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Dave Smith brings you the latest in politics! On this episode of Part Of The Problem, Dave is joined by Congressman Thomas Massie! They discuss Massie's proposal of a new Epstein files transparency act, his feelings about being unseated in Congress, the war in Syria compared to Iran, and more.Find Lauren Smith's book "Healthy Hibernation" here: https://a.co/d/0g2UnnikSupport Our Sponsors:BodyBrain - Go to BodyBrainCoffee.com, use code DAVE20 for 20% off your first order!Hexclad - Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get10% off at https://hexclad.com/PROBLEM! #hexcladpartnerPrize Picks - Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/POTP and use code POTP and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Superpower - Head to Superpower.com and use code PROBLEM at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpodPart Of The Problem is available for early pre-release at https://partoftheproblem.com as well as an exclusive episode on Thursday!PORCH TOUR DATES HERE:https://robbernsteincomedy.com/eventsFind Run Your Mouth here:YouTube - http://youtube.com/@RunYourMouthiTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-your-mouth-podcast/id1211469807Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ka50RAKTxFTxbtyPP8AHmFollow the show on social media:X:http://x.com/ComicDaveSmithhttp://x.com/RobbieTheFireInstagram:http://instagram.com/theproblemdavesmithhttp://instagram.com/robbiethefire#libertarian See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
CAPTION 1888 DAMASCUSSyrian Integration Brings Hope and RiskAhmad Sharawi outlines regional developments in the Middle East, starting with a US-mediated agreement involving the IAEA and Syria to monitor nuclear material from the bombed Al-Kibar site. Although supervised by the IAEA, the material remaining in Syria poses a risk of theft or exploitation by neighbors. Sharawi also details the finalized integration of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the national military, granting Kurds citizenship and language rights while expanding state control to ninety-seven percent of Syrian territory. This satisfies Turkey by ending hopes of Kurdish autonomy. Finally, he notes impending US sanctions against Oman for sanctions-busting. (8)
CAPTION 1857 WALL STREET, 230 PM, PANICCONTENTS OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 9-1-2026Economic Strength Persists Despite Oil PressuresLiz Peek observes that while Wall Street is split on whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in September, the American economy remains robust. Consumer spending is strong, small business profitability is at yearly highs, and hiring remains resilient. The primary economic headwind is rising oil prices fueled by the war in Iran. Additionally, she analyzes the investment potential of rebuilding Venezuela's ruined oil infrastructure, estimating it will take five years to yield significant production increases. Finally, Peek highlights how progressive groups like the Democratic Socialists of America and Chinese misinformation bots actively oppose crucial domestic data center development. (1)Russian Hybrid Attacks Destabilize European SecurityJudy Dempsey discusses European frustration over the unexpected presence of Russia's finance minister at a G20meeting, which highlighted a lack of communication within the transatlantic alliance. She details the Leipzig drone incident—a critical near-miss attack at a vital logistics hub for Ukraine—which is suspected to be a Russian hybrid operation. Dempsey explains how Russia leverages cyber and physical threats to instill fear, polarization, and anxiety among voters. This instability directly bolsters the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which capitalizes on eastern Germany's demographic decline, economic resentment, and euroskeptic nationalism. (2)Hidden Fiscal Challenges Facing Modern EconomiesJoseph Sternberg warns Americans about the hidden burdens of a Value Added Tax (VAT), a consumption tax common in Europe. Although pitched as simple, Sternberg argues that this tax creates immense compliance burdens for small businesses, requiring a full working week annually to administer. This complexity fosters a cash-based gray market to evade the tax. Furthermore, because the tax is concealed within product prices rather than added at checkout, politicians can easily hike rates without public outcry. Sternberg also contrasts Europe's expensive, highly regulated data center shortage with America's resistance to building the AI infrastructure crucial for its economic future. (3)Canada Navigates Trade Rupture With AmericaCharles Burton highlights the geopolitical fallout from the breakdown of US-Canada trade negotiations, which resulted in a fifty percent tariff penalty on Canada. This dispute sparked a surge of anti-American nationalism, boosting political support for Mark Carney, particularly in Quebec over French-language protection concerns. Consequently, Canada is rapidly diversifying its trade away from the United States, aligning closer with China and the European Union. Burton warns that Beijing stands to benefit immensely, offering trade access if Canada ceases opposing Chinese geostrategic interests, while Ottawa prioritizes west coast pipelines to ship oil directly to China. (4)Global Chaos Drives Rise of NationalismGregory Copley outlines how global actors leverage chaos to achieve strategic goals, noting China's aggressive attempts to disrupt the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau due to Taiwan's participation. Beijing's hostile diplomacy also targets Eswatini, Africa's sole state recognizing Taiwan, to strip Taiwan of international support. Copley notes that energy security is governed by transportation bottlenecks, highlighting the strategic importance of Cuban cobalt for future energy storage. Finally, he explains how uncontrolled migration and Russian hybrid operations drive resurgent European nationalism, prompting a breakdown of supranational systems like the European Union. He also touches on British royal dynamics. (5)Frustrated Voters Navigate Challenging Midterm DynamicsThaddeus McCotter interprets midterm election polling, explaining how the president's approval rating influences independent voters seeking checks and balances in Congress. He notes that high, near-identical disapproval ratings for both major parties reflect widespread voter frustration with outdated governing paradigms. Rather than outright anger, Americans are frustrated by the lack of sane, competent governance and positive, aspirational platforms. McCotter highlights how voters connect abstract foreign policies, such as ongoing operations in Iran, directly to their daily lives and pocketbooks through tangible domestic indicators like high gasoline prices. (6)University Core Curriculum Reform Offers PromisePeter Berkowitz discusses university core curriculum reform, pointing to a promising new proposal at the University of Texas at Austin. He argues that traditional core curricula fail because tenured faculty prioritize narrow research interests over student needs, leaving graduates without a foundational understanding of Western civilization, American political ideas, or global cultures. Under UT Austin's top-down initiative, the curriculum is divided into arts and humanities, social sciences, and STEM, offering deep introductions to major issues. Berkowitz contrasts this structured reform with conventional systems that students merely view as arbitrary academic hoops. (7)Syrian Integration Brings Hope and RiskAhmad Sharawi outlines regional developments in the Middle East, starting with a US-mediated agreement involving the IAEA and Syria to monitor nuclear material from the bombed Al-Kibar site. Although supervised by the IAEA, the material remaining in Syria poses a risk of theft or exploitation by neighbors. Sharawi also details the finalized integration of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the national military, granting Kurds citizenship and language rights while expanding state control to ninety-seven percent of Syrian territory. This satisfies Turkey by ending hopes of Kurdish autonomy. Finally, he notes impending US sanctions against Oman for sanctions-busting. (8)
Today we speak to independent journalist Fadi Ibrahim. He informs us about the real situation with the ethinic Druze of Syria. We talk militias, prophets, and their battle between Israel and Damascus. No ads and all exclusives: patreon.com/popularfront Discounted 50% off the best internet privacy for all our listeners: proton.me/popularfront INFO | MERCH | NEWS | JAKE | SUBSTACK
Our guest today is Jonathan Alpeyrie, a photojournalist who has spent over two decades embedded in conflict zones across the world. In 2013 he was kidnapped and held captive for 81 days by Syrian rebels. His latest book, Drug Wars: Supply and Demand, is an unflinching look at the global drug trade. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:00) Cold open / Intro / Guest bio(00:07:42) The Syria kidnapping - Capture, Captivity, Ransom, Escape(00:16:10) Bouncing back and pivoting to drug trade coverage(00:20:55) Cartels vs. European gangs, and their growing alliances(00:24:56) Europe's weak law enforcement and no-go zones(00:29:19) Immigration, demographics, and EU sovereignty(00:35:11) Cocaine's resurgence in Europe(00:42:01) Africa's role in the global drug trade(00:43:18) War, humanity, and closing advice Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off The Uprising: From the director of JASON BOURNE, Paul Greengrass brings you THE UPRISING. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King's might in a fight for justice. Only in theaters September 10. Get tickets. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/change-agents-with-andy-stumpf/id1677415740 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3SKmtN55V2AGbzHDo34DHI?si=5aefbba9abc844ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team's latest 1267 report traces a $50 million ransom from JNIM in the Sahel to Al Qaeda's senior leadership, puts the Islamic State at a “lower ebb” after the killing of two of its deputy leaders, and finds that about two-thirds of both jihadist groups' fighters are now in Africa. It also draws attention to risks from cross-border hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan and from jihadists released en masse from detention in Syria.Generation Jihad guest host Edmund Fitton-Brown, FDD senior fellow and former coordinator of the UN Monitoring Team, talks with Colin Smith, the Monitoring Team's current coordinator, about what the latest release shows about Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and their affiliates, plus how the report is built and the challenges of keeping the spotlight on jihadist groups. Colin also explains the background to the UN's counterterrorism work, including his own team and the wider UN CT architecture.https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n26/171/00/pdf/n2617100.pdf
No booked guest today, and the show was better for it. Brady opened the room to listener Bitcoin questions, and the format ran most of the hour. ⭐ Suze gave the single sharpest illustration of UK debanking anyone has offered on this show: Bitcoin Policy UK calls itself BP UK because naming Bitcoin or crypto makes it materially harder to obtain banking services. The UK debanking inquiry's evidence window closed the day before. Suze confirmed no findings yet, the group collects every submission, then publishes a report. She was precise about what the body can and can't do: an All-Party Parliamentary Group isn't made of ministers and holds no legislative power. It advises MPs and puts an issue on the table. Her frame on the underlying problem: roughly 40% of these businesses face blocked or delayed lawful transactions, and firms are leaving the country. Her line was that it shouldn't take an inquiry to point out the obvious. ⭐ The longest conversation of the day started with a listener question about whether anything replaces the liquidity role stablecoins currently play, and ran deep into how Lightning channels, sidechains and settlement layers actually differ. The practical answer the room landed on: liquidity isn't a technological hurdle, it follows demand. The reasons things settle where they settle are mostly regulatory and operational rather than technical. ⭐ Cory's case against Bitcoin price models: a best-fit line through past data has no predictive power, and stopping your sample earlier doesn't fix it, because dozens of lines fit any window. He'd tested it before: using only 2010 to 2012 data he found lines that predicted Bitcoin's price through 2022 better than stock-to-flow did. His verdict on the genre, and it's the keeper: the models smuggle in an assumption about future adoption and then present it as knowledge. "This is just astrology for dudes." ⭐⭐ The GBTC segment came with real numbers. Roughly $8.5 billion still sits in the trust at about six times the cost of competing products, much of it in brokerage accounts people haven't looked at in years. ⭐ And Swan is actively doing something about it. Alec has been running conversions out of GBTC into directly held Bitcoin through Real Bitcoin Exchange, without selling on the open market, and the original cost basis carries over. ⭐⭐ Brady closed on the tagline from his own podcast, and made the historical case for it. Money is the foundation of civilization, because everything a society builds that outlasts one lifetime requires somebody able to save. Rome minted the denarius from 211 BC and held it for 275 years, roughly ten generations. The roads, the aqueducts, the law and a trade network from Britain to Syria were built on a coin that didn't move. Then Nero clipped it in 64 AD, the year Rome burned, taking the silver to about 94%. Nobody rioted. Marcus Aurelius took it to 75%, Severus under 60%, and it reached roughly 2% within a century. ⭐ Four coins, three civilizations: denarius 275 years, solidus about 700, ducat over 500, florin 281. The flowering sits on top of the stable money; the decline begins after somebody starts clipping it. Suze's lightest moment: she watched Hamilton with her daughter and realized partway through that it was the story Cory had been writing about all along.
Kathryn (Kati) Kraft is a sociologist whose work explores faith, child spirituality and human flourishing, particularly in contexts of vulnerability and displacement. A self-described third culture kid, Kati was born in the United States, spent much of her childhood in Brazil, later lived in Syria and Lebanon, and eventually made her home in England. In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, she reflects on growing up in a deeply Christian environment, how friendships with Muslims in Syria challenged and expanded her understanding of faith, and how asking questions rather than making assumptions eventually shaped her career as a researcher. Now Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of East London, Kati previously served as Senior Research Advisor for Faith and Development at World Vision International. Our conversation turns especially to what adults can learn when we genuinely listen to children. Kati describes research involving 658 children whose answers about what mattered to them came back to something remarkably simple: love and loving relationships. We talk about children's spirituality, human flourishing, why adults and researchers are often not very good at listening to children, and why children's experiences cannot always be reduced to indicators or statistics. Kati also reflects on the SDGs and Inner Development Goals, the role of spirituality in development, and her recently edited open-access book, Children, Religion, and Development: Perspectives on Spirituality in Practice, which brings together scholars from different religious traditions while asking what practitioners across traditions can learn from them. The conversation also becomes personal as Kati talks about transition, hope, a memorable experience in an Orthodox church, and the song Faith More Precious Than Gold, which found her during a difficult moment. Listener Engagement: Learn more about Kati and her work via her LinkedIn. You can also read or download her open-access book, Children, Religion, and Development: Perspectives on Spirituality in Practice, which brings together different religious perspectives on children's spirituality and their implications for development practice. Don't only listen to the song picked by Kati, Faith More Precious Than Gold, but also those chosen by other guests on our #walktalklisten playlist here. Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter! Follow Us: Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work. Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
Originally aired: MAY 1, 2018The National Intel Report with John Stadtmiller, May 1, 2018 HOUR 1 Iran, Israel, Nuclear Weapons, Trump, Netanyahu, Gaza, Saddam Hussein, Syria & Assad, “TREMENDOUS WEAPONS”, Lies & Propaganda Warfare, PSYOPS, and the cycle continues… Interested in the 2nd hour of this National Intel Report with John Stadtmiller, May 1, 2018 broadcast? Click below: The National Intel Report with John Stadtmiller, May 1, 2018 Hour 2
Warfare Against Satanists (1) (audio) David Eells – 9/2/26 A Call To War Dumitru Duduman September 1993 . “Cease heading the way you have been going and turn to me”, says the Lord. “Lucifer, who is armed for war on his horse, and is coming with a powerful army behind him to take vengeance against the children of God. The day is close! A day of terror when Lucifer will try to annihilate all those that live a clean life, a day of pain and terror is near. (We are the salt, our job is to resist him. We were told “you have not because you ask not”.) “If you could see what is being prepared and what will happen, you would surely quit doing everything you know in your heart to be wrong and would seek peace more than ever. Be prepared, be holy, and don't give in to the temptations and impulses of the enemy. Seek the Lord, your God, with all your heart. Those who will be clean, those who will be holy, I will not forget. I will save them”, says the Lord. “The armies of the devil are coming against those who worship me and truly seek me, with great fury. Pray that I may give you strength so that before the storm comes, I may save you and give you joy. “Those who live in defilement, that meditate upon evil things, will have no escape. They will not have any protection. I will destroy BABYLON”, (America) says the Lord, “because of the wickedness and blasphemy of this country. Not only here but wherever there is sin, I will punish it harshly. Only the righteous will I save, some even out of the midst of the fire. “Again, I tell you, a dark cloud is gathered. Lucifer, sitting on his black horse, is ready for war. The trumpets of the devil are sounding day and night to all the demons of the deep to be prepared to make war against those who truly live their lives for God. There will be such great turmoil that only a few will escape. Those who today only carry the name of 'believer' will fight with fury against those who worship me with a clean heart. This is why I have revealed this to you -- because the days are numbered. “I reveal to you, I speak to you, I show to you”, says the Lord, “but many do not want to remember, saying to themselves, 'Is it truly the Lord speaking this?' Others become scared for the moment, but then they forget and never become pure. Many of those who carry the name of 'Christian' are overcome by greed, fornication, drunkenness, and a pursuit of great wealth. “There is no time to lose. The day of destruction and terror is coming soon. The devil is agitated, and a great deception is being prepared; but I tell you, do not fear. I have the power to protect those who obey me. You must remember the Word of God. Tell them to read the Bible and pray that I may also save them. “The great day, the day of terror, the day of affliction, of pain, the day of the punishment of Babylon prophesied in the Bible is soon coming, and I will only save the righteous”, says the Lord. “I forgive whom I want. I make holy who I want, and I prepare who I want. Judge no one, for mine is the judgment”, says the Lord. “Each of you judge yourselves. Pray and draw close to me; and if you will obey, I will come to your aid. I will send a chariot of salvation and take each one out in his appointed time”. We have dealt with the spirit of faction against our ministry for several years now and have been cleansed of it and the apostates, so we recognize it in the worldly and see it operating in the government. We are doing the necessary warfare against this work of Islam, satanism, communism, and faction, with their witchcraft, curses, railing, etc., causing problems for Christians, President Trump, his administration, and the MAGA movement. (We were told that the Bride was being cleansed now but the much larger church will go through this same thing in the tribulation.) I'm going to go over some terminology with you about these demons of: Gossip, Slander, Railing, Reviling ... and What Motivates Them Our first defense against these demons is to not receive accusations against anyone that we do not have two or three witnesses, as the Scriptures teach. Many times, the motivation for gossip, slander, railing, and reviling, which are similar, is to divide others unto oneself for selfish ambitions, like making disciples. Satan has this same purpose. Anyone who listens to these demons gets invaded by them. In this case, the person working for satan should be marked or identified. Rom.16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. (This division or faction often involves jealousy, lying, and manipulation to get one's way.) Jas.3:14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish [Greek: demoniacal]. 16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. Indeed, these people always are in deep sin, for when they judge they are judged in this manner. Let's get some terminology straight so we can look at some scriptures. From Wikipedia: Gossip is malicious talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, meant to harm the subject's reputation in the community. It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but it also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted. The term can also imply that the idle chat or news is of a personal or trivial nature, as opposed to normal conversation, but may not be intentionally malicious. Mat.12:36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Thank God that we come into days of judgment so that we don't have to come into the Day of Judgment! The Greek word translated as “idle” here means “unfruitful.” There are unfruitful words that demand punishment in a day of judgment, so we should be quick to repent and be slow to speak. (I will give Greek meanings which reveal much here. Both Greek and Hebrew verses are given to show the nature of these errors.) Slander(er): Greek: Diablos; (Diablo is also Spanish for “Devil.”), Accuser; meaning accusing falsely, finding fault with the demeanor and conduct of others and spreading their innuendos and criticisms in the church. The devil finds those people who are accusers like him to do his dirty work. Psa.15:1 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? [I.e., Who will be in Jerusalem, whom John was told was the Bride?] 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. This of course, cannot include those whose job it is to correct the evil. Psa.50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own mother's son. Psa.101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I destroy: Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer. We can actually see God destroying the life and conscience of those who sin like this. Pro.10:18 He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool. Jer.6:28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly. Jer.9:4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders. Eze.22:9 Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten upon the mountains: (They are lifted up in pride, imagining themselves as God.) in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness. Rom.3:8 and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just. 1Ti.3:11 Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 2Ti.3:3 without natural affection, implacable (they cannot be appeased), slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, Tit.2:3 that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; Rail(er): Greek: Blasphemeo; to blaspheme, rail, revile, defame, speak evil of. 2Pe.2:10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: (I.e., those who have authority over them.) Jude 1:8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities. (When I was young, people spoke with respect of the one the people voted to be president. Because of slander and railing, weak-minded people try to kill him. Jude 1:10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. Revile(er): Greek: Blasphemeo; to blaspheme, rail, revile, defame, speak evil of. Also commonly translated from: Loidoreo; to abuse, revile. Ecc.10:20 Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Joh.9:28 And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. But Moses had better sense. 1Co.4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; We have to endure these ignorant people until God removes them as He always does. 1Co.5:11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. Do not partake of spiritual or physical food with these demons. 1Co.6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. So you see they are linked with other serious sins. 1Pe.2:23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: God will repay. Most of the faction is dead. 1Pe.3:16 having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. Eph.4:25 Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. (Selfish ambition often involves pride, anger, and lying to get one's way.) 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: (?) let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. 29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, (Greek: Edify[ing] “the building up of the need.” i.e., If it's not building up the speaker and the spoken to, don't say it.) that it may give grace to them that hear. (If it doesn't bring graceful correction or give grace or favor from God to the hearer, then don't say it.) 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: (All of this comes because of selfish ambition and unforgiveness for those who get in its way.) 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. If we want forgiveness from God, we must sow it. Genghis Khan Spirit of Deception Eve Brast - 12/25/2011 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I saw many people being deceived by a much more powerful and deceptive evil principality called a Genghis Khan spirit. It will be worse than the false revival, Kundalini Eastern Spirit. (Genghis Khan was the Mongol who led legions of demon-possessed men to conquer most of Eurasia by the edge of the sword, massacring whole populations, about 40 million people. He is still worshipped by many in Mongolia, so he could represent a religious spirit here. No doubt this is a spirit that will bring spiritual death, conquering multitudes of Christians, like the Kundalini Yoga spirit's false revival. This new spirit conquers people by the sword or WORDS, written or spoken, which makes it much more dangerous than the Kundalini spirit, which was mostly imparted by the laying on of hands. These words are in the form of unforgiveness, bitterness, back-stabbing, criticism, slander, gossip, railing, lying, perversion, witchcraft, voodoo, etc. As with any war, the enemy will target the leadership with their words first in order to replace them with their own kind. If you listen to their words, you will be conquered and come into spiritual death and under their authority. These people always prefer to speak behind one's back, but you, the true Church, must tell them to go to the person they are accusing and speak to them alone, according to Jesus' command in Matthew 18:15, and if it is not sin according to the Word, they should stop gossiping and slandering and not receive such things. If they do not listen, “mark them” or identify them, as the Lord commands in Romans 16:17,18; Titus 3:10,11.) I was shaking my head in disappointment as I watched the people act like they were in love with this spirit; it was like a worldwide orgy. (The true people of God who stay with the truth of His Word won't be overtaken, even with this deception.) This is all I was shown. (We have been shown many times that this is a worldwide attack on the saints by apostates. The corporate beast spirit from the abyss is coming forth to enter the sons of perdition [Judases] and use them to conquer and make war on the true Christians. Rev.17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, [they] whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. As the Word says, a great falling away to strong delusion is upon us. Pray for anyone being used in this way that they would repent before they are ultimately reprobated and forever known as sons of perdition. When I opened my Bible for a scripture for this dream, my finger was on 1Th.4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, even as the nations who know not God. (A refusal to separate from known or hidden sins is what makes Christians vulnerable to these conquering demons, for God turns them over to them. 1Co.5:5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [Refusal to separate from these people will infect the whole assembly.] 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ: 8 wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.) I asked the Father what this Genghis Khan spirit was or what it represented, and when I opened my Bible, my finger was on 1Jn.2:22 Who is the liar but who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even who denieth the Father and the Son. (Antichrist spirits always deny the true Jesus and Word to justify themselves. The rest of this text tells the whole story. 1Jn.2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us (They get offended when you don't agree with their sin.), but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. [Notice that many antichrists in this “last hour” will separate from us because they do not belong with the true Church due to their leavened nature. In this, they deny the Father and Son (verse 22) because they deny the true Word given in the beginning, which is eternal life.] 24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which he promised us, [even] the life eternal. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray. 12/29/2011 In the dream above, I saw many Christians being deceived by a very powerful and deceptive evil principality called a Genghis Khan spirit. I saw that this spirit is manifesting in the factious who kill by the sword of slander, and now, below, I am seeing that it is also taking over a beast government. (There has always been a beast government to back up the factious. Jesus' time was a good example of this. Obama is the head of a D.S. beast government made up of Islam, faction, communist, leftist, peoples.) I had seen a cleansing of the true church by this spirit rising up in apostates to separate them from the Man-child and Bride, but also now, below, I see a global shift and transfer of secular governmental power in the spirit realm to this Genghis Khan spirit. (To confirm this, on 1/09/12, we just discovered that Mongolia is on our school schedule for my son Noah's studies this week! And he also has to read a book about Genghis Khan, who came from there. Now I know there are no coincidences with the Father! Isn't that something?) It appears from the dreams below that there is a secular type to coincide with, and possibly give timing to, the previous spiritual meaning of the Genghis Khan spirit that God gave. The war between Iran and Israel is being used as a type of the war between the factious murderers and the righteous. The Iran faction type is also backed up by a beast government type of Russia/China. Also, it appears that what is seen below is that this is the time of the choosing of the Bride and birthing of the Man-child ministry. I asked the Father to expand my understanding of this Genghis Khan spirit from my first spiritual revelation concerning the Church. I opened my Bible and my finger fell on: Eze.32:24 There is Elam (Iran invaded by Islam) and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the Earth, who caused terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. (Iran is about to lose her battle to Israel, backed by the U.S. In parallel, the factious in the world church will lose their battle against the righteous.) (I looked up who Elam was because I didn't know. Elam was a son of Shem, who was the father of the Persians or modern-day Iranians.) (Shem is also the father of the chosen line of Israel, meaning the true Iranians and Israelites are born of the same father. However, the Iranian's Muslim invaders and evil leadership represents the same thing as the Edomites, for they have perpetually made war against their own brothers. As we have seen in another parable, this also represents the factious in the world church who persecute their brothers but will lose by the hand of God. So now you see that the Iranian Muslim invaders' actions against Israel represent the factious people's actions against the Church, since they are born of the same murderous spirits. The Psalms speak often of the persecution and slander against David by the factious, and many of these are also prophetically speaking of Jesus and Jesus in the end-time Man-child.) Then I asked for a confirmation for this scripture and opened my Bible and put my finger down on Isa.21:2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam (Iran); besiege O Media (Kurds of Iran); all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3 Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. (We see here that not only will the invader Muslim leadership of Iran attack first, as the factious always do. They murdered around 52,000, President Trump said 100,000 unarmed Iranian people, many turned Christians, before Israel and U.S. stepped in. We also see that this caused the woman Church there to be in travail with Christ coming through them. Is this a sign for the rest of the Church? Islam is killing Christians around the world. The red dragon of Satan is seeking to devour the woman Church. President Trump has opposed them three times recently. Iran has struck all of its Islamic neighbors.) Deb Horton's note: Genghis Khan was known and is studied in war colleges today for his strategic maneuvers. One of the most famous was dividing up his troops and sending in very small skirmish/attack forces before the actual war. (That may be what we have seen, when they struck all of their Sunni neighbor Islamists who are now against the Shia cult in the war.) The woman church, who is faced by the dragon, is in travail with the birth of the Man-child in Revelation 12:1-5. This appears to be giving us timing -- a physical sign of a spiritual happening?) About Elam: Jer.49:35 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam (Iran), in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, (This was before Zedekiah made the tribulation covenant with the King of Babylon as the head of the beast -- Ezekiel 17:13,15-21) saying thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam (Iran), the chief of their might. (This looks like the Islamists in Iran being hit by Israel and the U.S. before the tribulation covenant, as we have thought. In parallel, the factious will lose their war against the righteous in the Church by the hand of God.) 36 And upon Elam (Iran) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds: and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. (They are being scattered because the food, water, and pay are scarce and they are being slaughtered. The greatest revival of Christianity is there. They may scatter and spread the Gospel.) 37 And I will cause Elam (Iran) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them who seek their life (of the Islamic Invaders); and I will bring evil upon them (Islam), even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send a sword after them (Islam), till I have consumed them; 38 and I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence king and princes saith the Lord. (Done, against Islam invaders) 39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days (now), that I will bring back the captivity of Elam saith the Lord. (Iran is being delivered from Islamic captivity. We see this as a prophecy of our day at the end of the Iran war. Also this is seen in Jer.25:25 and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes (Kurds of Iran); 26 and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach (Babylon U.S. weakened by war) shall drink after them. We also see in type in this text that the factious Islamic leadership will be brought into captivity in “the latter days.”) I asked the Father who the Elamites [Iranian Islamists] represented from these verses? (Could the Iranian Christians be a sign for the U.S. Christians who will also suffer under the Islamic beast?) When I opened my Bible, my finger fell on Jer.7:8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. (Those Iraneans who joined the Islamists to betray their brethren,) 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, 10 and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, we are delivered; that we may do all these abominations? 11 Is this house which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith the Lord. (This clearly is a warning to the Iranians under this factious beast of Islam foreshadow the Christians in the U.S. who have followed a false Jesus but are justifying their sinful actions.) I asked the Father if He had anything more for us concerning all this, and when I opened my Bible, my finger was on Psa.7:10 My shield is with God, who saveth the upright in heart. I believe this entire Psalm is a promise to us of what our Father will soon do to the factious who receive and commit adultery with this Genghis Khan spirit to conquer enemies by the sword. Be encouraged, brethren, and hold fast to the truth which you heard from the beginning! As I was lying down to sleep, I asked the Father to show me more about the Genghis Khan spirit in a dream or vision. As I was lying in bed, praying in the Spirit, He gave me this vision on 12/29/11: I was high above Earth, looking down from a southern viewpoint toward the north at the Asian continent, where Russia and China are. It was dark upon the Earth. Suddenly, I saw something dark rising up from beneath the Asian continent, from the center where Mongolia is located (where Genghis Khan came from). The Spirit told me that Mongolia is the opening to the womb between the two legs of Russia and China, and this spirit is rising up in and coming forth from them. Its back rose out first, hunched like a mountain (or kingdom); then its head and shoulders came out bowed down toward the east; then its arms, and finally its legs. It stayed kneeling down on one knee toward the east, bracing itself with its arms and hands -- one on Russia and the other on China (similar to the stance runners have at the start of a race). (This Genghis Khan spirit is a spiritual type of a conquering spirit rising in the Russia/China beast to back Iran in the Middle East. When U.S. and Israel hit Iran, they were successful. However, Russia and China have defense agreements with Iran and Syria, and because of this insult, they are coming together in an arms race to fight against the U.S. along with Israel. Iran, in its hatred for Israel, is a part of this larger beast. This is a type of the factious religious beast, being a part of the larger conquering world beast in their hatred for Christianity. This is also seen in Revelation 14 where the religious beast is one with the world secular beast.) It had a human form with sharp nails on its fingers, pointed ears, and a bald head. Heaven gave it permission to raise its head and take its first breath and as it opened its mouth and drew in a large breath, some more stars (nations) were sucked into its mouth from the night sky, along with the breath it inhaled. I could see very sharp top and bottom canine teeth. (Just as the secular beast has physical power to devour the saints, so does the religious beast have spiritual power to devour the saints. Psa.37:12 The wicked plotteth against the just, And gnasheth upon him with his teeth. Psa.57:4 My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.) It was very black with many stars in it. (Abraham's seed are “as the stars of heaven”. Just as Russia and China are a beast that has many stars, they will seek to conquer Israel and the U.S., and many more children of God will be sucked in under this Genghis Khan spirit's darkness. The U.S. is being weakened by war, and especially by the previous administration's destruction of our economy and military. And Russia has its hands full with Ukraine. The West may not be conquered by the Russia/China beast until the tribulation, as the Word in Hidden Manna in the chapter on the “Fall of the United States” shows.) It looked like the night sky's mirror image inside it. It didn't stand up, but if it had, the Earth under its feet would have looked like a large beach ball. It was gigantic. (Genghis Khan is a world-conquering spirit of the beast in the secular realm, just as it is in the religious realm. Genghis was a merciless murderer of men like faction, and slander is a murderer of souls.) I later asked the Father for a verse for this vision of the Genghis Khan spirit and my finger fell on Eze.21:24 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand (Unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred and retaliation is the nature of those who have this spirit and God does not forgive or forget their sins for this reason. In verses 11 and 12 of this text, God says the sword “is upon all the princes of Israel”, meaning natural and spiritual. So the apostate leadership of God's people can be included.), 25 And thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, 26 thus saith the Lord: remove the mitre, and take off the crown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. (This is clear that this spirit will conquer an apostate leadership of God's people in the end and they will be spiritually wounded and removed from their high position over any true people of God.) When I read the last part of this scripture, the Spirit brought to my remembrance what Mary said in Luk.1:51 He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. 52 He hath put down princes from their thrones, And hath exalted them of low degree. (Again, this was spoken of the removal of the apostates over the true people of God by the coming of the Man-child ministry, as the next part of the vision shows.) Right after this, I saw the upper half of a giant woman in the heavens with long blonde hair and very fair skin, cradling a newborn with golden hair in her right arm. (The worldwide woman and true Church having brought forth the Man-child ministry.) Light from heaven was shining down upon them. (I only saw her profile and the top of the newborn's head.) She was also facing east (toward the coming of the Son), looking down at her baby, her white garment lowered off her right shoulder in preparation to nurse Him. And a clear vial filled with golden oil appeared without hands and poured oil onto the infant's mouth and onto the woman's right breast. Then she brought the baby to her breast to nurse Him. (This Man-child will partake of the oil and gold of heaven -- the anointing and nature of Jesus.) I asked the Father for a verse concerning the vision of the woman, and my finger fell on Psa.128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, In the innermost parts of thy house; Thy children like olive plants, round about thy table. This whole Psalm is awesome! (God will prosper the woman Church to bear the fruit of Jesus in the wilderness, in spite of the dragon, who is satan, of Genghis Khan trying to destroy her and her Man-child. Escaping this evil is for them a Passover of the Destroyer before leaving Egypt for the wilderness. It is the Man-child escaping the dragon, which is trying to destroy them.) These two events seem again to be happening almost simultaneously or very close together, but they are both under the Father's sovereign control! I believe the Lord said this will not be prayed down, just lessened in some areas. Enemy Tares Tianna Fire 4/24/23 (David's notes in red) (This is a revelation about the dangers of even thinking slanderous thoughts). I had been getting many strange attacks in the spiritual; unusual thoughts and feelings and many physical attacks all at once. I didn't mention this to my husband Samuel, but I went and had a bath, wondering to the Lord why all these crazy attacks were happening. I saw a specific person, and the enemy was giving her evil thoughts regarding me; she was unknowingly agreeing with those thoughts, not realizing it was demons. This gave the demons legal right to attack me regarding the evil cursed thoughts. (Rev.12:10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.) I then had a vision of a few other people from my past, and some people who had fallen away. The enemy was giving them thoughts about me, and then the people were unknowingly speaking curses out loud against me. (Jam.3:5-12 So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: 8 but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: 10 out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? 12 can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.) I was able to understand the enemy was using these people to get a legal right to attack me; hence all the crazy physical and spiritual attacks. All of this worked because God has given authority to man; what they speak, they get. (Pro.18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.) We either bless or curse, and the consequences of man's thoughts and words are more powerful than we really understand. The Lord allowed me to see where the mental and physical attacks were all coming from. (2Co.10:5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ). Then I heard in my spirit that because Jesus has paid the price for us, we have the power to not accept these attacks. Even though the enemy tries to use man's thoughts and words against us, we don't have to allow the thoughts and words to affect us. (Mat.18:18-19 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.) We are not under the curse, and we are blessed because of faith in Jesus. The attacks, the evil thoughts, evil feelings, and pains, all were put on Jesus because He paid the price to take it away. But we still have the choice to accept the curse and allow the enemy to attack us, or we can give it to Jesus, Who already took it. (Gal.3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.) (Pro.26:2 As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.) As soon as I heard this, I agreed, and I didn't accept these curses and idle thoughts against me. I agreed that Jesus paid the price, and the attacks completely calmed; praise God and ALL Glory to the Creator of all for all eternity! (1Pe.2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.) Later I went to Samuel, and he had been spending alone time with God. Samuel shared a prayer he had written for me to agree with and it related to what God had revealed to me. This is the prayer: “Do you agree that all curses, idle words and all witchcraft are broken off us and all the Brethren? That anyone who isn't wanting to follow the Real Jesus will not try to contact or see us unless they are manifesting Christ, and that all of the Brethren are healed, restored, and we will have enough provisions, and everything is restored or replaced with better? That we will never be separated from each other, and that we be Godly parents to David forever to glorify God in all we do; and that we manifest His Word and Christ in us, 100-fold all the time? That we will be His vessels, used to help others be closer to the Lord, being His Hands and Feet to establish His Kingdom, and that we receive all this now?! Thank You Almighty Father in Jesus Name for doing all these according to Your Word and Promises!”
This is the story of one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. It's been more than fourteen years since American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria. There have been many stories about what happened to him. His disappearance has reached the highest levels of power and yet, so little is actually known. BBC's award winning investigative journalist Josh Baker returns for his most ambitious chapter yet, in a major new series from BBC Radio 4 and NPR's Embedded.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Caption: 1521 PERSIATONIGHT CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-31-2026Tehran Under Siege: Sanctions, War Fatigue, and the Credibility Crisis of the UNEdmund Fitton-Brown details the bleak economic reality for citizens in Tehran living under severe economic sanctions and a low-intensity conflict. Ordinary residents are reduced to driving for ride-sharing apps like Snapp and begging for food due to skyrocketing prices of staple goods like yogurt. While the regime's elite remain insulated, sanctions have severely strained the general population without driving systemic behavior changes. Furthermore, the discussion examines the declining global credibility of the United Nations. The organization has abandoned its neutrality by focusing excessively on targeting Israel and prioritizing humanitarian relief, which frequently ends up diverted to empower oppressive regimes. (1)Demographic Doom: How the One-Child Legacy and Youth Cynicism Threaten China's FuturePiero Tozzi explores China's severe demographic crisis resulting from the legacy of the totalitarian one-child policy enacted in 1979 and officially lifted in 2015. Despite transitioning to a three-child policy, fertility rates continue to plummet due to youth disillusionment. The gender imbalance has catalyzed widespread female trafficking from neighboring countries, while a high proportion of single-child soldiers in the military creates unique domestic vulnerabilities in conflict scenarios. Young Chinese citizens are increasingly opting out of intense economic exploitation through passive resistance movements like "laying flat" and "letting it rot," directly challenging propaganda regarding national rejuvenation. (2)The Domestic Surge: AI Infrastructure, Aerospace Recovery, and US Manufacturing RenaissanceAlan Tonelson highlights the significant manufacturing revival currently taking place in the United States, driven by key sectors like aerospace and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Boeing's resolution of safety and production issues has revitalized aerospace, while a massive buildout of AI data centers has boosted demand for semiconductors, steel, and electronic equipment. Although trade tensions with Canada persist, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement protects most trade, rendering short-term disruptions minimal. Furthermore, while widespread local protests against data centers have emerged across various states, they have not yet slowed down the overall rapid pace of construction. (3)Middle East Realignment: Iranian Devaluation, Turkish Expansion, and Mediterranean Defense PartnershipsMalcolm Hoenlein covers shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics across the Middle East. Inside Iran, severe inflation, food shortages, and medicine price hikes are suffocating the middle class, prompting harsher internal crackdowns by the regime. Meanwhile, Omani channel shipping flows have partially improved following US-led mine sweeping efforts. In Syria, Turkey is pursuing a quiet military takeover, a move contested by Israel. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is utilizing pipelines to bypass shipping threats, and Finland has joined other nations in defunding the corrupt Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. Finally, Greece and Israel have solidified a historic $3.5 billion multi-level defense agreement. (4)Cult of Rebellion: Understanding the Resilient and Hostile Ideology of the HouthisEdmund Fitton-Brown chronicles the history, structure, and ideological motivations of the Houthi movement in Yemen. Emerging in the mid-1990s as a Zaydi revivalist cult modeled after Lebanese Hezbollah, the group adopted a highly hostile five-part slogan ("the scream") emphasizing anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-Israel vitriol. Over decades of conflict, they waged multiple rebellions against former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh before forming a tactical alliance with him to seize power. Known as relentless fighters who are always up for a battle, the Houthis harbor expansive territorial ambitions in southern Saudi Arabia, aiming to control the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. (5)Tehran in Limbo: Evaluating Sanctions, Bureaucratic Alienation, and Paths to Regime ChangeJanatyn Sayeh addresses the psychological state of "no war, no peace" in Tehran a year after the September 2025 conflict. The population faces deep war fatigue, compounded by blockades and new sanctions. While sanctions alone cannot topple the regime, they successfully alienate key socio-economic groups. Specifically, lower-level administrative bureaucrats and ideologues are losing their financial incentives and faith in the regime's competence. True systemic change will not happen overnight, but dragging out the process and bringing civil unrest into urban streets could break pro-regime morale and dismantle the kleptocratic elite's hold on power. (6)Deterrence and Covert Diplomacy: Analyzing CIA Trip to Moscow and the North Korean AllianceJohn Hardie analyzes CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unexpected visit to Moscow. Speculation suggests the trip aimed to deter Russian sabotage against NATO, push for a diplomatic settlement in Ukraine, and pressure Moscow to limit support for Iran. Although Russian leader Vladimir Putin remains convinced of victory and resistant to compromises, maintaining deterrence remains critical. Simultaneously, military intelligence reports that North Korea has supplied dozens of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine, with thousands of combat troops potentially deployed, further complicating the global security landscape. (7)A Shift in Rules: IDF's Aggressive Gaza Targeting, Tunnel Demolition, and West Bank Air PowerSamuel Ben-Ur highlights a shift in Israeli military operations. Following a ceasefire, the IDF returned to pre-agreement rules by striking an active Hamas militant at a Gaza bakery. The military has destroyed roughly half of Gaza's tunnels, with operations continuing on the Hamas-controlled side. Additionally, Israel executed a rare West Bank airstrike to eliminate Kais Betawi, a high-value financial and military operative, signaling strength ahead of upcoming elections. Finally, the discussion outlines the total exclusion of the heavily compromised UNRWA from future Gaza recovery efforts, noting that the United States and Israel will sideline the agency entirely. (8)Higher Education in Crisis: Rising Debt, STEM Brain Drain, and Political PolarizationTom Katsouleas critiques the declining public trust and degrees in American higher education despite high spending. Driven by cost, value, and inclusion issues, students face massive debts that delay major life milestones like marriage and housing. Public universities have increased tuition to compensate for shrinking state budgets, while investing in luxury facilities and high-end services. In graduate education, US research programs depend heavily on international students—primarily from China—for STEM fields. However, rising immigration hostility and aggressive geopolitical competition are reversing this brain drain, while perceived progressive bias further polarizes public trust. (9)The Strategic Vanguard: Hezbollah's Regional Reach, Ceasefire Probing, and Lebanese Shia PoliticsDavid Daoud outlines the strategic dynamics of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah is currently launching pinprick probing attacks to test Israel's rules of engagement under ceasefire constraints and US pressure. Within Lebanesepolitics, the Shia community remains structured around a symbiotic relationship between the nationalist Amal movement and Hezbollah, preventing any independent Shia opposition from gaining ground. Beyond Lebanon, Hezbollah acts as the tip of the spear for Iranian expansionism, training regional proxies in rocket, tunnel, and propaganda warfare. This veteran, transnational expertise makes Hezbollah an indispensable regional asset that Iran would find impossible to replace. (10)The Silent Drip: Structural Remedies for America's $40 Trillion Debt CrisisThomas Savidge addresses the economic implications of the United States crossing the $40 trillion national debt threshold, fueled by pandemic spending and mandatory entitlements. This massive debt competes with private capital, driving up consumer borrowing rates and depressing real wages through inflation. To halt this slow economic drip, Savidge proposes a "fiscal constitution." This includes strong constitutional amendments, Colorado-style spending caps tied to population growth and inflation, a silent-approval budget commission to enact spending cuts, and strict regulatory limits on the scope of government authority to prevent accounting tricks. (11)
A US senator gets a basic Taiwan and South China Sea question and freezes, defaulting to “I support the military.” That clip sets the tone for a hard look at how casually America treats foreign policy competence while Congress keeps voting on war funding, alliances, and the next escalation. We talk through why Taiwan policy, freedom of navigation, and China deterrence are not optional knowledge for people shaping US national security. Then we dig into the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, where the difference between “we control it” and “we can move some oil tonight” is everything. I break down reports of US escorted tanker convoys taking the Omani route, sometimes with transponders off, and why the plan raises real questions about sustainability: fighter escort tempo, limited tanker supply, the added per ship cost, and the insurance pressure that could halt traffic if Iran decides to raise the price. We also look at the claim that Washington can pivot from military conflict to economic warfare, and why sweeping sanctions and trade crackdowns may be both impractical and dangerously escalatory. From there, we hit two more developing stories: Israel's strike in Syria and the possibility of Turkey and Israel colliding over influence after Assad's fall, plus Trump's talk of meeting Kim Jong Un while pressuring South Korea and recalibrating war games. If you care about US foreign policy, Middle East security, oil markets, and the Korean peninsula, this one connects the dots. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.
“Economic D-Day against Iran” makes for great TV, but it only matters if the US can actually enforce it. Kyle sits down with Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst and the writer behind Sonar21, to pressure-test the Trump administration's new sanctions push, “Operation Economic Outcast,” and the claims that it will isolate Tehran, choke off military funding, and reopen business as usual in the Gulf. We dig into what's happening around the Strait of Hormuz, why official narratives can clash with independent shipping tracker data, and how visibility, radar, and maritime traffic shape energy markets in real time. From there, we get concrete about enforcement: if Iran's trade is increasingly conducted in Chinese yuan through Chinese banks, meaningful pressure points shift from Tehran to Beijing, raising the stakes of secondary sanctions and retaliation. We also talk through the practical energy fallout, including oil supply timing, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdown, and why shortages in diesel and aviation fuel can show up after a delay. The conversation then widens to the regional and security consequences that often get ignored. We discuss how decades of Washington's fixation on Iran has repeatedly empowered Sunni extremist networks, why Syria's new rulers cannot be judged by a suit and a name change, and what new flashpoints could look like, from Gulf escalation risks to Israel Turkey tensions and Netanyahu's incentives ahead of elections.
Born in Syria, he was a shepherd, but at the age of eighteen he left home and became a monk, practicing the strictest asceticism. At times he fasted for forty days. After a few years at a monastery he took up an ascetical discipline unique at that time: mounting a pillar, he stood on it night and day in prayer. Though he sought only seclusion and prayer, his holiness became famous, and thousands would make pilgrimage to receive a word from him or to touch his garments. Countless nomadic Arabs came to faith in Christ through the power of his example and prayers. To retreat further from the world, he used progressively taller pillars: his first pillar was about ten feet high, his final one about fifty. He was known also for the soundness of his counsel: he confirned the Orthodox doctrine at the Council of Chalcedon and persuaded the Empress Eudocia, who had been seduced by Monophysite beliefs, to return to the true Christian faith. After about forty years lived in asceticism, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine. He was at first suspected of taking up his way of life out of pride, but his monastic brethren confirmed his humility thus: They went to him as a group, and told him that the brotherhood had decided that he should come down from his pillar and rejoin them. Immediately he began to climb down from the pillar. Seeing his obedience and humility, they told him to remain with their blessing.
Helen Watson is a traveller, writer, and conservationist based in the Scottish Highlands. Born in Scotland and raised in Switzerland, she has always been drawn to adventures that are both physically and culturally challenging. In 2009, shortly after completing her PhD, Helen and her husband Ed set off on an extraordinary bicycle journey from Scotland to China. Over the course of a year, they cycled 15,000 kilometres across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and China, following sections of the ancient Silk Road and relying on paper maps, curiosity, and the kindness of strangers. The journey took them through countries including Syria, Iran, and the Central Asian 'Stans', where they experienced incredible hospitality and forged meaningful connections with people from vastly different cultures and backgrounds. The trip would later inspire Helen's first book, Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road, published in January 2026. In this episode, Helen shares the spark behind the adventure, the logistics of planning a long-distance cycle journey, and the realities of life on the road. We discuss what it means to become comfortable with discomfort, the privileges and challenges of travelling as a woman, and how her experiences in Syria took on a new significance in the years that followed during the refugee crisis. Helen also reflects on the importance of storytelling, why she felt compelled to write her book, and the lessons she has learned from a life shaped by travel, endurance, and human connection. Listen to this episode to hear about cycling 15,000km along the Silk Road, the generosity of people across cultures, and why stepping just outside your comfort zone can lead to the most transformative adventures. *** New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries. Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Your support makes a difference. Thank you x *** Show notes Being based in the Scotland Highlands 2009/2010 - cycling from Scotland to China Being born in Scotland and moving to Switzerland at 5 years old Going to St. Andrews for University Speaking; English, Swiss-German and German Growing up in Switzerland and spending time in the outdoors Growing up with a lot of cultures Wanting to take on this adventure and where the spark came from Being interested in long distance journeys Being inspired by Ffyona Campbell Walking some long trails in New Zealand Meeting her husband Ed at University Wanting to do a longer trip after marriage Heading off after she fished her PhD Studying genetics of the red deer in Scotland Applying the lessons learned from studying for her PhD to planning the cycle ride Learning endurance from her PhD The logistics of getting visa's Not wanting to set a specific route in advance Using paper maps and making route decisions as they went Making some radical route decisions and deciding to go to Syria Why it was one of the best decisions she's made (apart from marrying Ed!) The route - Scotland - Newcastle - Holland - Germany - France - Switzerland, Austria, Hungry, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Syria, Turkey, Iran, the Stans…to China Spending 2 months cycling around China The reality of what it was like being on the road Loving the experience most of the time! Meeting different people and experiencing hospitality in different countries Getting to the deeper levels of connection with people Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable in awkward social situations The privilege of being a woman while travelling with her male partner Getting to experience the best of both worlds What being a feminist means The amazing women who are fighting against oppression around the world Gender roles while travelling as a couple Having a love for writing Keeping a journal to document the journey Feeling depressed with what happened in Syria Doing volunteer work related to refugees Wanting to tell the story of the people she met The Arab Spring and the refugee crises Community Refugee Sponsorship The book being released in January 2026 - Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road The point she wanted to make with the book Wanting to go on the same trip again How to connect with Helen Final words of advice and wisdom for other women who want to take on an adventure or challenge Start with something that is a little bit outside your comfort zone and build up Break it down Social Media Website: www.helenwatsonwriting.com Instagram: @helenwatsonwriter The Book: Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road
Ghost is back live for the first time in a while, kids tucked in, wife out of town, and a full month of news to catch up on. He starts with the fallout from the Mecca agreement, the Saudi Turkey Pakistan defense pact he had been mapping out since February, and why he thinks Egypt, Iran and Syria will all eventually join. From there he digs into a resurfaced 1962 interview where Israel's first prime minister laid out a vision that sounds a lot like modern globalism, then walks through the new three billion dollar Israel Greece defense deal, complete with laser interceptors he expects to see tested in the Aegean. He also covers a suspicious ferry sinking near Cyprus, a wild historical detour involving yogurt and the Armenian genocide, and a leadership shakeup inside Iran's IRGC that has him questioning whether the organization even still exists.
UN inspectors confirm evidence that Syria was building secret nuclear facilities under ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The AP's Jennifer King reports.
Israel recently did something that represents one of the most important national-security shifts since October 7.Early Tuesday morning, Israeli jets struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria, damaging the runway and storage facilities. The reason was simple: Israel had intelligence that Syria was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy there. Israel warned Syria repeatedly. Syria ignored the warnings. So Israel acted — before Turkey could establish drones, aircraft, weapons, or air defenses on that base.Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said Israel will not tolerate threats to its security. Netanyahu's message to Turkey was even shorter: “Don't.”This is huge not because Israel bombed another site in Syria. It is huge because of when Israel acted. Israel did not wait for the threat to become entrenched. Compare that to 2023, when Hezbollah erected armed tents along the northern border and Israel spent months pursuing diplomacy, afraid of escalation and international condemnation. That “avoid escalation, buy quiet” doctrine helped produce October 7.The strategic map is changing. Iran's Shiite axis has been badly weakened. Hezbollah is degraded. Assad is gone. But jihad did not disappear. Under Erdoğan, Sunni Turkey is filling the vacuum — NATO's second-largest military, a major drone power, a political patron of Hamas, and a backer of Syria's new jihadi-linked government. Israel cannot watch that power creep toward the northern frontier and ask later how it happened.U.S. envoy Tom Barrack called the strike an “unnecessary escalation.” Israel should coordinate with America. It cannot outsource its survival to diplomats whose priority is avoiding friction with Ankara. Real deterrence is not saying you don't want war. It is making the cost of threatening Israel so clear that the enemy decides it is not worth it.Preempting a threat may bring condemnation today. Allowing it to grow brings funerals tomorrow. May we never return to the fearful Israel of October 6.Am Yisrael Chai.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/
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The Trump administration has designated the UK activist group Palestine Action as a "specially designated global terrorist organization," focusing on the group's property-damage campaigns against Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Jimmy points out how governments are increasingly broadening the definition of "terrorism" to encompass virtually any political activism, protest, property damage, and financial support the government objects to, raising concerns about free speech and government power. Jimmy also contrasts the treatment of Palestine Action with the changing U.S. designation of Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism after the country was taken over by a bona fide terrorist, while portraying Western policy toward Israel and Palestine as deeply inconsistent. Throughout, he connects these developments to broader concerns about political repression, surveillance, civil liberties, and the weaponization of terrorism designations. Plus segments on Jimmy once again ratio-ing Andrew Wilson for pushing the phony Tyler Robinson narrative and a Florida town using fake Flock cameras to entrap an anti-surveillance activist for vandalism. Also featuring Stef Zamorano and Mike MacRae. And a phone call from JD Vance!
CAPTION: 1906 OTTOMAN EMPIREMalcolm Hoenlein covers shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics across the Middle East. Inside Iran, severe inflation, food shortages, and medicine price hikes are suffocating the middle class, prompting harsher internal crackdowns by the regime. Meanwhile, Omani channel shipping flows have partially improved following US-led mine sweeping efforts. In Syria, Turkey is pursuing a quiet military takeover, a move contested by Israel. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is utilizing pipelines to bypass shipping threats, and Finland has joined other nations in defunding the corrupt Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. Finally, Greece and Israel have solidified a historic $3.5 billion multi-level defense agreement. (4)
Today's Scripture passages are 2 Kings 16:10-20 | Isaiah 17 | 2 Chronicles 28:16-27 | 2 Kings 15:30-31 | 2 Kings 17:1-2 | 2 Kings 18:1-8 | Hosea 1 - 2:1 | Philemon 1:1-7.(Please note Isaiah 17:13 should read, "Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, when he shouts at them, they will flee to a distant land, driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills, or like dead thistles before a strong gale."2 Chronicles 28:23 should read, "He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. He reasoned, 'Since the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.' But they caused him and all Israel to stumble.")Read by Ekemini Uwan.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Hidden dynamics of anti-colonialism come to light when exploring the Syrian revolt of 1925 through a transnational lens. Associate Professor & Author Reem Bailony shares insights from her book, examining how the diaspora politics of the Syrian migrant community in the US connected to homeland politics and redefined identity during the French mandate. By centering on the often-overlooked diasporic story and the role of the Arabic press, the conversation unpacks the intense debate around the rebellion's virtues, goals, and shifting meanings. Ultimately, this episode reveals how exiled and migrant figures significantly shaped the international discourse surrounding the modern Middle East. 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Formative Academic Encounters with a Milestone Year 04:36 From Imperial Collapse to the Partitioning of a Region 07:30 Fragmented Visions & the Contested Landscape of Identity 10:08 Archival Discoveries & Cross-Generational Reflections 12:34 The Global Power of a Dispersed Press 16:13 The Mechanics of Petitioning an International Order 20:12 Ideological Divides in the Early Arabic Press 22:26 Mapping the Global Hubs of the Transnational Story 24:28 Borderland Crises & the Politics of Transnational Aid 28:32 The Realities of Local Support 33:35 De Facto Diplomacy & the Pen of an Exile 36:34 Petitions, Surveillance, & the Struggle to Define a Diaspora 46:44 Recommended Readings for Closer Investigation Reem Bailony is an Associate Professor of History at Agnes Scott College. She is a historian of the modern Middle East with a focus on Middle East migrations and transnationalism. Her book, Syria's Transnational Rebellion: Diaspora Politics and the Revolt of 1925-1927 (Edinburgh University Press, 2025) explores the diasporic and transnational dimensions of the Syrian Revolt of 1925-1927, a watershed moment in anti-colonialism during the French Mandate era. Professor Bailony is also interested in the history of Syrian-Lebanese transnational family dynamics after World War I, and how migrant families parented their children in the diaspora. She holds a BA from UC San Diego and MA and PhD from UCLA. Connect with Reem Bailony
Joti Brar | 3 April 2025 This following paper was delivered to a meeting organised by the Alba Granada North Africa organisation in Tunis. The meeting was held to mark the 79th anniversary of the founding of the Syrian Arab Republic in April 1946. Very few workers in the west are aware of the fact that Syria had maintained a sovereign and anti-imperialist government for nearly eight decades in the teeth of imperialist opposition and constant attempts to bring it down. Despite having to contend with zionist armies on its doorstep, a zionist occupation on its territory, and zionist spies and saboteurs infiltrating its society, the Syrian Arab Republic refused to normalise with zionist Israel and remained a steadfast friend to the cause of Palestine liberation and a reliable base for Palestinian resistance movements. --------------------------------- Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/
After 44 years, IDF soldier Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, HY”D, is finally home.Yehuda was only 22 when he fought in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War on June 11, 1982. An Israeli armored force was caught in a deadly clash with Syrian forces in the Bekaa Valley. Twenty soldiers were killed. Dozens were wounded. Three young soldiers disappeared: Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz.For decades, their families waited. For decades, Israel searched.Zachary Baumel was brought home in 2019 after 37 years. Zvi Feldman was brought home in 2025 after almost 43 years. Now Yehuda Katz has been found, identified, and returned in a special operation led by IDF Military Intelligence and the Mossad.What other nation does this? Governments changed. Wars were fought. The Soviet Union disappeared. The Middle East was transformed. The Jewish people never forgot one missing soldier.Friends who served with Yehuda, and friends who learned with him in yeshiva, still remember saying goodbye when he left to defend the Jewish people. He never came home — until now.Israel has not revealed where his remains were found or how they were recovered. Amid the collapse of old regimes in Syria and the transformation of the northern arena, new intelligence opportunities emerged. We cannot claim to know Hashem's design. We can only say thank You.Thank You to the soldiers, intelligence officers, and Mossad operatives whose names we may never know. Thank You that the Katz family can finally give Yehuda a Jewish burial in the Land of Israel.His funeral procession is set to leave the yeshiva at Kerem B'Yavneh before burial on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Forty-four years after leaving yeshiva to defend Am Yisrael, Yehuda Katz is home.May his memory be a blessing. Am Yisrael Chai.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/
Big Idea: The way we do Sunday morning doesn't make disciples.I. Sending is God's mission; not seating!John 20:19Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”II. Discipleship is far messier than Sunday Morning.Acts 15:36-41After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let's go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they're doing.” Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.III. Maintaining moral clarity in a self-focused culture. 2 Timothy 2:1-7You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.Next Steps: Believe: I surrender my soul to Jesus today.Become: I will join the Discipleship Summit.Be Sent: I will help a friend share their faith this week. Discussion Questions:What is a disciple? Explain using your own words. How exactly does a church make a disciple?How do you know when your role in the discipleship process is complete?Is there a difference between following Jesus only and becoming a leader for Jesus? If so, explain your answer. If the church's mission is to reach the world, what is the best way to measure if the church is being successful? Who do you know who has been hurt by the church and needs to hear this sermon series?Pray for the Holy Spirit to open the opportunity for you to invite them to listen with you.
Don't Allow Disagreements Interfere With You Doing God's Work, For His Glory. Acts 15:36-41 36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Read OnlineA Holy ProvocationWhen the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28–30What a sobering beginning to our Lord's public ministry. Shortly after His baptism in the Jordan River and the establishment of Capernaum as the center of His ministry, Jesus began calling His disciples and performing powerful miracles. News of His preaching and healing spread rapidly, reaching His hometown of Nazareth.When Jesus returned to Nazareth, those who had known Him from His youth were not prepared for what they witnessed. In the synagogue, He stood and read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. It was a messianic passage foretelling the One anointed by the Spirit to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. After reading, Jesus sat down and solemnly proclaimed, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” With these words, He revealed Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.At first, the people were amazed at the gracious words He spoke. But their awe quickly turned to confusion, then to hostility. “Is this not the son of Joseph?” they asked, unable to reconcile the divine authority they had just encountered with the humble figure they remembered from years past. Their familiarity bred contempt. Their hearts, bound by human reasoning and pride, could not accept the divine mystery standing before them.Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus addressed the unspoken demand in their hearts—the desire to see in Nazareth the same wonders He had performed elsewhere. But He offered them no signs. Instead, He offered truth, recalling that in the days of Elijah and Elisha, God's blessings were extended not to Israelites, but to Gentiles—a widow in Zarephath and a leper from Syria. This comparison deeply offended their national pride and shattered their assumptions about divine favor. Rather than receiving His rebuke with humility, they were filled with fury. The crowd attempted to kill the very One they had once known as neighbor and craftsman. Yet Jesus, untouched, “passed through the midst of them and went away.”Jesus certainly knew this would happen. In His divine wisdom, He foresaw the reaction He would receive. And in a mysterious way, He even appears to draw it out. Why? Because this holy provocation was an act of mercy. In exposing the hardness of their hearts, Jesus gave them an opportunity to confront their pride, repent, and receive the Kingdom in truth.In the months and years ahead, many of the people of Nazareth likely benefited from this initial encounter. There is little doubt that after Jesus left Nazareth, He remained the talk of the town. There is no record of Him returning. However, as He continued His public ministry, the people who had rejected Him would have continued to hear reports of His authoritative preaching and miraculous works. Some may have even traveled to nearby towns, such as Capernaum, to witness Him for themselves. In doing so, their initial rejection would have confronted them anew—forcing a choice: Either repent and believe, or grow in bitterness and confusion. Either Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah or He was a false prophet. There could be no middle ground.Reflect today on the mysterious ways Jesus continues to provoke hearts—including your own. Sometimes His Word unsettles us not because it is harsh, but because it is true, and we are unprepared to accept it and change. The people of Nazareth teach us that we—like them—sometimes need our pride stirred up so we can see it and reject it. As you consider the people of Nazareth from that moment forward, see yourself in them. Recognize any ways that you respond with hostility to humbling truths that are hard to accept, and allow time and grace to heal you—helping you to repent and grow in gratitude for Jesus' humbling and holy provocation.My challenging Lord, You see into the depths of my heart. When I resist Your Word, provoke me in mercy. Confront my pride, reveal my blindness, and call me to repentance. May I never reject You, but always surrender with trust to the truth You offer. Jesus, I trust in You. Image: The Brow of the Hill near Nazareth, by James Tissot Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Health reporter Diana Bletter joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode. Following a recent reporting visit to Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, Bletter discusses the significant uptick in Druze applications for Israeli citizenship instead of permanent residency, a change due to the recent regime change in Syria. Bletter turns to health issues, including the scientific risks of UV tanning. Bletter reports that the UV index has gone viral on social media in Israel and around the world, used as a guide for when people can achieve the best bronzing. A new study conducted by scientists at Weizmann Institute of Science shows that the active ingredient in Viagra disrupts cancer cells' metastasis, notes Bletter. Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone keeps diagnosing Putin's mood, not least given the CIA Director's visit to Moscow. Putin is angry, he's frightened, he's desperate -- that seems to be the standard Western talking point these days, and hence the fear that he might do something dangerously escalatory.But is he? Things might actually look rather more encouraging from his perspective. So, in this episode, I try and peer through the Kremlin's windows, to understand how he believes things are going, in war and potential peace.Finally, I look at Nicole Grajewski's excellent new book, Russia and Iran. Partners in defiance, from Syria to Ukraine (Hurst, 2026) and what that may say not just about the Moscow-Tehran relationship, but also our understandings of the world.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show
Subscribe to the Black Panther Newspaper thebpp.us/newspaper and YouTube.com/@tvfreepalestine This podcast is a production of Radio Free Empire Media. To get access to all RFE media content including ad free and bonus episodes, subscribe at www.rfemedia.com. And please like, rate and review wherever you are listening it helps others find us. FOLLOW US: https://www.instagram.com/rfemediaGUEST: https://www.instagram.com/free.palestine.tvLaith Marouf unveils the reality on the ground in defiance of western media's obfuscation.In the wake of an open letter from Western "Revolutionaries" parroting CIA and imperial talking points with the cloaked aim of delegitimizing Iran's resistance against an unceasing U.S. and Israeli global aggression, West Asia is proving its resilience through its ability to withstand desperate attempts to divide and conquer populations in Lebanon, Syria and Iran along sectarian, national or religious lines. Laith speaks on the current status within Lebanon, Syria and the shifting dynamics of power that Iran has managed to assert. These new material changes has exposed western failures in its goals for division and the growing momentum of revolutionary unity manifesting in Lebanon, Syria and West Asia as a whole.Laith Marouf is a long-time political activist, award-winning journalist, and political commentator working in media since 1999. He is also the founder of Free Palestine TV and regularly appears on television and radio, including Press TV, RT, and Al Mayadeen and has published with independent media such as Electronic Intifada, Mint Press, Black Agenda Report and more.
Text: 2 Kings chapters 3 - 7 Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapter 15 BYU Lecture 37: Barely had Elisha returned from witnessing the translation of Elijah when the people of Jericho asked him to purify their water supply. In the name of the Lord, Elisha performs this miracle and purifies the water by symbolically sprinkling it with salt. As Elisha left Jericho, he was set upon by a mob of rebellious youth mocking him and mocking the translation of the prophet Elijah in derision. In the name of the Lord, Elisha turned back and called two bears out of the wild and “tare 42 of them.” We are not told of any fatalities. Elisha continues in his ministry, performing many miracles, providing counsel to kings and interceding in wars. On one occasion, the king of Syria was frustrated with Elisha because his plans were constantly thwarted by this prophet. Sending an army to capture or kill Elisha, the prophet's servant was frightened at their large number. Elisha opened his servant's eyes so symbolically, he could see that the Lord's strength was with them. Elisha went out to the Syrian army, confused their minds and led them helplessly into Israel's stronghold in Samaria. Rather than kill the Syrian army prisoners, Elisha directed them to eat in peace and go home. Among his many miracles, in addition to those already mentioned, Elisha: Raised the dead Cured and caused leprosy Neutralized toxic poison Healed a barren woman Raised a heavy axe head from the river bottom Increased the supply of oil Cured and caused blindness Fed 100 men with only 20 small loaves Notice the similarity of these miracles to those accomplished by the Savior about 850 years later.
NEW: Send us Your Comments!This Week's Topics:Economic Sanctions Working on Iran 5:00Tanker Traffic in Hormuz up 400% 9:00All Mines Removed from Hormuz 10:00Trump Does HUGE Oil Deal with Venezuela 14:00US Lifts Terrorist Designation on Syria 18:00CIA Director Ratcliff's Trip to Moscow 19:30VIDEO: Trade War with Canada Explodes 22:00Canadian Retaliation Against US is Suicide 25:00Trump Renames Lake Ontario to Lake America 27:30The Genocide of the Democrat Party 30:30FL Schools Teaching Kids about Communism 33:30WTPC 2026 Election Strategy & Flyer 36:00SCOTUS Allows Postal Ballot Plan 39:30Ohio Judge blocks Citizenship Verification 41:301,000 DOJ Election Monitors for November 46:30ACTBlue Co-Founder Pleads Fifth 50:30New WTPC Texting Number Announced 58:00Forget the Debt! What are our Assets? 1:03:30Trump Act to Protect our Electric Grid 1:08:30State AG's After Big Four Accounting Firms 1:10:00FBI Cleans up 1.8 M DNA Sample Backlog 1:13:30FEMA Broke Law Against Trump Supporters 1:15:30PA Governor LIES about Measles Deaths 1:18:00Virginia AG Acts to Protect Illegals 1:21:00Trump IRS to Target Soros & Others 1:26:00Push to Bring Recess Back to Schools 1:28:30SODA Sales Down 13% after SNAP Changes 1:31:30Trump goes after Meat Processing Monopoly 1:35:30Read Data Centers Done Right in Quincy, WA 1:39:30All the Details on META Child Safety Deal 1:43:0025 Major Trump Wins to Read & Share 1:51:30Support the showView our Podcast and our other videos and news stories at:https://wethepeopleconvention.org/Podcast-Player-PageSend Comments and Suggestions to:info@WethePeopleConvention.org
Be Careful When You Share The Truth, Your Tone Or Attitude Can Close The Ears Who Néed To Hear Acts 15:22-29 22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
CONTENTS JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-27-2026.Anatol Lieven warns that foreign policy establishments in both the United States and Britain have embraced a dangerous militarism. He highlights how the Biden administration failed to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran, seeking instead a harder bargain. Furthermore, Europe faces acute escalation risks over Ukraine; Russia has warned of retaliation against Britain for authorizing the use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russian territory. Lieven cautions that British Prime Minister Burnham's domestic agenda could be destroyed if a stray British missile strikes a Russian civilian target, triggering a direct, retaliatory attack on British soil. (1)Peter Huessy argues that nuclear deterrence remains vital but requires continuous modernization of missiles, submarines, bombers, and command systems to match Russian and Chinese advancements. He explains that conventional defense fails against nuclear attacks in military war games. Huessy advocates for "counterforce" strategies—targeting an enemy's weapons and leadership rather than innocent civilian cities ("countervalue"). He also supports adding theater nuclear systems to deter Russia's "escalate to win" doctrine, which utilizes low-yield battlefield nuclear weapons to force a NATO stand-down. (2)Andrea Stricker discusses the concerning US-Saudi bilateral nuclear agreement, which triggers a 90-day congressional review. This pact opens the door to uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, setting a dangerous precedent that could spark a regional "domino effect." Additionally, Stricker highlights unresolved risks in Syria. Despite a US-brokered deal to turn over natural uranium metal, Syria's al-Qaeda-linked leadership intends to rebuild its civil nuclear program. She urges the US to enforce the complete removal of all nuclear material from Syria rather than giving extremists a pass. (3)Mary Anastasia O'Grady explains how the US is aggressively targeting Cuban regime elites by freezing assets and revoking visas. To facilitate the regime's collapse, O'Grady stresses that the US must present a viable post-collapse plan for "Day Zero" to avoid chaos, bloodshed, or oligarchic asset-grabbing. She advocates for securing property rights to encourage external investments and suggests using multilateral peacekeepers to maintain order. She supports a transitional board of Cuban-Americans and Americans to manage investments and prevent former military elites from seizing privatized state assets. (4)Conrad Black analyzes the impending trade dispute between Canada and the United States, labeled "the dumbest trade war ever." President Trump's comments describing Canada as a "51st state" and calling the Prime Minister "governor" have sparked deep resentment across Canada. Prime Minister Carney has ended negotiations and threatened retaliatory tariffs, securing tentative public support. However, the political opposition is demanding that Carney publish the underlying negotiation documents and recall parliament to build an all-party policy. Black argues this represents a moment of great risk but also a Churchillian opportunity. (5)Jane Rogoyska explores the history of Paris's Hôtel Lutetia, which served as a haven for fleeing Weimar intellectuals before becoming a Nazi military intelligence headquarters in 1940. Rogoyska traces waves of refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, including writers Heinrich Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger. These figures struggled to warn an indifferent Europe about the dangers of fascism. Despite personal tragedies and bureaucratic challenges, literary giants like James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Arthur Koestler frequented the hotel, carrying poison just in case they were captured. (6)Evan Ellis details how an unprecedented "super El Niño" is battering the Americas, causing floods in Peru and severe droughts affecting the Panama Canal. He outlines political developments, including Chile's struggle to finance aging copper mining infrastructure despite high global prices. In Venezuela, the "Rodrigato" gang leadership continues to slow-walk democratic reforms while benefiting from US-supervised oil sales. Colombia's new conservative president, de la Espriella, has prioritized security and pro-business reforms. Finally, in Panama, the US is expanding security efforts to counter persistent Chinese commercial and diplomatic encirclement. (7)
Andrea Stricker discusses the concerning US-Saudi bilateral nuclear agreement, which triggers a 90-day congressional review. This pact opens the door to uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, setting a dangerous precedent that could spark a regional "domino effect." Additionally, Stricker highlights unresolved risks in Syria. Despite a US-brokered deal to turn over natural uranium metal, Syria's al-Qaeda-linked leadership intends to rebuild its civil nuclear program. She urges the US to enforce the complete removal of all nuclear material from Syria rather than giving extremists a pass. (3)
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week's news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:36); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:50); a Haitian gang killing (9:28); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (12:00); the US removes Syria from the terrorism sponsors list (14:38); the Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution (15:51); Trump submits the Saudi nuclear deal to Congress (18:39); progress is made in negotiations between the DRC and M23 (23:46); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (26:33); the CIA director visits Russia (28:14); US-Canada trade talks collapse (31:17); and the United States prepares a deep sea mining auction around overseas territories (35:42). Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The United States is inendated with Flock Cameras that monitor you 24/7, GTA6 leak hacker loses traction, Chantal gains weight on Ozempic and returns to Syria, The Quartering lies about his dog to sell coffee, and Chris O'Neill (Oneyplays) gets snaked by a supposed ex-girlfriend.
American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week's news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:35); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:49); a Haitian gang killing (9:20); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (11:52); the US removes Syria from the terrorism sponsors list (14:30); the Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution (15:43); Trump submits the Saudi nuclear deal to Congress (18:31); progress is made in negotiations between the DRC and M23 (23:46); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (26:26); the CIA director visits Russia (28:07); US-Canada trade talks collapse (31:10); and the United States prepares a deep sea mining auction around overseas territories (35:35).Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges.Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
It's always something in the Middle East...and today, it's Syria. Israel and Turkey are competing over what comes next for this country.Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihanFull Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4gmboT4
Israel's controversial strike on an airbase in northern Syria close to Turkey was "first and foremost a message to the United States" that Turkish military penetration deeper into Syrian territory "can be turned into a real and total war," and any U.S. policy that tolerates it is "not sustainable," according to Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. The attack has been criticized as an election ploy by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Yanarocak said such considerations may have played a role in its timing, he stressed that Turkey's ambitions in post-Assad Syria are a legitimate source of deep concern for Israel. Israel's military establishment sees them as a substantial threat and pushed for the attack after Turkey ignored warnings. The past three years of war have shifted the balance of power in Turkey's favor with the weakening of both Iran and the Gulf states, he explained in a conversation with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer. He discussed the bold ambitions of the country led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the key role Syria plays in them. "The public discourse in Turkey is neo-Ottomanism," Yanarocak said. "Putting it more familiar to the American ears: 'Make Turkey Great Again' … Turkey is thinking very big." Read more: From Iran to Turkey, Netanyahu Is on the Hunt for New Fronts to Ignite Netanyahu Warns Turkey's Erdogan Against Military Expansion in Syria, but Hopes a Warning Is Enough Attacking Erdogan or Clinging to the Status Quo? Israel's Turkey ParadoxSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's episode of This Week in AML, John Byrne and Elliot Berman break down Treasury's renewed sanctions campaign against Iran and discuss what it could mean for global trade, enforcement efforts, and China's role in the sanctions landscape. They also examine the U.S. decision to remove Syria from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list, a move that could pave the way for reintegration into the global financial system and future engagement with FATF standards. Additional topics include Singapore's new Social Media Code of Practice aimed at reducing financial scams on major platforms, Europol's warning about increasingly violent museum heists, updates from OCCRP on corruption and money laundering investigations, and the FDIC's efforts to streamline the deposit insurance application process for new banks. Plus, a look at recent anti-corruption research from the Basel Institute on Governance and upcoming AML-focused educational events.
Syria's bee population was once considered the largest in the Middle East, but then came the civil war in 2011, plunging the country into years of violent conflict. Only a fraction of its bee colonies survived. A traveling beekeeper recounts his own personal fight to bring back the bees, and with them, the farming sector.
With a weaker Iran, do Turkey's regional ambitions put it on a collision course with Israel? Dan and Nadav Eyal analyze the shifting dynamics in the Middle East, focusing on whether Turkey's President Erdogan aspires to become a regional superpower given the vacuum left by a weaker Iran. They discuss whether Turkey's military is trying to move further into Syria, crossing what Israel considers a “red line,” Israel's recent response, and the emerging Sunni axis between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. —- Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22. —- Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going. Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back This episode was sponsored by the Jewish Communal Fund. Learn more about JCF's donor advised funds at jcfny.org. ___ In this episode: -Israel-Turkey relations and recent military friction -President Erdogan's strategic ambitions and desire to revive the Ottoman Empire -Turkey's influence in Syria and the potential threat to Israel -Implications for NATO of the new Sunni axis led by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan -Syrian response to Israel's military strike on a Syrian airbase -How internal politics in both countries are amplifying the tensions between Turkey and Israel ___ More Ark Media: Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings. Explore Israel Votes Listen to Ark News Daily Listen to For Heaven's Sake Listen to What's Your Number? Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal Instagram | Ark Media | Dan X | Dan Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel Get in touch Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo
With a weaker Iran, do Turkey's regional ambitions put it on a collision course with Israel? Dan and Nadav Eyal analyze the shifting dynamics in the Middle East, focusing on whether Turkey's President Erdogan aspires to become a regional superpower given the vacuum left by a weaker Iran. They discuss whether Turkey's military is trying […]
"Never underestimate yourself because the things that you think you're bad at now, you can be great at later." – Dr. Katie Eastman Today's featured bestselling author is a licensed psychotherapist, master grief coach, global keynote speaker, compassionate change coach, organizational change consultant, and Co-Founder of the Best Ever You Network, Dr. Katie Eastman. Dr. Katie and I had a fun on a bun chat about her new book, “The Peace Guidebook: How to Cultivate Hope, Healing, and Harmony for the Good of Humankind”, the peaceful pause technique, and more!!Key Things You'll Learn:How meeting the pioneer of the Five Stages of Grief inspired Dr. Katie to focus on how to liveWhat it was like to co-author another book with Elizabeth Hamilton-GuarinoHow faith plays a major role in both her life and workWhat kids know about peace that adults forgetWhat major setback actually helped her to create more successDr. Katie's Site: https://www.percolatepeace.com/Dr. Katie's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0D1L9PV1R/allbooksThe opening track is titled, “Unknown From M.E. | Sonic Adventure 2 ~ City Pop Remix” by Iridium Beats. To listen to and download the full track, click the following link. https://www.patreon.com/posts/sonic-adventure-136084016 Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmonDonate on PayPal: @DBrightmonBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmonGet Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmonThe Going North Advancement Compass: https://a.co/d/bA9awotYou May Also Like…1093 – From Mexican Jumping Beans to Bestselling Guidebooks with Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino (@BestEverYou): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/from-mexican-jumping-beans-to-bestselling-guidebooks-with-elizabeth-hamilton-guarino-besteveryou/1003 – From Orphan to United Nations Peacekeeper with Christine Sadry: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-1003-from-orphan-to-united-nations-peacekeeper-with-christine-sadry/825 – One Woman's Story of Survival & Courageous Leadership in Syria with Dr. Amani Ballour (@AmaniBallour): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-825-one-womans-story-of-survival-courageous-leadership-in-syria-with-dr-amani-ballour-am/434 – A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace with Claude AnShin Thomas: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-434-a-soldiers-journey-from-war-to-peace-with-claude-anshin-thomas/983 – How Neuroscience Can Fuel Your Book & Life Success with Sara Connell (@saracconnell): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/saracconnell/681 – Make Someone's Moment Through Podcasting with Kelly Smith: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-681-make-someones-moment-through-podcasting-with-kelly-smith/836 – The 6% Club with Dr. Michelle Rozen (@DrMichelleRozen): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-836-the-6-club-with-dr-michelle-rozen-drmichellerozen/378 – “Writing Adventures with The Dialogue Doctor” with Jeff Elkins (@Jffelkins): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-378-writing-adventures-with-the-dialogue-doctor-with-jeff-elkins-jffelkins/586 – Flipping Bad Situations into Joyful Children's Books with Violet Lemay (@violetlemay): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-586-flipping-bad-situations-into-joyful-childrens-books-with-violet-lemay-violetlemay/785 – The Enjoyment Gap with Mandy Barbee Lanier (@mandyblanier): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-785-the-enjoyment-gap-with-mandy-barbee-lanier-mandyblanier/75 - Life Falls Apart, But You Don't Have To with Julie Potiker (@JuliePotiker): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/75-life-falls-apart-but-you-dont-have-to-with-julie-potiker-juliepotiker/263 – The Power of a Peaceful Woman with Jennifer Forster: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/263-the-power-of-a-peaceful-woman-with-jennifer-forster/678 – The Profit of Kindness with Jill Lublin (@JillLublin): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-678-the-profit-of-kindness-with-jill-lublin-jilllublin/
A.M. Edition for Aug. 26. President Trump sends his landmark nuclear accord with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, kicking off what's likely to be months of debate among lawmakers. Oxford Analytica's Rawan Maayeh breaks down whether the kingdom is likely to normalize relations with Israel as a part of the deal, as Trump has insisted. Plus, Bill Gates issues a stark warning on AI's impact on jobs and humanity, saying big tech has “no plan”. And we look ahead to Nvidia's earnings, with sky-high investor expectations for the world's most valuable company. And Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-25-2026COVER OF FANTASTIC MAGAZINE OCTOBER 1961Liz Peek, columnist for The Hill and Fox News, discusses the surprising resilience of the American economy, noting that small businesses are reporting strong hiring and profitability growth based on broad National Federation of Independent Business and Bank of America data. While consumer spending remains robust, recent data reveals a K-shaped economy, where higher-income homeowners spend extensively on renovations while lower-income consumers trade down at Walmart. Rising interest rates present a critical challenge, slamming the housing market and significantly increasing interest payments on the massive national debt. Lastly, the administration's tariff conflict with Canada is criticized as a major, highly unfortunate, and economically damaging political mistake. (1)Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, evaluates the Treasury's initial tranches of secondary sanctions targeting entities trading with Iran, including firms in China and the UAE. Although these measures stop short of targeting major Chinese banks, they provide President Trump with leverage ahead of his Washington summit with Xi Jinping. Within the Middle East, Schanzer warns that regional powers are hedging their bets. Saudi Arabia may be negotiating a separate peace with the Houthis and Iran, which could undermine US sanctions. Additionally, the US controversially rescinded Syria's state sponsor of terror status following the rapid rise of former al-Qaeda commander Ahmed al-Shara. (2)Mary Kissel, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State, analyzes Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, asserting that its success relies on penalizing large Chinesefinancial institutions. However, Beijing holds significant economic and military leverage over the US, including export controls on critical minerals. Regarding North America, Kissel describes the escalating trade war with Canada as a "loser's game" driven by domestic politics. She stresses that the 50% tariffs on essential materials like Canadianaluminum and auto parts disrupt deeply integrated supply chains. Consequently, this trade conflict severely harms ordinary consumers and threatens Republican control of key Senate seats in critical border states of Maine and Michigan. (3)Colonel Jeff McCausland, US Army (Retired) and Visiting Professor at Dickinson College, warns that the US foreign policy process has collapsed under President Trump, who relies on personal loyalty over expert advice. This is illustrated by Trump's sudden decision to reduce joint US-South Korea military exercises without notifying allies. McCausland argues this undercuts South Korea while offering concessions to a nuclear-armed dictator, Kim Jong-un, who actively supplies weapons to Russia for the Ukraine war. Furthermore, he criticizes the "economic D-Day" against Iran as highly insincere given key delays in sanctioning China, and strongly condemns the trade war against Canada, a loyal ally with a rich military history. (4)Gregory Copley, editor of Defense & Foreign Affairs, argues that the US sanctions regime against Iran is strategic signaling that makes Washington look weak, as it ignores China's trade dominance and threatens relations with India. He also views the Canadian trade dispute as a strategic failure that weakens the NORAD treaty and forces Canada to act independently in the Arctic. This unpredictability has alienated European allies, who are now bypassing the US to negotiate directly on Ukraine. Additionally, Copley analyzes post-Petro Colombia, detailing how the energetic new president faces massive domestic security issues, narco-trafficking networks, and the grounding of critical disaster relief aircraft under sanctions. (5)Thaddeus McCotter, former US Representative from Michigan and columnist for American Greatness, details the severe political and economic fallout of Trump's trade war with Canada, noting that insulting rhetoric like the "51st state" remark has politically boosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He explains that border states like Michigan and Maine share deep commercial integration, meaning 50% tariffs will directly harm their local economies. This unvetted policy blindsided senior Republican legislators, including Susan Collins, who openly opposed the tariffs and avoided a campaign rally with Vice President Vance. Ultimately, McCotter warns that these tariffs jeopardize critical Senate seats in highly contested swing states, giving rival Democrats a very major campaign advantage. (6)Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar in Berlin for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with co-host Thaddeus McCotter: Dempsey describes European Baltic and Nordic leaders flocking to Kyiv, yet warns that "moral outrage" lacks a cohesive strategic plan to negotiate an end to the war. She highlights the rising prominence of the pro-Russian, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in state elections. Interestingly, an ideological rift has emerged as radical AfD factions in East Germany sour on MAGA due to Trump's policies on Iran. McCotter delivers a severe critique of the MAGA-AfD relationship, arguing MAGA should never have "played footsies" with neo-Nazis, and asserting the AfD is fundamentally aligned with Vladimir Putin rather than the United States—their temporary embrace of MAGA merely a superficial attraction. Although West Germans have abandoned historical sentiments toward Russiadue to the Ukraine invasion, East Germany remains deeply split, harboring lingering sentimental pro-Russian views and separate post-unification cultural dynamics. (7)Note: segment 7 came with a separate co-host block for McCotter, so I've folded his critique into the single paragraph after Dempsey's material — flag me if you'd rather run his commentary as its own standalone file.
Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, evaluates the Treasury's initial tranches of secondary sanctions targeting entities trading with Iran, including firms in China and the UAE. Although these measures stop short of targeting major Chinese banks, they provide President Trump with leverage ahead of his Washington summit with Xi Jinping. Within the Middle East, Schanzer warns that regional powers are hedging their bets. Saudi Arabia may be negotiating a separate peace with the Houthis and Iran, which could undermine US sanctions. Additionally, the US controversially rescinded Syria's state sponsor of terror status following the rapid rise of former al-Qaeda commander Ahmed al-Shara. (2)