition of wealth. From family memories and life experiences to time spent with loved ones, he argues that true wealth isn't measured by yachts, luxury cars, or social media posts—it's measured by the moments and relationships that matter long after the money is gone.

Today’s Bible Verse: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” — Acts 17:24 Acts 17:24 is part of Paul’s message to the people of Athens, where he introduces them to the one true God. Surrounded by temples, idols, and competing ideas about spirituality, Paul points to a foundational truth: God is the Creator of everything. He is not limited by buildings, traditions, or human understanding. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe MEET YOUR HOST: Dr. Kyle Norman at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. Rev. Norman has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.Find more from Rev. Norman at revkylenorman.ca Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Little Saint James Island, a secluded private island once owned by a high-profile financier, Jeffrey Epstien, has become one of the most talked-about locations in modern history. Surrounded by mystery, allegations, and unanswered questions, the island has fueled years of speculation about what truly went on behind closed doors. From elite connections to claims of hidden activities, many are still asking—how deep did it all go?Is Little Saint James Island simply the center of a criminal case that's already been exposed, or is there more beneath the surface that the public has yet to fully understand? YouTuber “Dancer” takes us closer to the island for a deeper look into what's known, what's alleged, and what people are still trying to uncover.

Some mornings we walk through the doors carrying the weight of the world — a struggling marriage, a prodigal child, financial pressure, grief, or simply the quiet exhaustion of living in a broken world.David felt it too. In Psalm 39:2, he writes: "I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified."He was weary. Silent. Surrounded by wickedness. Sound familiar?But here's the beautiful truth — David's weariness didn't have the final word. A fire grew within him (Psalm 39:3), and that fire was the Holy Spirit cutting through his pain and giving him words where he had none.And we have something even greater than David had. We live on this side of the cross. When we come to know Jesus, the Holy Spirit doesn't just come upon us — He dwells within us. Fully. Permanently.That means the fire David experienced? We carry it in full.Whatever weight we're carrying today, we don't carry it alone. Cry out to the One who hears, who sees, and who never abandons His children. 

It's Casual Friday on The Majority Report On today's program: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks out against section 224 of the NDAA for 2027 which was suggested by Benjamin Netanyahu and aims to further integrate U.S. and Israeli militaries. Unfortunately, the section was passed and now Thomass Massie (R-KY) and Khanna will aim to strip the language out of the final NDAA. A screwworm infection has been detected in cattle in south Texas. Elon Musk and DOGE stripped out screwworm monitoring programs in 2025. That can't be good. Jeet Heer, national affairs correspondent at The Nation and host of The Time of Monsters podcast, joins the program to recap the week's news. Topics include the New York Times hit piece on Maine senate candidate Graham Platner, the War Powers resolution, and more. In the Fun Half: Rep. Rashida Tlaib spars with Zionist Rep. Brian Mast over Israel's ongoing Gaza-style destruction of Southern Lebanon. Mast demanding that Tlaib "prove" that the 11 children killed by Israel earlier this week weren't terrorists. Mehdi Hasan humiliates Patrick Bet-David on his own podcast. Hasan corners David over the reality that if David were to attempt to immigrate the U.S. from Iran today. Mark Cuban is hurt that the Democrats aren't begging him for advice on AI and such. To close out the week we savor one last Dave Rubin clip from his massive flop on Jubilee's Surrounded. All that and more. To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AM Quickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: RITUAL: Get 25% off during your first month. Visit ritual.com/MAJORITY. FAST GROWING TREES: Get 20% off your first purchase.  FastGrowingTrees.com/majority SUNSET LAKE CBD: Use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% off of your entire order at SunsetLakeCBD.com Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.

Techum: 4 Amos; Surrounded by walls; City; Squaring of the city; 2,000 Amos; Possessions. See seforim by Rabbi Cohen at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.kashrushalacha.com

Singer-songwriter Ike Reilly has been reaching critical mass. He shared a microphone with Bruce Springsteen in January, has gained new fans with the 2024 documentary Don't Turn Your Back on Friday Night (as well as his SiriusXM show), and is wowing more listeners than ever with his longtime band the Ike Reilly Assassination. He has made music his family business, with his three sons performing with him while his oldest son, Shane, is featured on his new album, Blind and Surrounded, out June 12. Reilly's sharply observed songs can rouse you and/or break your heart, and he's quite a storyteller. Here he reflects on how his sons relate to him as a band leader vs. father, and he discusses his friendships with fellow Libertyville, Ill.,, native Tom Morello and Cracker's David Lowery and Johnny Hickman, among others. A former gravedigger and employee-of-the-year Park Hyatt doorman, Reilly also recalls getting stiffed by a future President of the United States—and what he did in response.

Recorded August 24, 2025 - Sunday Evening Service

A young governess takes a position at the secluded country estate of Bly to care for two remarkably charming orphans. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, a shimmering lake, and an atmosphere of perfect tranquility, she soon senses that something is deeply wrong. Strange figures appear where none should be, and the children's innocent smiles hide secrets she cannot ignore. Caught between duty and dread, she must battle unseen forces to protect the children, and her own fragile sanity. Henry James's haunting classic delivers elegant chills and unforgettable tension in this atmospheric tale of innocence, isolation, and the supernatural. Perfect for listeners who love slow-building psychological dread. Read by Steve Rimmer.

It's News Day Tuesday On the program today: Today is primary day for six states across the country. If you live in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, or South Dakota make sure you get out and vote today. Self-proclaimed Democratic strategist, Yemisi Egbewole, uses her panel time on CNN to smear Graham Platner and James Talarico. Egbewole calls Graham the "worst of the everyman" and claims her grandmother would label Talarico as "too progressive". Washington Post journalist, Marianna Sotomayor goes after Michigan candidate for senate, Abdul El-Sayed as an "unconventional" candidate that could lose the Democrats a state they already have. Founder and editor-in-chief of Bolts Magazine, Daniel Nichanian joins the program to suss through the more important primary elections happening today. Josh Jager, bargaining committee chair for UAW local 2093, joins the show to discuss the nearly 1,000 workers on strike at the American Axel factory in Three Rivers, Michigan. UAW Local 2093 members are picketing outside the Dauch Three Rivers Manufacturing Facility (formerly American Axle) located at 1 Manufacturing Way, Three Rivers, MI 49093. If you are in the area, then head on down and show them your support. If you are not in the area, maybe send over some pizzas to the picket line. You can also get up-to-date information at the UAW Local 2093 website. In the Fun Half: John from San Antonio calls in to give us his thoughts on the day's primaries. Mason who's Twitch channel is One Hand Politics, joins the show to discuss his experiences as a participant in Dave Rubin's Surrounded on Jubilee. Sid Rosenberg, who is a purple Zionist, claims that Zohran Mamdani wants all Jewish people dead. Governor of Colorado, Jared polis is a lunatic. All that and more. To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AM Quickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: RITUAL: Get 25% off during your first month. Visit ritual.com/MAJORITY. WILD GRAIN:  Get up to 40% off @Ridge with code MAJORITYREPORT at https://www.Ridge.com/MAJORITYREPORT SUNSET LAKE CBD: Use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% off of your entire order at SunsetLakeCBD.com Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.

There are moments in the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian where one realizes that what he is speaking about is not “religion” as we commonly understand it at all. He is not concerned with external religiosity, spiritual image, theological sophistication, emotional experiences, or moral performance. He speaks instead about the transformation of the human being into a living place of divine communion. The entire struggle of the ascetic life is directed toward one thing: purity of heart. Not moralism. Not perfectionism. Purity. And purity for Isaac is not primarily about behavior. It is about vision. “The pure in heart shall see God.” The Fathers understood this literally. The heart darkened by distraction, anger, judgment, vanity, endless speech, lust, resentment, self-construction, and immersion in the noise of the world loses the capacity to perceive reality as it truly is. Man ceases to remember God because he has become filled with himself. The tragedy is not simply that we sin. The tragedy is that the heart becomes opaque. Heavy. Fragmented. Unable to behold the Kingdom already present within it. Isaac speaks with terrifying clarity here: “He who restrains his mouth from speech guards his heart from the passions.” Modern man speaks endlessly because he cannot bear silence. We drown ourselves in commentary, analysis, outrage, explanations, arguments, entertainment, notifications, and noise because silence threatens the ego. Silence exposes the inward chaos we spend our lives trying to conceal. But Isaac tells us something almost unbearable: the mysteries of God become visible only in stillness. A wrathful heart cannot behold the mysteries of the Kingdom because wrath keeps the self at the center of reality. A judgmental man may speak about theology endlessly and yet remain entirely estranged from the life of God. A proud man may appear religious and still dwell inwardly in darkness. Why? Because the Kingdom is not perceived through brilliance but through purity. This is why Isaac places such immense emphasis upon guarding the tongue, fleeing gossip, withdrawing from quarrels, avoiding angry speech, and refusing distraction. He is not prescribing pious behavior merely for the sake of morality. He understands something we do not: every movement of the soul either clarifies the heart or darkens it. And so Isaac speaks of continuous remembrance of God. Not occasional remembrance. Not Sunday remembrance. Not remembrance during emotional prayer alone. Continuous remembrance. The modern mind hears this and immediately turns it into technique. But Isaac is not describing a method so much as an identity. Man was created to live in continual orientation toward God. Prayer is not an activity added onto life. Prayer is life restored to its natural condition. This is why Isaac says: “That which befalls a fish out of water, befalls the mind that has come out of the remembrance of God.” What a terrifying image. We imagine ourselves spiritually neutral when we live immersed in distraction, noise, anxiety, worldly conversation, vanity, and continual mental agitation. Isaac says otherwise. The soul outside remembrance gasps for life without understanding why it is suffocating. And this is precisely the condition of modern man. We are overstimulated yet inwardly deadened. Connected constantly yet unable to descend into the heart. Religious perhaps, but incapable of stillness. Surrounded by information while starving for theoria. Isaac uses that extraordinary image of the dolphin moving through the calm sea. When the sea of the heart becomes still from wrath and agitation, divine mysteries begin moving within the soul. The Kingdom is not absent. The heart is simply too turbulent to perceive it. This is why the Fathers fled distraction so fiercely. Not because they hated the world. But because they desired reality. And reality, Isaac tells us, is infinitely more luminous than the fantasies by which we continually feed ourselves. The terrifying thing is that modern people often imagine remembrance of God to be restrictive. In truth, distraction is the prison. Remembrance is freedom. The man who remembers God continually gradually becomes transparent to divine life. His thoughts change. His speech changes. His desires change. His vision changes. Mercy begins appearing naturally. Humility deepens. Judgment weakens. The passions lose their violence because the soul has found greater beauty. Isaac's vision is nothing less than transfiguration. The purified heart becomes Heaven itself. Not symbolically. Actually. “Lo, Heaven is within you.” The human person becomes a living icon of the Kingdom. The mysteries cease being abstractions and become life. The soul begins beholding Christ “at every moment.” Not through imagination, but through participation. Through communion. Through the gradual purification of the inner man. This is why the saints seem luminous to us. Not because they became extraordinary personalities, but because they ceased obstructing the Radiance of God within them. And Isaac insists that this path is deeply practical. Guard the tongue. Flee distraction. Withdraw from useless speech. Avoid judgment. Remain in remembrance. Practice silence. Study God continually. Refuse the fragmentation of the passions. Seek meekness. Seek humility. Seek hiddenness. Not as legalism. But because every movement either opens the heart toward the Kingdom or closes it inwardly upon itself. The modern world trains us in continual forgetfulness. The ascetic life trains us in remembrance. And remembrance gradually becomes vision. Then prayer ceases being something we “do” and becomes the atmosphere in which the soul breathes. At the center of Isaac's vision lies something fierce and beautiful: man was created not merely to think about God, but to behold Him within the heart and become radiant with His life in the world. This is the true meaning of purity. Not moral self-consciousness. But transparency to divine life. Not religious performance. But the gradual emergence of Heaven within the human heart. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:18:52 Una: Father, do you know much about Saint Nikiphorus the Leper? 00:19:03 Una: Perhaps a saint for the disabled 00:19:10 Una: My mike isn't working 00:20:33 Bob Čihák, AZ: Remember, in these texts, “men” means all humans, “men and women.” 00:23:23 Una: Reacted to "Remember, in these..." with

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about the "Real Time with Bill Maher" crowd being stunned by Bill Maher's glowing review of LA Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt who appeared on his "Club Random Podcast" which should serve as a brutal wake up call for Karen Bass and the Democratic Party; JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon telling Fox News' Maria Bartiromo why Zohran Mamdani is regretting his public attack on Citadel CEO Ken Griffin; his appearance on Jubilee's "Surrounded" in the episode titled "1 MAGA Republican vs 20 Far-Left Democrats" where he tried to talk sense into actual communists; Greg Gutfeld's brutal takedown on Democrats for supporting the violent anti-ICE protests at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey; Kevin McCarthy correcting the facts on "Real Time with Bill Maher" over James Talarico's comments about God being nonbinary; Donald Trump telling Fox News' Lara Trump his thoughts on James Talarico believing in six genders; and much more. Join me for a LIVE Event with Governor Ron DeSantis, plus special appearances by Jillian Michaels, and Adam Carolla on June 11th! Get Tickets Here: https://daverubin.com/events WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Polymarket -Go to http://polymarket.com to trade on the outcomes of live events from politics, pop culture, to sports and more! Tax Network USA - If you owe back taxes or have unfiled returns, don't let the government take advantage of you. Do not wait for another IRS letter or a frozen bank account. Call 1(866) 685-6604  for a private, free consultation or Go to: https://tnusa.com/dave

284. Live from the Running Track in Athens - 1 Corinthians 9 Today's episode takes us to Athens, where Cris stands among the ancient sporting sites of Greece and reflects on Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9. Surrounded by the world that inspired Paul's athletic imagery, Cris explores what it means to "run in such a way as to get the prize", and how followers of Jesus can live with purpose, perseverance, and their eyes fixed on an eternal reward.   Support the podcast with a coffee....
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crisrogers  
  Check our Cris' new book - Stuck In The Upside Down.... https://amzn.eu/d/0lyuuzT 
 To get a copy of The Bible Book By Book head here...
https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/bible-study/bible-study-reference-books/bible-background/the-bible-book-by-book/ 
    Rev Dr Cris Rogers is a church leader at allhallowsbow.org.uk and Director of Making Disciples. Chair of the Spring Harvest Planning Group. For more information, check out wearemakingdisciples.com #Heart #Hands #Heart    

Tonight we're pulling off the highway for this one. Somewhere between mile markers on the Backwoods Cryptid Road Trip, an email came in that I couldn't drive past, so we're parking in the gravel for a while to hear it. A man who's listened to just about everything I've put out finally wrote down something he'd carried alone for forty years, and he sent it to me because he trusts how I handle a story.He was nineteen, deep in the military in the mid-1980s, out on an extended field problem in mountain country so remote that help was a full day away if anything went wrong. His commanding officer briefed them on bears and big cats and told them to keep their heads on a swivel, that this wasn't the kind of country that announces itself. By the third day, his element of six men had found crude shelters built from bent saplings woven together with living vines, and the birds had gone silent across the whole drainage.What happened that night is the reason he's telling it now. White points of light with no source to reflect them, hanging six feet off the ground in the dark. Vocalizations from opposite slopes that climbed past anything an animal should be able to make, answering each other across the men's position. A smell that came in waves as something circled them. Rocks the size you don't throw by hand, dropped inside their perimeter close enough to kick dirt in a man's face, placed like a warning rather than an attack.One of them breaking branches at slow, even intervals as it walked right up to a soldier's position and just stood there, breathing. And in the gray light before dawn, through their night vision, three of them at the tree line. One very large, two smaller by a foot or two and skinnier, restless, hanging back.The way the three of them moved off together didn't look like animals scattering. It looked like a family heading home.Have you experienced a Bigfoot sighting, Sasquatch encounter, Dogman experience, UFO sighting, or any unexplained cryptid or paranormal event deep in the woods? We want to hear your story.Email your encounter to brian@paranormalworldproductions.com for a chance to be featured on a future episode of Backwoods Bigfoot Stories.Backwoods Bigfoot Stories is a paranormal storytelling podcast featuring real Bigfoot encounters, Sasquatch sightings, Dogman reports, cryptid experiences, and true scary stories from the backwoods.Follow the show and turn on automatic downloads so you never miss a chilling encounter from the forest. Listen with the lights off… if you dare.

We cannot wait to move into our homestead but Frankie is fresh out of ACL surgery and has to be healthy before we can get there. Never a dull moment. Here is 20 minutes of our day and we will see you tomorrow. No Kids Hungry

-- On the Show: -- James Talarico accuses Ken Paxton of helping admitted child rapist Adam Hoffman receive special treatment through political connection -- The White House still has not released Donald Trump's latest medical report, while older health statistics continue circulating -- Donald Trump attacks Jill Biden while claiming he alone understands Joe Biden's debate collapse because of his own debate performance -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promotes legislation for a Donald Trump $250 bill while defending the president on higher prices -- Grocery prices remain permanently higher because corporations kept prices elevated after COVID while supply chain changes raised costs -- Donald Trump faces growing questions about his health after repeated medical visits and comparisons to Republican attacks on Joe Biden -- Right-wing media figures build trust by identifying real frustrations before redirecting audiences toward conspiracies and scapegoats -- Senator Dave McCormick accidentally calls the Trump administration a “regime,” reinforcing concerns about loyalty politics and authoritarianism -- The Friday Feedback segment

Surrounded by people but unknown to yourself? This episode names the quiet ache — and points you back to the One who has always seen you.

Send us a text! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of domestic abuse, coercive control, religious trauma, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. Please take care while listening.In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I'm joined by author, artist, and survivor Boni Woodland to talk about her memoir, Turning Survival Into Words: From Houses of Fear to Freedom. This is a powerful and tender conversation about survival, voice, healing, and the courage it takes to tell the truth about a life that was once shaped by silence.Boni's book began in therapy. After her life had settled enough for her to look back, she realized that her past was still affecting her present. But speaking about what had happened to her was incredibly difficult. For much of her life, Boni says, it “wasn't a privilege to speak my mind.” So before therapy sessions, she began writing down the incidents she wanted to discuss. Over time, those pages became a collection of memories, painful moments, and turning points — and eventually, the beginning of a book.In our conversation, Boni shares what it was like to grow up inside a controlling religious environment that shaped nearly every part of her life: what she could wear, what she could eat, who she could spend time with, who she could marry, and what was expected of her as a woman. Those beliefs followed her into marriage, where she moved from one controlling situation into another. What she hoped would be freedom became another form of captivity.One of the most striking parts of Boni's memoir is the way she organizes the story around the different houses she lived in. Each house becomes a marker of a particular stage in her life, and the chapter titles — including “The House of Non-Consent,” “The House of No Money,” “The House of Hunger,” and “The House of Chilling” — help readers understand the slow progression of abuse, control, isolation, and fear.Boni wanted to write the book she once needed. She talks about how hard it can be for people outside an abusive relationship to understand why someone doesn't “just leave.” As she explains, when you have no money, no family support, no access to education, no safe place to go, and children to protect, leaving is not simple. Her hope is that readers will better understand that reality — and that anyone who sees themselves in her story will feel less alone.We also talk about one of Boni's first acts of quiet resistance: sneaking to the library. Surrounded by books, she began looking for language, understanding, and hope. She wanted to read a story from someone who had survived and found a way forward. In many ways, Turning Survival Into Words became that book.This episode is a deeply moving conversation about writing through pain, reclaiming your voice, and turning a difficult past into something that may help someone else find their own path toward freedom.

Surrounded by superstores, having lost its primary golf anchors, the state of World Golf Village is like nothing its original residents imagined.

www.embassycity.com

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! PART TWOFor John Moore, growing up in a funeral home wasn't unusual—it was everyday life. Surrounded by viewing rooms, embalming spaces, and the constant presence of the departed, he quickly learned that death wasn't always the end of the story.As a child, John began experiencing things he couldn't explain—footsteps echoing on empty staircases, unexplained activity in quiet rooms, and even what he believes were direct encounters with the spirit of his great-grandfather, the founder of Moore & Sons Funeral Service.What started as childhood curiosity soon became something much deeper, setting John on a lifelong path of exploring the paranormal and trying to understand why some spirits seem to linger.John shares the early experiences that shaped his understanding of the supernatural—and what it was like growing up where the line between the living and the dead was never quite clear.#TheGraveTalks #HauntedFuneralHome #GhostStories #ParanormalChildhood #SpiritEncounters #HauntedLife #ParanormalPodcast #SupernaturalExperiences #FamilyGhosts #HauntedAmerica #LifeWithGhosts #ParanormalJourneyLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE!For John Moore, growing up in a funeral home wasn't unusual—it was everyday life. Surrounded by viewing rooms, embalming spaces, and the constant presence of the departed, he quickly learned that death wasn't always the end of the story.As a child, John began experiencing things he couldn't explain—footsteps echoing on empty staircases, unexplained activity in quiet rooms, and even what he believes were direct encounters with the spirit of his great-grandfather, the founder of Moore & Sons Funeral Service.What started as childhood curiosity soon became something much deeper, setting John on a lifelong path of exploring the paranormal and trying to understand why some spirits seem to linger.John shares the early experiences that shaped his understanding of the supernatural—and what it was like growing up where the line between the living and the dead was never quite clear.#TheGraveTalks #HauntedFuneralHome #GhostStories #ParanormalChildhood #SpiritEncounters #HauntedLife #ParanormalPodcast #SupernaturalExperiences #FamilyGhosts #HauntedAmerica #LifeWithGhosts #ParanormalJourneyLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

Moms need community! Surrounded by family and littles, we can still experience loneliness. By courageously reaching out, we can build authentic relationships that offer true support. God created us for connection, and vulnerability is the first step. Laurie Crouch, Sheila Walsh, Kirsten Watson, Christy Wright, and Brittany Price Brooker discuss how to build lasting friendships with God's guidance and support! ----- Our children are entrusted to us by God! When you don't know what to do next, turn to God! Here are 12 Bible verses to pray over your child. ------- If you missed last week's conversation, we encourage you to go back and listen to “God Will Redeem Your Pain.” ------- Do you want more Better Together? We have 1100+ conversations available! Start watching now for free on the TBN+ app!   --------  If you need prayer, join our community on Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok  and let us know how we can pray for you! ---------  Better Together is TBN's first daily original program made by women for women! We discuss faith, family, friends, and so much more—no topic is off-limits. Find out what happens when real friends get together for real conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus arrives at Lazarus' tomb after intentionally delaying two days, allowing Lazarus to die so that God's glory could be revealed in a way no one could deny. Surrounded by grieving family, hired mourners, and skeptical onlookers, Jesus commands the stone to be removed, prays aloud for the crowd's sake, and calls Lazarus out of the tomb—raising him after four days in death. The miracle leads many Jews to believe in Him, while others report it to the Pharisees, triggering the Sanhedrin's plot to kill Jesus and setting the stage for the final events leading to the cross.

This is the morning sermon at Ramah Baptist Church in Palmetto, GA on May 24, 2026.In this sermon from Psalms 42–43, the psalmist wrestles openly with sorrow, discouragement, and spiritual turmoil while continually directing his soul to hope in God. Surrounded by grief, opposition, and a sense of distance from the Lord, he repeatedly asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” and calls himself to remember the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. These psalms remind believers that seasons of depression and despair are not foreign to the Christian life, but that even in the darkness, God remains the refuge and hope of his people.For more information about our church, visit www.ramahfbc.com.

Dave Rubin from the Rubin Report joins Jillian to break down the most viral clips and news stories from the week!  Trump To Endorse Pratt? Jillian has it on good authority. But will Spencer accept the endorsement? Dave reacts! Trump's Unstoppable Streak & The Thomas Massie Defeat: We dive deep into the shocking defeat of Congressman Thomas Massie. JD Vance called it a "team sport," and Trump just proved he completely controls the party. With a flawless 37-in-a-row endorsement record, what does this mean for the future of the GOP? The LA Mayoral Circus (The View Melts Down): The View is officially losing its mind over the Los Angeles mayoral race. Watch as they desperately try to spin the "qualifications" of Karen Bass (and her secret history with Communist Cuba) while melting down over Spencer Pratt's potential political disruption. Hollywood Hypocrisy vs. Capitalism: Hollywood strikes again! We are calling out elite, millionaire celebrities who grew up in pure luxury but love to get on red carpets and lecture you about why capitalism is evil. The Flat Tax Solution: Is there a middle ground for fair trade? Dave breaks down his blueprint for the ultimate fair tax system: a flat percentage where everyone pays the exact same rate, and why the radical left will never agree to it. Stephen A. Smith Speaks Truth to the Left: Even moderate Democrats are saying "enough is enough." We break down sports icon Stephen A. Smith's viral rant slamming the far left for going completely off the rails on woke culture, cancel culture, and weaponized pronouns. The Viciousness of the Left - Dave opens up about his recent appearance on the Surrounded show, detailing the shocking, venomous hatred he faced from far-left debaters using his sexuality against him. And Jillian shares her surprise over Sam Seder's personal attacks on gay people.  Ronald Reagan's Timeless Wisdom: We cap things off with an uplifting throwback to Ronald Reagan's brilliant "gourmet chef" analogy dismantling atheism, reminding us of a time when leaders could unite us through wonder, common ground, and optimism. Plus, stick around for exclusive details on the massive upcoming live event in Miami featuring Dave, Jillian, Ben Shapiro, Adam Carolla, and Governor Ron DeSantis!

Author Sarah Damoff dropped by our headquarters to discuss her latest family drama, The Burning Side. What followed was a conversation about forgiveness, family lore, and the changing shapes love takes across a lifetime.  A house fire sends April and Leo, already on the brink of divorce, back to her childhood home. Surrounded by family and her dad's recent Alzheimer's diagnosis, the couple must confront memory, forgiveness, and their fracturing marriage.  Get The Burning Side at bookofthemonth.com.  Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

Marvel corporate shakeups, a cautious look at Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #2, a slightly misleading but still fun Young Hellboy, and then a deep dive into Absolute Superman—working-class Krypton, corporate tyranny, and maybe the best Absolute book yet. RSS Feed Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) Thanks for listening to the Major Spoilers Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. REVIEWS YOUNG HELLBOY: THRILLING SKY ADVENTURES #1 Writer: Mike Mignola, Thomas Sniegoski Artist: Craig Rousseau Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: May 20, 2026 In a comic adventure within a comic adventure, Scarlett Santiago may have beaten too many villains to keep a low profile on the streets anymore. To keep herself safe and defeat the bad guys who are after her, she may need to team up with a mysterious, feline figure who has similar goals. Rating: 3.5/5 You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/4dvkcof DIABLO: DAWN OF HATRED #2 Writer: Cullen Bunn Artist: Daniela Serra Publisher: Titan Comics Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: May 27, 2026 Surrounded by his loyal followers, not least amongst them the barbarians of the Fox Tribe, Akarat continues to spread his teachings throughout Sanctuary. But though he claims peace and love, violence and suspicion shadow his every step. Though it was Akarat's teachings, thousands of years ago, which founded the Zakarum Church, the priests do not trust this new incarnation of the prophet. And Vrexia, their agent within Akarat's ranks, is running out Rating: 3/5 You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/42JyoVS TRADE DISCUSSION ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN VOL. 1: LAST DUST OF KRYPTON Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Rafa Sandoval Publisher: DC Comics In a different, darker world, Kal-El landed in a remote Kansas field, the last survivor from an alien planet…but even before that moment, nothing unfolded as you'd expect. As he tries to survive in a world seemingly determined to repeat the mistakes of the demolished Krypton, he'll come into conflict with the globe-straddling Lazarus Corporation and its agenda of exploitation…and go fist-to-fist with its brutal army of Peacemakers! Best-selling writer Jason Aaron (Star Wars, Thor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is joined by superstar artist Rafa Sandoval (The Flash, Action Comics) to reinvent Superman from the ground up! Collects Absolute Superman #1-6. You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/4wBzUqv At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching require significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep Major Spoilers strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today. If you know someone who loves comics, share this post and episode with them!

The post Surrounded by Enemies, Saved by God appeared first on Providence Church.

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! PART TWOFor John Olson, the paranormal was never something reserved for ghost stories or late-night television. It was woven into everyday life.Growing up in a home filled with strange noises, shadowy figures, and the constant feeling of being watched, John learned early on to accept the unexplained as part of reality. But over time, acceptance turned into curiosity. Why was this happening? And why did so many other people seem to share similar experiences?As John searched for answers, he discovered that stories like his were far more common than he ever imagined. His experiences led him to explore not only the hauntings within his own life, but the haunted lives of others who grew up surrounded by spirits and unexplained activity.On this episode of The Grave Talks, John shares what it's like to spend a lifetime living alongside the paranormal.#TheGraveTalks #HauntedHouse #Paranormal #GhostStories #ShadowPeople #Haunting #ParanormalPodcast #Spirits #Supernatural #UnexplainedExperiencesLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE!For John Olson, the paranormal was never something reserved for ghost stories or late-night television. It was woven into everyday life.Growing up in a home filled with strange noises, shadowy figures, and the constant feeling of being watched, John learned early on to accept the unexplained as part of reality. But over time, acceptance turned into curiosity. Why was this happening? And why did so many other people seem to share similar experiences?As John searched for answers, he discovered that stories like his were far more common than he ever imagined. His experiences led him to explore not only the hauntings within his own life, but the haunted lives of others who grew up surrounded by spirits and unexplained activity.On this episode of The Grave Talks, John shares what it's like to spend a lifetime living alongside the paranormal.#TheGraveTalks #HauntedHouse #Paranormal #GhostStories #ShadowPeople #Haunting #ParanormalPodcast #Spirits #Supernatural #UnexplainedExperiencesLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

Though our lives are filled with uncertainty, we're less tolerant of it than ever, says journalist Simone Stolzoff, author of the new book “How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers.” Surrounded by prediction markets, statistics and the world's knowledge on our phones, we think we should always be certain – in who we are, what we believe and what the “right” choice is. But Stolzoff says that accepting and even appreciating uncertainty can help us be more tolerant, humble and ready to take on life's curveballs. Guests: Simone Stolzoff, journalist and author, "How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers" and "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we dive into stories of people making spectacularly dumb decisions and then we rate just how stupid they are! Then an unnecessarily juvenile and chaotic Disney Princess edition of FMK. We will unleash enough pure silliness to make your brain explode…with laughter!PROFESSIONALLY SILLY PODCAST BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PIONAIRE NETWORKhttps://pionairepodcasting.com/professionallysilly/FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIAhttps://linktr.ee/AmbersmilesjonesJoin my Professionally Silly YouTube channel membership to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEabIsoT5wrN5hRSgY7wnYQ/join  Amber “Smiles” JonesPO BOX 533Lovejoy, GA 30250Email me: itsprofessionallysilly@gmail.com LEAVE ME A MESSAGE 805-664-1828

Give yourself a 7 day free trial of MyTacksToRelax.com you deserve it! Relaxing At The Cottage is a guided NAP meditation designed to gently lead you into a peaceful and restorative slumber through the power of visualization and deep relaxation. Beginning with simple prompts to get comfortable and aware of your body, the meditation encourages you to gradually release tension by scanning your body from toe to head, softly repeating the word relax to yourself. This calming process, paired with gentle breathing and the subtle act of opening and closing your eyes, helps draw your awareness inward and quiet the mind.As your body settles, you are invited to imagine yourself at a serene cottage by a tranquil lake. This vivid visualization paints a picture of natural beauty: a cozy lakeside cottage, a fire pit nestled in the yard, and a dock stretching into rippling waters under the fading light of day. Surrounded by trees and the sounds of birds and squirrels preparing for nightfall, you make your way to the dock and settle into a comfortable chair, watching the sun begin its descent across the water. The imagery evokes feelings of comfort, stillness, and being at one with nature.As the sun dips lower, shifting the sky from yellow to orange to deep red, the lake's surface calms, reflecting the vibrant colors like a mirror. The gentle lap of water, the call of a loon, and the scent of a nearby campfire create a sensory-rich environment that soothes the nervous system. You are guided to embrace this moment of solitude and serenity, where there is nothing to do but relax and drift deeper into rest. With every word, this meditation helps you disconnect from the day and ease into relaxing nap. You will then be awakened at the end of this guided meditation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In January 1999, 79-year-old Constance “Connie” Sheridan and her 56-year-old daughter Janice were found murdered inside their secluded home near Upwell, Norfolk. Surrounded by the dogs they loved, the mother and daughter had lived quietly, until a brutal double murder led the police into the world of dog shows, fingerprints, forensic evidence, and a pale car seen near Pingle Bridge…*** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED *** This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and production direction by Rosanna Fitton.Audio editing by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions.Narration, additional audio editing and mixing, and script editing by Benjamin Fitton.To get early ad-free access, including Season 1, sign up for They Walk Among PLUS, available from Patreon or Apple Podcasts.More information and episode references can be found on our website https://theywalkamonguspodcast.comSOCIAL MEDIA: https://linktr.ee/TheyWalkAmongUsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan Gregerman shares why the right kind of ignorance is the secret to driving innovation.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to challenge assumptions that are keeping you stuck2) Why not knowing can often lead to better solutions3) Six ways to unlock ignorance as a superpowerSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1151 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ALAN — Alan Gregerman is an internationally renowned authority on business strategy, innovation, and hidden potential who has been called “one of the most original thinkers in business today” and “the Robin Williams of business consulting.”As the president and chief innovation officer of Washington, D.C.-based consultancy VENTURE WORKS, a bestselling author, and a sought-after keynote speaker, he focuses on helping companies and organizations unlock the genius in all of their people in order to deliver the most compelling value to their customers. He is also the founder of Passion for Learning, an award-winning nonprofit that teaches girls technology skills as a key to life and career success.His three previous books—The Necessity of Strangers, Surrounded by Geniuses, and Lessons from the Sandbox—challenge conventional thinking about people, the world around us, what it means to be remarkable, and where brilliant ideas actually come from. He's also the author of the critically acclaimed blog Surrounded by Geniuses.• Book: The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World• LinkedIn: Alan Gregerman• Website: AlanGregerman.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Around the World in Eighty Days (Macmillan Collector's Library) by Jules Verne• Book: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes• TED Talk: Why I train grandmothers to treat depression | Dixon Chibanda• Book: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.