Podcasts about syrian

Chad and Daniel walk through one of the most detailed prophetic chapters in Scripture, tracing the rise and fall of Persian, Greek, Egyptian, Syrian, and Roman power. They focus especially on Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose actions set the stage for the abomination of desolation and the Maccabean revolt. Have a listen. More from 1517: ·       Support the work at 1517 ·       1517 on Youtube ·       1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts ·       1517 Events Schedule ·       1517 Academy - Free Theological Education   New Books from 1517 Publishing: ·       The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco ·       Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz ·       By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas ·       Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith   More from the hosts: ·       Daniel Emery Price ·       Chad Bird   Follow 1517:  Instagram X/Twitter Facebook

Lebanon's future is at the center of a major diplomatic push as President Joseph Aoun meets French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II in Paris. The talks come as Israel and Lebanon explore a possible security framework, including what could eventually replace UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.In this episode of the Israel Daily News Podcast, Shana Fuld breaks down the history behind the Israel-Lebanon conflict and explains why UNIFIL has remained in southern Lebanon for nearly 50 years.The discussion covers the origins of UNIFIL, the PLO's presence in southern Lebanon, Israel's 1978 and 1982 operations, Hezbollah's emergence, and the aftermath of the Second Lebanon War.Shana also explains the current proposal being discussed: Israeli forces could withdraw as the Lebanese military moves into southern Lebanon and Hezbollah is disarmed. But Israel says the Lebanese army must prove it can actually remove Hezbollah from the area before an Israeli withdrawal can take place.The episode also covers:

Tareq Hadhad, co-founder and CEO of Canadian chocolate company Peace by Chocolate and one of the 25,000 Syrian refugees welcomed by Canada in 2015, joins to explain immigration, integration, entrepreneurship, Canadian citizenship and Syria after Assad with host Chief Aaron Pete.Send us Fan MailSupport the shownuancedmedia.ca

AGAINST EVERYONE WITH CONNER HABIB 326: FELIX JOHN TAYLOR on THE LIGHT OF THE HERMETIC ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DAWNThe first time I heard about the Golden Dawn, I was in high school. I was gay, Syrian, reading all the time, shunning sports. My town was filled with neo-Nzis and fundamentalists, celebrated stupidity and football players.I wanted to feel something like power in a disempowering place, so I went to Brentano's and found the most startling magic book there. On its cover was a person drawing a pentagram of crackling blue light with a wand. In it, instructions on making magical tools and spellcasting. And in its title, the word magick was written with a K. In contrast to the hell of school, the book represented an academy of magic. I found there allusions to The Golden Dawn, a group from almost a century prior, with secrets of not just power, but antiquity and the cosmos.But they also seemed rigid, too elaborate and hierarchical. Plus I didn't like their most infamous member, Aleister Crowley, so I turned away from them. As I deepened my interests in occultism into adulthood, my pursuit of esoteric christianity, particularly the work of Rudolf Steiner, I steered clear.I've become more sympathetic over time to the Golden Dawn. That doesn't mean I'm going to wade into their rituals, but that a real re-assessment has occurred. So this episodes's guest, librarian and scholar FELIX JOHN TAYLOR 's beautiful book, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Magic Arts and the Occult Revival was a great find for me. In it, he gives a portrait of the Golden Dawn through its key members and its art. A picture emerges of not just a magickal group, but an art and social movement, working to redefine morality for the sake of inclusiveness and creativity. After all, Crowley fell in love with a drag queen at a gay bar in 1897. Oscar Wilde and Edward Carpenter influenced the group. So did Steiner, for that matter! W.B. Yeats brought his Golden Dawn work to revitalize Irish identity.I'm so happy you'll be joining me and Felix John Taylor in this reappraisal.Support the show on Patreon!Make a one-time donation!Buy Felix's book.

Sanaa Abourezk is a Syrian-born chef, cookbook author, and owner of Sanaa's Gourmet Mediterranean in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A 2023 James Beard Award finalist, Sanaa has spent more than two decades sharing the food and traditions of her Syrian heritage while championing healthy, plant-forward cooking. She has authored five cookbooks and built a thriving restaurant by staying true to her food, her values, and her community. In this episode, Sanaa shares the lessons she learned from surviving the early years of her restaurant, managing cash flow, retaining great employees, and deliberately choosing a business model that gives her both financial stability and a fulfilling life. On this episode we talk about: How Sanaa went from an agricultural engineering degree in Syria to becoming a chef and restaurant owner in South Dakota Why she refused to compromise her food by adding burgers, fries, or other items just because customers suggested them The importance of cash flow and why entrepreneurs should build more financial runway than they think they'll need How Sanaa managed every aspect of her business in the early days, from cooking and accounting to cleaning floors Why treating employees well and making them feel valued can dramatically improve retention and customer experience How she self-published cookbooks when traditional publishers told her there wasn't a market for her ideas Why Sanaa has intentionally chosen not to franchise or open additional restaurants How to design your business around the lifestyle you actually want Top 3 Takeaways Cash flow can make or break a business. Revenue and profitability aren't enough if you don't have enough cash to cover payroll, rent, insurance, supplies, and unexpected disruptions. Build enough runway to survive the slow periods before assuming your business will become cash-flow positive. Don't compromise what makes you different. Sanaa was repeatedly told to add familiar American foods to her menu, but she stayed committed to her Mediterranean concept. That consistency helped her build a loyal customer base that valued what she uniquely offered. Success doesn't have to mean constant expansion. Sanaa could have opened additional locations or franchised her restaurant, but she chose to build a profitable business that gives her employees stability, allows her to take vacations, and lets her continue doing what she loves. The best business model is the one that supports the life you want. Notable Quotes "If you think your business needs two hundred thousand dollars to build, you ask for four hundred thousand." "If you believe in something, you just stick with it." "I would never serve something I don't eat. Period. That's it." Connect with Sanaa Abourezk: Instagram: @SanaaCooks27 Cookbooks: Sanaa's five published cookbooks A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Go to Leesa.com for 30% OFF select mattresses (through September 13, 2026) PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code TMM, exclusive for my listeners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the chaos after the Syrian regime's downfall, the hunt for Austin Tice is on. Josh Baker and his fellow investigative journalist Sara Obeidat are in Damascus as bombs fall and gunfights break out. Armed with a list of locations where Austin may have been held, they race across the Syrian capital searching for any sign of him. They find horrifying evidence of detention and torture on an industrial scale. Then, after climbing across a five-storey drop to reach a hidden room, they get a breakthrough — a trove of material about Austin that was never meant to be found.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 bit 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

In the chaos after the Syrian regime's downfall, the hunt for Austin Tice is on. Josh Baker and his fellow investigative journalist Sara Obeidat are in Damascus as bombs fall and gunfights break out. Armed with a list of locations where Austin may have been held, they race across the Syrian capital searching for any sign of him. They find horrifying evidence of detention and torture on an industrial scale. Then, after climbing across a five-storey drop to reach a hidden room, they get a breakthrough — a trove of material about Austin that was never meant to be found.Archive: Syria News; Al Jazeera; BBC; CBS; Fox; ABC; PBS; Al Arabiya; NBC.Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein Additional producing: Lucy Burns Open source intelligence: Thomas Bordeaux & Gabor Friesen Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Series editor: Clare Fordham Head of BBC News Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon BBC Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke NPR producer: Monika Evstatieva NPR editors: Robert Little & Katie Simon NPR executive producer for Embedded: Irene Noguchi BBC World Service commissioning editor: Jon Manel Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Additional music: Karim Chehoury Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell

Help Persecuted Christians TODAY: https://csi-usa.org/quickstart/ Christian Solidarity International On today's Quick Start podcast: NEWS: America prepares to mark 25 years since 9/11, while Turning Point USA marks one year since Charlie Kirk's assassination. FOCUS: FIRE's latest College Free Speech Rankings reveal changes on America's campuses and examine the impact of Kirk's assassination on student speech. MAIN THING: Pastor Nihad Hassan reveals what happened after Syrian authorities arrested him over social media posts about Jesus. BIBLE VERSE: Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” SHOW LINKS Radical Revelations with Raj Nair https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radical-revelations/id1888511250 Faith in Culture: https://cbn.com/news/faith-culture Heaven Meets Earth PODCAST: https://cbn.com/lp/heaven-meets-earth NEWSMAKERS POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsmakers/id1724061454

Have you ever done everything "right" — followed the rules, hit your goals, kept the peace — and still felt off in your body? In this episode, I'm breaking down the "good girl myth": five deeply conditioned patterns (rules, perfection, logic, harmony, and sacrifice) that many of us follow believing they'll earn us love and approval — and how they actually override our intuition and show up as real, physical symptoms.This one's inspired by Majo Molfino's book Break the Good Girl Myth, and I'm giving it my own spin through the lens of health, the body, and the nervous system. Book LinkI also get personal about my own good-girl conditioning as a first-generation American with Syrian roots, and how it quietly shaped everything from how I ate to who I let myself love.In this episode, we cover:What the "good girl myth" is and where it comes fromWhy rules, perfection, logic, harmony, and sacrifice can start out as beautiful values — and end up as a bottleneck to your growthThe five myths, broken down through a health and body lens:Rules — why meal plans and "shoulds" work for a while, then stop workingPerfection — the intention-behavior gap, orthorexia, and why "if it's not perfect I don't do it at all" isn't a discipline problemLogic — how overriding hunger and fullness cues to perform shows up as vertigo, digestive issues, and acneHarmony — people-pleasing your way out of your own needs (and why "standing on business" with boundaries matters)Sacrifice — putting yourself last, and what that does to your hormones, cravings, and energyMy personal story: growing up first-generation American with Syrian parents, my rebellious period, and what I learned (the hard way) about unconditional self-loveWhy every strong, high-achieving woman is still allowed to be held, be messy, and have shadowsPractical, small ways to start rebuilding trust with your intuition — starting today Free 30 minute consultation with ShanonClick here to schedule4-Day mind-body reset designed to change your relationship with food:Click Here for Our Food Freedom ResetAre you ready to heal your relationship with your body and soul? Click Here to Learn More About Our Signature ProgramOur Links:Follow us on Instagram!Like us on Facebook! 

American journalist Austin Tice has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. Nobody knows what happened to him. Austin's mum and even the president of the United States believe he is still alive. Then suddenly, the Syrian regime falls. As Josh Baker travels to try to find him, a source gives him secret information that might unlock where he is — and a simple instruction: “Find Austin” 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 bit 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

Detroit-born, Palmdale-based chef whose culinary journey blends Lebanese and Syrian heritage with Southern California street food culture www.dtladinnerclub.com+1. His earliest cooking memories come from helping his sitto (grandmother) in Detroit, where he learned to prepare classic Mediterranean dishes like hummus, pita bread, and grilled lamb PSLA Inc. These formative experiences instilled in him the belief that food is a way to express love, faith, and family.At age 8, the Saady family moved to Palmdale, California, where they operated a gas station with a café. Jojo's first kitchen job was tending a deep fryer and helping collect ingredients for dinner www.dtladinnerclub.com. With no access to culinary school, he used the streets of Palmdale as his classroom, learning from street food vendors. Starting with a simple chicken-and-fries stand, he expanded into sandwiches and wraps, eventually opening his own restaurant Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Streamed live on Sep 4, 2026 The Lost Chronology of the Bible | Genesis History Like You've Never Read Before: Michael the Syrian Contact: noelhadley@yahoo.com TUC BOOK CLUB (Patreon):   / membership   PayPal: paypal.me/noeljoshuahadley Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/Noel-Hadley TUC Store: https://store.theunexpectedcosmology.... 2026 TUC Catalogue: https://unexpected-cosmology.nyc3.dig... Website: The Unexpected Cosmology Link: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ Archives page: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ar... TUC Discord Community:   / discord  

Tarek Bibi, born in Jordan to Syrian and Lebanese parents, brings a rich Middle Eastern heritage that deeply informs his commitment to spiritual healing, oneness, and abundance. Tarek shares how his multicultural roots, personal healing journey, and deep spiritual awareness led him to create Infinity Healing Modality, a practice designed to help people release scarcity, fear, trauma, and limiting beliefs. His story reflects the heart of the podcast: moving beyond separation and into wholeness, purpose, and conscious abundance.(00:00:07) Playing with All the Colors of Light (00:09:39) Reclaiming Power Through Infinity Healing Modality (00:18:57) Heart-to-Spirit Transmission for Collective Healing (00:19:09) Alchemizing Collective Pain Into Healing Art (00:27:22) Words That Help People Remember Themselves (00:39:08) Seed in Humanity for Safety and Abundance (00:43:25) Clearing Scarcity Filters, Traumas, and Ancestral Imprints(00:49:32) Free Monthly Zoom Support for Purpose and Abundance YouTube channel of Tarek Bibi: https://www.youtube.com/@TarekBibi8 His LightWarrior Anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_8CNCG340I Tarek's Websites: https://tarekbibi.com and https://infinityhealingacademy.com ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~You are invited to bring your wisdom and powerful energy over to our Fb group where you can share it with us and others. Feel welcomed and comforted in our community. https://www.facebook.com/groups/movingtooneness You can request a topic of your choice to be spoken about or a song to be sung for you on a future podcast. Just let us know. :) Email me: meilin@MovingToOneness.comFollow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzEWKXR957EmpmXvG9YgbhwIn Love and Light, Your host, Meilin Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily on Saturday, 5th September at 6pm GMT. - US military hits 3 Iranian oil tankers after saying Navy warships were targeted with missiles - Fresh Yemen clashes kill more than 60: military, medical sources - US ambassador calls for Israel to face ‘severe consequences' over West Bank violence - Syrian official: Integration process following SDF dissolution is moving toward completion - Putin orders halt in strikes on Kyiv as he meets Trump envoys at Kremlin

Could the Antichrist already be alive today…and would Christians even recognize him?In this episode of Faith & Friction, Annaly Mawire sits down with pastor, author and end-times researcher Ryan Speakman to examine a provocative theory about the identity and origins of the biblical Antichrist.Ryan believes the biblical clues may point somewhere many Christians aren't looking. His case takes us through the tribe of Dan, the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, Daniel's “king of the north,” Syria, Islamic end-times prophecy and the mysterious figure Muslims call the Mahdi.And eventually, Ryan names the world leader he believes could be a serious candidate for the Antichrist.Rather than simply accepting the theory, Annaly puts it to the test.In this conversation:What does the Bible actually tell us about the Antichrist?Could the Antichrist come from the tribe of Dan?What happened to the Ten Lost Tribes?Could the Antichrist be both Syrian and Israelite?What does Daniel's “king of the north” actually mean?Does Daniel 9:26 point toward a Roman/Greco-Roman Antichrist?Could Islam's Mahdi actually be the biblical Antichrist?Could Islam play a role in Tribulation persecution?Why does Ryan believe Ahmed al-Sharaa deserves attention?And what evidence could prove his theory wrong?QUESTION: After hearing Ryan's case, are you convinced…or not? Let us know in the comments ⬇️

Yousef speaks with Fassih Keiso, the Syrian artist and photographer who took some of the most iconic pictures of the Last Hours of Arafat and PLO fighters before they left Beirut for the last time in 1982.This is the first of a 4-part interview.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this episode of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down the White House's "Promises Made, Promises Kept" push, including a new deal bringing $20 billion in pharmaceutical manufacturing back to US soil and record-high asylum denial rates as immigration courts race to clear a massive backlog. Bryan covers a batch of "Head-Scratcher" stories from Democrat-run states, including Washington inmates convicted of child rape suing for better trans medical care, Virginia's Fairfax County releasing illegal aliens accused of child sex crimes back onto the street, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani mourning a convicted murderer's death at Rikers Island while ignoring his victims. He also breaks down House Democrats' furious reaction to a resolution condemning socialism. Plus, Bryan covers President Trump's renewed call for Iranians to rise up against the regime as Tehran fires missiles at Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain, Spain's Prime Minister blaming Russia and Israel for the Moroccan invasion of Ceuta, a German welfare scam run by Syrian migrant clans, and fresh US and Australian investment in Pacific Island nations to counter China. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: Wright Report, Bryan Dean Wright, Promises Made Promises Kept, pharmaceutical manufacturing, asylum, immigration, Washington State, trans care, Fairfax County, Virginia, Zohran Mamdani, Rikers Island, socialism resolution, Iran, regime change, Jordan, Kuwait, Spain, Ceuta, Germany, Syrian welfare scam, Pacific Islands, China

Welcome to Walking the Way My name is Ray, and I really want to say thank you to everyone for listening in as we continue to explore what it means to have a regular rhythm of worship. CreditsOpening PrayerEphrem the Syrian, c.306-373Bible verseDaniel 4:37Thought for the dayRay BorrettBible PassageDaniel 4The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.Prayer Handbookprayer handbook WTW 2026.pdfSupporting Walking the WayIf you want to support Walking the Way, please go to: https://ko-fi.com/S6S4WXLBBor you can subscribe to the channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtheway/subscribeTo contact Ray: Please leave a comment or a review. I want to find out what people think and how we make it better.www.rayborrett.co.ukwalkingthewaypodcast@outlook.comhttps://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/8782930952435243719

Could major change finally be coming to Washington's Middle East policy?According to reporting cited by Laura Loomer, senior State Department officials reportedly want U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy Tom Barrack removed, and Barrack has allegedly been called back to Washington for “consultations.” Israel Hayom quoted Loomer citing a State Department source saying, “We want him gone so badly.”There has been no official announcement that Barrack has been fired, so hope must not be confused with confirmed fact. But his own statements raise serious questions about whose interests he has been advancing.Barrack declared that America's interests and those of Syrian ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, are “exactly the same today.” He described Sharaa's vision as “soft Islam,” while pressuring America's Kurdish allies to surrender their autonomy to Damascus.Barrack has also repeatedly promoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He argued that America should give Erdoğan the “legitimacy” he needs and supported reconsidering Turkey's participation in the F-35 program, despite Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 system and Erdoğan's support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.Barrack even referred to Israel as “occupying” the Golan Heights, despite President Donald Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty there, before later walking back his remarks.American diplomats must pursue American interests, not legitimize jihadists, excuse Erdoğan's ambitions, abandon Kurdish allies or pressure Israel for defending itself.President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio understand the threat posed by jihadist ideology and the Muslim Brotherhood network. Hopefully, they are now asking whether Tom Barrack belongs in such an influential position.Watch, share and help expose the truth. America deserves diplomats who put America first, and America's genuine allies deserve nothing less.Strengthen your faith in Hashem and stand with Pulse of Israel.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/

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)

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

Detroit-born, Palmdale-based chef whose culinary journey blends Lebanese and Syrian heritage with Southern California street food culture www.dtladinnerclub.com+1. His earliest cooking memories come from helping his sitto (grandmother) in Detroit, where he learned to prepare classic Mediterranean dishes like hummus, pita bread, and grilled lamb PSLA Inc. These formative experiences instilled in him the belief that food is a way to express love, faith, and family.At age 8, the Saady family moved to Palmdale, California, where they operated a gas station with a café. Jojo's first kitchen job was tending a deep fryer and helping collect ingredients for dinner www.dtladinnerclub.com. With no access to culinary school, he used the streets of Palmdale as his classroom, learning from street food vendors. Starting with a simple chicken-and-fries stand, he expanded into sandwiches and wraps, eventually opening his own restaurant Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

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/

Today’s Topics: Father Thomas Koller, OCD, joins Terry 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel – Luke 4:16-30 – Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had grown up, and went according to His custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, He handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at Him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His Mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the Son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,' and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'” And He said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When 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. Saints in Heaven, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Original Postdate: September 2, 2024 === Gospel Luke 4:16-30 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,' and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When 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. Reflection One of the most fascinating things about Jesus as a messiah, someone who came to change the entire world and free us from an excessive power of evil over us. He was so ordinary. He was of the house of David, but basically the fundamental thing was he was seen as an ordinary guy, from a little not so great town, that had a shady past because many thought maybe he was illegitimate. But you look at that and he is the voice of God. This ordinary human being on the surface. But what is it about him that's so powerful? Not him or his physical life on this planet, but the God that dwelled in him and did such extraordinary healing work. Closing Prayer Father, the gift of spirit to each and every one of us is beyond measure. Yet we often look for other qualities about us that we would be more like things that were honored by our culture, that were beautiful, that were wealthy, that we have a great education. None of that is really necessary for a human being to be effective in the world, if they allow God to work through them. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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/

Visual storyteller and photojournalist, Ann Hermes, joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to discuss her advocacy for visual storytelling and her photographic exploration of the loss of local newsrooms.https://www.annhermesphoto.comhttps://www.instagram.com/hermesphoto/I am a Brooklyn and Boston-based photojournalist and visual storyteller with a flair for the nostalgic. I create documentary tableaus that explore the roles that often overlooked, and sometimes outdated, institutions and people play in our history, culture and future. I've worked in a variety of logistically challenging situations on national and international assignments over my 15 years as a staff photographer for The Christian Science Monitor and other national and regional news outlets. This work ranged from breaking visual news coverage of the Arab Spring in Egypt to in-depth stories following Syrian refugees in Eastern Europe. My stories have also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Republic, and AARP.After years of experience in news photography, I am using my documentary expertise to create a visual exploration of the current critical era in journalism and explore the potential harm that the loss of local newsrooms would bring to our democracy. My Local Newsrooms project was recently exhibited at Photoville and profiled in Lenscratch. I hold an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri. This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club - Begin Building your dream photobook library today at:https://charcoalbookclub.com

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.

There is something almost relentless about the teaching of the Fathers on watchfulness. They will not allow us to imagine that there comes a point in the spiritual life when vigilance is no longer necessary. Age does not free us from it. Knowledge does not free us from it. Years of prayer do not free us from it. Even great spiritual gifts do not free us from it. “As long as you are in the body, do not leave your heart unguarded.” Until the last breath. At first this can sound severe. The image given by Abba Isaiah is striking: he is like a sparrow tied by the foot. It may fly upward and imagine itself free, but the cord remains. A single tug can bring it back to the earth. Likewise, the Fathers tell us that the enemy waits at the crossroads, lays traps along the path, makes use of small thoughts and seemingly insignificant compromises, and patiently seeks an opening into the heart. Yet if we read these sayings merely as a catalogue of demonic strategies, we have misunderstood their purpose. The Evergetinos is not trying to make us fascinated with evil. Nor are the Fathers trying to produce souls that are perpetually looking over their shoulders, anxiously examining every movement of the heart. They are teaching us watchfulness because they desire something infinitely greater for us. They want us to discover how precious the heart is to God. Indeed, hidden within these rather frightening descriptions is one of the most beautiful statements in the entire passage. The enemy himself is forced to confess concerning the monks: “You and your fellow-servants have a good Master, Who speaks to you gently and watches over you as His own children.” A good Master. One who speaks gently. One who watches over us as His own children. This is the heart of the teaching. We guard the heart because God guards the heart. Our vigilance is meant to become a participation in His vigilance over us. The commandments, prayer, repentance, the remembrance of God, the cutting off of thoughts—all of these are expressions of a divine solicitude that surrounds the human person. God desires to protect within us that which He has created for Himself. He desires that nothing should enter the heart that diminishes its freedom, darkens its vision, wounds its capacity for love, or turns its desire away from Him. The Fathers therefore teach us to recognize temptations, but recognition is not the end. We do not study the passions in order to become experts in the passions. We learn their movements so that we might become free to love. This distinction is everything. One can become extraordinarily knowledgeable about the spiritual life and still remain outside of its mystery. Abba Isaiah goes so far as to say that a man might possess knowledge, perform miracles, endure hardships, and yet still find himself vulnerable. None of these things constitutes the final security of the soul. Only love does. And so the passage unexpectedly opens into the words of the Apostle: “Love never faileth… but beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Here the teaching reaches its true center. The Fathers are not leading us toward an ever more sophisticated fear of temptation. They are leading us toward perfect love. Watchfulness exists for love. Asceticism exists for love. The guarding of the heart exists for love. Repentance exists for love. Even the fear of God, rightly understood, is gradually drawing the soul toward that love in which fear itself is transformed. This is why the smallest thoughts matter. Not because God is fastidious or because the Christian life consists in anxiously avoiding infractions. The smallest things matter because love notices what interferes with communion. When one loves another deeply, one becomes sensitive to anything that introduces distance. So too with God. The vigilant heart begins to recognize thoughts of resentment, vainglory, judgment, self-pity, lust, anger, curiosity, or self-will not simply as violations of a rule but as movements that draw the heart away from the One whom it loves. The Fathers repeatedly tell us that great falls ordinarily begin very quietly. A thought is entertained. Then revisited. Then befriended. What first appeared insignificant gradually acquires familiarity, and familiarity acquires power. “The Devil disdains small sins; yet without them, he cannot lead man into greater sins.” But precisely the opposite is also true. Small acts of fidelity gather strength. A thought rejected for Christ. A moment of irritation surrendered. A judgment withheld. A temptation met immediately with the Jesus Prayer. A movement of vainglory quietly ignored. A moment of fear answered by trust. A suffering borne without abandoning God. These things too form habits of the heart. Grace upon grace. Fidelity upon fidelity. Love answering Love. This is why the teaching about vigilance should never leave us preoccupied with the enemy. Abba Makarios does not continue his journey thinking about the devil. He gives thanks to God and goes on his way rejoicing. That detail is extraordinarily important. The fruit of true watchfulness is not anxiety. It is thanksgiving. It is the growing realization that we are being kept. The Elder who asked to see the demons surrounding men discovered something similar. He saw them “like bees,” gnashing their teeth. Yet among them stood the Angel of the Lord rebuking them. The revelation was not given so that the Elder might become terrified by the number of demons. It revealed something far greater: the mercy of God was already there. Before we perceive the danger, God sees it. Before we understand the temptation, God knows it. Before we cry out, He has already drawn near. This is why the proper response to our weakness is not self-reliance but the prayer Abba Isaiah places continually upon our lips: Help me. Have mercy upon me. Perhaps this is one of the deepest lessons the desert has to teach us. Watchfulness eventually reveals not how strong we are but how utterly dependent we are upon God. The vigilant man discovers more and more clearly that he cannot preserve himself. And strangely, this discovery becomes peace. St. Isaac the Syrian understood this profoundly. The knowledge of one's weakness is itself a doorway into the knowledge of divine mercy. When a man begins to understand how fragile he is, he ceases trusting in himself and casts himself upon God. Then prayer becomes less an accomplishment and more a cry of the heart. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Not because God is reluctant to give mercy. Because mercy is already rushing toward us. This also changes the meaning of constancy. We remain vigilant until death not because God stands waiting for us to make one final mistake. We remain vigilant because love desires to remain with the Beloved until the end. The question becomes less, How do I avoid falling? And more: How do I remain with Him? This is the deeper meaning of guarding the heart. To remain. To abide. To keep the inner door turned toward Christ. To allow nothing to become more compelling than His presence. There will always be thoughts. There will always be temptations. There will always be some cord around the foot of the sparrow as long as we remain in this present life. The Fathers are remarkably sober about this. There is no moment when we may say, “Now I am beyond danger.” But neither is there a moment when we are beyond mercy. And perhaps that is what gives watchfulness its tenderness. We do not stand guard alone. The One who tells us to watch is Himself watching over us. The One who tells us to guard the heart has already claimed that heart as His dwelling. The One who warns us against the snares of the enemy does so because He desires our freedom infinitely more than we do. He does not expose the traps in order to frighten His children. He exposes them because He loves His children. And gradually the spiritual life becomes less and less a struggle to defend ourselves and more an abandonment to this love. We discover that the safest place for the heart is not in its own vigilance, strength, knowledge, or experience. It is in Him. So until the last breath we watch. Until the last breath we repent. Until the last breath we cry out. Until the last breath we refuse the thought that would carry us away. But beneath all of this there is something deeper and quieter: we allow ourselves to be drawn. Drawn by mercy. Drawn by beauty. Drawn by the gentleness of the good Master. Drawn by the One who has watched over us as His children from the beginning. And perhaps, in the end, perfect watchfulness is simply this: to love Him so deeply that the heart no longer wishes to go anywhere else. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:24:33 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 59, first paragraph on page, above #9 00:27:52 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 59, #10 00:31:33 James Hickman: The tug doesn't seem to be with the most tremendous force either, for the feeling or illusion of freedom or thinking in pride that we have overcome our vices, we get a tiny jerk on the rope and get caught off guard, falling hard. I see in my own life, I think a certain sin is behind me and then seemingly out of nowhere a tiny tug sends me hurling down, crashing and burning. 00:32:26 Forrest: Reacted to "The tug doesn't seem to be with the most tremendous force either, for the feeling or illusion of freedom or thinking in pride that we have overcome our vices, we get a tiny jerk on the rope and get caught off guard, falling hard. I see in my own life, I think a certain sin is behind me and then seemingly out of nowhere a tiny tug sends me hurling down, crashing and burning." with

There are passages in St. Isaac that can sound almost impossible to modern ears. His words on vigil are among them. “Do not imagine,” he tells us, “that among all the works of monastics there is any practice greater than night vigil.” We hear such words and immediately think of sleep deprivation, bodily exhaustion, long hours of psalmody, standing in darkness while the rest of the world sleeps. We wonder whether such a practice belongs to another age, another kind of human being, perhaps even another understanding of the spiritual life. But this is precisely where we can misunderstand Isaac. Vigil becomes incomprehensible when it is separated from desire. If we begin with asceticism, vigil appears severe. If we begin with love, it begins to make sense. The lover understands the night. There are moments when we do not want an evening to end because we are with someone we love. There are conversations in which we cease looking at the clock. A mother remains awake beside a sick child without calculating the sacrifice. Someone awaiting the return of the beloved listens for every sound in the night. Love changes our experience of time. And so it is with the saints. They did not remain awake because they despised sleep. They remained awake because they had discovered Someone for whom it was worth losing sleep. This is the secret of vigil. “That I May Be With You” The Fathers understood the spiritual life far less as the fulfillment of religious obligations than as the awakening of desire. Beneath fasting, silence, solitude, tears, prostrations, psalmody, and vigil lies a single movement of the heart: I want God. Not merely His gifts. Not consolation. Not religious experiences. Not even virtue considered as a possession. God Himself. This is why St. Isaac describes the mind of the one who keeps vigil as becoming light and buoyant, taking flight “as it were on wings.” The ascetic is not merely staying awake. Something within him is being released. During the day the mind is scattered among a thousand things. We speak. We answer. We plan. We remember. We anticipate. We defend ourselves. We attend to necessities. Even when these things are good, the heart becomes divided among them. Then comes the night. The voices diminish. The demands cease. The world grows quiet. And the soul discovers again the One whom it has been seeking beneath everything else. This is why vigil was so precious to the Desert Fathers and remains so in the teaching of the great modern elders. It creates a space in which the heart can become undivided. The night says: There is nowhere else I need to go. There is nothing I need to accomplish. There is no one before whom I need to justify myself. There is only God. And I am here. The Recovery of Wonder Yet there is something even deeper in Isaac's teaching. Vigil is not merely about attention. It is about wonder. Isaac tells us that the one who perseveres in vigil begins to “gaze upon” heavenly realities. His language is deliberately extravagant: the soul comes to possess “the eyes of Cherubim.” What does this mean? It means that purification changes how we see. The tragedy of fallen existence is not simply that we commit sins. It is that we gradually cease to be astonished by God. We become accustomed to everything. Accustomed to the Gospel. Accustomed to the Eucharist. Accustomed to the name of Jesus. Accustomed to the Cross. Accustomed even to the astonishing claim that the Creator of heaven and earth desires communion with us. And when wonder disappears, desire soon weakens with it. The Fathers knew that the heart must be awakened again. This is one reason vigil has such power. In the silence of the night, familiar words can suddenly become new. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” We may have spoken those words ten thousand times. Yet in the stillness something can happen. Jesus. The Name becomes luminous. God is here. God sees me. God desires me. God has called me into existence that I might share His life. And suddenly prayer is no longer something we are performing. It is encounter. Wonder gives birth to desire, and desire gives birth to greater attention. Then the soul begins to understand why the saints stayed awake. The Vigil of the Lover This is why we must be careful not to turn Isaac's teaching into another spiritual program. Stay awake longer. Say more psalms. Sleep less. Accumulate hours. Isaac himself warns against precisely this distortion. A person may endure “prolonged psalmody,” weariness of the tongue, and “night-long standing,” and yet receive little fruit because the mind is elsewhere. The body is standing before God while the heart is wandering through the world. Isaac asks, with characteristic directness: Why sow so much seed if we continually prevent it from bearing fruit? Vigil without attention becomes habit. Vigil without desire becomes endurance. Vigil without love becomes religious achievement. And religious achievement can quietly feed the very ego that asceticism is meant to dismantle. The true vigil begins somewhere deeper. Stay with Me. This is the invitation hidden within the night. Christ in Gethsemane asked His disciples, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Perhaps every vigil is, in some mysterious way, our answer to that question. Yes, Lord. I will stay. Not because I am strong. Not because I am an ascetic. Not because I want to imagine myself among the saints. I stay because You are here. Why Vigil Requires the Day This also explains something that Isaac emphasizes strongly and that can easily be overlooked. The vigil cannot be separated from the way we live during the day. If we spend the day deliberately filling the mind with noise, agitation, curiosity, argument, distraction, and endless encounters, we should not be surprised if those same things accompany us into prayer at night. Isaac therefore insists that the monk who desires the fruit of vigil must guard himself from unnecessary disturbance during the day. This is not contempt for the world. It is custody of the heart. The Fathers understood something about human consciousness that our age desperately needs to rediscover: what we give ourselves to leaves traces within us. Everything enters the heart. Images. Conversations. Arguments. News. Resentments. Fantasies. Fears. The opinions of others. The desire to be seen. The need to respond. The mind carries these things into silence. Thus vigil actually begins long before nightfall. It begins with how we guard the heart throughout the day. The School of Freedom This is one reason the disappearance of vigil from much contemporary Christian life is significant. We have not merely lost an ascetical practice. We have lost one of the great schools of desire, attention, and freedom. The modern world teaches us to flee silence. It places a device in our hand capable of filling every empty moment. It trains the eyes to seek novelty and the mind to expect constant stimulation. The Fathers move in precisely the opposite direction. Be still. Remain. Watch. Wait. Listen. Do not flee the emptiness. Because eventually you may discover that it was never empty. Someone was waiting for you there. The purpose of vigil is not to prove that we can conquer the body. It is to become free enough to recognize the presence of the Beloved. “I Sleep, but My Heart Is Awake” The goal, then, is ultimately something greater than remaining physically awake. The goal is wakefulness of heart. “I sleep, but my heart is awake,” says the Bride in the Song of Songs. There is the mystery. The deepest vigil eventually becomes a state of the soul. A person begins to live before God. The Jesus Prayer continues beneath thought. The remembrance of God becomes increasingly continuous. The heart waits for Him. Looks toward Him. Listens for Him. Desires Him. This is the angelic quality Isaac sees in vigil. The angels do not merely “stay awake.” They exist in ceaseless attention to God. Their life is beholding. And Isaac dares to say that through vigil the human person begins to participate in this same movement. The eyes of the heart open. Wonder returns. Desire intensifies. Prayer deepens. The mind grows light. And gradually the soul discovers that the ascetical life is not fundamentally a life of deprivation. It is a life of fascination. The Night Is Not Empty Perhaps this is what we most need to recover from Isaac. We will never understand the asceticism of the Fathers if we begin with what they gave up. We must begin with what they saw. They saw a Beauty before which the beauties of the world grew pale. They tasted a sweetness that made lesser consolations seem small. They discovered a Love so immense that solitude became communion, silence became fullness, fasting became hunger for God, and vigil became the refusal to leave the presence of the Beloved. This is why the teaching on vigil belongs so naturally beside the language of desire and wonder. The ascetic does not remain awake merely because a rule commands it. He has glimpsed something. And because he has glimpsed it, he wants to see more. Wonder awakens desire. Desire gathers the scattered heart. The gathered heart becomes attentive. Attention becomes prayer. And prayer becomes communion. Then something remarkable happens. What once appeared burdensome becomes precious. The night that once seemed long becomes too short. Silence that once frightened us becomes the place we long to enter. And the prayer that once seemed an obligation becomes something from which we are reluctant to depart. The saints kept vigil because they discovered that the night was not empty. The Beloved was there. And once the heart knows this, the deepest question is no longer: Why would anyone remain awake to pray? It becomes: How could love not want to remain? --- Text of chat during the group: 00:18:08 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 222, Homily 20 00:23:28 David Swiderski: The last time we discussed this and sleeping 8 hours straight and for most of time people at least in Europe slept "2" times I went back to my Grandfather's diary and it appears the wood stoves in Northern Wisconsin only lasted 4hrs and you would need to get up and feed the fire so they naturally did vigils and took advantage of the break in sleep. In Spain and Latina America they have a nap in some areas due to the heat (2 hour lunch) and are up till 1 or 2 am. It seems modern western society is a new adaptation of what was a practice for hundreds of years. 00:25:10 Ryan Ngeve: Father what is one to do if these practices and deprivations make us more agitated/irritated and downcast, especially towards  others, as they tend to do? 00:39:01 Gwen's iPhone: my cat does! 00:39:24 James Hickman: Is it safe to call vigils a means to the end, which is nearness to the Lord, such that a super practical means to find closeness with the Lord is this watching for him when there are fewer distractions (not that we are safe from distractions in the night, but that the many combating us in the day are perhaps different in kind or number than those distractions of the night)? 00:42:15 Rod Castillo: I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it. 00:43:46 James Hickman: Reacted to "I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it." with

There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblige you to labor. We imagine the vigil primarily as something difficult. Sleep is surrendered. The body is constrained. Psalms are prayed while the world sleeps. Nature protests and the monk remains standing before God. Looked at from the outside, it appears to be an extraordinary act of discipline. But Isaac tells us that if this is all we see, we have not yet understood the vigil. The question is not how much a man can endure for God. The question is what begins to happen within the heart of a man who desires God enough to seek Him in the night. Something is born there. This is why Isaac speaks so fiercely about the following day. The tragedy would not simply be that we failed in some ascetical rule. The tragedy would be that we received something precious and then lived carelessly enough to lose it. Seeking the One Who Has Already Come to Us The night vigil is born from desire. The monk rises because Someone is there. This is what distinguishes Christian asceticism from mere religious exertion. We are not trying to force our way toward an absent God. We are responding to the God who has already drawn near, already called us, already awakened desire within us. The Beloved has come seeking us. And eventually the heart begins seeking Him. There comes a moment in the spiritual life when prayer is no longer adequately described as obligation. The language of duty becomes too small. A man discovers within himself a hunger for silence because silence allows him to hear more clearly. He desires solitude because solitude removes the thousand competing claims upon his attention. He rises in the night because there are hours when the world has become quiet enough for the heart to recognize what it has always desired. Isaac knows this experience. This is why he speaks of Scripture as well. Reading is not merely preparation for prayer or the acquisition of religious knowledge. Scripture “sows” something within the soul. It gathers the scattered mind. It irrigates prayer. It plants the remembrance of God. It makes the understanding subtle enough to perceive things that previously escaped it. Scripture, silence, prayer, vigil—all begin converging upon the one thing necessary. Christ Himself. And once the heart begins to taste this, the whole ordering of life must change. The Day Must Become the Guardian of the Night Here Isaac becomes extraordinarily demanding. What sense is there, he asks, in sowing throughout the night only to scatter the seed during the day? We stand before God in darkness, struggling to gather the mind. Perhaps after a long while the thoughts settle. Something softens. The Name descends more deeply. Scripture opens itself in a way that cannot easily be explained. A stillness appears that we could never manufacture. Then morning comes. And we throw ourselves back into dispersion. Conversation. Curiosity. News. Opinions. Tasks that did not need to be done. Encounters that did not need to occur. Words that did not need to be spoken. The endless grazing of the mind among things. Isaac's question is devastatingly simple: Why would you do this? Why labor through the night to gather what you willingly scatter during the day? This reveals something essential about the monastic heart. Vigil cannot be isolated from the rest of life. There cannot be one life before God and another life afterward. Isaac says that we must place “no wall of separation” between the night and the day. That phrase is astonishing. The stillness of the night is meant to flow into the day. The remembrance of God cultivated in darkness must become the hidden atmosphere in which we move beneath the light of the sun. The silence of the cell must follow us. The Name must remain near. Our encounters, our speech, our work, even the manner in which we allow ourselves to think must begin to be governed by one question: Will this help me remain with the One whom I have found? This is not narrowness. It is love. Love Makes a Man Careful When something becomes precious to us, we become careful around it. This perhaps explains Isaac's asceticism better than almost anything else. The Fathers guard the senses because something precious has been entrusted to the heart. They guard speech because words can disturb what silence has gathered. They flee unnecessary encounters because the mind can quickly become populated by images, arguments, memories, anxieties, and judgments. They restrain curiosity because the heart cannot gaze simultaneously in every direction and remain simple before God. From outside, such a life may appear severe. From within, it is tenderness. A man in love does not experience every renunciation as deprivation. Some things simply become less interesting because something infinitely more beautiful has appeared. This is why the ascetical life is so counterintuitive. We ordinarily construct our days around what must be accomplished and then attempt to fit prayer somewhere within them. Isaac reverses the order. Order the day around what must not be lost. What if the most important thing that happened today occurred while the world was sleeping? What if the deepest work was not something we accomplished but the quiet gathering of the heart before God? What if the purpose of tomorrow were, in part, simply not to lose it? Then discernment changes. We begin asking not merely whether something is sinful, permissible, useful, interesting, or productive. We begin asking whether it preserves the heart's capacity for God. This is a much more demanding question. “You Would Have Embraced Jesus' Bosom” And then Isaac says something almost unbearably beautiful. Had the monk allowed his daytime life to correspond to the meditation of the night, had he placed no division between them, Isaac says that “in a short time you would have embraced Jesus' bosom.” Here the entire meaning of vigil is unveiled. Not achievement. Not spiritual heroism. Not mastery over sleep. The bosom of Jesus. Communion. Intimacy. Rest in the Beloved. Everything else exists for this. We constrain ourselves because we desire freedom from everything that prevents love. We become silent because we desire to hear. We remain awake because we desire to see. We read because we desire the mind of Christ. We guard ourselves because we have discovered something worth guarding. Even the night itself becomes sacramental in this sense. The darkness strips things of their urgency. The machinery of the world slows. The identities we carry during the day become less important. There is less to perform and less to defend. There is simply the creature before the Creator. The beloved before the Beloved. And the Name. Lord Jesus Christ. The New Life Begins in the Night Isaac finally speaks of those who desire “knowledge of the new life.” That is what vigil opens before us. A new life. Not merely a more disciplined version of the old one. Perhaps this is why the call to stillness can become stronger rather than weaker as the spiritual life deepens. The field of vision narrows. Things once regarded as indispensable reveal themselves as secondary. Activities that once seemed important begin to feel strangely weightless. Even good works must find their proper place. Not because love has diminished. Because desire has become concentrated. One thing is necessary. The night teaches this with a clarity the day rarely permits. And so perhaps Isaac's teaching on vigil reaches far beyond the question of how many hours we sleep. He is teaching us how to construct an entire life around the remembrance of God. Receive the night as gift. Read until the mind is gathered. Call upon the Name. Stand before God when nothing seems to be happening. Remain. And when something begins to awaken within you—some tenderness, some compunction, some clarity, some quiet awareness of the One who has been waiting for you—do not rush away from it. Guard it. Carry it into the morning. Let your speech become quieter because of it. Let your choices become simpler. Let unnecessary things fall away. Let the day itself become an extension of the vigil. For the purpose of the vigil was never simply that we should remain awake. It was that we should awaken. And having awakened, that we should refuse to return to sleep. The Fathers went into the night because they had begun to glimpse the astonishing truth hidden beneath all asceticism: God is worth seeking. God is worth waiting for. God is worth arranging an entire life around. And once the heart has begun to discover Him in the silence, wisdom consists largely in learning not to lose during the day what Love has given us in the night. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:21:49 Ambrose Little: It's supposed to make your head hurt.

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.

 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

War On Terror Trump Pulls Syrian Al Qaeda From US Terror List. by Ron Paul Liberty Report

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: • Washington launches a sweeping economic campaign against Iran, warning foreign governments and companies to choose between doing business with Tehran and retaining access to the American financial system. Iran responds by threatening to detain dozens of tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. • Ukraine expands its attacks on Russia's consumer economy, striking warehouses belonging to Ozon, the country's second-largest online retailer. • North Korea prepares for another possible troop deployment to Russia after already supplying Moscow with more than 15 million artillery rounds. • In today's Back of the Brief, the United States brings Israeli and Syrian officials together for talks aimed at preventing another dangerous regional escalation. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Goldbelly: Impress your family and friends - get free shipping and 20% off your first order at https://GOLDBELLY.com with code PDB. Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  HomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/dailybriefand get 50% off your first year of coverage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gaius and Germanicus: Germanicus attributes these failures to a psychological myth of omnipotence that has "suckled" every post-Cold War president: George H.W. Bush dipping a toe into Somalia, Bill Clinton's cruise missile war on Serbia, Barack Obama's targeted killings, Donald Trump mesmerized by unlimited power despite "mature" advisers, and Joe Biden's "feckless adventure" in Ukraine, sputtering that the US was the "greatest nation with the biggest military of all time." The failed campaign to defeat Russia should have been the alarm bell; instead the establishment stayed blind, and the current president—driven by instant gratification and poll rises, as in the first-term Miami meeting with Xi Jinping where he launched cruise missiles at a Syrian airport while serving chocolate cake—has proven American power "evanescent," "brittle," and "superficial." The hosts then catalog the petty feuds with "subkings" that Rome would have discouraged: the aggressive feud with Canada and Mark Carney despite a century of shared history; threats to invade Greenland, prompting the Danes to enlarge their army; disparaging loyal South Korea while courting Kim Jong-un, a "fratricidal cretin" whose flattery Germanicus calls "creepy"; threatening to throw steadfast Oman "into the ocean"; and destroying the bridge built by Giorgia Meloni, the EU's effective "Trump whisperer." Rather than championing an end to Europe's migration crisis, the president has backed the Sultan of Morocco over Ceuta and Melilla, inciting one of the continent's worst flashpoints—conduct Germanicus reads not as dementia but as narcissism grown into "incipient and growing megalomania," in sharp contrast with the implicit rules of the "divine Augustus," whose disregarding heirs Caligula and Nero did not last long. (2)

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week's news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (7:09); the Iran MOU expires as Trump escalates the economic war (9:20); the Islamic Republic might restart the shooting war (13:36); the Pentagon and Arab governments rethink America's military presence in the Gulf (15:58); Trump curtails military exercises with South Korea, possibly moving toward diplomacy with North Korea/DPRK (18:53); the Sudanese military concludes a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia (24:47); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (27:39); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy faces calls for new elections (30:06); Trump suspends new tariffs on Canada (33:01); the U.S. moves Operation Southern Spear onto land (34:50); and a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report details the cost of the new “Trump class” battleships (36:45). Watch a replay of last night's livestream with Séamus Malekafzali. 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

An American woman found in a Syrian refugee camp says her family was tricked by her husband into joining the Islamic State. A British journalist tries to fact‑check whether she was a militant or just a mother. In this CWO Classic Rewind, we're returning to our January 11, 2021 review of season 1 of the podcast “I'm Not a Monster” from BBC Panorama and PBS's Frontline with host Josh Baker. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrea Stricker of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies examines Middle Eastern nuclear proliferation and the mystery surrounding legacy materials. Stricker details a positive, US-brokered development in which the post-AssadSyrian government agreed to cooperate and turn over legacy yellowcake uranium stored at a covert facility known as Site 99. This material was intended for a North Korean-built plutonium-producing reactor at Al-Kibar, which was destroyed by Israel in 2007. Despite long-standing Syrian secrecy and the site changing hands among various factions, environmental sampling by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed undeclared, man-made uranium particles at multiple locations. Stricker also raises concerns regarding Turkey's nuclear ambitions, highlighting its civilian programs' potential military purposes and Turkey's recent attempt to secure raw uranium contracts with the military regime in Niger. (9)

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-19-2026Rebecca Grant, Vice President of the Lexington Institute, discusses technological advancements on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. She details the transition from traditional steam-powered catapults to modern electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS), which offer superior, adjustable torque to launch both lightweight drones and heavily armed fighter jets. Additionally, Grant highlights the ship's new electromagnetic advanced weapons elevators, which double the capacity of older Nimitz-class systems and move much faster to significantly improve sortie generation rates. However, a White House executive order directing a study to reconsider steam systems threatens to disrupt these advancements. Grant warns that backtracking to older technology on carriers currently in construction, like the CVN-81, could delay delivery by up to seven years, creating dangerous operational gaps as Chinese naval threats rise in the Pacific. (1)Rick Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center analyzes China's advancement in space and its competition with the United States. Fisher discusses China's Gandai constellation, a space debris monitoring satellite system controlled by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which tracked a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster crashing near the moon's Einstein crater from over 380,000 kilometers away. He warns that this constellation can perform dual-use military targeting for space combat and missile defense. Fisher criticizes China's lack of transparency, noting its refusal to give advance notice for earthbound ICBM tests and its intention to let expendable propulsion stages crash into the lunar surface. Finally, he highlights the rapid progress of China's LandSpace with its liquid-fueled, methane-oxygen-powered reusable Zhuque-3 rocket, predicting that ten Chinese companies will offer cheap reusable launch services within five years and directly undercut Western competitors. (2)Greg Scarlatoiu, President and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, analyzes the multifaceted security threats posed by Pyongyang. Scarlatoiu describes North Korea as a post-communist, dynastic kleptocracy and a crime family masquerading as a nation-state. Under Kim Jong-un, the regime has consolidated its intelligence and police agencies while streamlining its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Scarlatoiu explains that North Korea's war economy exploits its people's human rights and security to fund weapons, which it now exports globally to Russia and Iran. The discussion, co-hosted by Gordon Chang, highlights active military provocations along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), including recent boundary crossings. Finally, Scarlatoiu and Chang evaluate how controversial remarks by the Trump administration praising Kim Jong-un have strained trust in extended deterrence and undermined relationships within the vital US-South Korea alliance. (3)Craig Unger, investigative reporter and author, explores President Donald Trump's unstable foreign policy toward Russia and Ukraine. Unger contends that Trump behaves as a Russian appeaser whose real estate-linked advisers take marching orders from Vladimir Putin. The discussion highlights how Ukrainian-manufactured drones have successfully targeted Russian oil refineries, causing severe fuel shortages and long gas lines across Russia. While these military successes initially impressed Trump, leading him to publicly promise Patriot missiles and production technology to President Zelenskyy, Unger reveals that Trump subsequently withheld this critical support. Unger cautions that as Putin faces an existential crisis and potential military defeat, he may launch a limited incursion into Baltic states like Estonia or Poland. This would trigger NATO's Article 5, which Unger warns Trump would likely refuse to honor, thereby destroying the Western alliance. (4)Caleb Weiss of the Bridgeway Foundation and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies examines the evolution of African jihadist movements. Weiss details the case of Jamal Chima, a Ugandan Guantanamo Bay alumnus who transitioned from Al-Qaeda to recruiting for the Islamic State Central African Province (ISCAP) in Kampala. Weiss explains that East African court systems frequently experience "catch and release" cycles due to strict evidentiary demands for terrorism cases. The segment also addresses the kidnapping of missionary Kevin Rideout by the Islamic State Sahel Province. Weiss describes how these groups raise funds through lucrative ransoms, utilizing regional coordination hubs like the Al-Furqan and Al-Karrar offices to move capital globally to active cells in regions like Afghanistan. Finally, he notes that eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar has leveraged anti-jihadist operations to secure Western backing. (5)Michael Bernstam of the Hoover Institution warns of a severe global crisis in refined petroleum products, especially diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. Bernstam explains that the "crack spread"—the cost differential between crude oil and refined diesel—has reached an unprecedented historical peak of over $102 per barrel. This crisis stems from a fifty-year systemic failure, during which no major new refineries were built in the United States or Europe. Compounding this, sophisticated Ukrainian drone strikes have successfully knocked out 40% of Russia's refining capacity, forcing the major oil exporter to ban refined product exports and become an importer. Additionally, China has halted refined exports to meet its domestic demand. Bernstam warns that the resulting global diesel shortage directly threatens agricultural planting, harvesting, and regional food security, particularly for developing nations as winter approaches. (6)Peter Huessy of the Gold Institute for International Strategy critiques the Hollywood film House of Dynamite for its inaccurate depiction of US nuclear command and control. Huessy argues that the movie relies on flawed premises, such as the sudden, unexplained failure of Defense Support Program (DSP) tracking satellites and the total failure of US missile defense interceptors, to fabricate a helpless crisis scenario. He highlights that actual US missile defenses achieve 75% to 85% success in tests and up to 98% in combat scenarios like Israel's missile defense systems. Huessy strongly refutes the film's negative portrayal of military leadership as reckless warmongers and its central message that nuclear deterrence is ineffective. He asserts that the nuclear triad has successfully and perfectly preserved global peace for eighty years, keeping the country safe. (7)Simon Constable, writer for the Wall Street Journal, discusses European climate anomalies and their severe impact on global commodities. Speaking from the south of France, Constable reports temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius, contributing to low water levels in the Danube, Rhine, and Po rivers. These climate constraints, alongside maritime blockades of Ukrainian ports, have driven up prices for energy, wheat, and coffee. Turning to UK politics, Constable criticizes Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to spur house-building and notes that regional politicians like Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham lack an international profile. Finally, he reviews a longevity quiz from the Wall Street Journal, which highlights that the wealthiest Americans live fourteen years longer than the poorest. He notes that Japan leads the world in centenarians, emphasizing that geographic location and financial wealth are pivotal factors in determining an individual's healthy lifespan. (8)Andrea Stricker of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies examines Middle Eastern nuclear proliferation and the mystery surrounding legacy materials. Stricker details a positive, US-brokered development in which the post-AssadSyrian government agreed to cooperate and turn over legacy yellowcake uranium stored at a covert facility known as Site 99. This material was intended for a North Korean-built plutonium-producing reactor at Al-Kibar, which was destroyed by Israel in 2007. Despite long-standing Syrian secrecy and the site changing hands among various factions, environmental sampling by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed undeclared, man-made uranium particles at multiple locations. Stricker also raises concerns regarding Turkey's nuclear ambitions, highlighting its civilian programs' potential military purposes and Turkey's recent attempt to secure raw uranium contracts with the military regime in Niger. (9)Joel Kotkin, senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, examines California's economic and demographic challenges. Kotkin notes that California is on the verge of losing its population lead as middle-class families vote with their feet and move to states like Texas. He attributes this out-migration to exorbitant housing costs, a severe shortage of upwardly mobile middle-class jobs, and high electricity prices that hamper manufacturing and modern technology sectors like artificial intelligence. Furthermore, Kotkin highlights systemic social issues, including high teen unemployment, rising store break-ins, and a deteriorating public education system. These factors have depleted the state's middle class, leaving the tax base heavily dependent on a wealthy top one percent who can easily relocate to lower-tax states like Florida. Kotkin warns that this loss of middle-class families threatens California's future tax base and demographic vitality. (10)Corrections applied, several pending your confirmation: Bridgeway Foundation (transcribed as "Ridgeway," segment 5 — Weiss's actual affiliation), Al-Furqan and Al-Karrar offices (transcribed as "Al-Furkan and Al-Karr" — the standard renderings of the ISIS regional offices), LandSpace and Zhuque-3 (transcribed as "Land Space Corporation" and "Juk 3" — the Chinese firm and its rocket), Zelenskyy per house style, and "yellow cake" → yellowcake. One flag: "Gandaiconstellation" (segment 2) — I couldn't verify that name; the audio may be rendering a Chinese program name roughly, worth checking with the transcript or Fisher's notes. In segment 8, note the source describes Keir Starmer as PM and Andy Burnham as Manchester Mayor — this contradicts the recent batches where Burnham is PM. I've left it as the source has it since it's Constable's segment, but flag it if the summary tool garbled the timeline.R

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this episode of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down America's national debt hitting a staggering $40 trillion, tracing how decades of spending and tax cuts under both parties brought the country to this point. Bryan covers a new CATO Institute analysis showing Democratic Socialist policy demands would require up to $212 trillion in new spending, AOC's struggle to explain the difference between socialism and communism, and her party's celebration of Fidel Castro's 100th birthday. He also breaks down a Minnesota state lawmaker's blunt admission that democracy is just a placeholder until a "politburo of loyalists" can take over. Plus, Bryan covers the secret US Navy and CIA flotilla operation now moving nearly half of pre-war oil volumes through the Strait of Hormuz, Israel's airstrike on a Turkish-rebuilt Syrian airbase, a bombshell speech from Ukraine's former defense minister challenging President Zelenskyy to hold elections, and new research linking WWII-era British sugar rationing to longer, healthier adult lives. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: Wright Report, Bryan Dean Wright, national debt, $40 trillion, debt to GDP, Democratic Socialists, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Fidel Castro, communism, Minnesota, Strait of Hormuz, oil blockade, CIA, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Erdogan, Ukraine, Zelenskyy, election, sugar rationing, cancer research

Jonathan Schanzer examines the fractured state of Hamas, noting the group currently controls only 30% of Gaza while facing internal discord over potential disarmament. International negotiators are discussing a "disarm first" condition, which Hamas leadership currently rejects, demanding an Israeli withdrawal instead—a term Schanzer deems unacceptable to any Israeli leader. The conversation turns to Iran, where Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Omandue to its perceived collaboration with the Iranian regime. Despite its "Switzerland of the Middle East" reputation, Oman hosts Houthi and IRGC headquarters, facilitating intelligence and weapon transfers. Schanzer warns that Iran is in "war mode," coordinating closely with its proxy network to prepare for future violence. He also details the rapid rearmament of the Syrian military under Turkish and Russian influence, which concerns Israel. Finally, a new Sunni alliance between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia seeks to diminish Iranian Shiite power. (2)

TABLE OF CONTENTS, JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-18-2026Liz Peek discusses the resilience of the American economy, noting that high-end consumer spending remains strong despite recession fears. Small businesses are reportedly "humming," with hiring and profitability reaching their highest levels since 2026. This economic momentum is increasingly driven by a massive boom in AI development, which has created an exponential demand for long-term capital. However, this appetite for money is pressuring the bond market, leading to higher mortgage rates that hinder the housing industry. Peek highlights a growing divide between red and blue states, where the former are more likely to embrace AI investment while the latter resist it. She also addresses the influence of Hasan Piker, a radical Twitch streamer who mobilizes young men for Democratic candidates like Abdul El-Sayed. Despite concerns about AI-related job losses, Peek argues it is a vital tool for productivity and medical advancement. (1)Jonathan Schanzer examines the fractured state of Hamas, noting the group currently controls only 30% of Gaza while facing internal discord over potential disarmament. International negotiators are discussing a "disarm first" condition, which Hamas leadership currently rejects, demanding an Israeli withdrawal instead—a term Schanzer deems unacceptable to any Israeli leader. The conversation turns to Iran, where Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Omandue to its perceived collaboration with the Iranian regime. Despite its "Switzerland of the Middle East" reputation, Oman hosts Houthi and IRGC headquarters, facilitating intelligence and weapon transfers. Schanzer warns that Iran is in "war mode," coordinating closely with its proxy network to prepare for future violence. He also details the rapid rearmament of the Syrian military under Turkish and Russian influence, which concerns Israel. Finally, a new Sunni alliance between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia seeks to diminish Iranian Shiite power. (2)Gregory Copley analyzes China's recent ICBM test in the South China Sea, interpreting it as "Wolf Warrior diplomacy" designed to signal naval reach to the US and regional neighbors. Australia is countering this threat through the AUKUSand Five Eyes alliances, though Copley notes a lack of cohesion between current heads of government. He highlights Canada's significant pivot under Mark Carney toward independent defense spending, reaching 5% of GDP to secure the Northwest Passage and Arctic interests. Regarding Yemen, Copley argues the Houthis represent the legitimate military weight of North Yemen, while the internationally recognized government is merely a "Saudi puppet." He suggests Western diplomacy should deal directly with the Houthis rather than adhering to Saudi preferences. Additionally, Copley provides a historical defense of Charles I, arguing his execution was an illegal abrogation of the social contract. He maintains that constitutional monarchies remain a viable and flourishing modern system. (3)Mary Kissel discusses the strained US-South Korea alliance, where disagreements over military funding have prompted Seoul to seek independent nuclear-powered submarine capabilities. She characterizes North Korea as a reckless actor that has committed tens of thousands of combat troops and ballistic missiles to aid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kissel critiques the "transactional nature" of current diplomacy, noting that contradictory signals toward Kim Jong-unundermine national security strategies. Regarding Oman, she defends the nation as a moderate partner vital for counterterrorism and the release of detained Americans, viewing Trump's threats to bomb the country as an expression of frustration over Iran. Kissel also highlights political successes in South America, where center-right victories in Colombia and Chile represent a return to capitalist principles and closer ties with the US. She concludes by noting that environmental factors like El Niño will soon challenge regional stability in Brazil. (4)Joseph Sternberg addresses the looming "year of doom" in 2032, when the Social Security trust fund is projected to run out. Without reform, benefits could be slashed by 22% to match current payroll tax revenues, creating a massive political crisis. Sternberg explores potential remedies such as means testing for high-earners like Elon Musk or raising the payroll tax cap, though he warns these could impact broader economic growth. He highlights the generational fairness issue of asking younger workers to fund benefits that baby boomers were unprepared to pay for themselves. The discussion also covers the rise of Hasan Piker, a popular Twitch streamer who broadcasts far-left economic views to a younger audience. While Piker is photogenic and compelling, Sternberg describes him as a "popularizer" rather than a deep thinker. Piker's pugnacious approach serves as a bellwether for whether radical progressive ideas can succeed in general elections. (5)Thaddeus McCotter analyzes the recent Michigan Democratic primary, where Dr. Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated the establishment candidate, Haley Stevens. El-Sayed, an "anti-establishment" fighter endorsed by Bernie Sanders, capitalized on unhappiness within the Democratic base, particularly in counties with large young populations like Washtenaw and Kent. While El-Sayed distances himself from the "Socialist" label, he supports extensive economic regulation and holds anti-Israel sentiments popular in Ann Arbor. McCotter notes that the Democratic establishment is now rallying around El-Sayed to preserve their Senate majority, hoping a "common enemy" in Donald Trump will bridge internal divides. Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a former Intelligence Committee chair, plans to counter El-Sayed by focusing on manufacturing, border security, and the risks of "Medicare for All" to seniors. McCotter warns that Trump's messaging on the "Iran war" and rising inflation remains a significant hurdle for Republican candidates in the general election. (6)Bob Zimmerman reports on the successful recovery of a SpaceX Starship near Christmas Island, which remained seaworthy for 24 days after a vertical splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This achievement, along with SpaceX's record-breaking launch frequency, signals a "renaissance to American ingenuity." Zimmerman notes that Elon Musk's political involvement was a defensive reaction to the Biden administration's regulatory pressure on his companies. In the Ukraineconflict, Ukrainian missiles successfully targeted a Russian factory producing Soyuz-2 rockets, aiming to cripple Russia's military satellite and drone communication capabilities. Regarding spaceport expansion, Zimmerman details SpaceX's potential new site in Louisiana, which offers hundreds of square miles for operations. He also critiques government-funded spaceports, like those in Australia or New Mexico, which often fail because they lack dedicated rocket companies as customers. Finally, research on mice aboard the International Space Station suggests that weightlessness does not fundamentally damage the heart's contracting mechanisms. (7)Two corrections applied, pending your confirmation: Hasan Piker (transcribed as "Hassan," segments 1 and 5 — the Twitch streamer spells it with one s) and Washtenaw County (transcribed as "Washington," segment 6 — Ann Arbor's county, which fits the context of young Democratic voters; flag me if the audio genuinely said Washington).

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Angie Nixon's shocking primary win in Florida, Trump pausing new tariffs on Canada, Israeli strikes on a Syrian air base, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border, raising fears that its campaign to prevent Syria's military revival could ignite a dangerous confrontation with Turkey. The Pentagon orders 30 American universities to investigate whether their foreign partnerships exposed sensitive research—or risk losing future federal funding. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB Thanks to today's sponsor, Spring Sleep: eXciteOSA is an FDA-cleared, prescription-only device for primary snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Go to springsleep.com/PDB and unlock 20% off with the code PDB. Sundays for Dogs: Upgrade your dog's food without the hassle—try Sundays for Dogs and get 50% off your first order at https://sundaysfordogs.com/PDBor use code PDB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From December 3, 2024: Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor and Georgetown professor Daniel Byman sits down with Charles Lister, Director of Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism Programs at the Middle East Institute for an update on the Syrian opposition taking Aleppo and the prospects for the civil war going forward. They discuss the status of the Syrian conflict; the nature of the key group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham; why conflict happened now; and what might happen going forward. You can watch a video version of their conversation here.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People across the world are eagerly awaiting a solar eclipse, with the Moon set to block out our view of the Sun. The BBC's science correspondent reports from northern Spain - one of the areas expecting a rare total eclipse. Also: rescue efforts continue after the earthquake in Colombia; a Syrian court sentences the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity; Donald Trump defends swapping planes due to a reported security threat, despite anger from journalists left on Air Force One; the Winter Olympics sport of curling finds new fans in sunny Italy; and the American TV channel Hallmark celebrates its 25th anniversary.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.ukPhoto: Solar eclipse viewing preparations in the Netherlands. A woman wears eclipse glasses in Almelo. 11 August 2026. Credit: Vincent Jannink. EPA/Shutterstock

It's voting day in states across the country – including in two Southern states that have already voted once this year. In South Carolina, Republicans will select their new Senate nominee after Lindsey Graham's sudden death. And in Alabama, voters in several congressional districts are heading back to the polls after the Supreme Court told the state to use a map from 2023… despite that map being struck down by lower courts for being racially discriminatory. All of this is happening in the orange-tinted shadow of Donald Trump — but the South isn't owned by the 47th president. For more, we spoke to Mitch Landrieu. He's the former mayor of New Orleans and one of the hosts of Crooked Media's newest podcast, Long Play, which examines politics in the ever-changing South.And in headlines, Trump signs an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations, a Syrian court sentences ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his brother to death by abstentia, and a new report reveals The White House asked the Department of Justice to try charging the man accused of vandalizing the reflective pool with a different crime after his case was dropped.Show Notes: Check out Long Play – crooked.com/podcast-series/longplay/ Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com