Podcasts about syrian

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, China, the USA, Greece and Brazil.In the devastated Syrian district of Ghouta, a man calls out from the ruins to our correspondent Lyse Doucet and tells the story of how he is rebuilding his home - and his life - after the fall of the Assad regime.Chinese ambition continues to strive for pole position in the global pecking order as it makes advances in green energy, artificial intelligence, and military might – but what could be its Achilles heel? Laura Bicker looks at the challenges facing Beijing in the year ahead.It's nearly a year since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States – a victory built around unquestioning loyalty among his MAGA base. But some Republican voters are now beginning to question the effectiveness of some of his policies. Tom Bateman reports from New Orleans.An outbreak of sheep pox in Greece, which began in the Summer of 2024, has seen a surge in cases over recent months with mass culling affecting farmers across the country - more than 400,000 sheep and goats have been killed so far. Hester Underhill travelled to the agricultural heartland of Thessaly.In Brazil, a group of industrial agriculture companies are trying to overturn a landmark moratorium on trading soybeans grown on newly deforested Amazon land - a policy said to have said thousands of hectares from the chainsaws. Justin Rowlatt gets a bird's eye view on the issue.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara's government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country. It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the retaliatory attack was not the start of war but rather “a declaration of vengeance”. But why is violent extremism resurfacing again? And why now? ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but a volatile security situation following the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad has presented challenges to the government in Damascus. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the renewed militant threat in the country and asks whether the US could escalate its campaign. We hear from Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a researcher and historian in Syria, and William Roebuck, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute and former deputy special envoy to the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

Donald Trump says he is withdrawing the National Guard from the Democrat-led cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland after the Supreme Court blocked the deployment of troops for policing duties. But the president said federal forces would "come back" if crime rates go up.Also: President Volodymyr Zelensky says only 10 per cent of a peace deal with Russia remains to be agreed, but Ukraine is not prepared to sign a "weak agreement" that would prolong the war. We speak to a Syrian refugee who spent years living in Europe but is now ready to move home. The discoveries that could solve the mystery of a medieval Welsh cemetery. And a campaign to build more toilets for women in the Japanese parliament. Photo credit: Reuters.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.uk

Here St. Isaac does not define virtues as behaviors but as states of being before God. He strips away external markers and leaves the soul alone with truth. What he offers is not a ladder of accomplishments but a geography of the heart. A stranger, he says, is not one who has left a place, but one whose mind has been estranged from all things of life. This is the quiet violence of the Gospel: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Jn 17:16). Estrangement here is not contempt for creation but freedom from possession. Abba Arsenius fled Rome, but what he truly fled was the tyranny of relevance. To become a stranger is to consent to being unnecessary. It is to let the world continue without you and discover that God remains. The mourner is not a melancholic soul but a hungry one. He lives, Isaac says, in hunger and thirst for the sake of his hope in good things to come. This is the blessed mourning of the Beatitudes, the ache that refuses consolation because it has tasted something eternal. St. John Climacus calls mourning “a sorrow that is glad,” because it is oriented toward the Kingdom. It is grief baptized by hope. Such a soul does not despise joy; it waits for the only joy that cannot be taken away. Then Isaac dares to say what a monk truly is. Not one who has taken vows, not one who wears a habit, but one who remains outside the world and is ever supplicating God to receive future blessings. The monk stands at the edge of time and begs. His posture is eschatological. He lives as though the promises are real. This is why the monk's wealth is not visible. It is the comfort that comes of mourning and the joy that comes of faith, shining secretly in the mind's hidden chambers. Christ Himself names this hiddenness when He says, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6). The true treasure does not announce itself. It warms quietly. Mercy, too, is redefined. A merciful man is not one who performs selective kindness but one who has lost the ability to divide the world mentally into worthy and unworthy. This is the mercy of God Himself, who “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45). St. Isaac elsewhere says that a merciful heart burns for all creation: for humans, animals, demons, even for the enemies of God. Such mercy is not sentimental. It is cruciform. It is the heart stretched until it resembles Christ's own. And then Isaac turns to chastity, and again he refuses reduction. Virginity is not merely bodily restraint but an interior reverence. One who feels shame before himself even when alone. This is a startling phrase. It speaks of a soul that lives before God even when no one is watching. Shame here is not self-loathing but awe. It is the trembling awareness that one's thoughts are already prayers, or blasphemies, before the face of God. Therefore Isaac is unsparing: chastity cannot survive without reading and prolonged prayer. Without immersion in the Word, the imagination becomes a wilderness of unguarded images. Without prayer, the heart has no shelter. Abba Evagrius taught that thoughts are not defeated by force but by replacement—by filling the mind with divine fire. The Jesus Prayer, Scripture read slowly, the psalms murmured in weakness, these do not merely resist impurity; they transfigure desire itself. What unites all these sayings is this: St. Isaac is describing a soul that has accepted vulnerability. God has permitted the soul to be susceptible to accidents: not as punishment, but as mercy. Weakness becomes the doorway. Hunger becomes the guide. Shame becomes watchfulness. Mourning becomes wealth. Nothing here is safe, and nothing here is superficial. This is not an ethic for the strong. It is a path for those who have consented to be poor before God. In the end, St. Isaac is teaching us how to stand unarmed in the presence of the Kingdom; estranged from the world, aching for God, clothed in quiet prayer, and guarded not by our strength but by grace that shines unseen in the depths of the heart. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:33 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 7 Homily Six 00:04:45 Angela Bellamy: What is the book titled please? 00:04:56 Angela Bellamy: Reacted to "What is the book tit..." with

On today's podcast:1) Covid-era subsidies that help Americans pay for Obamacare health plans will expire today. It will result in more than 20 million Americans paying higher premiums next month. Democrats have tried to extend the additional support beyond the December deadline, but Republicans have balked, citing the cost of some $350 billion over the next decade. Meantime, a handful of House Republicans have joined Democrats in a maneuver that will put a three-year extension of the subsidies to a vote next month. 2) Russia and Ukraine struck each other’s Black Sea ports overnight, damaging infrastructure including an oil refinery. A drone attack on the Russian coastal city of Tuapse damaged a berth at the port and equipment at the local refinery, according to a statement from the emergency services. Fires at both sites were put out, while several residential buildings were also damaged. Two people were hospitalized. The Tuapse refinery, owned by Rosneft PJSC, has a processing capacity of about 240,000 barrels a day and produces mainly fuel oil, naphtha and diesel for export. In Ukraine, Russian forces struck the port city of Odesa, injuring at least six people and damaging residential properties and infrastructure, according to the local authorities. Some residents are without power, water and heating.3) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran should heed President Trump Warning's about not restarting its nuclear program. Speaking Tuesday to Fox News, he added that Iran is 'trying to' rebuild its missile capacity at new sites, and said he is aligned with Trump on wanting to give the new Syrian government a chance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textA scroll rolls open, the room stills, and one sentence rearranges the air: today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. We walk through Luke 4 and the jolting moment Jesus declares freedom for captives, sight for the blind, and the year of the Lord's favor—not as a distant hope but as a present reality that confronts our comfort. From there we trace His hard word to the religious heart, the reminder that God's mercy landed on a widow in Zarephath and on Naaman the Syrian, and why that same mercy still leaps beyond our circles to reach people we tend to overlook.We share firsthand memories of revival in the sixties and seventies, when the Spirit visited beaches and back alleys more readily than polished sanctuaries. That history becomes a mirror: are we open to the hungry or protecting our preferences? The conversation then turns to spiritual warfare in plain sight. A demon screams in a synagogue, and the shock is not the manifestation but the location. Evil doesn't only lurk in graveyards; it sits in pews. We talk candidly about oppression, possession, discernment, and the calm, commanding authority of Jesus that silences torment and restores without harm.Throughout, the call is practical and hopeful. Stand on Scripture. Pray with persistence, whether thirty seconds or ten minutes, and let resistance push you to your knees, not into despair. Remember where grace found you, refuse to label anyone a lost cause, and expect Christ to demolish strongholds rather than manage them. If you're longing for renewal that reaches the streets and reshapes the church, this conversation will steady your heart and sharpen your focus. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help more people find these conversations.Support the show

Thanks to Holly for suggesting this week’s topic! Further reading: Mermaids: Myth, Kith and Kin [this article is not for children] Feejee Mermaid A manatee: A female grey seal, looking winsome: A drawing of the “original” Fiji (or Feejee) mermaid: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. Let's close out the year 2025 with a mystery episode! Holly suggested we talk about mermaids! Mermaids are creatures of folklore who are supposed to look like humans, but instead of legs they have fish tails. These days mermaids are usually depicted with a single tail, but it was common in older artwork for a mermaid to be shown with two tails, which replaced both legs. Not all mermaids were girls, either. Mermen were just as common. Cultures from around the world have stories about mermaid-like individuals. Sometimes they're gods or goddesses, like the Syrian story of a goddess so beautiful that when she transformed into a fish, only her legs changed, because her upper half was too beautiful to alter, or the Greek god Triton, who is usually depicted as a man with two fish tails for legs. Sometimes they're monsters who cause storms, curse ships, or lure sailors to their doom. Sometimes they can transform into humans, like the story from Madagascar about a fisherman who catches a mermaid in his net. She transforms into a human woman and they get married, but when he breaks a promise to her, she turns back into a mermaid and swims away. In 2012, a TV special aired on Animal Planet that claimed that mermaids were real, and a lot of people believed it. It imitated the kind of real documentaries that Animal Planet often ran, and the only disclaimer was in the credits. I remember how upset a lot of people were about it, especially teachers and scientists. So just to be clear, mermaids aren't real. Many researchers think at least some mermaid stories might be based on real animals. The explorer Christopher Columbus reported seeing three mermaids in 1493, but said they weren't as beautiful as he'd heard. Most researchers think he actually saw manatees. A few centuries later, a mermaid was captured and killed off the coast of Brazil by European scientists, and the careful drawings we still have of the mermaid's hand bones correspond exactly to the bones of a manatee's flipper. Female manatees are larger than males on average, and a really big female can grow over 15 feet long, or 4.6 meters. Most manatees are between 9 and 10 feet long, or a little less than 3 meters. Its body is elongated like a whale's, but unlike a whale it's slow, usually only swimming about as fast as a human can swim. Its skin is gray or brown although often it has algae growing on it that helps camouflage it. The end of the manatee's tail looks like a rounded paddle, and it has front flippers but no rear limbs. Its face is rounded with a prehensile upper lip covered with bristly whiskers, which it uses to find and gather water plants. The manatee doesn't look a lot like a person, but it looks more like a person than most water animals. It has a neck and can turn its head like a person, its flippers are fairly long and resemble arms, and females have a pair of teats that are near their armpits, if a manatee had armpits, which it does not. But that's close enough for Christopher Columbus to decide he was seeing a mermaid. Seals may have also contributed to mermaid stories. In Scottish folklore, the selkie is a seal that can transform into human shape, usually by taking off its skin. There are lots of stories of people who steal the selkie's skin and hide it so that the selkie will marry the person—because selkies are beautiful in their human form. Eventually the selkie finds the hidden skin and returns to the sea. Similar seal-folk legends are found in other parts of northern Europe, including Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Ireland. Many of the stories overlap with mermaid stories. Seals do have appealing human-like faces, have clawed front flippers that sort of resemble arms, and have rear flippers that are fused to act like a tail, even if it doesn't look much like a fish tail. The grey seal is a common animal off the coast of northern Europe, and a big male can grow almost 11 feet long, or 3.3 meters, although 9 feet is more common, or 2.7 meters. It has a large snout and no external ear flaps. Males are dark grey or brown, females are more silvery in color. It mainly eats fish, but will also eat other animals, including crustaceans, octopuses, other seals, and even porpoises. While I don't think it has anything to do with the mermaid or selkie legends, it is interesting to note that seals are good at imitating human voices. We learned about this in episode 225, about talking mammals. For instance, Hoover the talking seal, a harbor seal from Maine who was raised by a human after his mother died. Imagine if you were walking along the shore and a seal said this to you: [Hoover the talking seal saying “Hey get over here!”] Let's finish with the Japanese legend of the ningyo and a weird taxidermy creature called the Feejee mermaid. The ningyo is a being of folklore that dates back to at least the 7th century. It was a fish with a head like a person, usually found in the ocean but sometimes in freshwater. If someone found a ningyo washed up on shore, it was supposed to be a bad omen, foretelling war and other disasters. If you remember the big fish episode a few weeks ago, if an oarfish is found near the surface of the ocean around Japan, it's supposed to foretell an earthquake. The oarfish has a red fin that runs from its head down its spine, like a mane or a comb, and the ningyo was also supposed to have a red comb on its head, like a rooster's comb, or sometimes red hair. Some people think the ningyo is based on the oarfish. The oarfish is a deep-sea fish so it's rare, usually only seen near the surface when it's dying, and it has a flat face that looks more like a human face than most fish, if you squint and really want to believe you're seeing a mythical creature. These days, artwork of the ningyo usually looks a lot more like mermaids of European legend, but the earliest paintings don't usually have arms, just a human head on a fish body. But by the late 18th century, a weird type of artwork had become popular among Japanese fishermen, a type of crude but inventive taxidermy that created what looked like small, creepy mermaids. They looked like dried-out monkeys from the waist up, with a dried-out fish tail instead of legs. That's because that's exactly what they were. Japanese fishermen made these mermaids along with lots of other monsters, and sold them to travelers for high prices. The fishermen told tall tales about how they'd found the monster, killed it, and preserved it, and pretended to be reluctant to sell it, and of course that meant the traveler would offer even more money for it. The most famous of these fake monsters was called the Fiji Mermaid, and it got famous because P.T. Barnum displayed it in his museum in 1842 and said it had been caught near the Fiji Islands, in the South Pacific. It was about three feet along, or 91 cm, and was probably made from a young monkey and a salmon. The original Fiji mermaid was probably destroyed in a fire at some point, but it was such a popular exhibit that other wannabe showmen either bought or made replicas, some of which are still around today. People still sometimes make similar monsters, but they use craft materials instead of dead animals. They're still creepy-looking, though, which is part of the fun. You can find Strange Animals Podcast at strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net. That's blueberry without any E's. If you have questions, comments, corrections, or suggestions, email us at strangeanimalspodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

We're wrapping the year with someone we've been looking forward to speaking with since the very beginning of it. We're so honored to have shared a conversation with the inimitable and visionary Wafa Ghnaim—an art and dress historian, fashion researcher, embroiderer, curator, archivist, educator, and author specializing in Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian, and Lebanese dress history, embroidery, and adornment. We met Wafa when she attended a talk we gave about nameplate jewelry the Brooklyn Museum in February, and were immediately captivated both by her presence and her incredible book “Tatreez & Tea.” Through writing, teaching, and the Tatreez Institute, which she founded in 2016, Wafa has made it her life's work to pay homage to and preserve Palestinian fashion history in particular—both its deep past and its continued innovation and evolution. We spoke with her about material culture and oral tradition, the intricacies of provenance and appropriation, and how people make critical meaning through the art of dress.

We start with a winter snowstorm warning for millions across the Northeast and in California. We'll tell you what the US is saying about its strike on ISIS in Nigeria. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he plans to meet with President Donald Trump on Sunday. A mother charged in the killing of her nine-year-old daughter appeared in court today. Plus, authorities are investigating who's responsible for an explosion at a Syrian mosque. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Health authorities say the number of deaths from an explosion that struck a mosque in the central Syrian city of Homs has risen to eight.

Today on America in the Morning Christmas In America America celebrated Christmas Day, which included President Trump taking calls from kids on Christmas Eve, to kids across the nation finding gifts under the tree.  Around the world, it was the first Christmas for Pope Leo as Pontiff.   Severe California Weather Deaths Severe thunderstorms moved into California on Christmas Day, with areas north of San Francisco dealing with 70 mile per hour winds, and around Los Angeles, evacuations due to mudslides that buried some cars up to their windshields.  Lisa Dwyer reports that some areas received as much as 10 inches of rain, with rockslides, mudslides, and overflowing rivers washing out roads as California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.   US Attacks ISIS In Nigeria President Donald Trump announced he authorized the launch of a “powerful and deadly strike” against alleged-Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after he spent weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians.    We Have A Winner There's one lucky person in the United States who decided to purchase a Powerball ticket at a Murphy USA gas station in the small town of Cabot, Arkansas, located just off Interstate 57 with population of 23 thousand 575.  Correspondent Donna Warder reports someone who went to that gas station in that town known for its strawberries is holding the only winning ticket in the Powerball $1 point 8 billion dollar jackpot.   Charity Concerns ‘Tis the season for giving gifts, but this year, charity seems to be both starting and ending at home.  Correspondent Julie Walker reports most US adults aren't making year-end charitable contributions, according to a new poll.   Missing Lobsters There were a number of disappointed people around Illinois and Minnesota who were planning on a lobster dinner for the holidays.  As Katie Clark reports, the FBI is looking into how a truckload of lobsters was hijacked on their way to the Midwest.     US Attacks ISIS In Nigeria The US has launched military strikes against alleged-ISIS positions in Nigeria, in an assault that President Trump called a reaction to ongoing attacks and murders by terrorists against the Christians.   Christmas Day Negotiations Ukrainian and US negotiators spent Christmas Day on the phone talking to end the ongoing war launched by Russia against Ukraine.  As John Stolnis reports from Washington, the talks were heralded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “very good,” but comes as Russia turned down a holiday truce offer and fighting continued in Eastern Ukraine.  A Millionaire's Tax It's a state that currently doesn't have one, and for nearly a century, voters in the state of Washington have rejected establishing an income tax.  Now, with Washington State facing a mammoth projected $4 point 3 billion dollar deficit, the governor wants to try again – but only to tax people with seven-figure incomes.  Details on a proposed millionaire's tax from correspondent Rich Johnson in Seattle.   Alito's Response In an unusual move, Justice Samuel Alito criticized the Supreme Court's majority in a sharp dissent after the high court decided 6–3 to temporarily block President Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago.   Turkey Terror Attack Thwarted Overseas, the government in Turkey announced it has detained dozens of suspects allegedly planning attacks on non-Muslims during holiday events.  Correspondent Mike Hempen reports the Turkish government said the attacks were imminent and took immediate action.   Guardsmen Return The remains of two Iowa National Guard members killed in an attack in the Syrian desert were welcomed back to Des Moines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this comedy special, The World takes you around the globe where artists find humor in unconventional places. Chinese-language open mic events become a place for activists to meet, get  group therapy and share pointed views on life back home in China. Also, Syrian comedians embrace a new era in which social critiques are no longer shunned. And, a Ukrainian comic uses comedy as a way to process war. Plus, a linguistic look at why some words sounds funny. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As we look back at our international reporters' most memorable stories of the last year, we revisit a report from a remote corner of southeastern Syria near the border with Jordan.  There some 7,000 people were trapped in a refugee camp for years. They had fled Syrian regime forces and ISIS attacks and had nowhere else they could go. Our reporter was the first person to visit the camp, after the Syrian regime fell.  We get an update on where those residents are now.Support our non-profit journalism by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Merry Christmas!   Producers for MMO #199   Associate Executive Producers Nail Lord of Gaylord   Fiat Fun Coupon Producers Sam S. of Beargrass and Bourblandia Cottongin Plaidpotion Preator Porrecca of Peoria Doiceses: Hempress Emily M. ChuckyChuckles Praetor Wiirdo of the not so flat lands   Booster Producers ericpp          | 3,333 | BAG DADDY BOOSTER! boolysteedfountain.fm   | 1,234 wiirdofountain.fm     | 1,000 Sir Jared of South Burien | 333 fairvoltyfountain.fm   | 198 NostrGang         | 111   Creative Producers: Episode Artwork End of Show Song Song: Artist:   Follow Us: X/Twitter MMO Show John Dan Youtube (while it lasts) MMO Show Livestream Rumble MMO Show Livestream Twitch MMO Show Livestream   Shownotes: Dan's Sources Little Rock mayor responds to neo-Nazi group sighting in city OU removes teaching assistant who gave failing grade on essay Denmark demands US respect its sovereignty after Trump deploys Greenland envoy Albania Protests: Protesters Hurl Petrol Bombs at PM Edi Rama's Office Building | WION News How long can Belgrade balance between Brussels and Moscow? Blockade on Venezuela: US intercepts third oil tanker off Venezuelan coast | DW News Trump Recalls Nearly 30 Career Ambassadors in Major “America First” Shake-Up | WION Moscow car bomb kills Russian general, investigators say Clashes between Syrian army, Kurdish-led SDF break out in Aleppo Little Rock mayor responds to neo-Nazi group sighting in city OU removes teaching assistant who gave failing grade on essay Denmark demands US respect its sovereignty after Trump deploys Greenland envoy   John's Shownotes Shownotes Ep 199   Weather            Coast to Coast NBC            Blood Rain Iran            LA Evacuations   SF Power Out            GMA Outage            Coming Back On CBS            The Base Right Wing Group   Brown, MIT Shooting            Paul Mauro on Shooting   Tanker Wars            3rd Tanker Washington Examiner            Effects on Cuba FOX Business            Big Beautiful Ships            Bill To Allow American Privateers   Syria            US Strikes BBC   Russia            Russian General Bombing DW            Killing Christmas   Taiwan            Weapons Sale PBS            Knife Attack   AI            France Coup F24   Bitcoin            Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Imprisoned            SIGN THE PETITION   Welfare Fraud            Minnesota Charges CBS            MN Fraud Report FOX 9            Maine Whistleblower NN Hellthcare            Aaron Bean Organ Transplant Loophole   Energy            Windmills Axed   Automation            Autoland   Surveillance            Surveillance Pricing PBS            RESOURCE: SimpleLogin.io            RESOURCE: Privacy.com            RESOURCE: Proton Services   2026 Hiring Trend            Companies are Hiring Storytellers – Workfluence   Education            NY School Box NBC            English Only CBS

SHOW 12-22-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE NAVY. 1941 HICKAM FIELD 1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 2. Future Fleets: Decentralizing Firepower to Counter Chinese Growth. Tom Modly warns that China's shipbuilding capacity vastly outpaces the US, requiring a shift toward distributed forces rather than expensive, concentrated platforms. He advocates for a reinvigorated, independent Department of the Navy to foster the creativity needed to address asymmetric threats like Houthi attacks on high-value assets. 3. British Weakness: The Failure to Challenge Beijing Over Jimmy Lai. Mark Simon predicts Prime Minister Starmer will fail to secure Jimmy Lai's release because the UK mistakenly views China as an economic savior. He notes the UK's diminished military and economic leverage leads to a submissive diplomatic stance, despite China'sdeclining ability to offer investment. 4. Enforcing Sanctions: Interdicting the Shadow Fleet to Squeeze China. Victoria Coates details the Trump administration's enforcement of a "Monroe Doctrine" corollary, using naval power to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to China. This strategy exposes China's lack of maritime projection and energy vulnerability, as Beijingcannot legally contest the seizures of illicit shadow fleet vessels. 5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 7. Global Jihad: The Distinct Threats of the Brotherhood and ISIS. Edmund Fitton-Brown contrasts the Muslim Brotherhood's long-term infiltration of Western institutions with ISIS's violent, reckless approach. He warns that ISISremains viable, with recent facilitated attacks in Australia indicating a resurgence in capability beyond simple "inspired" violence. 8. The Forever War: Jihadist Patience vs. American Cycles. Bill Roggio argues the US has failed to defeat jihadist ideology or funding, allowing groups like Al-Qaeda to persist in Afghanistan and Africa. He warns that adversaries view American withdrawals as proof of untrustworthiness, exploiting the US tendency to fight short-term wars against enemies planning for decades. 9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 10. Privateers and Prison Ships: The Unsung Cost of Maritime Independence. Richard Bell highlights the crucial role of privateers like William Russell, who raided British shipping when the Continental Navy was weak. Captured privateers faced horrific conditions in British "black hole" facilities like Mill Prison and the deadly prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, where mortality rates reached 50%. 11. Caught in the Crossfire: Indigenous Struggles in the Revolutionary War. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader, allied with the British to stop settler encroachment but became a refugee when the British failed to protect Indigenous lands. Post-war, white Americans constructed myths portraying themselves as blameless victims while ignoring their own Indigenous allies and British betrayals regarding land rights. 12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 13. Assessing Battlefield Realities: Russian Deceit and Ukrainian Counterattacks. John Hardie analyzes the "culture of deceit" within the Russian military, exemplified by false claims of capturing Kupyansk while Ukraine actually counterattacked. This systemic lying leads to overconfidence in Putin's strategy, though Ukraine also faces challenges with commanders hesitating to report lost positions to avoid forced counterattacks. 14. Shifts in Latin America: Brazilian Elections and Venezuelan Hope. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusapredict a 2026 battle between socialist accommodation and freedom-oriented transformation in Brazil, highlighted by Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy against Lula. Meanwhile, Peña Esclusa anticipates Venezuela's liberation and a broader regional shift toward the right following leftist defeats in Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. 15. Trump's Security Strategy: Homeland Defense Lacks Global Clarity. John Yoo praises the strategy's focus on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, reviving a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. However, he criticizes the failure to explicitly name China as an adversary or define clear goals for defending allies in Asia and Europe against great power rivals. 16. Alienating Allies: The Strategic Cost of Attacking European Partners. John Yoo argues that imposing tariffs and attacking democratic European allies undermines the coalition needed to counter China and Russia. He asserts that democracies are the most reliable partners for protecting American security and values, making cooperation essential despite resource constraints and political disagreements.

5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 1898 DAMASCUS

Discover the interconnectedness of peddling and factory work, the surprising origins of the Aloha shirt, and the key role Syrian workers played in major labor actions like the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Associate Professor of History at the University of California and author of "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" Dr. Stacy D. Fahrenthold discusses her work which offers a class-conscious history of the Syrian-American diaspora, a community of about half a million people in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. While the "peddler" is often the central figure and icon of this diaspora's economic history for over a century, Fahrenthold shifts the focus to the new immigrants who came to the U.S. and found work in the textile industries. The conversation explores the hidden role of Syrian-American garment workers, particularly young women, who produced goods like "kimonos", undergarments, stockings, and household textiles. 0:00 Introducing Unmentionables & Shifting the Icon from Peddler to Laborer0:40 Lawrence, Massachusetts: The Second Largest Arab-American Community1:48 Who Was The Syrian American Working Class?2:41 The Gap in Arab-American Diaspora History3:14 Textiles and Garment Work4:50 The Peddler: Icon vs Reality7:12 Labor Experience In The U.S. vs Greater Syria8:50 Skilled Silk Weavers and First-Time Proletarians10:14 Syrian Workers and Global Labor Movements11:27 The Bread and Roses Strike of 191215:09 Dynamite, Arrests and Militarization of the Syrian Neighborhood19:16 Scale of Syrian Immigration Compared to Other Groups22:14 The Majority of Textile Workers Were Women24:43 The Connection to the Silk Industry in Mount Lebanon27:28 A Look Inside a Syrian-American Garment Factory29:04 The Kimono: Branding and Orientalism31:50 The Effacement of Origins in the Marketplace35:36 Economic and Social Mobility For Syrian-American Families39:03 The Legacy of Syrian-American Textile Companies40:01 The Lebanese Origins of The Aloha Shirt43:14 Marghab Linen and Racial Stereotyping44:22 Geographic Dispersion of Syrian Communities47:09 Illicit Activity and Contraband in the Diaspora49:22 Recommended Readings In Arab-American History Stacy Fahrenthold is a historian of the modern Middle East specializing in labor migration; displacement/refugees; border studies; and diasporas within and from the region. Her new book "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" examines how Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrant workers navigated processes of racialization, immigration restriction, and labor contestation in the textile industries of the Atlantic world. It recently received the Middle East Studies Association's 2025 Nikki Keddie Award for "outstanding scholarly work in religion, revolution, and/or society." Her award-winning first book, "Between the Ottomans and the Entente: The First World War in the Syrian and Lebanese Diaspora" examines the politics of Syrian and Lebanese migration to the Americas during the First World War, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the rise of European Mandates in the Middle East. Fahrenthold is Associate Editor of Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle Eastern and North African Migration Studies. Connect with Stacy D. Fahrenthold

Joining me once again is Vanessa Beeley, here to follow up yesterday's interview with a more in-depth discussion on those issues as well the topics of censorship, Epstein, and the transgender movement. Overall, we focus on the rapidly encroaching globalist agenda, but without ignoring one of the most relevant, influential, and often omitted aspects of that discussion: Zionism. We also discuss the truth about ISIS and its US/Israeli connections, the way it is being used to destabilize and divide, and the weaponization of immigration alongside the demonization of Muslims at large.  !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v714no6","div":"rumble_v714no6"}); Source Links: The Wall Will Fall | Where mainstream media fears to tread (1) Vanessa Beeley (@VanessaBeeley) / X Vanessa Beeley | Substack New Tab (1) Attorney General Pamela Bondi on X: "President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in American history. By moving to unseal these documents, we hope to give the American people more answers about that fateful day in Butler, Pennsylvania." / X (21) Jason Bassler on X: "Worst cover-up in U.S. history: -Selective omissions -Missed legal deadline -550 pages fully blacked out -Government officials redacted -3,500 out of the 200K documents -16 files pulled post release, incl. 2 Trump pics... -DOJ re-redacted Trump's "pert nip" fetish report

Send us a textIn the fourth and final week of our Advent journey, Tim and Steve explore the central theme of the Gospel: Love.From ancient church fathers to modern humanitarian action, this episode draws a line from God's self-giving nature to our call to love those in need.This episode includes:Why Advent is a time to receive, not striveInsights from St. Isaac the Syrian on God's immeasurable loveThe Trinitarian rhythm of love, inclusion, and invitationStories of rescue and restoration made possible by love in action1 John's call to love not just with words, but in truth and actionA poem to close our series with beauty and wonder

What St Isaac exposes here is not a technique but a diagnosis. He is ruthless because the sickness is deep. The soul is meant to be good soil but soil is not neutral ground. It either receives the seed with vigilance or it becomes choked. Remembrance of God is not a poetic feeling but a sustained pressure on the heart a vigilance that does not sleep. When this remembrance is alive the soul becomes a place where God Himself shades and illumines. There is no romance here. Light appears inside darkness not because the darkness is denied but because the soul has chosen to stand watch within it. St Isaac refuses to let us spiritualize our way around the body. The belly is not incidental. What enters the mouth reaches the heart. He speaks bluntly because self deception thrives in vagueness. Excess dulls perception. Pleasure thickens the air of the soul. Wisdom is not stolen from us by demons alone but smothered by our own indulgence. A full belly does not merely weaken resolve it fuels lust because the body has been trained to demand satisfaction. This is not moralism. It is anthropology. The knowledge of God does not coexist with a body that has been enthroned. Here asceticism is revealed as truth telling. It strips away the lie that discipline is punishment. Labor is not opposed to grace. Labor is the ground where grace becomes intelligible. St Isaac compares it to labor pains because knowledge of God is not an idea grasped but a life brought forth. Without toil there is no birth only fantasy. Sloth does not simply delay holiness it gives birth to shame because the soul knows it has avoided the cost of truth. This is where the inner disposition becomes decisive. Asceticism without remembrance hardens into pride. Asceticism without humility becomes violence against the self. But remembrance without discipline dissolves into sentimentality. St Isaac holds them together because life demands it. The question is not how much one fasts or how little one sleeps but whether the heart is consenting to be trained. Discipline embraced with resentment breeds bitterness. Discipline embraced with attention becomes wisdom. In an age starved of living elders this teaching cuts even deeper. We are tempted either to abandon asceticism entirely or to turn it into a private project shaped by personality and preference. St Isaac offers neither comfort. He places responsibility back into the hands of the one who desires God. The absence of elders does not absolve us. It makes inner honesty more urgent. The body becomes the first elder. Hunger teaches restraint. Fatigue teaches humility. Failure teaches mercy. If these are ignored no amount of reading will save us. Christ's closeness to the mouth of the one who endures hardship is not sentimental reassurance. It is promise and warning. He draws near to the body that has consented to the Cross. Not to the body pampered under the language of balance or self care. The care Christ offers is not the removal of hardship but His presence within it. Asceticism then is not heroic excess but fidelity to reality. It is the refusal to live divided. Priceless indeed is labor wrought with wisdom because it produces not control but clarity. The soul begins to see. And once it sees it can no longer pretend. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:50 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 5 00:06:54 susan: how is lori hatari? 00:14:30 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 5 00:27:40 Eleana Urrego: the brain register emotional and physical pain in the same way. 00:29:59 Jessica McHale: A question about ascetic disciplines of the body: I discerned monastic life with an order of nuns that wouldn't let me fast.(3 times a week was all I was asking) and wouldn't allow me to exercise more than a contemplative walk (which is not exercise to me). I feel very much called to fast for spiritual reasons and called to bodily stewardship as well. It's very personal. I coudl never understand how monastic nuns could discourage this and encourage--in my opinion--indulging in food too much. 00:31:48 Una's iPhone: Reacted to "A question about asc…" with

While humanitarian organizations and media outlets often reduce Syrian refugees to statistics or brief anecdotes, the real story of displacement unfolds in the intimate spaces of family life. Through the interwoven narratives of five middle-aged sisters from Damascus, Lines of Flight, Assemblages of Home reveals how Syrian women navigate war, exile, and the profound transformation of their families and identities. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017, this book follows an extended Sunni Muslim family as they flee their homes in Damascus's Eastern Ghouta suburbs and scatter across Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and eventually Europe. As these women move through an increasingly hostile landscape of border controls, refugee camps, and human trafficking networks, they must reinvent themselves—from stable middle-class mothers to resourceful survivors, from guardians of tradition to architects of change. Their journeys challenge conventional assumptions about refugee experiences, revealing how displacement reconfigures family networks, religious practices, and gender roles. Leila Hudson's intimate portrait of Syrian displacement offers vital insights for researchers and practitioners working in humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, and forced migration. It provides essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how ordinary families navigate extraordinary circumstances, and how women in particular bear both the burdens and opportunities of displacement. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

While humanitarian organizations and media outlets often reduce Syrian refugees to statistics or brief anecdotes, the real story of displacement unfolds in the intimate spaces of family life. Through the interwoven narratives of five middle-aged sisters from Damascus, Lines of Flight, Assemblages of Home reveals how Syrian women navigate war, exile, and the profound transformation of their families and identities. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017, this book follows an extended Sunni Muslim family as they flee their homes in Damascus's Eastern Ghouta suburbs and scatter across Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and eventually Europe. As these women move through an increasingly hostile landscape of border controls, refugee camps, and human trafficking networks, they must reinvent themselves—from stable middle-class mothers to resourceful survivors, from guardians of tradition to architects of change. Their journeys challenge conventional assumptions about refugee experiences, revealing how displacement reconfigures family networks, religious practices, and gender roles. Leila Hudson's intimate portrait of Syrian displacement offers vital insights for researchers and practitioners working in humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, and forced migration. It provides essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how ordinary families navigate extraordinary circumstances, and how women in particular bear both the burdens and opportunities of displacement. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

While humanitarian organizations and media outlets often reduce Syrian refugees to statistics or brief anecdotes, the real story of displacement unfolds in the intimate spaces of family life. Through the interwoven narratives of five middle-aged sisters from Damascus, Lines of Flight, Assemblages of Home reveals how Syrian women navigate war, exile, and the profound transformation of their families and identities. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017, this book follows an extended Sunni Muslim family as they flee their homes in Damascus's Eastern Ghouta suburbs and scatter across Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and eventually Europe. As these women move through an increasingly hostile landscape of border controls, refugee camps, and human trafficking networks, they must reinvent themselves—from stable middle-class mothers to resourceful survivors, from guardians of tradition to architects of change. Their journeys challenge conventional assumptions about refugee experiences, revealing how displacement reconfigures family networks, religious practices, and gender roles. Leila Hudson's intimate portrait of Syrian displacement offers vital insights for researchers and practitioners working in humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, and forced migration. It provides essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how ordinary families navigate extraordinary circumstances, and how women in particular bear both the burdens and opportunities of displacement. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Monte Judah reports on escalating threats facing Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and rising global antisemitism from a Messianic perspective.00:00 — Introduction and Opening (Shalom, IDF preparations in Lebanon/Syria/Gaza, terrorist attacks increasing)01:15 — Lebanon and Hezbollah Situation (Government not disarming Hezbollah, Israeli airstrikes, potential ground operation)04:30 — Syria and Druze Protection (IDF presence, new Syrian leader, protecting Druze villages)07:00 — Gaza Update (Ran Gvili hostage body, ceasefire issues, Yellow Line status quo, probing attacks, tunnels)11:45 — Trump's Peace Plan and Stabilization Force (Phase two delays, rebuilding Gaza, overstatements of peace)13:20 — Worldwide Terrorist Attacks (Sydney Australia Chanukah attack, Brown University shooting rumor, "Globalize the Intifada")15:10 — Broader Commentary and Parallels (Banning terrorists, Rob Reiner story analogy, ongoing threats)15:50 — Closing (Netanyahu-Trump meeting, Chanukah wishes, Shabbat Shalom)• What's really happening in Israel and the Middle East? Monte Judah breaks it down on Messianic World Update. Watch on LionandLamb.tv

While humanitarian organizations and media outlets often reduce Syrian refugees to statistics or brief anecdotes, the real story of displacement unfolds in the intimate spaces of family life. Through the interwoven narratives of five middle-aged sisters from Damascus, Lines of Flight, Assemblages of Home reveals how Syrian women navigate war, exile, and the profound transformation of their families and identities. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017, this book follows an extended Sunni Muslim family as they flee their homes in Damascus's Eastern Ghouta suburbs and scatter across Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and eventually Europe. As these women move through an increasingly hostile landscape of border controls, refugee camps, and human trafficking networks, they must reinvent themselves—from stable middle-class mothers to resourceful survivors, from guardians of tradition to architects of change. Their journeys challenge conventional assumptions about refugee experiences, revealing how displacement reconfigures family networks, religious practices, and gender roles. Leila Hudson's intimate portrait of Syrian displacement offers vital insights for researchers and practitioners working in humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, and forced migration. It provides essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how ordinary families navigate extraordinary circumstances, and how women in particular bear both the burdens and opportunities of displacement. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

From Megachurch Disillusionment To Hope.Josiah the inquirer sits down with Cloud of Witnesses, Mario Andrew and Jeremy Jeremiah.A skull on a thumbnail, bells in the background, and a monk's voice quoting Saint Isaac changed everything. Josiah didn't set out to find ancient Christianity; he just needed something more honest than a forced smile and a quick fix. What he discovered was not an edgy aesthetic for its own sake, but a fearless way of naming reality: remember death, confront the passions, and be made new in Christ.We trace the unlikely path from hardcore shows to holy tradition, exploring why Orthodoxy can feel “metal” without the nihilism. The conversation dives into Saint Paul's call to be a living sacrifice, Saint Isaac's searing inventory of the passions, and the strange relief that comes from a church that looks you in the eye and tells you the truth. Icons and martyrdom aren't there to shock; they give shape to hope, showing lives that died to the world so that love could live. Along the way we talk Kat Von D, Holy Name, and the kind of inclusivity that rescues, not indulges—come as you are, but don't expect to stay there.• first contact with Orthodoxy through a stark video• megachurch cynicism versus honest talk about death• Saint Isaac the Syrian on the passions• Scripture's call to die to self• icons, skulls, and martyrdom as truthful symbols• baptizing subculture without baptizing sin• real inclusivity as rescue and transformation• providential friendships and cigar night community• practical next steps toward catechesis• lighthearted barber stories to closeWhat ultimately makes the search real is community: providential friendships, a cigar night, and a Clouded Witnesses feature that turned curiosity into courage. We share practical insights on taking first steps toward Orthodoxy, why asceticism answers modern anxiety, and how subculture can be baptized without baptizing sin. And yes, we close with a few unforgettable barber tales, because joy and humility are part of the medicine.If you're hungry for a faith that can hold sorrow and still make it sing, press play, share this with a friend, and tell us the moment that hit you hardest. Subscribe for more journeys, leave a review to help others find the show, and drop your questions—we're listening.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

The Trump administration's more aggressive approach to Latin America is welcomed by many in the Cuban diaspora. They see one of their own – Secretary of State Marco Rubio – as an architect of the shift that, for them, has been a long time coming. Also: today's stories, including how Australian Jews are reacting to a mass shooting that targeted Bondi Beach's Jewish community; what's next for U.S.-Syrian relations following an Islamic State attack on U.S. soldiers; and how the fragile peace in Gaza affords an opportunity for Palestinian families whose relatives have gone missing to search for them. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

The Trump administration's more aggressive approach to Latin America is welcomed by many in the Cuban diaspora. They see one of their own – Secretary of State Marco Rubio – as an architect of the shift that, for them, has been a long time coming. Also: today's stories, including how Australian Jews are reacting to a mass shooting that targeted Bondi Beach's Jewish community; what's next for U.S.-Syrian relations following an Islamic State attack on U.S. soldiers; and how the fragile peace in Gaza affords an opportunity for Palestinian families whose relatives have gone missing to search for them. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

The Jews' final victory was due to the political disintegration of the Syrian state at that time

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders will not be able to enter the U.S. as of the beginning of the year, the latest in a series of bans. President Trump is ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. Police are combing through hundreds ...

AHmed Sharawi reports on a "blue-on-green" attack in Syria where an infiltrated security officer killed Americans. He attributes this to the Syrian leadership's reckless integration of jihadist militias into security forces without vetting. Sharawi and Roggio argue this proves terrorists cannot be trusted to police other terrorists. 1931

PREVIEW: Jonathan Schanzer describes Syrian leader Al-Sharaa as a "wolf in sheep's clothing," comparing him to Yasser Arafat for pretending to be a moderate while directing violence. Schanzer warns that Al-Sharaa, a jihadist whose forces murdered US personnel, is untrustworthy and operates strictly from a terrorist playbook.

SOMALIA PUNTLAND 2022 Ambassador Hussein Haqqani and Bill Roggio discuss global terror outbreaks, including ISIS-linked attacks in Australia and Afghanistan. Haqqani argues the West prematurely declared victory, ignoring radical ideologies. He notes Pakistan's internal power struggles and failure to track jihadists, warning the region remains a launchpad for international terrorism. Bill Roggio analyzes the ISIS allegiance of Australian shooters, distinguishing ISIS's immediate caliphate goals from Al-Qaeda's patient state-building. He warns that while Al-Qaeda focuses on consolidating control in places like Somalia (Al-Shabaab), they remain a potent global threat capable of launching external attacks when strategically advantageous. John Hardie discusses US pressure on Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk and drop NATO bids for peace. He details Russian advances near Pokrovsk but doubts their ability to capture remaining fortress cities. Hardie notes Ukrainian resistance to territorial concessions despite Russian battlefield initiative and Western diplomatic maneuvering. David Daoud reports on Hezbollah's regeneration in Lebanon, aided by Iranian funding and weapons. He criticizes the Lebanese government's inaction and the international community's appeasement strategy. Daoudargues that failing to disarm Hezbollah to avoid civil war only guarantees Lebanon's slow deterioration into a failed state. Malcolm Hoenlein condemns the Bondi Beach terror attack as part of a global pattern of Islamist violence fueled by appeasement. He highlights the Australian government's failure to address warning signs, including anti-Semitic marches, and notes Iranian influence, warning that ignoring these threats invites further radicalization and violence. Malcolm Hoenlein expresses skepticism about Syria's leader, Al-Sharaa, calling him a "terrorist in a suit" despite Washington's support. He details Israel's concerns over weapons flowing into southern Syria and Hezbollah'srearmament, warning that Iran continues to build missile capabilities and destabilize the region despite economic ruin. Cleo Paskal critiques the UK's deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, endangering the strategic US base on Diego Garcia. She warns that China's influence in Mauritius could compromise the base. Paskal argues the deal ignores Chagossian rights and leaves the region vulnerable to Chinese expansionism. Akmed Sharawi reports on a "blue-on-green" attack in Syria where an infiltrated security officer killed Americans. He attributes this to the Syrian leadership's reckless integration of jihadist militias into security forces without vetting. Sharawi and Roggio argue this proves terrorists cannot be trusted to police other terrorists. Edmund Fitton-Brown warns that the West's premature "retirement" of counterterrorism efforts has allowed threats to incubate in conflict zones like Afghanistan. He argues that ignoring these regions inevitably leads to attacks in the West, as terrorists seek attention by striking "peaceful" environments, necessitating renewed forward engagement. Edmund Fitton-Brown argues the Muslim Brotherhood creates an environment for violent extremists like ISIS. He criticizes Western governments, specifically Australia, for appeasing Islamists and recognizing Palestine, which he claims fuels anti-Semitism and radicalization. He warns of "copycat" attacks spreading to the US and Europe due to this permissiveness. Alejandro Pena Esclusa and Ernesto Araujo celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize for Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado, viewing it as recognition of peaceful resistance against the Maduro regime. They discuss the regional struggle against a "project of power" linking Marxist socialism, drug trafficking, and authoritarian allies like Russiaand Iran. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa analyze Latin America's rightward shift, citing Chile's rejection of a leftist constitution and election disputes in Honduras. They attribute leftist defeats to the failure of socialism and credit the "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine for encouraging democratic changes against regional narco-regimes. Professor Jonathan Healey details King Charles I's failed 1642 attempt to impeach and arrest five MPs, a move driven by Queen Henrietta Maria calling him a "poltroon." This "cinematic" blunder, betrayed by Lady Carlisle, unified Parliament against the King, marking a decisive step toward the English Civil War. Professor Jonathan Healey explains how the plague and volatile London crowds, including "Roundhead" apprentices, eroded King Charles I's authority in early 1642. The King's failed arrest attempt alienated moderates, shifting support to Parliamentarian John Pym, while the atmosphere of fear and disease accelerated the nation toward inevitable conflict. Professor Jonathan Healey describes the collapse of royal authority as King Charles I flees London after facing hostile crowds and biblical threats. While Queen Henrietta Maria seeks foreign aid, Charles establishes a court in York, accepting that armed conflict is necessary to subdue Parliament's radical legislative challenges. Professor Jonathan Healey recounts the humiliating refusal of Hull's governor to admit King Charles I, a key moment signaling open warfare. He discusses the irreconcilable ideological split over whether power derives from God or the people, illustrating the tragedy through figures like John Bankes who sought futile compromise.

Hate researcher Matteo Vergani and orthodox Rabbi Nomi Kaltmann examine the rise of antisemitism in Australia, as police continue to investigate the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father and son suspects were motivated by Islamic State ideology.And, in Syria over the weekend, a gunman ambushed a U.S.-Syrian joint patrol, killing two members of the Iowa National Guard and their American interpreter. President Trump has vowed to retaliate. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Andrew Tabler explains what this shows about Islamic extremism.Then, for many immigrants, oath ceremonies mark the final step in becoming a U.S. citizen. But across the U.S., those ceremonies have been postponed or canceled. Gail Breslow from the nonprofit Project Citizenship details what this means for hopeful Americans.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

//The Wire//1500Z December 14, 2025////PRIORITY////BLUF: TERROR ATTACK STRIKES AUSTRALIA AS 12X KILLED IN BONDI BEACH MASS SHOOTING. VEHICLE RAMMING ATTACK FOILED IN GERMANY. MASS SHOOTING REPORTED AT BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Australia: A few hours ago, a complex terror attack took place at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach. Multiple gunmen approached a gathering of people at a picnic area on the east side of the park, and began engaging those taking part in holiday celebrations. At least two gunmen took up a tactical position on the pedestrian bridge at grid coordinate: 56H LH 40786 48784 // 61.2 ft MSL. From there, the gunmen began firing at event participants in the park below. After a few minutes, these two shooters were eventually neutralized by armed police on this bridge.At least one other gunman was present at the shooting, but was disarmed by a bystander who attacked the shooter with his bare hands and took the weapon from him. This disarmed-shooter was later detained by police on the pedestrian bridge with the others.Analyst Comment: Concerning casualties, right now the number stands at 10x killed during the attack, with a few dozen wounded. At least two of the attackers were wounded/killed by armed police, however their status is not known. The total number of shooters involved in this attack is also not known, but right now the count stands at 3x shooters taking part in the attack. At least one shooter did survive, as indicated by the videos of the incident taken by observers. Regarding the identities of the attackers, official confirmation of their name and status will take some time. However, photos of some of the shooter's drivers licenses have circulated social media in the hours after the attack. At least one of the attackers appears to be Naveed Akram, who had a NSW driver license.Germany: Yesterday a vehicle ramming attack was foiled by police, which involved a local terror cell in lower Bavaria. Local authorities state that 5x suspects have been arrested after they planned to carry out a vehicle ramming attack at a Christmas Market in the Dingolfing-Landau area.Analyst Comment: The suspects have not been identified by name, however their nationalities are: 1x Egyptian, 3x Moroccans, and 1x Syrian. All are currently being held in pre-trial detention, and more documents are expected to be released regarding how this plot was alleged to have been planned. -HomeFront-Rhode Island: Yesterday evening a mass shooting was reported at Brown University after a shooter opened fire during final exams near the Barus and Holley Engineering building on campus. 2x people were killed and 9x were wounded during the attack.Analyst Comment: The assailant egressed from the area after the shooting, which triggered a manhunt for several hours and prevented the scene from being secured for medical personnel to provide aid to the wounded. As of this morning, police state that they have one "person of interest" in custody regarding the case, however they stopped short of calling this person a suspect. Officially, the shooter has not been captured yet. No weapon was recovered from the scene, and the assailant was wearing a mask during the attack.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In Germany, it must be noted that if this terror cell was rolled up by police, there are probably others which have not yet been detected. Five terrorists is NOT a lone-wolf-style attack, and heavily indicates a more hierarchical organization structure. Depending on how well this cell was organized and commanded, this could mean that other terrorists that haven't been detected yet might be motivated to accelerate their attack planning. Considering the success of the horrific attack in Australia, it's possible that other attacks are coming down the pipeline. As such, inc

It's Tuesday, December 16th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Chinese Communists arrested 18 pastors over evangelism online Chinese Pastor Ezra Jin and 17 other pastors have been arrested by Chinese Communist authorities on charges of using illegal information networks. Translation? Putting the Gospel message on Zoom is now illegal in China.   The pastors are facing three years in prison.   A pastor's wife described the situation on the Christian Broadcasting Network. WIFE: “China opened the door for the Western society and then grow their economy. I grew up from that period of time. So, I thought we weren't gonna be put in jail because of our Christianity or our faith.” Chinese officials convicted liberty advocate Jimmy Lai Not surprisingly, those Chinese communists have convicted Hong Kong's pro-liberty advocate, Jimmy Lai, with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. It's a charge that could put him in prison for life. This was the highest profile case since Hong Kong was turned over to the communists in 1997, and Hong Kong's democratic elections halted in 2020. China to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for childbirth China is planning to eliminate all out-of-pocket medical costs for childbirth with the hopes of encouraging more births. China's fertility rate is dismal, hovering around 1.0. In fact, Chinese deaths have outnumbered births for three years in a row now. The countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world are Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Ukraine, and Chile. Two Muslim men killed 16 Jews in Sydney, Australia On Sunday, two Muslim men, a father and son, have been identified as suspects in the killings of 16 people at a Jewish celebration of Hannukah in Sydney, Australia on Bondi Beach, reports the Associated Press. That's the worst mass shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996 where 35 people were killed and 23 were injured. Providentially, a bystander of Muslim background, 43-year-old Syrian fruit shop owner, Ahmed Al-Ahmed, happened on the scene. He tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen during the deadly massacre, preventing further carnage.  Ahmed was shot in the shoulder and arm while hiding behind a tree after confronting the gunman. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is promising “tougher gun laws” in response. Actor Rob Reiner and wife allegedly killed by son Director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead Sunday, apparent victims of foul play at their home in Los Angeles, reports The L.A. Times. Sadly, Rob Reiner was an atheist, as was his father, Carl Reiner — another famous movie director.   Rob Reiner will be best remembered in the political realm for his leftist views, especially in his opposition to California's Proposition 8, and efforts to introduce homosexual marriage to the state and the country. At last report, Rob and Michele's son Nick, age 32, has been taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department, charged with the murder of his parents. He has a long history of drug addiction. Exodus 21:15 speaks to this sort of crime, as do Jesus's words in Matthew 15:4: “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” Little Sisters of the Poor vs. Obamacare continues After 14 years, Little Sisters of the Poor, comprised of Roman Catholic nuns, continues to object to the Obamacare mandate to provide coverage for abortifacients for their organization.    Back on July 8, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled 7–2 in favor of the Little Sisters, upholding federal rules that exempted religious organizations from the contraceptive mandate. But now, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have refused to drop their efforts to take away the Little Sisters' protection in the lower courts. Last August, a rogue federal district court in Philadelphia ruled against the Little Sisters and vacated the religious exemption rules that had protected them.  The case is in appeal to the Third Circuit Court. Bill Clinton unresponsive to Congressional subpoena over Epstein GOP House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced he will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton. At issue is the Clintons' decision to ignore the committee's subpoenas issued back in August, in relation to investigations of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. Epstein visited the White House 17 times in 1993 after Bill Clinton's inauguration. Artificial Intelligence: Time Magazine's “Person of the Year” Time Magazine's Person of the Year goes to Artificial Intelligence or rather, the architects of AI. Spending on Artificial Intelligence development has increased from $40 billion to $400 billion in just the last ten years.  Nvidia's stock has increased 60-fold, while Microsoft and Alphabet, Inc. have increased 7-fold over the same timeframe. Kirk Cameron advocates unbiblical theology of annihilationism Actor and Christian celebrity Kirk Cameron suggested in his recent podcast that hell is not forever — a departure from the long-held position of an eternal punishment for those who do not trust Christ, reports The Christian Post. CAMERON: “Eternal judgment or eternal punishment doesn't necessarily mean that we are being tormented and punished forever and ever, every moment for eternity. It means that the punishment we deserve is irreversible. It's permanent; it's eternal. You're dead. You've been destroyed. You have perished. You're gone, and you're never coming back.” This theological position is called annihilationism, a belief that all damned humans and fallen angels – including demons and Satan -- will be totally destroyed and their consciousness extinguished. CAMERON: “I actually think this is a really good argument for annihilationism. Just because the righteous go to eternal life, which is the gift of God, not that the wicked are granted an eternity of punishment. The punishment of the wicked is final. It is irreversible.” Rev. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, called the admission “sad.” And in his words: “The admonition to confess Christ or risk non-existence just doesn't pass the New Testament test, and there is a good reason it doesn't work in a sermon either. The stakes are just too low, and the fires of hell hold no eternal consequence.” At the final judgment, as recorded in Matthew 25: 41-43, Jesus said to those on His left hand: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' … And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Imprisoned fathers reunited with daughters at dance And finally, the “God Behind Bars” organization links local churches to prisons, and reunites families, especially children with their incarcerated parents or grandparents.   This Christmas season, the organization sponsored its first Father-Daughter Dance at the Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary.    Twenty-nine fathers were reunited with their daughters that night, many of whom had not seen their daughters for years — some over a decade. The ministry calls these events "moments of restoration … and the Gospel in motion." Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, December 16th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

A cousin of a rabbi killed in the Bondi beach attack says Eli Schlanger devoted himself to bringing joy and love to others -- and his family plans to continue that tradition. A Syrian father of two who risked his life to disarm one of the alleged shooters is being hailed as a hero; our guest sat with his family as they waited for news. Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai faces a possible life sentence for sedition and foreign collusion; a fellow activist is crushed -- but not surprised. A Scotland fan was excited to buy tickets to the FIFA World Cup -- before he learned prices were, in his words, "extortionate". Former "As It Happens" co-host Jeff Douglas takes us gliding down a quiet frozen river -- when we air his annual holiday his reading of the poem "The Skater."A group of linguists urge the Prime Minister to stop messing with Canadian identity by relying on British spellings that use an "s" -- not a zed -- in words like "analyze".As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that hits you like a ton of Brits.

The juxtaposition of the administration's handling of the Syrian massacre of our troops with immigration from Syria in light of the Sydney terror attack is appalling. Today, I go through the details and policy outcomes that should flow from the deaths of Iowa Guardsmen at the hands of Jolani-allied thugs to show how our Syria policy is completely backward. Rather than pulling our troops out, banning Syrian immigration, and allowing Israel to take care of business, we are doubling down on serving as Qatar's lapdog, continuing immigration from Syria and most Islamic countries, and hamstringing Israel from its much more effective effort on combatting terrorism emanating from Syria. At the end, I touch on Trump's losing economic message promoting inflation and data centers and how the data-center agenda is actually harming the electronics market and crowding out more necessary and efficient technology investments.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Australia mourn the victims of a shooting, during a Jewish holiday gathering at Bondi Beach, its prime minister pledges solidarity.Anthony Albanese says the attackers were not part of a terror cell, but "clearly, they were motivated by this extremist ideology". The father of a Syrian bystander who was filmed wrestling a gun off an attacker has told the BBC he was driven by "conscience and humanity"Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky comes under more pressure to compromise at peace talks in Berlin, Chile elects a far-right leader who is an admirer of the dictator, Augusto Pinochet, and police in Los Angeles investigate the suspected murder of the celebrated Hollywood director, Rob Reiner.(Photo shows Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, Australia on 15 December 2025. Credit: Steven Markham/EPA)

[00:30] A Weekend of Bloody Crimes (55 minutes) Violent murders dominated the news cycle this weekend—an anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Australia, a shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, a son who murdered his famous parents in Los Angeles, and a Syrian government agent who killed two U.S. servicemen and an American translator in Syria. Dialogue about peace is at fever pitch right now, but our world is full of bloody crimes. Is this God's world?

A shepherd calls in from Syria to talk about the trajectory of his life moving forward, a caller blows up his life forever, a caller drives across the country for love, and a final caller finds themselves home alone for the first time ever. I love diet root beer. I am a gecko. Get notified for when I come to your city to do a live gecko show: therapygeckotour.com GET BONUS EPISODES: therapygecko.supercast.com FOLLOW ME ON GECKOGRAM: instagram.com/lyle4ever GET WEIRD EMAILS FROM ME SOMETIMES BY CLICKING HERE.Follow me on Twitch to get a notification for when I’m live taking calls. Usually Mondays and Wednesdays but a lot of other times too. twitch.tv/lyleforeverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comShadi is a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He runs a substack with Damir Marusic called Wisdom of Crowds, and his new book is The Case for American Power. It's the third time Shadi has been on the Dishcast. We hashed out the National Security Strategy and the future of US leadership in the world, if any.For two clips of our convo — on Bush's idealism leading to anarchy in Iraq, and whether Trump's amorality is stabilizing the Middle East — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Shadi raised with a mixed identity (American/Muslim/Arab); both parents from Egypt where he spent summers; the reinvention of immigrants; the peace and prosperity of the ‘90s; our innocence shattered on 9/11; external and internal jihad; religion in public life; the Koran; blasphemy laws in the UK; Charles Taylor and the loss of enchantment; political cults like MAGA and SJW; Deneen and other post-liberals; Obama's realism in the Mideast; the Arab Spring; Islam's tension with liberalism; how Israel undermined Obama; the settlements; Gaza; Muslim views of women and gays in the West; the US intervening in Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Persian Gulf; oikophobia; elites opening up China and creating a rival; Taiwan; Russia after the USSR; the invasion of Georgia and Crimea; the Syrian war and refugee crisis; the war in Ukraine; Vance in Munich; and Trump's pressure on NATO to arm itself.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Simon Rogoff on the narcissism of pols and celebrities (from Diddy to Churchill to Trump), Laura Field on the intellectuals of Trumpism, Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness, Vivek Ramaswamy on the right's future, and Jason Willick on trade and conservatism. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

SHOW 12-8-2025 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1895 KHYBER PASS THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE  BOARD OF GOVERNORS. FIRST HOUR 9-915 The DC Shooter, the Zero Units, and the Tragedy of the Afghan Withdrawal: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio discuss recent violence in Washington, D.C. involving an Afghan immigrant that has drawn attention back to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; the shooter, Ramanula Lakanal, was a member of the elite "Zero Units" of the Afghan National Army, a force that demanded priority evacuation for their families in exchange for providing security at the Kabul airport during the U.S. retreat, and while these units were stalwart allies against enemies like al-Qaeda and ISIS, they fought a "dirty war" and were accused of human rights violations, highlighting the broader failure of the withdrawal which occurred because political will faded across multiple administrations. 915-930 The Vetting Failure and the Lack of an Exit Strategy in Afghanistan: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggioexplain that the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was exacerbated by the lack of a methodical exit strategy, unlike the British who organized their departure and evacuation lists well in advance; critics argue that the U.S. imported significant security risks by rushing the evacuation, bringing in over 100,000 Afghans without adequate vetting, and while there was a moral obligation to help those who served, experts suggest that wholesale importation of citizens from a war-torn country was not the only solution and that better vetting or resettlement in third countries should have been considered. 930-945 Martial Law in South Korea and the Shadow of the North: Colleagues Morse Tan and Gordon Chang discuss South Korea facing severe political turmoil following President Yoon's declaration of martial law, a move his supporters argue was a constitutional response to obstructionist anti-state forces; the opposition, led by figures previously sympathetic to North Korea, has been accused of attempting to paralyze the government, while accusations of "insurrection" against President Yoon are dismissed as nonsensical, with the political infighting fracturing the conservative party and leaving South Korea vulnerable to the North Korean regime in a way not seen since the Korean War. 945-1000 Japan Stands Up for Taiwan While Canada Demurs: Colleagues Charles Burton and Gordon Chang report that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi recently declared that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a "survival threatening situation" for Japan, authorizing the mobilization of self-defense forces; this statement has triggered a massive propaganda campaign from Beijing demanding a retraction, as a successful invasion of Taiwan would likely require violating Japanese sovereignty, while in contrast Canada remains reluctant to support Tokyo or criticize Beijing, hoping to secure trade benefits and diversify exports away from the U.S., leaving Japan isolated by its allies. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 The Survival of UNRWA and the Flow of Terror Finance: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotterreport that despite investigations revealing corruption and ties to terrorism, the UN has renewed the mandate for UNRWA for another three years; the organization's facilities have been used by Hamas and its schools have been implicated in radicalizing children, yet international efforts to replace it have stalled, while Hamas leadership refuses to disarm or accept international oversight, demanding a Palestinian state as a precondition for any change, with financial support for terror groups continuing to flow through networks in Europe and the Middle East. 1015-1030 Greece's "Achilles Shield" and Israel's Iron Beam Laser Defense: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter report that Greece is undertaking a historic modernization of its armed forces, unveiling a new national defense strategy focused on long-range missiles and a modernized air defense system dubbed "Achilles Shield," allowing Greece to project power more flexibly in the Eastern Mediterranean and counter threats from Turkey; in Israel, a major defensive breakthrough is imminent with the deployment of the "Iron Beam," a laser defense system capable of intercepting threats at approximately $50 per shot, expected to rewrite the rules of air defense by effectively countering drone swarms and missiles. 1030-1045 Hezbollah's Quiet Regeneration Under Naim Qassem: Colleagues David Daoud and Bill Roggio report that since the ceasefire began, Hezbollah has received at least $2 billion from Iran and is actively rearming and regenerating its forces in Lebanon; the terror group is focusing on acquiring drone swarms and other asymmetrical weapons that are cheap to produce and difficult for Israel to counter, while Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem is leveraging his "bookish" and underestimated persona to lower the temperature and allow the group to rebuild without attracting the same level of scrutiny as his predecessor. 1045-1100 Fragmentation in Yemen: The Southern Transitional Council Advances: Colleagues Bridget Tumi and Bill Roggio report that the civil war in Yemen is fracturing further as the Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for southern secession, advances into eastern governorates to secure territory and combat smuggling; this move has heightened tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition, as the STC is backed by the UAE while other government factions are supported by Saudi Arabia, weakening the collective effort against the Houthis who control the capital Sanaa and maintain ambitions to conquer the entire country. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The Druze National Guard and Internal Strife in Southern Syria: Colleagues Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report that instability is growing in Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province, where a newly formed "National Guard" militia has begun arresting and killing political opponents; the militia is spiritually guided by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has consolidated power by sidelining other Druze leaders who were open to reconciliation with the Assad regime, with Turkey expressing support for the anti-Assad Druze factions against both the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, while recent violence suggests a hardening of anti-regime sentiment. 1115-1130 The "Variable Geometry" of the Muslim Brotherhood and Its Global Affiliates: Colleagues Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio explain that the Muslim Brotherhood operates as a "mothership" for various Islamist movements, utilizing a strategy of "variable geometry" to adapt to local political environments while aiming for a global caliphate; Hamas functions as the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood and despite being severely damaged by the war with Israel remains the dominant force in Gaza, with the Brotherhood finding state sponsorship primarily in Qatar, which provides funding and media support via Al Jazeera, and Turkey, where President Erdogan acts as a leader for the organization. 1130-1145 Ukraine Negotiations Hit a Cul-de-Sac Amidst Infiltration Tactics: Colleagues John Hardie and Bill Roggio report that peace talks regarding Ukraine are currently at a standstill, with the U.S. and Ukraine at odds over Russia's demands for territory in the Donbas versus Ukraine's need for meaningful security guarantees; while the U.S. has pressured Ukraine to concede territory, the security assurances offered are viewed skeptically by Kyiv, and Russia refuses to accept any Western military presence in Ukraine, while on the battlefield Russia employs infiltration tactics using small groups, sometimes single soldiers, to penetrate deep into Ukrainian positions. 1145-1200 The Trump Corollary: Reviving the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America: Colleague Ernesto Araújo discusses a new "Trump corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine reshaping U.S. policy in the Americas, signaling a more assertive stance against foreign influence and authoritarian regimes; this shift is evident in Venezuela, where President Maduro appears to be negotiating his exit in the face of U.S. pressure, while in Brazil the administration of Lula da Silva faces significant instability due to a massive banking scandal linking the government to money laundering and organized crime, with the new application of the Monroe Doctrine suggesting the U.S. will favor political figures aligned with its security strategy. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Devil's Advocates: Robert Stryk, Rudy Giuliani, and the Business of Influence: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel discusses how in the power vacuum created by Donald Trump's arrival in Washington, unconventional lobbyists like Robert Stryk rose to prominence by marketing access to the new administration; Stryk, described as an "anti-hero" with a checkered business past, hosted a lavish event at the Hay-Adams Hotel to legitimize the regime of Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, successfully delivering Rudy Giuliani as Trump's personal attorney, signaling a new informal channel for foreign diplomacy and highlighting how foreign regimes utilized large sums of money and unconventional intermediaries to seek favor. 1215-1230 The Accidental Diplomat: Robert Stryk and the New Zealand Connection: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that Robert Stryk's rise in the lobbying world was fueled by serendipity and bold bluffs, exemplified by a chance encounter with a New Zealand diplomat at a cafe; the diplomat revealed that New Zealand, having prepared for a Clinton victory, had no contacts within the incoming Trump team and could not arrange a congratulatory call between their Prime Minister and the President-elect, and Stryk, leveraging a connection to a former Trump campaign field director, provided a phone number that successfully connected the embassy to Trump's team, establishing his credibility and launching his career in high-stakes foreign lobbying. 1230-1245 Hunter Biden, Chinese Spies, and the Monetization of Political Connections: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel reports that following his father's departure from the vice presidency, Hunter Biden faced financial pressure and sought lucrative foreign clients, leading to risky entanglements; one venture involved a corrupt Romanian real estate magnate who hired Hunter along with former FBI Director Louis Freeh and Rudy Giuliani to resolve his legal troubles, with the proposed solution involving selling land including the site of the U.S. Embassy in Romania to a Chinese state-linked fund, and Hunter Biden was aware of the nature of his associates, referring to one as the "spy chief of China." 1245-100 AM FARA: From Fighting Nazi Propaganda to Modern Transparency: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that the Foreign Agents Registration Act was originally enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda in the United States before World War II; at the time, the Third Reich was paying well-connected American consultants to whitewash Hitler's image and keep the U.S. out of the war, operating without public knowledge, and Congress passed FARA to create transparency, requiring those paid by foreign principals to influence the U.S. government or media to register their activities, with the law remaining today the primary vehicle for accountability in foreign lobbying

PREVIEW — Jonathan Schanzer — "Darkness Visible": The Dangerous Power Vacuum and Rivalries in Syria. Schanzer characterizes contemporary Syria as chaotic "ungoverned territory" systematically attracting dangerous transnational actors including Hamas military operatives and Russian military and intelligence personnel establishing operational footprints. Schanzer documents that while the United States strategically lifts economic sanctions to encourage pragmatism and behavioral moderation from the new Syrian leadership, regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Turkey simultaneously compete for geopolitical influence over Damascus decision-making, creating overlapping and contradictory leverage efforts. Schanzer emphasizes that this fractured geopolitical landscape is further complicated by armed militia networks, Kurdish separatist forces, and foreign fighter contingents remaining throughout Syrian territory, resembling a "shattered chessboard" where multiple external powers attempt simultaneous influence operations while internal actors pursue autonomous agendas, creating a dangerously unpredictable and volatile strategic environment.  DAMASCUS 1920

The Druze National Guard and Internal Strife in Southern Syria: Colleagues Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report that instability is growing in Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province, where a newly formed "National Guard" militia has begun arresting and killing political opponents; the militia is spiritually guided by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has consolidated power by sidelining other Druze leaders who were open to reconciliation with the Assad regime, with Turkey expressing support for the anti-Assad Druze factions against both the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, while recent violence suggests a hardening of anti-regime sentiment. 1914 SYRIA