Podcasts about United States Congress

This Day in Legal History: Alien ActOn June 25, 1798, the United States Congress passed the Alien Act, one of the four laws collectively known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Signed into law by President John Adams, the Alien Act authorized the president to order the deportation of any non-citizen deemed "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." This law emerged during a time of heightened political tension and fear of foreign influence, particularly as hostilities with France escalated during the Quasi-War. The Federalist-controlled government promoted the act as a necessary measure to protect national security, but it quickly drew criticism from the rival Democratic-Republican Party.Critics argued the act violated fundamental principles of due process and civil liberties, granting the executive branch unchecked power over immigration and expulsion. The law did not require a criminal conviction or even a hearing, allowing deportation based solely on presidential discretion. Although the Alien Act had a two-year sunset clause and was never directly enforced through mass deportations, its passage contributed to a growing divide between Federalists and Jeffersonians.The broader set of Alien and Sedition Acts also targeted political dissent, with the Sedition Act criminalizing speech critical of the government. These laws played a central role in the 1800 presidential election, fueling opposition that ultimately helped Thomas Jefferson defeat John Adams. In the long run, the Alien Act became emblematic of federal overreach and was widely viewed as an overreaction to perceived threats. It underscored early challenges in balancing national security with individual rights and helped lay the groundwork for later debates on immigration and executive authority.A decade after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, a Christian legal group is preparing to challenge the decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The move comes amid broader conservative momentum, including a Southern Baptist Convention resolution calling for the ruling's repeal and a recent Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Despite these developments, legal experts, including conservatives, see little chance the Court will take up the challenge. John Bursch, a former Obergefell litigator, noted that overturning such a major precedent typically requires both time and significant public advocacy—Roe v. Wade, for instance, remained in force for nearly 50 years before being overturned in Dobbs.Nonetheless, Liberty Counsel is moving forward with a Supreme Court appeal on behalf of Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple just days after Obergefell. Davis was found liable for $100,000 in emotional distress damages, and the group will argue that her actions were protected by the First Amendment. The Sixth Circuit rejected that argument, stating that Davis acted as a public official and thus could not claim constitutional protection for her refusal. Liberty Counsel also intends to ask the Court to reconsider the core ruling in Obergefell, comparing their strategy to how Dobbs upended abortion rights.Legal observers remain skeptical. The Supreme Court already declined to hear Davis's earlier appeal, and while Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito expressed concerns about the scope of Obergefell, they said Davis had not properly raised the issue in lower courts. That procedural misstep could again doom her case. Meanwhile, political efforts are mounting in conservative states, with resolutions and bills promoting "covenant marriage" that excludes same-sex couples. Still, critics such as the ACLU see these moves as largely symbolic and lacking real legal traction.Same-Sex Marriage Challenge Seen as Long Shot at Supreme CourtA new ruling in the case Bartz et al v. Anthropic PBC has provided the first major legal decision on whether training generative AI models qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law. District Judge William Alsup concluded that using legitimately purchased books to train AI models like Anthropic's Claude counts as transformative fair use, as long as the books are bought for training and then destroyed afterward. This decision gives AI developers a tentative legal framework, or “roadmap,” for creating compliant large language models, though the ruling is not without limits. Alsup allowed separate claims involving pirated training materials to proceed to trial, drawing a sharp line between lawful acquisition and copyright infringement.The court's ruling highlights the four traditional fair use factors, placing significant weight on the transformative nature of AI training while minimizing the importance of its commercial impact on the original market. Alsup asserted that the use was transformative enough to outweigh concerns over licensing markets, suggesting that AI training doesn't necessarily harm authors' ability to profit from their work. This view diverges from recent interpretations emphasizing market harm, such as the Supreme Court's 2022 Warhol decision. While this reasoning favors developers, it also creates tension with copyright owners, who argue the ruling downplays existing licensing practices.The decision notably distances itself from claims involving pirated materials. Alsup treated the copying and use of pirated books as a separate issue that may still result in substantial liability, including statutory damages. This split decision—approving the use of lawfully acquired materials but scrutinizing pirated content—offers a compromise approach that courts in similar cases might adopt. With multiple lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta pending, Alsup's ruling could influence upcoming decisions, though judges in other districts may interpret the law differently. The opinion suggests that training can be transformative and lawful under certain conditions but reinforces that AI companies must source training data responsibly.Mixed Anthropic Ruling Builds Roadmap for Generative AI Fair UseAnthropic wins key US ruling on AI training in authors' copyright lawsuit | ReutersKilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national previously deported under the Trump administration despite a court order barring his removal, is set to appear in a Nashville court to determine the terms of his release from jail. A U.S. magistrate judge ruled that Abrego could not be detained pending trial, citing insufficient evidence that he poses a danger. Abrego has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to smuggle migrants into the U.S., accusations his legal team argues were intended to justify his unlawful deportation. His case has drawn attention as a symbol of the Trump administration's controversial immigration policies and has sparked civil rights concerns.The court noted that even if Abrego is released from criminal custody, immigration authorities may still detain him. The judge questioned the reliability of the government's witnesses, many of whom are convicted smugglers or deportees seeking leniency. Prosecutors allege Abrego transported migrants, including minors, on over 100 trips between Texas and Maryland, often accompanied by his own children to avoid suspicion. However, the court viewed these claims skeptically due to the witnesses' motivations and criminal backgrounds.U.S. officials initially labeled his deportation an “administrative error” and resisted calls to return him, raising further due process concerns. Another judge is investigating whether the administration violated court orders related to his removal. Ultimately, the Justice Department brought Abrego back to face charges, but the judge's recent ruling underscores the court's commitment to ensuring his constitutional rights are respected.Returned deportee Abrego due in US court over bail conditions | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Congressman Mike Lawler calls in to talk about weighing a run for Governor of New York for him next year while his colleague Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has her sights set on the same Republican nomination for the right to face Governor Kathy Hochul in the General Election, before he dives into the other news of the day surrounding the United States Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note from Jeannine: So, this is a pretty big one for me. In 2020, while my studio was closed, I started manically listening to various podcasts every day looking for motivation and insight. One morning while sitting on the floor of our strength room, I heard the story of The Coffee Bean, as told through Clemson coach, Dabo Sweeney. The origins of that story begin in a jail cell in Texas - with today's guest. Interviewing him and telling him the impact his story had on me was a very cool experience and a reminder to me that my Higher Power is always working in my life...even when I can't see it. Special thank you to Dave from Dopey for connecting me with Damon. Enjoy!Episode description:Today Jeannine interviews Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice. Damon is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His bestselling business book, The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, was listed by Forbes' in the “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.”His autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, vividly tells how he transformed the pot of boiling water that is a Texas maximum-security prison into a pot of coffee.At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.Damon shares his story of how his first use of meth escalated into homelessness in 18 months, including all manner of tweaker hijinks, including a mail man hustle and stealing a car from the Texas Rangers police impound. We talk recovery, resentments, rebuilding after incarceration and never letting dreams die. Let me know what y'all think!Connect with Damon on InstagramDM me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Message me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen AD FREE & workout with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email me chasingheroine@gmail.comSee you next week!

Show #2431 Show Notes: Stay Awake America Tour https://www.stayawakeamerica.com/about-1 https://youtu.be/tjw7imbOb8U?si=dVML7KEf99BQ-ADX ‘Eschatology’: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschatology Why is Satan Going to Be Released after 1000 Years? https://nickcady.org/2019/06/05/why-is-satan-going-to-be-released-at-the-end-of-the-thousand-years/ Jewish Members of Congress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_members_of_the_United_States_Congress#:~:text=As%20of%202025%2C%20there%20are,in%20the%20United%20States%20Congress. Faith Tree Flow Chart: https://truthforsaints.com/world-religions/christianity/christian-denominations/family-tree-flowchart/ […]

In this episode Melinda brings back Ashley England of TVA Energy Right to discuss saving money on your energy bill during the hot summer months. Tune in for great tips from Ashley about energy saving tips and rebates to help you save even more!Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

In this episode of Heard It On The Shark, Melinda chats with Julia McDowell, director of the Pontotoc Farmers Market. The Market is bigger and better than ever this year. Tune in to find out all of the great things happening this summer in Pontotoc County!! Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

Send us a textWelcome to you heard it here last where we talk about news, you've already heard.Well it's finally happened. I don't want to talk about it. I said you can't make me talk about it. But I guess when I started down this podcast road it kinda became my job to talk about it. So here we go.Tariffs.https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-tariffs-apply-to-rpg-books-maybe-maybe-not.712908/EN World posted an article titled Do Tariffs apply to RPG Books? Maybe, Maybe Not.The article discusses an official exemption list which declares that "printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter in single sheets, whether or not folded" and "printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, other than in single sheets" are exempt from Tariffs.This of course made people excited.But then the other shoe dropped.US Customs and Border Protection, in November 1989​ said“In our opinion, heading 9504 provides the more specific description of the merchandise in issue. The modules enhance fantasy game play; they were not designed for passive reading.”There are additions to this statement that basically define that rulebooks used for TTRPGs are not books, but games and therefore subject to Tariffs.The rulings are 35 years old and have everyone confused. Many companies are looking for clarification and hoping that their may be more rulings on what is subject to Tariffs, specifically the 145% Tariffs regarding China.To make this even more confusing I give you the landmark decision on June 28, 2024, In which the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old precedent of Chevron deference, which required courts to defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes.In laymans terms the Supreme Court said that only the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government can make Federal Law. And only the President can issue and executive order. Laws cannot be made by agencies within the federal government.In other words, the ultimate decision regarding TTRPG tariffs doesn't lie with the US Customs, but with the President and the United States Congress.The article ends with an excellent statement and what I believe is the key to all of this. “Whatever the tariffs, what is necessary for trade is stability.”It's kinda hard to plan for the future when the future changes everyday.And now for something completely different (I hope I don't get sued for that)https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2025/05/rpg-travellers-new-campaign-the-singularity-evokes-sci-fi-grandeur-on-kickstarter-now.htmlhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jtas3/traveller-rpg-the-singularity-campaign?ref=discovery&term=Traveller&total_hits=85815&category_id=34Traveller, the Sci-Fi roleplaying game currently published by Mongoose Publishing has just launched a Kickstarter for their new massive campaign “singularity”. It's been a minute since we have had one of these huge, multibook campaigns for Traveller and this one looks to be pretty cool. The RPG will take you to the Throneworld of the 3rd Emperium, let you peruse the archives of Reference, chart the Sylean Main. And, put charted space in your wake.I only hope it's organized better then Pirates of Drinax.

VYS0050 | One And The Same - Vayse to Face with Peter C Hine - Show Notes By some miracle Hine and Buckley have made it to episode 50 and to make the occasion they welcome to Vayse close collaborator and friend of the show, Peter C Hine. Peter is a podcaster, writer and musician from Manchester UK. Together with Stephen James Buckley he co-founded Vayse, a podcast about weird stuff, now celebrating it's 50th episode. The conversation flows from how Vayse was formed, how Peter first became interested in all things weird, why his magical practice is on pause, how deep disillusionment with the current occult scene runs, what does the future hold for Vayse and just how many time can he mention Six Ways, Hellier and Penny Royal in a single interview? (Recorded 22 May 2025) Thanks to all our guests over the last 50 episodes and to everyone who has listened. Thanks as always to Keith for sorting out the show notes - you can find him on Bluesky here: @peakflow.bsky.social Buckley's/Hine's Intro Elon Musk's 14 Children: All About the Tesla CEO's Sons and Daughters and the 4 Women He Shares Them With - People.com (https://people.com/all-about-elon-musk-children-11678749) If Amazon is serious about climate change, why is it ignoring tropical forests? - Forest500 (https://forest500.org/blog/2020/05/01/if-amazon-serious-about-climate-change-why-it-ignoring-tropical-forests/) Digital Doppelgangers: Instagram Tests Creator-Made AI Clones - Forbes.com (https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianshepherd/2024/07/08/digital-doppelgangers-instagram-tests-creator-made-ai-clones/) Vayse to Vayse with Peter C. Hine The AP Strange Show: Exploring the Afterlife with Peter C. Hine (3xtC) (https://theapstrangeshow.transistor.fm/episodes/exploring-the-afterlife-with-peter-c-hine-3xtc) VYS0009 | If There's Something Weird - Halloween 2022: Ghostbusters (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0009) Ghostbusters (1984) - The Library Ghost Scene | Movieclips - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g01em4WGO7A) What Magic is This? Podcast (https://whatmagicisthis.com) Back from the dead: Usborne's World of the Unknown: All About Ghosts - Usborne.com (https://usborne.com/gb/blog/post/behind-the-scenes-at-usborne/back-from-the-dead-usbornes-world-of-the-unknown-ghosts) Is the Chinnery ‘Backseat Driver' Ghost Photo Real? - Spooky Isles (https://www.spookyisles.com/chinnery-backseat-driver-ghost/) Garstang - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garstang) Holy Ghostbuster: A Parson's Encounters With the Paranormal, by J. Aelwyn Roberts - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2213867.Holy_Ghostbuster) Tulpa - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulpa) Great Corby - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Corby) The Lost Boys | Michael Joins the Vampires | Movie Scene (HD) | Warner Bros. Entertainment - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5y_WQRrmXs) VYS0007 | Too Much to Dream Last Night (incl. Hine's Dark Man and Pan encounters) (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0007) Spirit Box: The 'Man in Black' in Irish folklore (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/spirit-box/episodes/The-Man-in-Black-in-Irish-folklore-e14ddnj) VYS0028 | Psychic Jizz - Vayse to Face with Stephanie Quick (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0028) Hellier (TV Series) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellier_(TV_series)) Hellier Seasons 1 & 2 - Planet Weird (https://www.planetweird.tv/hellier-season-1) Pennyroyal podcast (https://www.pennyroyalpodcast.com/) Weird Studies podcast (https://www.weirdstudies.com/) The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories, by Ann VanderMeer (Editor), and Jeff VanderMeer (Editor) - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12344319-the-weird) H. P. Lovecraft - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft) Weird Studies Episode 72: Morning of the Mutants: On the Castrati (https://www.weirdstudies.com/72) Twin Peaks - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks) Twin Peaks Moments #1: Little Nicky - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9NtujJro20) Eraserhead (1977) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WAzFWu2tVw) David Lynch - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lynch) Nine Inch Nails: Hurt - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbHz9p7Z4OU) John Keel - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keel) Jacques Vallée - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e) Pendle Hill - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendle_Hill) Sigil - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigil) Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic, by Phil Hine - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/371437.Condensed_Chaos) Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic, by Aidan Wachter - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39028487-six-ways) VYS0042 | Grinding Out Some Low-End - Vayse to Face with Aidan Wachter (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0042) Writing about music is like dancing about architecture - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_about_music_is_like_dancing_about_architecture) VYS0003 | Welcome to Vayse, Population 2 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0003) Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies, by Aidan Wachter - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54753333-weaving-fate) Goetia - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goetia) Crowley's definition of Magick in The Book of Thoth - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4166-magick-is-the-science-and-art-of-causing-change-to) Gordon White - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15308329.Gordon_White) Jason Louv - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/338353.Jason_Louv) Animism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism) Spirit Box S2 #18 / Peter Hine and Stephen Buckley: Dreams, Nightmares and Pan (https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-ewfdi-19ed1cde) Synchronicity - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity) 23 enigma - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_enigma) Neurodiversity - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodiversity) Ted & Coach Beard Say Goodbye (Ted Lasso) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncyIpz5qyg) Folie à deux - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folie_%C3%A0_deux) Trauma Bonding - Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/trauma-bonding) VYS0047 | The Weird Review Of The Year 2024 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0047) 2022 United States Congress hearings on UFOs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_Congress_hearings_on_UFOs) Jeremy Corbell - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Corbell) George Knapp (television journalist) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Knapp_(television_journalist)) Compilation of all the Jellyfish UFOs 1999-2022 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCnyGqiBZ0) The Trickster and the Paranormal, by George P. Hansen - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/669028.The_Trickster_and_the_Paranormal) Allen Greenfield's website (https://bishop171.wixsite.com/allen-greenfield) Joseph Matheny's website (https://josephmatheny.com/) Richard Doty - Wikipedia (https://en.ikwipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Doty) Mirage Men - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage_Men) Luis Elizondo - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Elizondo) Steven M. Greer - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_M._Greer) CE-5 Protocol website (https://ce5-protocol.com/) Yes, and… - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_and...) Live action role-playing game (LARP) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game) UAP recovery video shows ‘egg-shaped' object |News Nation - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=009qMHiqsVs) VYS0010 | Amazing Stories - Vayse to Face with Dr Allen H Greenfield Pt.1 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0010) VYS0011 | Weird Tales - Vayse to Face with Dr Allen H Greenfield Pt.2 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0011) VYS0036 | Infinite Game - Vayse to Face with Joseph Matheny (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0036) VYS0025 | Truth with a Capital "T" - Vayse to Face with Sequoyah Kennedy (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0025) VYS0049 | Machines of Loving Vayse - Vayse to Face with Sequoyah Kennedy v2.0 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0049) Google's Veo 3 AI video generator is a slop monger's dream - The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/673719/google-veo-3-ai-video-audio-sound-effects) Large language model - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_language_model) VYS0017 | Occult Detective - Vayse to Face with Bob Freeman (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0017) VYS0037 | Elvis with a Flaming Sword - Vayse to Face with AP Strange (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0037) VYS0026 | It's a Wand-erful Life - Vayse to Face with Douglas Batchelor Pt. 1 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0026) VYS0027 | Batchelor of Dark Arts - Vayse to Face with Douglas Batchelor Pt. 2 (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0027) VYS0021 | Song of the Dark Man - Vayse to Face with Darragh Mason (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0021) VYS0024 | Between Being Real and Not Real - Vayse to Face with Nathan Paul Isaac (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0024) What is ADHD? - ADHD Foundation (https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/resources/what-is-adhd) ‘I'd keep them distracted': Woman asks ChatGPT how it would ‘destroy young minds' if it was the devil—its response leaves her stunned - Daily Dot (https://www.dailydot.com/culture/chatgpt-if-you-were-the-devil/) Black Mirror - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror) Song of the Dark Man: Father of Witches, Lord of the Crossroads, by Darragh Mason - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199454362-song-of-the-dark-man) King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Gizzard_%26_the_Lizard_Wizard) Unmasking 101: Learning to Be Who You Are - Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/wildly-neurodivergent/202503/unmasking-101-learning-to-be-who-you-are) Peter's recommendations (and music project) Ted Lasso Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7EIiohs6U) Reservation Dogs Season 1 Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWYVTyhFAOU) Dead Pioneers - Bandcamp (https://deadpioneers.bandcamp.com/) Warfare | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JER0Fkyy3tw) Crash, by J.G. Ballard - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70241.Crash) Canvas Bodies | Cuckoo - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s_4H2Gkt1Y) Buckley's closing question ???!!! Vayse online Website (https://www.vayse.co.uk/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/vayseesyav) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vayseesyav.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vayseesyav/) Bandcamp (Music From Vayse) (https://vayse.bandcamp.com/) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/vayse) Email: vayseinfo@gmail.com

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress, this episode revisits the origins of the United States Congress and how early Americans built a representative government from revolutionary ideals. Historians Matt Wasniewski and Terrence Ruckner of the Office of the Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives join us to explore how Congress evolved from its colonial and revolutionary predecessors into the bicameral legislature established by the Constitution. House History Office Website Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/202 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES

Host Melinda Marsalis talks all about the Benton County Farmers' Market with Manager Janet Jones all about the Farmers' Market in Ashland, MS. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

In this episode Melinda chats with Ripley native LaShawn McKenzie about her Heat & Wellness Spa located on City Avenue (Highway 15) in Ripley, Mississippi. LaShawn answers Melinda's questions about the services the spa offers and the health benefits of those services. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

So even the people that follow the topic closely are stunned by the digital landscape that engulfs our children, how quickly it evolves, and the potential social cost. Two people in a unique position to explain all this are our guest today, Jeffrey Chester and Kathryn Montgomery, both from the Center for Digital Democracy. Jeff is executive director of the Center, and Kathryn is its research director and senior strategist, as well as professor emerita of communication at American University. Jeff and Kathryn have been pioneers in this work and have been uniquely strong voices for protecting children. Interview Summary Let me congratulate the two of you for being way ahead of your time. I mean the two of you through your research and your advocacy and your organizational work, you were onto these things way before most people were. I'm really happy that you're joining us today, and welcome to our podcast. Kathryn, let me begin with you. So why be concerned about this digital landscape? Kathryn - Well, certainly if we're talking about children and youth, we have to pay attention to the world they live in. And it's a digital world as I think any parent knows, and everybody knows. In fact, for all of us, we're living in a digital world. So young people are living their lives online. They're using mobile phones and mobile devices all the time. They're doing online video streaming. They form their communications with their peers online. Their entire lives are completely integrated into this digital media landscape, and we must understand it. Certainly, the food and beverage industry understand it very well. And they have figured out enormously powerful ways to reach and engage young people through these digital media. You know, the extent of the kids' connection to this is really remarkable. I just finished a few minutes ago recording a podcast with two people involved with the Children and Screens organization. And, Chris Perry, who's the executive director of that organization and Dmitri Christakis who was with us as well, were saying that kids sometimes check their digital media 300 times a day. I mean, just unbelievable how much of this there is. There's a lot of reasons to be concerned. Let's turn our attention to how bad it is, what companies are doing, and what might be done about it. So, Jeff, tell us if you would, about the work of the Center for Digital Democracy. Jeff - Well, for more than a quarter of a century, we have tracked the digital marketplace. As you said at the top, we understood in the early 1990s that the internet, broadband what's become today's digital environment, was going to be the dominant communications system. And it required public interest rules and policies and safeguards. So as a result, one of the things that our Center does is we look at the entire digital landscape as best as we can, especially what the ultra-processed food companies are doing, but including Google and Meta and Amazon and GenAI companies. We are tracking what they're doing, how they're creating the advertising, what their data strategies are, what their political activities are in the United States and in many other places in the world. Because the only way we're going to hold them accountable is if we know what they're doing and what they intend to do. And just to quickly follow up, Kelly, the marketers call today's global generation of young people Generation Alpha. Meaning that they are the first generation to be born into this complete digital landscape environment that we have created. And they have developed a host of strategies to target children at the earliest ages to take advantage of the fact that they're growing up digitally. Boy, pretty amazing - Generation Alpha. Kathryn, I have kind of a niche question I'd like to ask you because it pertains to my own career as well. So, you spent many years as an academic studying and writing about these issues, but also you were a strong advocacy voice. How did you go about balancing the research and the objectivity of an academic with advocacy you were doing? Kathryn - I think it really is rooted in my fundamental set of values about what it means to be an academic. And I feel very strongly and believe very strongly that all of us have a moral and ethical responsibility to the public. That the work we do should really, as I always have told my students, try to make the world a better place. It may seem idealistic, but I think it is what our responsibility is. And I've certainly been influenced in my own education by public scholars over the years who have played that very, very important role. It couldn't be more important today than it has been over the years. And I think particularly if you're talking about public health, I don't think you can be neutral. You can have systematic ways of assessing the impact of food marketing, in this case on young people. But I don't think you can be totally objective and neutral about the need to improve the public health of our citizens. And particularly the public health of our young people. I agree totally with that. Jeff let's talk about the concept of targeted marketing. We hear that term a lot. And in the context of food, people talk about marketing aimed at children as one form of targeting. Or, toward children of color or people of color in general. But that's in a way technological child's play. I understand from you that there's much more precise targeting than a big demographic group like that. Tell us more. Jeff - Well, I mean certainly the ultra-processed food companies are on the cutting edge of using all the latest tools to target individuals in highly personalized way. And I think if I have one message to share with your listeners and viewers is that if we don't act soon, we're going to make an already vulnerable group even more exposed to this kind of direct targeted and personalized marketing. Because what artificial intelligence allows the food and beverage companies and their advertising agencies and platform partners to do is to really understand who we are, what we do, where we are, how we react, behave, think, and then target us accordingly using all those elements in a system that can create this kind of advertising and marketing in minutes, if not eventually milliseconds. So, all of marketing, in essence, will be targeted because they know so much about us. You have an endless chain of relationships between companies like Meta, companies like Kellogg's, the advertising agencies, the data brokers, the marketing clouds, et cetera. Young people especially, and communities of color and other vulnerable groups, have never been more exposed to this kind of invasive, pervasive advertising. Tell us how targeted it can be. I mean, let's take a 11-year-old girl who lives in Wichita and a 13-year-old boy who lives in Denver. How much do the companies know about those two people as individuals? And how does a targeting get market to them? Not because they belong to a big demographic group, but because of them as individuals. Jeff - Well, they certainly are identified in various ways. The marketers know that there are young people in the household. They know that there are young people, parts of families who have various media behaviors. They're watching these kinds of television shows, especially through streaming or listening to music or on social media. Those profiles are put together. And even when the companies say they don't exactly know who the child is or not collecting information from someone under 13 because of the privacy law that we helped get enacted, they know where they are and how to reach them. So, what you've had is an unlimited amassing of data power developed by the food and beverage companies in the United States over the last 25 years. Because really very little has been put in their way to stop them from what they do and plan to do. So presumably you could get some act of Congress put in to forbid the companies from targeting African American children or something like that. But it doesn't sound like that would matter because they're so much more precise in the market. Yes. I mean, in the first place you couldn't get congress to pass that. And I think this is the other thing to think about when you think about the food and beverage companies deploying Generative AI and the latest tools. They've already established vast, what they call insights divisions, market research divisions, to understand our behavior. But now they're able to put all that on a fast, fast, forward basis because of data processing, because of data clouds, let's say, provided by Amazon, and other kinds of tools. They're able to really generate how to sell to us individually, what new products will appeal to us individually and even create the packaging and the promotion to be personalized. So, what you're talking about is the need for a whole set of policy safeguards. But I certainly think that people concerned about public health need to think about regulating the role of Generative AI, especially when it comes to young people to ensure that they're not marketed to in the ways that it fact is and will continue to do. Kathryn, what about the argument that it's a parent's responsibility to protect their children and that government doesn't need to be involved in this space? Kathryn - Well, as a parent, I have to say is extremely challenging. We all do our best to try to protect our children from unhealthy influences, whether it's food or something that affects their mental health. That's a parent's obligation. That's what a parent spends a lot of time thinking about and trying to do. But this is an environment that is overwhelming. It is intrusive. It reaches into young people's lives in ways that make it virtually impossible for parents to intervene. These are powerful companies, and I'm including the tech companies. I'm including the retailers. I'm including the ad agencies as well as these global food and beverage companies. They're extremely powerful. As Jeff has been saying, they have engaged and continue to engage in enormous amounts of technological innovation and research to figure out precisely how to reach and engage our children. And it's too much for parents. And I've been saying this for years. I've been telling legislators this. I've been telling the companies this. It's not fair. It's a very unfair situation for parents. That makes perfect sense. Well, Jeff, your Center produces some very helpful and impressive reports. And an example of that is work you've done on the vast surveillance of television viewers. Tell us more about that, if you would. Jeff - Well, you know, you have to keep up with this, Kelly. The advocates in the United States and the academics with some exceptions have largely failed to address the contemporary business practices of the food and beverage companies. This is not a secret what's going on now. I mean the Generative AI stuff and the advanced data use, you know, is recent. But it is a continuum. And the fact is that we've been one of the few groups following it because we care about our society, our democracy, our media system, et cetera. But so much more could be done here to track what the companies are doing to identify the problematic practices, to think about counter strategies to try to bring change. So yes, we did this report on video streaming because in fact, it's the way television has now changed. It's now part of the commercial surveillance advertising and marketing complex food and beverage companies are using the interactivity and the data collection of streaming television. And we're sounding the alarm as we've been sounding now for too long. But hopefully your listeners will, in fact, start looking more closely at this digital environment because if we don't intervene in the next few years, it'll be impossible to go back and protect young people. So, when people watch television, they don't generally realize or appreciate the fact that information is being collected on them. Jeff - The television watches you now. The television is watching you now. The streaming companies are watching you now. The device that brings you streaming television is watching you now is collecting all kinds of data. The streaming device can deliver personalized ads to you. They'll be soon selling you products in real time. And they're sharing that data with companies like Meta Facebook, your local retailers like Albertsons, Kroger, et cetera. It's one big, huge digital data marketing machine that has been created. And the industry has been successful in blocking legislation except for the one law we were able to get through in 1998. And now under the Trump administration, they have free reign to do whatever they want. It's going to be an uphill battle. But I do think the companies are in a precarious position politically if we could get more people focused on what they're doing. Alright, we'll come back to that. My guess is that very few people realize the kind of thing that you just talked about. That so much information is being collected on them while they're watching television. The fact that you and your center are out there making people more aware, I think, is likely to be very helpful. Jeff - Well, I appreciate that, Kelly, but I have to say, and I don't want to denigrate our work, but you know, I just follow the trades. There's so much evidence if you care about the media and if you care about advertising and marketing or if you care, just let's say about Coca-Cola or Pepsi or Mondalez. Pick one you can't miss all this stuff. It's all there every day. And the problem is that there has not been the focus, I blame the funders in part. There's not been the focus on this marketplace in its contemporary dimensions. I'd like to ask you both about the legislative landscape and whether there are laws protecting people, especially children from this marketing. And Kathy, both you and Jeff were heavily involved in advocacy for a landmark piece of legislation that Jeff referred to from 1998, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. What did this act involve? And now that we're some years in, how has it worked? Kathryn - Well, I always say I've been studying advertising in the digital media before people even knew there was going to be advertising in digital media. Because we're really talking about the earliest days of the internet when it was being commercialized. But there was a public perception promoted by the government and the industry and a lot of other institutions and individuals that this was going to be a whole new democratic system of technology. And that basically it would solve all of our problems in terms of access to information. In terms of education. It would open up worlds to young people. In many ways it has, but they didn't talk really that much about advertising. Jeff and I working together at the Center for Media Education, were already tracking what was going on in that marketplace in the mid-1990s when it was very, very new. At which point children were already a prime target. They were digital kids. They were considered highly lucrative. Cyber Tots was one of the words that was used by the industry. What we believed was that we needed to get some public debate and some legislation in place, some kinds of rules, to guide the development of this new commercialized media system. And so, we launched a campaign that ultimately resulted in the passage of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Now it only governs commercial media, online, digital media that targets children under the age of 13, which was the most vulnerable demographic group of young people. We believe protections are really, really very important for teenagers. There's a lot of evidence for that now, much more research actually, that's showing their vulnerable abilities. And it has required companies to take young people into account when developing their operations. It's had an impact internationally in a lot of other countries. It is just the barest minimum of what we need in terms of protections for young people. And we've worked with the Federal Trade Commission over the years to ensure that those rules were updated and strengthened so that they would apply to this evolving digital media system. But now, I believe, that what we need is a more global advocacy strategy. And we are already doing that with advocates in other countries to develop a strategy to address the practices of this global industry. And there are some areas where we see some promising movement. The UK, for example, passed a law that bans advertising on digital media online. It has not yet taken effect, but now it will after some delays. And there are also other things going on for ultra processed foods, for unhealthy foods and beverages. So, Kathryn has partly answered this already, Jeff, but let me ask you. That act that we've talked about goes back a number of years now, what's being done more recently on the legislative front? Perhaps more important than that, what needs to be done? Well, I have to say, Kelly, that when Joe Biden came in and we had a public interest chair at the Federal Trade Commission, Lena Khan, I urged advocates in the United States who are concerned about unhealthy eating to approach the Federal Trade Commission and begin a campaign to see what we could do. Because this was going to be the most progressive Federal Trade Commission we've had in decades. And groups failed to do so for a variety of reasons. So that window has ended where we might be able to get the Federal Trade Commission to do something. There are people in the United States Congress, most notably Ed Markey, who sponsored our Children's Privacy Law 25 years ago, to get legislation. But I think we have to look outside of the United States, as Kathryn said. Beyond the law in the United Kingdom. In the European Union there are rules governing digital platforms called the Digital Services Act. There's a new European Union-wide policy safeguards on Generative AI. Brazil has something similar. There are design codes like the UK design code for young people. What we need to do is to put together a package of strategies at the federal and perhaps even state level. And there's been some activity at the state level. You know, the industry has been opposed to that and gone to court to fight any rules protecting young people online. But create a kind of a cutting-edge set of practices that then could be implemented here in the United States as part of a campaign. But there are models. And how do the political parties break down on this, these issues? Kathryn - I was going to say they break down. Jeff - The industry is so powerful still. You have bipartisan support for regulating social media when it comes to young people because there have been so many incidences of suicide and stalking and other kinds of emotional and psychological harms to young people. You have a lot of Republicans who have joined with Democrats and Congress wanting to pass legislation. And there's some bipartisan support to expand the privacy rules and even to regulate online advertising for teens in our Congress. But it's been stymied in part because the industry has such an effective lobbying operation. And I have to say that in the United States, the community of advocates and their supporters who would want to see such legislation are marginalized. They're under underfunded. They're not organized. They don't have the research. It's a problem. Now all these things can be addressed, and we should try to address them. But right now it's unlikely anything will pass in the next few months certainly. Kathryn - Can I just add something? Because I think what's important now in this really difficult period is to begin building a broader set of stakeholders in a coalition. And as I said, I think it does need to be global. But I want to talk about also on the research front, there's been a lot of really important research on digital food marketing. On marketing among healthy foods and beverages to young people, in a number of different countries. In the UK, in Australia, and other places around the world. And these scholars have been working together and a lot of them are working with scholars here in the US where we've seen an increase in that kind of research. And then advocates need to work together as well to build a movement. It could be a resurgence that begins outside of our country but comes back in at the appropriate time when we're able to garner the kind of support from our policymakers that we need to make something happen. That makes good sense, especially a global approach when it's hard to get things done here. Jeff, you alluded to the fact that you've done work specifically on ultra processed foods. Tell us what you're up to on that front. Jeff - As part of our industry analysis we have been tracking what all the leading food and beverage companies are doing in terms of what they would call their digital transformation. I mean, Coca-Cola and Pepsi on Mondelez and Hershey and all the leading transnational processed food companies are really now at the end of an intense period of restructuring to take advantage of the capabilities provided by digital data and analytics for the further data collection, machine learning, and Generative AI. And they are much more powerful, much more effective, much more adept. In addition, the industry structure has changed in the last few years also because of digital data that new collaborations have been created between the platforms, let's say like Facebook and YouTube, the food advertisers, their marketing agencies, which are now also data companies, but most notably the retailers and the grocery stores and the supermarkets. They're all working together to share data to collaborate on marketing and advertising strategies. So as part of our work we've kept abreast of all these things and we're tracking them. And now we are sharing them with a group of advocates outside of the United States supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies to support their efforts. And they've already made tremendous progress in a lot of areas around healthy eating in countries like Mexico and Argentina and Brazil, et cetera. And I'm assuming all these technological advances and the marketing muscle, the companies have is not being used to market broccoli and carrots and Brussels sprouts. Is that right? Jeff - The large companies are aware of changing attitudes and the need for healthy foods. One quick takeaway I have is this. That because the large ultra processed food companies understand that there are political pressures promoting healthier eating in North America and in Europe. They are focused on expanding their unhealthy eating portfolio, in new regions specifically Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. And China is a big market for all this. This is why it has to be a global approach here, Kelly. First place, these are transnational corporations. They are creating the, our marketing strategies at the global level and then transmitting them down to be tailored at the national or regional level. They're coming up with a single set of strategies that will affect every country and every child in those countries. We need to keep track of that and figure out ways to go after that. And there are global tools we might be able to use to try to protect young people. Because if you could protect young, a young person in China, you might also be able to protect them here in North Carolina. This all sounds potentially pretty scary, but is there reason to be optimistic? Let's see if we can end on a positive note. What do you think. Do you have reason to be optimistic? Kathryn - I've always been an optimist. I've always tried to be an optimist, and again, what I would say is if we look at this globally and if we identify partners and allies all around the world who are doing good work, and there are many, many, many of them. And if we work together and continue to develop strategies for holding this powerful industry and these powerful industries accountable. I think we will have success. And I think we should also shine the spotlight on areas where important work has already taken place. Where laws have been enacted. Where companies have been made to change their practices and highlight those and build on those successes from around the world. Thanks. Jeff, what about you? Is there reason to be optimistic? Well, I don't think we can stop trying, although we're at a particularly difficult moment here in our country and worldwide. Because unless we try to intervene the largest corporations, who are working and will work closely with our government and other government, will be able to impact our lives in so many ways through their ability to collect data. And to use that data to target us and to change our behaviors. You can change our health behaviors. You can try to change our political behaviors. What the ultra-processed food companies are now able to do every company is able to do and governments are able to do. We have to expose what they're doing, and we have to challenge what they're doing so we can try to leave our kids a better world. It makes sense. Do you see that the general public is more aware of these issues and is there reason to be optimistic on that front? That awareness might lead to pressure on politicians to change things? Jeff - You know, under the Biden administration, the Federal Trade Commission identified how digital advertising and marketing works and it made it popular among many, many more people than previously. And that's called commercial surveillance advertising. The idea that data is collected about you is used to advertise and market to you. And today there are thousands of people and certainly many more advocacy groups concerned about commercial surveillance advertising than there were prior to 2020. And all over the world, as Kathryn said, in countries like in Brazil and South Africa and Mexico, advocates are calling attention to all these techniques and practices. More and more people are being aware and then, you know, we need obviously leaders like you, Kelly, who can reach out to other scholars and get us together working together in some kind of larger collaborative to ensure that these techniques and capabilities are exposed to the public and we hold them accountable. Bios Kathryn Montgomery, PhD. is Research Director and Senior Strategist for the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD). In the early 90s, she and Jeff Chester co-founded the Center for Media Education (CME), where she served as President until 2003, and which was the predecessor organization to CDD. CME spearheaded the national campaign that led to passage of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) the first federal legislation to protect children's privacy on the Internet. From 2003 until 2018, Dr. Montgomery was Professor of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C., where she founded and directed the 3-year interdisciplinary PhD program in Communication. She has served as a consultant to CDD for a number of years and joined the full-time staff in July 2018. Throughout her career, Dr. Montgomery has written and published extensively about the role of media in society, addressing a variety of topics, including: the politics of entertainment television; youth engagement with digital media; and contemporary advertising and marketing practices. Montgomery's research, writing, and testimony have helped frame the national public policy debate on a range of critical media issues. In addition to numerous journal articles, chapters, and reports, she is author of two books: Target: Prime Time – Advocacy Groups and the Struggle over Entertainment Television (Oxford University Press, 1989); and Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce, and Childhood in the Age of the Internet (MIT Press, 2007). Montgomery's current research focuses on the major technology, economic, and policy trends shaping the future of digital media in the Big Data era. She earned her doctorate in Film and Television from the University of California, Los Angeles. Jeff Chester is Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), a Washington, DC non-profit organization. CDD is one of the leading U.S. NGOs advocating for citizens, consumers and other stakeholders on digital privacy and consumer protections online. Founded in 1991, CDD (then known as the Center for Media Education) led the campaign for the enactment of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 1998). During the 1990s it also played a prominent role in such issues as open access/network neutrality, diversity of media ownership, public interest policies for children and television, as well the development of the FCC's “E-Rate” funding to ensure that schools and libraries had the resources to offer Internet services. Since 2003, CDD has been spearheading initiatives designed to ensure that digital media in the broadband era fulfill their democratic potential. A former investigative reporter, filmmaker and Jungian-oriented psychotherapist, Jeff Chester received his M.S.W. in Community Mental Health from U.C. Berkeley. He is the author of Digital Destiny: New Media and the Future of Democracy (The New Press, 2007), as well as articles in both the scholarly and popular press. During the 1980s, Jeff co-directed the campaign that led to the Congressional creation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS) for public TV. He also co-founded the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, the artist advocacy group that supported federal funding for artists. In 1996, Newsweek magazine named Jeff Chester one of the Internet's fifty most influential people. He was named a Stern Foundation “Public Interest Pioneer” in 2001, and a “Domestic Privacy Champion” by the Electronic Privacy Information Center in 2011. CDD is a member of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD). Until January 2019, Jeff was the U.S. co-chair of TACD's Information Society (Infosoc) group, helping direct the organization's Transatlantic work on data protection, privacy and digital rights.

Host Melinda Marsalis interviews local author Iva Barkley about the inspiration behind her multiple children's books and personal testimony. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

In 1998, the United States Congress tried to tame the wild internet with a new law: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But buried in its fine print was a provision that would end up giving tech giants ultimate legal protection and control, and stop innovators from fixing what's broken. Host Cory Doctorow traces how a law written for a different era led to the arrest of a researcher, became the playbook for Meta's enshittification, and lets platforms degrade your online life today — protecting them while they do it.  Guests in this episode include Seth Schoen and Pam Samuelson. Archival recordings feature Dmitry Sklyarov, Bruce Lehman, Al Gore, and Steve Sipress. 

Rico McDonald, a Ripley High School Graduate, earned many honors during his senior year including being an all-state running back.  He went on to play college football at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS where he helped lead the team to the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship.  McDonald served as an assistant football coach at RHS from 2004 to 2020. During his tenure at Ripley High (2016), McDonald was inducted into the Delta State University Hall of Fame (see link below).  McDonald left Ripley for a few years to assist at Lafayette, Amory and New Albany.  He returned to Ripley last year (2024-2025) as the Tiger Defensive Coordinator.  The fall of 2025 will mark McDonald's first head coaching position.  The Tigers will play in a pre-season exhibition game called Tiger Pride Day on May 15, 2025.  The Tigers will take on Tippah County neighbors, Falkner High SchoolDelta State University Hall of Fame  Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms. You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen. Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi. When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!” HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area. We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard. And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride. Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War. The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org. Musical Credit to: Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC

05/02/25: While filling in for Joel Heitkamp, Tyler Axness is joined by former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn. Officer Dunn will be speaking at the Governors Dinner in Bismarck tomorrow, May 3rd. Harry Dunn served in the United States Capitol Police from 2008 to 2023, and testified with his colleagues before the United States Congress for the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack. On the day of the January 6 Capitol attack, he was stationed outside the Capitol. After the Capitol was breached, he was called inside to guard a stairwell and to guard Speaker Pelosi's office. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dr. Mishka Terplan discusses initiation of MAUD for pregnant patients, and the findings from his recent article Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder Among Birthing People With an Alcohol-related Diagnosis.   Dr. Mishka Terplan  is board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and in addiction medicine. His primary clinical, research, public health, and advocacy interests lie along the intersections of reproductive and behavioral health. He is Medical Director at Friends Research Institute and adjunct faculty at the University of California, San Francisco where he is a Substance Use Warmline clinician. He is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Doing Right By Birth, a non-profit that seeks to flip the script from drug exposure to early childhood development. Dr. Terplan has spoken at local high schools and before the United States Congress and is internationally recognized as an expert in the care of pregnant and parenting people who use drugs. - Article Link: Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder Among Birthing People With an Alcohol-related Diagnosis

On this episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” Amazon played with the idea of displaying the price markup due to tariffs in their product pricing before President Donald Trump intervened with a phone call to Jeff Bezos, leading the company to back down. Then, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is again pushing the PELOSI Act that would seek to stop insider trading in the United States Congress. Then, the Left attempts to wage war with Donald Trump by bringing articles of impeachment against him … again. This time, seven articles of impeachment have been brought by foreign-born U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.). Finally, Senate GOP run a victory lap celebrating the first 100 days of Trump's presidency. But is this really just a ploy to waste time rather than do anything actually useful?   Today's Guests: Sara is joined by BlazeTV contributor Matthew Marsden and Rippaverse Comics founder Eric July.   Today's Sponsors:   Birch Gold: Birch Gold will help you convert an existing IRA or 401(k) into a GOLD IRA for no money out of pocket! Just text SARA to 989898 and receive your free, no-obligation info kit on GOLD.   Lean (Brickhouse Nutrition): If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace, Lean was created for you. Let me get you started with 20% off when you enter "sara20" at http://www.takelean.com.   BlueChew: Try your first month of BlueChew FREE when you use promo code SARA — just pay $5 shipping. Visit http://www.BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information, and we thank BlueChew for sponsoring the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out the Album Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms. You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen. Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi. When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!” HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area. We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard. And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride. Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War. The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org. Musical Credit to: Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC

A year ago, the great American historian Adam Hochschild came on KEEN ON AMERICA to discuss American Midnight, his best selling account of the crisis of American democracy after World War One. A year later, is history really repeating itself in today's crisis of American democracy? For Hochschild, there are certainly parallels between the current political situation in the US and post WW1 America. Describing how wartime hysteria and fear of communism led to unprecedented government repression, including mass imprisonment for political speech, vigilante violence, and press censorship. Hochschild notes eery similarities to today's Trump's administration. He expresses concern about today's threats to democratic institutions while suggesting the importance of understanding Trump supporters' grievances and finding ways to bridge political divides. Five Key Takeaways* The period of 1917-1921 in America saw extreme government repression, including imprisoning people for speech, vigilante violence, and widespread censorship—what Hochschild calls America's "Trumpiest" era before Trump.* American history shows recurring patterns of nativism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and scapegoating that politicians exploit during times of economic or social stress.* The current political climate shows concerning parallels to this earlier period, including intimidation of opposition, attacks on institutions, and the widespread acceptance of authoritarian tendencies.* Hochschild emphasizes the importance of understanding the grievances and suffering that lead people to support authoritarian figures rather than dismissing their concerns.* Despite current divisions, Hochschild believes reconciliation is possible and necessary, pointing to historical examples like President Harding pardoning Eugene Debs after Wilson imprisoned him. Full Transcript Andrew Keen: Hello, everybody. We recently celebrated our 2500th edition of Keen On. Some people suggest I'm mad. I think I probably am to do so many shows. Just over a little more than a year ago, we celebrated our 2000th show featuring one of America's most distinguished historians, Adam Hochschild. I'm thrilled that Adam is joining us again a year later. He's the author of "American Midnight, The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis." This was his last book. He's the author of many other books. He is now working on a book on the Great Depression. He's joining us from his home in Berkeley, California. Adam, to borrow a famous phrase or remix a famous phrase, a year is a long time in American history.Adam Hochschild: That's true, Andrew. I think this past year, or actually this past 100 days or so has been a very long and very difficult time in American history that we all saw coming to some degree, but I don't think we realized it would be as extreme and as rapid as it has been.Andrew Keen: Your book, Adam, "American Midnight, A Great War of Violent Peace and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis," is perhaps the most prescient warning. When you researched that you were saying before we went live that your books usually take you between four and five years, so you couldn't really have planned for this, although I guess you began writing and researching American Midnight during the Trump 1.0 regime. Did you write it as a warning to something like is happening today in America?Adam Hochschild: Well, I did start writing it and did most of the work on it during Trump's first term in office. So I was very struck by the parallels. And they're in plain sight for everybody to see. There are various dark currents that run through this country of ours. Nativism, threats to deport troublemakers. Politicians stirring up violent feelings against immigrants, vigilante violence, all those things have been with us for a long time. I've always been fascinated by that period, 1917 to 21, when they surged to the surface in a very nasty way. That was the subject of the book. Naturally, I hoped we wouldn't have to go through anything like that again, but here we are definitely going through it again.Andrew Keen: You wrote a lovely piece earlier this month for the Washington Post. "America was at its Trumpiest a hundred years ago. Here's how to prevent the worst." What did you mean by Trumpiest, Adam? I'm not sure if you came up with that title, but I know you like the term. You begin the essay. What was the Trumpiest period in American life before Donald Trump?Adam Hochschild: Well, I didn't invent the word, but I certainly did use it in the piece. What I meant by that is that when you look at this period just over 100 years ago, 1917 to 1921, Woodrow Wilson's second term in office, two things happened in 1917 that kicked off a kind of hysteria in this country. One was that Wilson asked the American Congress to declare war on Germany, which it promptly did, and when a country enters a major war, especially a world war, it sets off a kind of hysteria. And then that was redoubled some months later when the country received news of the Russian Revolution, and many people in the establishment in America were afraid the Russian Revolution might come to the United States.So, a number of things happened. One was that there was a total hysteria against all things German. There were bonfires of German books all around the country. People would take German books out of libraries, schools, college and university libraries and burn them in the street. 19 such bonfires in Ohio alone. You can see pictures of it on the internet. There was hysteria about the German language. I heard about this from my father as I was growing up because his father was a Jewish immigrant from Germany. They lived in New York City. They spoke German around the family dinner table, but they were terrified of doing so on the street because you could get beaten up for that. Several states passed laws against speaking German in public or speaking German on the telephone. Eminent professors declared that German was a barbaric language. So there was that kind of hysteria.Then as soon as the United States declared war, Wilson pushed the Espionage Act through Congress, this draconian law, which essentially gave the government the right to lock up anybody who said something that was taken to be against the war. And they used this law in a devastating way. During those four years, roughly a thousand Americans spent a year or more in jail and a much larger number, shorter periods in jail solely for things that they wrote or said. These were people who were political prisoners sent to jail simply for something they wrote or said, the most famous of them was Eugene Debs, many times the socialist candidate for president. He'd gotten 6% of the popular vote in 1912 and in 1918. For giving an anti-war speech from a park bandstand in Ohio, he was sent to prison for 10 years. And he was still in prison two years after the war ended in November, 1920, when he pulled more than 900,000 votes for president from his jail cell in the federal penitentiary in Atlanta.So that was one phase of the repression, political prisoners. Another was vigilante violence. The government itself, the Department of Justice, chartered a vigilante group, something called the American Protective League, which went around roughing up people that it thought were evading the draft, beating up people at anti-war rallies, arresting people with citizens arrest whom they didn't have their proper draft papers on them, holding them for hours or sometimes for days until they could produce the right paperwork.Andrew Keen: I remember, Adam, you have a very graphic description of some of this violence in American Midnight. There was a story, was it a union leader?Adam Hochschild: Well, there is so much violence that happened during that time. I begin the book with a graphic description of vigilantes raiding an office of the Wobblies, the Industrial Workers of the World, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taking a bunch of wobblies out into the prairie at night, stripping them, whipping them, flogging them fiercely, and then tarring and feathering them, and firing shotguns over their heads so they would run off into the Prairie at Night. And they did. Those guys were lucky because they survive. Other people were killed by this vigilante violence.And the final thing about that period which I would mention is the press censorship. The Espionage Act gave the Postmaster General the power to declare any publication in the United States unmailable. And for a newspaper or a magazine that was trying to reach a national audience, the only way you could do so was through the US mail because there was no internet then. No radio, no TV, no other way of getting your publication to somebody. And this put some 75 newspapers and magazines that the government didn't like out of business. It in addition censored three or four hundred specific issues of other publications as well.So that's why I feel this is all a very dark period of American life. Ironically, that press censorship operation, because it was run by the postmaster general, who by the way loved being chief censor, it was ran out of the building that was then the post office headquarters in Washington, which a hundred years later became the Trump International Hotel. And for $4,000 a night, you could stay in the Postmaster General's suite.Andrew Keen: You, Adam, the First World War is a subject you're very familiar with. In addition to American Midnight, you wrote "To End All Wars, a story of loyalty and rebellion, 1914 to 18," which was another very successful of your historical recreations. Many countries around the world experience this turbulence, the violence. Of course, we had fascism in the 20s in Europe. And later in the 30s as well. America has a long history of violence. You talk about the violence after the First World War or after the declaration. But I was just in Montgomery, Alabama, went to the lynching museum there, which is considerably troubling. I'm sure you've been there. You're not necessarily a comparative political scientist, Adam. How does America, in its paranoia during the war and its clampdown on press freedom, on its violence, on its attempt to create an authoritarian political system, how does it compare to other democracies? Is some of this stuff uniquely American or is it a similar development around the world?Adam Hochschild: You see similar pressures almost any time that a major country is involved in a major war. Wars are never good for civil liberties. The First World War, to stick with that period of comparison, was a time that saw strong anti-war movements in all of the warring countries, in Germany and Britain and Russia. There were people who understood at the time that this war was going to remake the world for the worse in every way, which indeed it did, and who refused to fight. There were 800 conscientious objectors jailed in Russia, and Russia did not have much freedom of expression to begin with. In Germany, many distinguished people on the left, like Rosa Luxemburg, were sent to jail for most of the war.Britain was an interesting case because I think they had a much longer established tradition of free speech than did the countries on the continent. It goes way back and it's a distinguished and wonderful tradition. They were also worried for the first two and a half, three years of the war before the United States entered, that if they crack down too hard on their anti-war movement, it would upset people in the United States, which they were desperate to draw into the war on their side. Nonetheless, there were 6,000 conscientious objectors who were sent to jail in England. There was intermittent censorship of anti-war publications, although some were able to publish some of the time. There were many distinguished Britons, such as Bertrand Russell, the philosopher who later won a Nobel Prize, sent to jails for six months for his opposition to the war. So some of this happened all over.But I think in the United States, especially with these vigilante groups, it took a more violent form because remember the country at that time was only a few decades away from these frontier wars with the Indians. And the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century, the western expansion of white settlement was an enormously bloody business that was almost genocidal for the Native Americans. Many people had participated in that. Many people saw that violence as integral to what the country was. So there was a pretty well-established tradition of settling differences violently.Andrew Keen: I'm sure you're familiar with Stephen Hahn's book, "A Liberal America." He teaches at NYU, a book which in some ways is very similar to yours, but covers all of American history. Hahn was recently on the Ezra Klein show, talking like you, like we're talking today, Adam, about the very American roots of Trumpism. Hahn, it's an interesting book, traces much of this back to Jackson and the wars of the frontier against Indians. Do you share his thesis on that front? Are there strong similarities between Jackson, Wilson, and perhaps even Trump?Adam Hochschild: Well, I regret to say I'm not familiar with Hahn's book, but I certainly do feel that that legacy of constant war for most of the 19th century against the Native Americans ran very deep in this country. And we must never forget how appealing it is to young men to take part in war. Unfortunately, all through history, there have been people very tempted by this. And I think when you have wars of conquest, such as happen in the American West, against people who are more poorly armed, or colonial wars such as Europe fought in Africa and Asia against much more poorly-armed opponents, these are especially appealing to young people. And in both the United States and in the European colonization of Africa, which I know something about. For young men joining in these colonizing or conquering adventures, there was a chance not just to get martial glory, but to also get rich in the process.Andrew Keen: You're all too familiar with colonial history, Adam. Another of your books was about King Leopold's Congo and the brutality there. Where was the most coherent opposition morally and politically to what was happening? My sense in Trump's America is perhaps the most persuasive and moral critique comes from the old Republican Center from people like David Brooks, Peter Wayno has been on the show many times, Jonathan Rausch. Where were people like Teddy Roosevelt in this narrative? Were there critics from the right as well as from the left?Adam Hochschild: Good question. I first of all would give a shout out to those Republican centrists who've spoken out against Trump, the McCain Republicans. There are some good people there - Romney, of course as well. They've been very forceful. There wasn't really an equivalent to that, a direct equivalent to that in the Wilson era. Teddy Roosevelt whom you mentioned was a far more ferocious drum beater than Wilson himself and was pushing Wilson to declare war long before Wilson did. Roosevelt really believed that war was good for the soul. He desperately tried to get Wilson to appoint him to lead a volunteer force, came up with an elaborate plan for this would be a volunteer army staffed by descendants of both Union and Confederate generals and by French officers as well and homage to the Marquis de Lafayette. Wilson refused to allow Roosevelt to do this, and plus Roosevelt was, I think, 58 years old at the time. But all four of Roosevelt's sons enlisted and joined in the war, and one of them was killed. And his father was absolutely devastated by this.So there was not really that equivalent to the McCain Republicans who are resisting Trump, so to speak. In fact, what resistance there was in the U.S. came mostly from the left, and it was mostly ruthlessly silenced, all these people who went to jail. It was silenced also because this is another important part of what happened, which is different from today. When the federal government passed the Espionage Act that gave it these draconian powers, state governments, many of them passed copycat laws. In fact, a federal justice department agent actually helped draft the law in New Hampshire. Montana locked up people serving more than 60 years cumulatively of hard labor for opposing the war. California had 70 people in prison. Even my hometown of Berkeley, California passed a copycat law. So, this martial spirit really spread throughout the country at that time.Andrew Keen: So you've mentioned that Debs was the great critic and was imprisoned and got a considerable number of votes in the election. You're writing a book now about the Great Depression and FDR's involvement in it. FDR, of course, was a distant cousin of Teddy Roosevelt. At this point, he was an aspiring Democratic politician. Where was the critique within the mainstream Democratic party? Were people like FDR, who had a position in the Wilson administration, wasn't he naval secretary?Adam Hochschild: He was assistant secretary of the Navy. And he went to Europe during the war. For an aspiring politician, it's always very important to say I've been at the front. And so he went to Europe and certainly made no sign of resistance. And then in 1920, he was the democratic candidate for vice president. That ticket lost of course.Andrew Keen: And just to remind ourselves, this was before he became disabled through polio, is that correct?Adam Hochschild: That's right. That happened in the early 20s and it completely changed his life and I think quite deepened him as a person. He was a very ambitious social climbing young politician before then but I think he became something deeper. Also the political parties at the time were divided each party between right and left wings or war mongering and pacifist wings. And when the Congress voted on the war, there were six senators who voted against going to war and 50 members of the House of Representatives. And those senators and representatives came from both parties. We think of the Republican Party as being more conservative, but it had some staunch liberals in it. The most outspoken voice against the war in the Senate was Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin, who was a Republican.Andrew Keen: I know you write about La Follette in American Midnight, but couldn't one, Adam, couldn't won before the war and against domestic repression. You wrote an interesting piece recently for the New York Review of Books about the Scopes trial. William Jennings Bryan, of course, was involved in that. He was the defeated Democratic candidate, what in about three or four presidential elections in the past. In the early 20th century. What was Bryan's position on this? He had been against the war, is that correct? But I'm guessing he would have been quite critical of some of the domestic repression.Adam Hochschild: You know, I should know the answer to that, Andrew, but I don't. He certainly was against going to war. He had started out in Wilson's first term as Wilson's secretary of state and then resigned in protest against the military buildup and what he saw as a drift to war, and I give him great credit for that. I don't recall his speaking out against the repression after it began, once the US entered the war, but I could be wrong on that. It was not something that I researched. There were just so few voices speaking out. I think I would remember if he had been one of them.Andrew Keen: Adam, again, I'm thinking out loud here, so please correct me if this is a dumb question. What would it be fair to say that one of the things that distinguished the United States from the European powers during the First World War in this period it remained an incredibly insular provincial place barely involved in international politics with a population many of them were migrants themselves would come from Europe but nonetheless cut off from the world. And much of that accounted for the anti-immigrant, anti-foreign hysteria. That exists in many countries, but perhaps it was a little bit more pronounced in the America of the early 20th century, and perhaps in some ways in the early 21st century.Adam Hochschild: Well, we remain a pretty insular place in many ways. A few years ago, I remember seeing the statistic in the New York Times, I have not checked to see whether it's still the case, but I suspect it is that half the members of the United States Congress do not have passports. And we are more cut off from the world than people living in most of the countries of Europe, for example. And I think that does account for some of the tremendous feeling against immigrants and refugees. Although, of course, this is something that is common, not just in Europe, but in many countries all over the world. And I fear it's going to get all the stronger as climate change generates more and more refugees from the center of the earth going to places farther north or farther south where they can get away from parts of the world that have become almost unlivable because of climate change.Andrew Keen: I wonder Democratic Congress people perhaps aren't leaving the country because they fear they won't be let back in. What were the concrete consequences of all this? You write in your book about a young lawyer, J. Edgar Hoover, of course, who made his name in this period. He was very much involved in the Palmer Raids. He worked, I think his first job was for Palmer. How do you see this structurally? Of course, many historians, biographers of Hoover have seen this as the beginning of some sort of American security state. Is that over-reading it, exaggerating what happened in this period?Adam Hochschild: Well, security state may be too dignified a word for the hysteria that reigned in the country at that time. One of the things we've long had in the United States is a hysteria, paranoia directed at immigrants who are coming from what seems to be a new and threatening part of the world. In the mid-19th century, for example, we had the Know-Nothing Party, as it was called, who were violently opposed to Catholic immigrants coming from Ireland. Now, they were people of Anglo-Saxon descent, pretty much, who felt that these Irish Catholics were a tremendous threat to the America that they knew. There was much violence. There were people killed in riots against Catholic immigrants. There were Catholic merchants who had their stores burned and so on.Then it began to shift. The Irish sort of became acceptable, but by the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century the immigrants coming from Europe were now coming primarily from southern and eastern Europe. In other words, Italians, Sicilians, Poles, and Jews. And they became the target of the anti-immigrant crusaders with much hysteria directed against them. It was further inflamed at that time by the Eugenics movement, which was something very strong, where people believed that there was a Nordic race that was somehow superior to everybody else, that the Mediterraneans were inferior people, and that the Africans were so far down the scale, barely worth talking about. And this culminated in 1924 with the passage of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act that year, which basically slammed the door completely on immigrants coming from Asia and slowed to an absolute trickle those coming from Europe for the next 40 years or so.Andrew Keen: It wasn't until the mid-60s that immigration changed, which is often overlooked. Some people, even on the left, suggest that it was a mistake to radically reform the Immigration Act because we would have inevitably found ourselves back in this situation. What do you think about that, Adam?Adam Hochschild: Well, I think a country has the right to regulate to some degree its immigration, but there always will be immigration in this world. I mean, my ancestors all came from other countries. The Jewish side of my family, I'm half Jewish, were lucky to get out of Europe in plenty of time. Some relatives who stayed there were not lucky and perished in the Holocaust. So who am I to say that somebody fleeing a repressive regime in El Salvador or somewhere else doesn't have the right to come here? I think we should be pretty tolerant, especially if people fleeing countries where they really risk death for one reason or another. But there is always gonna be this strong anti-immigrant feeling because unscrupulous politicians like Donald Trump, and he has many predecessors in this country, can point to immigrants and blame them for the economic misfortunes that many Americans are experiencing for reasons that don't have anything to do with immigration.Andrew Keen: Fast forward Adam to today. You were involved in an interesting conversation on the Nation about the role of universities in the resistance. What do you make of this first hundred days, I was going to say hundred years that would be a Freudian error, a hundred days of the Trump regime, the role, of big law, big universities, newspapers, media outlets? In this emerging opposition, are you chilled or encouraged?Adam Hochschild: Well, I hope it's a hundred days and not a hundred years. I am moderately encouraged. I was certainly deeply disappointed at the outset to see all of those tech titans go to Washington, kiss the ring, contribute to Trump's inauguration festivities, be there in the front row. Very depressing spectacle, which kind of reminds one of how all the big German industrialists fell into line so quickly behind Hitler. And I'm particularly depressed to see the changes in the media, both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post becoming much more tame when it came to endorsing.Andrew Keen: One of the reasons for that, Adam, of course, is that you're a long-time professor at the journalism school at UC Berkeley, so you've been on the front lines.Adam Hochschild: So I really care about a lively press that has free expression. And we also have a huge part of the media like Fox News and One American Network and other outlets that are just pouring forth a constant fire hose of lies and falsehood.Andrew Keen: And you're being kind of calling it a fire hose. I think we could come up with other terms for it. Anyway, a sewage pipe, but that's another issue.Adam Hochschild: But I'm encouraged when I see media organizations that take a stand. There are places like the New York Times, like CNN, like MSNBC, like the major TV networks, which you can read or watch and really find an honest picture of what's going on. And I think that's a tremendously important thing for a country to have. And that you look at the countries that Donald Trump admires, like Putin's Russia, for example, they don't have this. So I value that. I want to keep it. I think that's tremendously important.I was sorry, of course, that so many of those big law firms immediately cave to these ridiculous and unprecedented demands that he made, contributing pro bono work to his causes in return for not getting banned from government buildings. Nothing like that has happened in American history before, and the people in those firms that made those decisions should really be ashamed of themselves. I was glad to see Harvard University, which happens to be my alma mater, be defiant after caving in a little bit on a couple of issues. They finally put their foot down and said no. And I must say, feeling Harvard patriotism is a very rare emotion for me. But this is the first time in 50 years that I've felt some of it.Andrew Keen: You may even give a donation, Adam.Adam Hochschild: And I hope other universities are going to follow its lead, and it looks like they will. But this is pretty unprecedented, a president coming after universities with this determined of ferocity. And he's going after nonprofit organizations as well. There will be many fights there as well, I'm sure we're just waiting to hear about the next wave of attacks which will be on places like the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation and other big nonprofits. So hold on and wait for that and I hope they are as defiant as possible too.Andrew Keen: It's a little bit jarring to hear a wise historian like yourself use the word unprecedented. Is there much else of this given that we're talking historically and the similarities with the period after the first world war, is there anything else unprecedented about Trumpism?Adam Hochschild: I think in a way, we have often had, or not often, but certainly sometimes had presidents in this country who wanted to assume almost dictatorial powers. Richard Nixon certainly is the most recent case before Trump. And he was eventually stopped and forced to leave office. Had that not happened, I think he would have very happily turned himself into a dictator. So we know that there are temptations that come with the desire for absolute power everywhere. But Trump has gotten farther along on this process and has shown less willingness to do things like abide by court orders. The way that he puts pressure on Republican members of Congress.To me, one of the most startling, disappointing, remarkable, and shocking things about these first hundred days is how very few Republican members to the House or Senate have dared to defy Trump on anything. At most, these ridiculous set of appointees that he muscled through the Senate. At most, they got three Republican votes against them. They couldn't muster the fourth necessary vote. And in the House, only one or two Republicans have voted against Trump on anything. And of course, he has threatened to have Elon Musk fund primaries against any member of Congress who does defy him. And I can't help but think that these folks must also be afraid of physical violence because Trump has let all the January 6th people out of jail and the way vigilantes like that operate is they first go after the traitors on their own side then they come for the rest of us just as in the first real burst of violence in Hitler's Germany was the night of the long knives against another faction of the Nazi Party. Then they started coming for the Jews.Andrew Keen: Finally, Adam, your wife, Arlie, is another very distinguished writer.Adam Hochschild: I've got a better picture of her than that one though.Andrew Keen: Well, I got some very nice photos. This one is perhaps a little, well she's thinking Adam. Everyone knows Arlie from her hugely successful work, "Strangers in their Own Land." She has a new book out, "Stolen Pride, Lost Shame and the Rise of the Right." I don't want to put words into Arlie's mouth and she certainly wouldn't let me do that, Adam, but would it be fair to say that her reading, certainly of recent American history, is trying to bring people back together. She talks about the lessons she learned from her therapist brother. And in some ways, I see her as a kind of marriage counselor in America. Given what's happening today in America with Trump, is this still an opportunity? This thing is going to end and it will end in some ways rather badly and perhaps bloodily one way or the other. But is this still a way to bring people, to bring Americans back together? Can America be reunited? What can we learn from American Midnight? I mean, one of the more encouraging stories I remember, and please correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't it Coolidge or Harding who invited Debs when he left prison to the White House? So American history might be in some ways violent, but it's also made up of chapters of forgiveness.Adam Hochschild: That's true. I mean, that Debs-Harding example is a wonderful one. Here is Debs sent to prison by Woodrow Wilson for a 10-year term. And Debs, by the way, had been in jail before for his leadership of a railway strike when he was a railway workers union organizer. Labor organizing was a very dangerous profession in those days. But Debs was a fairly gentle man, deeply committed to nonviolence. About a year into, a little less than a year into his term, Warren Harding, Woodrow Wilson's successor, pardoned Debs, let him out of prison, invited him to visit the White House on his way home. And they had a half hour's chat. And when he left the building, Debs told reporters, "I've run for the White house five times, but this is the first time I've actually gotten here." Harding privately told a friend. This was revealed only after his death, that he said, "Debs was right about that war. We never should have gotten involved in it."So yeah, there can be reconciliation. There can be talk across these great differences that we have, and I think there are a number of organizations that are working on that specific project, getting people—Andrew Keen: We've done many of those shows. I'm sure you're familiar with the organization Braver Angels, which seems to be a very good group.Adam Hochschild: So I think it can be done. I really think it could be done and it has to be done and it's important for those of us who are deeply worried about Trump, as you and I are, to understand the grievances and the losses and the suffering that has made Trump's backers feel that here is somebody who can get them out of the pickle that they're in. We have to understand that, and the Democratic Party has to come up with promising alternatives for them, which it really has not done. It didn't really offer one in this last election. And the party itself is in complete disarray right now, I fear.Andrew Keen: I think perhaps Arlie should run for president. She would certainly do a better job than Kamala Harris in explaining it. And of course they're both from Berkeley. Finally, Adam, you're very familiar with the history of Africa, Southern Africa, your family I think was originally from there. Might we need after all this, when hopefully the smoke clears, might we need a Mandela style truth and reconciliation committee to make sense of what's happening?Adam Hochschild: My family's actually not from there, but they were in business there.Andrew Keen: Right, they were in the mining business, weren't they?Adam Hochschild: That's right. Truth and Reconciliation Committee. Well, I don't think it would be on quite the same model as South Africa's. But I certainly think we need to find some way of talking across the differences that we have. Coming from the left side of that divide I just feel all too often when I'm talking to people who feel as I do about the world that there is a kind of contempt or disinterest in Trump's backers. These are people that I want to understand, that we need to understand. We need to understand them in order to hear what their real grievances are and to develop alternative policies that are going to give them a real alternative to vote for. Unless we can do that, we're going to have Trump and his like for a long time, I fear.Andrew Keen: Wise words, Adam. I hope in the next 500 episodes of this show, things will improve. We'll get you back on the show, keep doing your important work, and I'm very excited to learn more about your new project, which we'll come to in the next few months or certainly years. Thank you so much.Adam Hochschild: OK, thank you, Andrew. Good being with you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Melinda Marsalis talks with Suzanne Rolison about the Spring Concert and Ripley High School Band. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime. USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.” At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress and trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. On parole in Texas until 2073, his story is one of hope, redemption, grit and the resilience of the Human spirit. Today on the show we discuss: why USA Today has compared Damon's story to "The Shawshank Redemption," how he transformed his mindset inside a maximum security prison, how to escape mental prisons and learn from adversity, daily spiritual and mental practices that changed his life, Damon's powerful story of forgiveness from one of his victims, what he's doing to give back and much more. ⚠ WELLNESS DISCLAIMER ⚠ Please be advised; the topics related to health and mental health in my content are for informational, discussion, and entertainment purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health or mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your current condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard from your favorite creator, on social media, or shared within content you've consumed. If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you do not have a health professional who is able to assist you, use these resources to find help: Emergency Medical Services—911 If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911, available 24 hours a day. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. SAMHSA addiction and mental health treatment Referral Helpline, 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727) and https://www.samhsa.gov Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Melinda chats with Corinth-local UWA Wrestler Trevor "Bullwhip" Ballard about his journey into wrestling and tips for how he broke into the sport.Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

  Today's podcast features historian Connor Williams, Middlebury Class of 2008.5. We explore the role of history and memory around the US Civil War and the way in which historical narratives inform our ability to tackle contemporary conflicts. Connor shares his experiences in community dialogues across the United States and lessons for engaging in discussions about controversial issues. Connor Williams is a scholar, teacher, and advocate of American and African American history. In 2021 and 2022, Williams served as the Lead Historian for the United States Congress' “Naming Commission,” researching the history, causes and context of Department of Defense assets that commemorate Confederates or the Confederacy. His two forthcoming books tell the story of the naming commission and explore the history of the Civil War and Confederacy. He is also an occasional teacher at Middlebury College.  Learn more about https://connorwilliamshistorian.com/

Send us an email @ info@parentcoachesunleashed.com Ryan Soave, Chief Clinical Officer of Guardian Recovery, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and certified trauma therapist specializing in addiction and PTSD treatment. He integrates yoga, meditation, and breathwork into his therapeutic approach, which he has shared with thousands. He has also guided meditations for members and staffers of the United States Congress.Ryan discusses the underlying factors that contribute to addictive behaviors and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs before they escalate into bigger problems. The conversation addresses how societal norms, like instant gratification and social influences, contribute to the normalization of gambling among adolescents.Join us as we learn about the impact of gambling on teens, the signs of addiction, and the steps parents can take to support their children through these challenges. TakeawaysIdentify teen gambling red flagsDiscuss gambling empatheticallyBuild a support network and communicate openlyTimestamps00:00 - Introduction to Parent Coaches Unleashed and today's topic01:30 - Ryan Soave's background and expertise in mental health and addictions 04:05 - Overview of gambling concerns among teens 06:00 - Identifying signs of addiction and the impact on adolescents 10:50 - The importance of understanding underlying stress and societal influences14:30 - Guidance for parents on addressing gambling issues19:00 - Discussion on the role of family support in addiction recovery22:40 - Final thoughts and contact information for Ryan Soave.

In today's episode, we are joined by Steven Hilding to discuss the secrets behind microtargeted political campaigns in the United States. As the Vice President of Revolutionizing Microtargeted Campaigns (RMC), Steven has extensive experience managing successful campaigns across Florida. Now, he is in charge of coordinating internal operations and advising clients at RMC – all while serving as the right hand to the company's founder, Rory McShane. Steven and the team RMC are on a mission to challenge the status quo of political and corporate marketing. Whether it be members of the United States Congress or local businesses, they help their clients using a combination of targeted social media content, fundraising, voter contact, data research, and much more. What sets RMC apart from other media strategy and political consulting firms? Steven sits down to explain… Hit play to find out: How microtargeting is reshaping elections at every level The tech tools driving the future of political strategy The ways that voter modeling can influence various advertising trends.  Want to keep personal tabs on Steven and his work? Follow him on X @steven_hilding! Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

Ecowater Systems of Ripley and Iuka, Mississippi is turning 100 years old today. In this episode Director Terry Lauderdale tells us about the past, present and future of Ecowater Systems. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

The Ochelli Effect 4-2-2025 NEWSHey, Hey, it's Liberation day? What the papers say? The Breastaurant, Eggflation, Record filibuster from Booker while,  Iceman, Jim Morrison, and Batman died from pneumonia on April Fools Day 2025.It will cost ten percent more to ship it to America because in  a New World Order rip-off. Vietnam gets 45 percent tariffs and might be asking , Is this a new American War of Aggression? Polls and Voters seem OK with what is happening.https://ballotpedia.org/Special_elections_to_the_119th_United_States_Congress_(2025-2026)What the papers say – April 1https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/marine-le-pen-french-keir-starmer-virginia-giuffre-the-sun-b2724956.htmlVal Kilmer's cause of death and 10-year throat cancer battle, explainedhttps://www.today.com/health/news/val-kilmer-cause-of-death-cancer-timeline-rcna199306Judge dismisses Eric Adams case, denying DOJ an opportunity to revive it later https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/02/judge-dismisses-eric-adams-case-00265683Trump nominee to be top general denies wearing MAGA hathttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-nominee-top-general-denies-wearing-maga-hat/story?id=120378683&utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-usThe End of HootersCan the breastaurant survive?https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/hooters-bankrupt-sexuality-restaurant/682167/Cory Booker's marathon speech ranks among the Senate's longesthttps://www.axios.com/2025/04/01/cory-booker-marathon-speech-senate-records-strom-thurmondThe Trump family is cashing in on crypto. It's creating problems in Congress. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/30/the-trump-family-is-cashing-in-on-crypto-its-creating-problems-in-congress-00255718Journalists consider briefing room sit-in as Trump clashes with White House press corpshttps://www.semafor.com/article/03/31/2025/journalists-consider-briefing-room-sit-in-as-trump-clashes-with-white-house-press-corpsVirginia Giuffre says she is in hospital after 'serious' car accidenthttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yl5vle2nmoOliver Stone Reacts to Trump's Decision to Release JFK Assassination FilesThe Oscar-winning 'JFK' director says President Donald Trump "deserves praise" for his decision to release the final top secret files on Kennedy's assassination — with some caveats. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oliver-stone-trump-jfk-assassination-files-1236117862/Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets to Hold Hearing on the JFK Fileshttps://oversight.house.gov/release/task-force-on-the-declassification-of-federal-secrets-to-hold-hearing-on-the-jfk-files/Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets: the JFK Fileshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BrOqhf7gjgChild Labor in Cocoa Supply Chains: Unveiling the Layers of Human Rights Challengeshttps://www.sustainalytics.com/esg-research/resource/investors-esg-blog/child-labor-in-cocoa-supply-chains--unveiling-the-layers-of-human-rights-challengesPopular chocolate bars recalled after reports of "small stones," manufacturer sayshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/chocolate-bar-recall-tonys-chocolonely-small-stones-almond-everything-bar/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-usFairtrade Certified Chocolatehttps://fairtrade.net/us-en/products/all-products/chocolate.htmlElon Musk issues ominous message to Rep. Maxine Waters after Melania Trump threathttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-maxine-waters-melania-trump-threat-b2721792.htmlProject 2025 Architect Bragged About Killing Dog With A Shovel: Reporthttps://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kevin-roberts-project-2025-killing-dog-shovel-1235110715/---Food and other factorshttps://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/eggs-us$13 a dozen: See how eggflation has left consumers scrambling nationwidehttps://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/03/31/national-egg-costs-march-2025/82640243007/impact on Consumers:The rising egg prices have led to sticker shock for many consumers, with some grocery stores limiting egg purchases and some restaurants adding surcharges. Specific Numbers & Data:    January 2025: The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95, a record high. USDA Forecast: The USDA predicts that egg prices will increase by 41.1% in 2025. January 2025 vs. January 2024: Prices in January 2025 were 53% higher than they were 12 months earlier. Wholesale Prices: Wholesale egg prices have fallen significantly in recent weeks, which may lead to a decrease in retail prices, but the extent of the fall is uncertain. Impact of Bird Flu: More than 18 million commercial egg layers were infected by bird flu in January 2025, the highest monthly total since the outbreak began in 2022. US to import eggs: The US is planning to import eggs from Turkey and South Korea to ease prices. Email Chuck or PayPalblindjfkresearcher@gmail.comBE THE EFFECTListen/Chat on the Sitehttps://ochelli.com/listen-live/TuneInhttp://tun.in/sfxkxAPPLEhttps://music.apple.com/us/station/ochelli-com/ra.1461174708Ochelli Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/chuckochelli

Learn More about the North MS Boys and Girls Clubs Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms. You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen. Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi. When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!” HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area. We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard. And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride. Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War. The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org. Musical Credit to: Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC

Topics of geopolitics have been increasingly prominent in the U.S. government in recent years, and no one knows the struggles of maneuvering through these discussions better than a member of the United States Congress. The Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint brought Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) to discuss these topics and get their thoughts on not only navigating policies, but the challenges they may bring. Related: Navigating Turbulence: Senatorial Insights on Geopolitics & Foreign PolicyPolicy Recommendations from the Bush Institute

After a brutal assault in the 1980s, a young woman identifies the wrong man as her attacker, but once DNA evidence proves his innocence, they form an unlikely bond, determined to right their paths of justice.This episode is the fifth and final in our five part series, “A World Beyond Revenge” featuring five powerful stories of people on both sides of tragic incidents of unimaginable harm who found healing through the groundbreaking process of Restorative Justice. Today's episode featured Jennifer Thompson. You can email Jennifer at info@healingjusticeproject.org. Healing Justice works to prevent and alleviate the harms caused to all by wrongful convictions through advocacy, education, and direct support.Instagram: @healing_justice Facebook: @HealingJustice Bluesky: @jet4love.bsky.social [Jennifer Thompson]LinkedIn: company/Healing-Justice-ProjectYou can find Jennifer's book, ""Picking Cotton:Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption” by Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Jennifer's Full BIOInspirational Crime Survivor, Founder of Healing Justice, and New York Times Best-Selling Author of Picking Cotton. Jennifer Thompson is a crime survivor who, in 1984, survived a brutal attack in her home while attending college in North Carolina. The man who was convicted and imprisoned for the crime at the time was proven innocent a decade later, revealing that the actual attacker had gone free. Thompson emerged as a pioneer of restorative justice, and a symbol of courage and resilience, when, in the wake of these devastating events, she befriended the man who hadbeen wrongly convicted. She then went on to co-author with him the New York Timesbest-seller, Picking Cotton, which recounts their joint story of failed justice. Thompson has since become a beacon of strength and recovery by speaking out to the world about her traumatic and painful experiences. She has also become a leading advocate for other crime survivors and victims, and her lived experience has inspired countless policy makers, law enforcement, and justice leaders worldwide to effect key reforms to improve the accuracy and fairness of our justice system.In 2015, Thompson founded the national nonprofit organization, Healing Justice, which serves crime survivors, victims, and others through restorative justice and justice reform. Thompson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Special Courage Award from the US Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime. She has testified on behalf of crime survivors and victims on criminal justice reforms before the United States Congress and state legislatures. She has appeared as a guest on numerous television and radio programs, including Good Morning America, the Today Show, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Rikki Lake, The View, 60 Minutes, 20/20, NBC News, Nightline, CNN Anderson Cooper, NPR, Diane Rehm, and PBS Frontline. Thompson's courageous and inspiring story has also been featured in many print outlets, such as People, RedBook, Newsweek, and The New York Times.Engaged through Keppler Speakers since 2010, Thompson has presented to hundreds of audiences around the world on issues of fairness, equity, empathy, trauma, recovery, healing, altruism, and leadership. An unwavering example of turning tremendous harm into abundant healing, Thompson inspires audiences to not just persevere but to flourish in the wake of unexpected - and even unimaginable - adversity. With endless bravery, grace, and humor, Thompson captivates all audiences with her profoundly important and timely message of optimism, generosity, and hope.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz Content/Trigger Warnings: disordered eating, familial conflict, poverty, sexual assault including rape by a stranger, breaking & entering, victim shaming, wrongful conviction and incarceration, explicit languageThank you to our series collaborators, Why Me? & Yoana Tchoukleva: Why Me? are a national charity in the UK, promoting access to Restorative Justice for people affected by crime or conflict. They also support people who have been through the Restorative Justice process to share their stories. If you want to find out more about Restorative Justice, visit their website www.why-me.org. If you want help accessing Restorative Justice in the UK, you can contact them via info@why-me.org. LinkedIn: Why me? UKInstagram: @whymeukFacebook: @WhymeUKThreads: @whymeukBluesky: @whymeuk.bsky.socialYoana Tchoukleva is an attorney, RJ practitioner, & lecturer at Berkeley Law. She is also a Senior Program Manager at Impact Justice. You can email her at ioanaq@gmail.com. You can reach out to her on Instagram @yoana.tch and on Facebook @""Yoana Tchoukleva"", and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioanatchoukleva/. Please consider donating to Atunse Justice League. LINK TO OUR LISTENER SURVEY! We've come up with a short audience survey, which you can find linked in our show notes and in the bio of our Instagram page @actuallyhappening. We'd love to hear your opinions and feedback, and we'd really appreciate your point of view. Link below:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxV-6qeNAOuIAbBnuSJpoyqE3tlvusxb069dZCUC1RWeLfEg/viewform Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcast Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: ""Illabye"" – TipperMusic Bed: Ambient Themes ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GRACIE LEWIS is a journalist and retired employee of the federal government and former Staff Assistant, United States Congress, Subcommittee on Labor Standards. She has spent some 50 years as a “warrior for justice.” Her contributions to many organizations have demonstrated her unwavering dedication to justice, equality and community development. GRACIE LEWIS started her activism in 1971 with the “Free Angela Davis” Defense Movement in Washington, DC. Since then, she has lived by the creed, “If I can help somebody along the way, my living has not been in vain.”

Most towns and cities in Northeast Mississippi will host primary municipal elections on April 1, 2025 with a general municipal election following on June 3. Tippah County Election Commissioner Randle Hall and Circuit Clerk Phil Koon walk across from the Tippah County Courthouse to Sun Bear Studio in Ripley, MS to discuss the upcoming election. Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms.  You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen.  Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi.  When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!”  HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area.  We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard.  And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride.     Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area,  created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War.  The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org.   Musical Credit to:  Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion     All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved.  No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC      

To get involved, you can call the Ripley Park and Recreation center at 662-837-3818 or call Director Kim at 662-587-2313.   Welcome to HEARD IT ON THE SHARK with your show host Melinda Marsalis and show sponsor, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is a weekly interview show that airs every Tuesday at 11 am on the shark 102.3 FM radio station based in Ripley, MS and then is released as a podcast on all the major podcast platforms. You'll hear interviews with the movers and shakers in north Mississippi who are making things happen. Melinda talks with entrepreneurs, leaders of business, medicine, education, and the people behind all the amazing things happening in north Mississippi. When people ask you how did you know about that, you'll say, “I HEARD IT ON THE SHARK!” HEARD IT ON THE SHARK is brought to you by the Mississippi Hills National Heritage area. We want you to get out and discover the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills right in your backyard. And of course we want you to take the shark 102.3 FM along for the ride. Bounded by I-55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, created by the United States Congress in 2009 represents a distinctive cultural landscape shaped by the dynamic intersection of Appalachian and Delta cultures, an intersection which has produced a powerful concentration of national cultural icons from the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley, First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette, blues legend Howlin' Wolf, Civil Rights icons Ida B. Wells-Barnett and James Meredith, America's favorite playwright Tennessee Williams, and Nobel-Laureate William Faulkner. The stories of the Mississippi Hills are many and powerful, from music and literature, to Native American and African American heritage, to the Civil War. The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area supports the local institutions that preserve and share North Mississippi's rich history. Begin your discovery of the historic, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of the Mississippi Hills by visiting the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area online at mississippihills.org. Musical Credit to: Garry Burnside - Guitar; Buddy Grisham - Guitar; Mike King - Drums/Percussion All content is copyright 2021 Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC all rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be rebroadcast or used for any other purpose without express written consent of Sun Bear Studio Ripley MS LLC

Newt describes the complex process of reconciliation in the United States Congress. Reconciliation, established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, is a crucial tool for managing government spending, allowing certain tax, spending, and debt limit legislation to bypass the Senate filibuster with a simple majority vote. Newt discusses the intricacies of the reconciliation process, the challenges of passing appropriations bills, and the frequent use of continuing resolutions to prevent government shutdowns. He highlights the political dynamics and strategic maneuvers involved in passing a budget and reconciliation bill, emphasizing the importance of these legislative actions for the current administration and the Republican Party's future electoral prospects. He also describes public sentiment towards government spending and the need for significant reforms to address perceived corruption and inefficiency in the federal bureaucracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the beginning of 1990, the United States Congress stalled on passing the Americans with Disabilities Act, a piece of legislation aimed at prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities.Frustrated by the government's inaction, more than 1,000 disability activists showed up in Washington DC to protest on 12 March that year. When the group reached the Capitol Building's stairs, hundreds of activists pulled themselves out of their wheelchairs and began to crawl up in a dramatic and symbolic protest. Stephanie Wolf talks to Anita Cameron who participated in the historic action. Co-produced by Rebekah Romberg.A Written in Air production. Archive recordings courtesy of Linda Litowsky.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Wheelchair users crawling up the steps of the US Capitol building in March 1990. Credit: Tom Olin Collection, University of Toledo Libraries)

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene calls in to touch on all the news of the day as it pertains to the United States Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States Congress has until Friday, March 14 to pass a Federal Budget. If the House and Senate fail to pass the temporary spending plan, there could be a Government Shutdown. This is another Continuing Resolution that will fund the Government through the end of this Fiscal Year, September 30, 2025. The MAGA Controlled House has FAILED TO PASS ANOTHER 12 Month Budget. Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox-not-a-news-station, Trump admitted his Tariff Madness might lead to a “RECESSION.” In this podcast, I also look back at the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariffs, Economists say that legislation led to the Wall Street crash of 1929, which then morphed into the Great Depression that lasted most of the 1930s. Historians confirm these tariffs resulted in a world-wide economic downturn, which sparked World War II. Please follow me on TikTok, YouTube, and Substack. You can find links to my content on gloriamoraga.com  

Send a Message to the TeamThe Little Brother's Club: The Team looks at the results of the young United States deciding to invite a European prince to be the kind of the new nation.  Constantine of the Klondike: In the third episode of the American Monarchy arc, the United States Congress offers Tsar Nicholas I a way to rid of an inconveniently liberal sibling.  Panel:  Dylan, Robert, Chris, and Evan    You can follow and interact with A Fork In Time on…. Discord: https://discord.com/invite/xhZEmZMKFS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aforkintime Twitter: @AFITPodcast Our YouTube Channel If you enjoy the podcast and want to support it financially, you can help by: Supporting us monthly via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aforkintime ....or, make a one-time donation via Podfan to A Fork In Time Website: www.aforkintimepodcast.com E-Mail: aforkintimepodcast@gmail.com Theme Music: Conquer by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.comSupport the show

In this week's episode, correspondent Christina Ruffini sits down with co-host Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director. They discuss President Donald Trump's recent address to a joint session of the United States Congress, and his tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. They also discuss the U.S. decision to halt military aid to Ukraine and the dangers of pausing U.S. cyber operations against Russia. Plus, Christina Ruffini shares a bit of history behind America's annual State of the Union address. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

The so-called "congressional hush fund" refers to the egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars to quietly settle sexual harassment and misconduct claims against members of Congress and their staff. Managed through the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), this fund has been used for decades to pay off accusers, shielding politicians from public accountability while keeping their misconduct hidden from voters. Rather than forcing individual offenders to bear the financial and reputational consequences of their actions, this system has effectively allowed elected officials to use public money as a personal damage-control mechanism. The settlements, often accompanied by strict non-disclosure agreements, have ensured that the public remains in the dark about the full extent of misconduct within the halls of power.This corrupt and unethical practice highlights the deep rot within the political establishment, where lawmakers—who are supposed to represent the people—operate under a different set of rules, immune to the very standards they impose on others. Instead of facing criminal charges or public disgrace, offenders have been protected by a taxpayer-funded safety net, enabling repeat offenses and further entrenching a culture of impunity. The fact that these payouts were made with no transparency, and without the consent of the very taxpayers footing the bill, is a grotesque violation of public trust. Despite public outrage and calls for reform, only limited changes have been made, with many settlements still shrouded in secrecy, leaving Americans to wonder just how many powerful figures have escaped justice at their expense.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Congress paid $17 million in settlements. Why we know so little about that money. | CNN Politics

Former Congressman Anthony D'Esposito joins Sid as he broadcasts live from Pershing Square Café on 42nd Street, to congratulate Sid on the honor he was bestowed by the Queens Jewish Link on Wednesday night, before he dives into the news of the day as it pertains to the United States Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The so-called "congressional hush fund" refers to the egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars to quietly settle sexual harassment and misconduct claims against members of Congress and their staff. Managed through the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), this fund has been used for decades to pay off accusers, shielding politicians from public accountability while keeping their misconduct hidden from voters. Rather than forcing individual offenders to bear the financial and reputational consequences of their actions, this system has effectively allowed elected officials to use public money as a personal damage-control mechanism. The settlements, often accompanied by strict non-disclosure agreements, have ensured that the public remains in the dark about the full extent of misconduct within the halls of power.This corrupt and unethical practice highlights the deep rot within the political establishment, where lawmakers—who are supposed to represent the people—operate under a different set of rules, immune to the very standards they impose on others. Instead of facing criminal charges or public disgrace, offenders have been protected by a taxpayer-funded safety net, enabling repeat offenses and further entrenching a culture of impunity. The fact that these payouts were made with no transparency, and without the consent of the very taxpayers footing the bill, is a grotesque violation of public trust. Despite public outrage and calls for reform, only limited changes have been made, with many settlements still shrouded in secrecy, leaving Americans to wonder just how many powerful figures have escaped justice at their expense.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Congress paid $17 million in settlements. Why we know so little about that money. | CNN PoliticsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Send a Message to the TeamThe Little Brother's Club: The Team looks at the results of the young United States deciding to invite a European prince to be the kind of the new nation. Bonaparte Boogaloo: In the second episode of the American Monarchy arc, the United States Congress invites Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, to be the second king of the new United States. Panel: Dylan, Robert, Chris, and Evan  You can follow and interact with A Fork In Time on….Discord: https://discord.com/invite/xhZEmZMKFSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aforkintimeTwitter: @AFITPodcastOur YouTube ChannelIf you enjoy the podcast and want to support it financially, you can help by:Supporting us monthly via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aforkintime....or, make a one-time donation via Podfan to A Fork In TimeWebsite: www.aforkintimepodcast.comE-Mail: aforkintimepodcast@gmail.comTheme Music: Conquer by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.comSupport the show

02/28/25: Jamie Selzler is the DNC Committeeman for North Dakota and is filling in for Joel Heitkamp on "News and Views." Jamie is joined by one of the Capitol Police Officers, Harry Dunn, that defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Sgt. Dunn served in the United States Capitol Police from 2008 to 2023, and testified with his colleagues before the United States Congress for the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack. On the day of the January 6 Capitol attack, he was stationed outside the Capitol. After the Capitol was breached, he was called inside to guard a stairwell and to guard Speaker Pelosi's office. * Photo courtesy of AP News - U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Harry Dunn listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol - AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File * (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh is joined by guest Patrick Fuchs, Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Together they discuss who the STB is, how and why the STB was created, and they do a deep dive into not only all the various functions of the STB, but also all the different ways in which the STB is a valuable resource to the rail industry. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading! You can find this episode and more on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net , and watch our YouTube Channel at the link below. Welcome aboard!KEY POINTS: The American Railroading Podcast remains in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally!Mr. Fuchs was designated as Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board by President Donald J. Trump, effective January 20, 2025.Among his impressive career accomplishments, Patrick worked on legislation to increase safety by addressing opioid abuse in transportation, with reforms enacted as part of the Support for Patients and Communities Act, enacted during the 115th United States Congress. Founded in 1996, the STB is an independent federal agency that is charged with the economic regulation of surface transportation, primarily freight rail.Their primary functions are regarding rates, services, licensing, complaints and preemption. The STB website at www.STB.gov is a tremendous resource including legal resources, litigation alternatives, an environmental review process, a railroad map depot and general assistance.More valuable resources that the STB offers are the Stakeholder Committees including the Railroad Shipper Transportation Advisor Council, the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, the National Grain Car Council and the newly created Passenger Rail Advisory Committee.While the STB is made up of Republican and Democrat members, transportation is not political as we all want things to get from A to B, faster, safer and cheaper.The STB's Rail Customer & Public Assistance Program (RCPA) at (202) 245-0238 offers to help solve problems in a confidential manner, in ways ranging from a simple answer to a phone inquiry, to lengthy informal mediation assistance.If you like what we do, please leave us a 5-Star Review!LINKS MENTIONED: https://www.americanrailroading.nethttps://www.therevolutionrailgroup.com https://www.youtube.com/@americanrailroadingpodcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dwalshX https://www.aldonco.comhttps://www.enviroserve.com https://www.stb.gov

After several years of rising tensions, on May 13, 1846, the United States Congress declared war on the nation of Mexico.  The war lasted only two years, and the conduct of the war was decidedly one-sided.  The conclusion of the war resulted in changes to both countries, which can be seen on the map and felt on the ground today. Yet, despite being one of the most important conflicts in the history of both countries, it has been largely forgotten today.  Learn more about the Mexican-American War, its causes, and its resolution on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Stitch Fix Go to stitchfix.com/everywhere to have a stylist help you look your best Tourist Office of Spain Plan your next adventure at Spain.info  Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A spite house is a structure that is built by one party to irritate another, or to cause some sort of difficulty or even damage. And there have been a lot of them built over the years, though there aren’t a huge number remaining. Research: Bailey, Steve. “A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite.” New York Times. Feb. 29, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/travel/escapes/29away.html “Charles A. Froling, Local Contractor, Passes Away.” Alameda Times Star. June 2, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1097386049/?match=1&terms=%22Charles%20Froling%22 Deschenes, Steven. “Spite House in Rockport Maine: Garden Papers and Correspondence.” Maine Historical Society. April 5, 2018. https://mainehistory.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/spite-house-in-rockport-maine-garden-papers-and-correspondence/ “Detailed Property Description: 523 QUEEN ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA.” City of Alexandria Virginia. https://realestate.alexandriava.gov/detail.php?accountno=12113500 “Died.” Alameda Times Star. June 2, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1097386249/?article=4c7443f8-0d33-4599-ad46-da94afa4e09b&terms=%22Froling%22&match=1 “Famed ‘Spite House’ at Phippsburg Will be Moved Intact to Rockport, an Eighty-five Mile Journey by Water.” Portland Press Herald. June 19, 1925. https://www.newspapers.com/image/847107454/?terms=%22Donald%20Dodge%22 “Freak House May Have Been One of the Causes of Woman Taking Her Life.” Oakland Tribune. Nov. 12, 1908. https://www.newspapers.com/image/76448900/?match=1&terms=%22Charles%20Froling%22 “From 1774 to Today.” 1774 Inn. https://www.1774inn.com/our-history “Hill, Mark Langdon, 1772-1842.” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/H000602 Kelly, Richard D. (on behalf of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission). "NRHP nomination for Spite House." Prepared October 1974, accepted Aug. 13, 1974. National Park Service. https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/74000175.pdf Kilduff, Paul. “Alameda Spite House likely built in ill will but ‘a little jewel box’ today.” East Bay Times. July 24, 2024. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/07/23/alameda-spite-house-likely-built-in-ill-will-but-a-little-jewel-box-today/ Leffler, Christopher T et al. “The first cataract surgeons in Anglo-America.” Survey of ophthalmology 60,1 (2015): 86-92. doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2014.08.002 Neal, Jill Hudson. “Narrow Thinking.” Washington Post. April 22, 2006. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2006/04/23/narrow-thinking/96441f95-b38b-412c-b6c6-a5abf0200f55/ Nelson, George. “Two Narrow Houses Have All Comforts.” Oakland Tribune. June 30, 1957. https://www.newspapers.com/image/296868118/?match=1&terms=Gilbert%20froling Roth, Maggie. “Alexandria’s Spite House is Small, But It Has a Big History.” Northern Virginia Magazine. Jan. 2, 2024. https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2024/01/02/alexandria-spite-house-is-small-but-it-has-a-big-history/ Schulte, Brigid. “A Narrow-minded Pursuit.” Washington Post. Jan. 23, 2005. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/01/24/a-narrow-minded-pursuit/d346f89e-8e1a-4e66-8cd1-653ff05b59af/ Senk, Julie. “James McCobb House.” Down East. https://downeast.com/home-and-garden/james-mccobb-house/ “Spite House.” Cultural Landscape Foundation. https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/spite-house Williams, Lynn. “This Maryland House Was Built Just for Spite.” Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/image/176103952/?terms=%22This%20Maryland%20House%20Was%20Built%20Just%20for%20Spite%22 Waters, Ed Jr. “Historic Tyler Spite House on market.” The Frederick News-Post. June 20, 2006. https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archives/video-historic-tyler-spite-house-on-market/article_8c43e490-cd98-58c0-9964-554e2a67fc0e.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Mike Lawler joins Sid to deliver his original song dedicated to President Donald Trump, before he dives into the top headlines in the news today as they pertain to the United States Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph welcomes Deepa Padmanabha, senior legal advisor to Greenpeace USA, to discuss that organization's looming trial against Energy Transfer Partners (builder of the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock) that threatens the constitutionally protected First Amendment right of citizens and citizen groups to protest. Plus, Josh Paul, former State Department employee, who resigned in protest over the Biden Administration's policy of sending weapons to support Israel's genocide in Gaza, returns to tell us about an organization he co-founded called “A New Policy,” which as the name suggests envisions an American policy toward the Middle East more in line with the “foundational principles of liberty, equality, democracy, and human rights; advancing American interests abroad; and protecting American freedoms at home.”Deepa Padmanabha is Senior Legal Advisor at Greenpeace USA, where she works closely with environmental activists seeking to exercise their First Amendment rights to promote systemic change. In September 2022, she testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Greenpeace USA's experience with legal attacks from extractive industries and the importance of federal anti-SLAPP legislation. And her work has focused on defending Greenpeace entities in the US against two SLAPP lawsuits attempting to silence the organization's advocacy work.This was not a Greenpeace campaign—and that was very intentional. And so our very limited involvement was solidarity with the Indigenous tribes, the Indigenous water protectors that were carrying this fight…Personally, I don't think that Energy Transfer likes the optics of going after Indigenous people. I think that it's much easier to go after the “Big Greens”, the “agitators”, things like that—and they probably would be dealing with a much more difficult PR campaign if they went after members of tribes.Deepa PadmanabhaBack in 2016 and 2017, when the original civil RICO cases were filed against the Greenpeace entities (all of these fights started out as RICO), many groups across issue areas were deeply concerned that this would be the new tactic used to go to attack labor, to attack human rights, to attack every kind of organization imaginable. And so what we did at that time (Greenpeace USA was a part of it as well as other groups) is we've created a coalition called Protect the Protest. Protect the Protest is a coalition of organizations to provide support for individuals who are threatened with SLAPPs, who receive cease-and-desist letters, who might want help either finding a lawyer or communication support. Because we know that the individuals bringing these lawsuits want the fights to happen in silence. So a big part of the work that needs to be done—and that we do—is to bring attention to them.Deepa PadmanabhaPast SLAPP lawsuits by corporations intended to wear down the citizen groups, cost them all kinds of legal fees. There have been SLAPP lawsuits for citizen groups just having a news conference or citizen groups being part of a town meeting. Or in the case of Oprah Winfrey, who was sued by at Texas meat company because she had a critic of the meat industry on her show that reached millions of people. That case was settled. So, this is the furthest extension of suppression of free speech by these artificial entities called corporations.Ralph NaderJosh Paul is co-founder (with Tariq Habash) of A New Policy, which seeks to transform U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He resigned from the State Department in October 2023 due to his disagreement with the Biden Administration's decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.I think that the time for quitting in protest over Gaza, unfortunately, in many ways, is greatly behind us. I think there will be a significant number of State Department officials who will be leaving in the coming days, weeks, and months. And this is a result of a push from the Trump administration to gut America's diplomatic corps, much as they did at the start of the previous Trump administration, but even more so this time around. What I'm hearing from former colleagues in the State Department is a sense of immense despair as they see freezes being placed on U.S. foreign assistance programs—including programs that do an immense amount of good around the world—and just a concern about the overall and impending collapse of American diplomacy.Josh PaulWe have to acknowledge the precedent set by President Biden. Not only in his unconditional support for Israel and its attacks on Gaza, its violations of international humanitarian law, but also in President Biden and Secretary Blinken's willingness to set aside U.S. laws when it came to, in particular, security assistance and arms transfers in order to continue that support. That is a precedent that I think all Americans should be concerned about regardless of their thoughts on the conflict itself.Josh PaulI would say that what we face in America is a problem set that runs much deeper than any change in administration, than any political party. There is an entrenched dynamic within American politics—an entrenched set of both political and economic incentives across our electoral system—that are maintaining U.S. unconditional support for Israel, regardless of what the American people might want.Josh PaulNews 1/31/251. Our top stories this week have to do with the betrayal of the so-called “Make America Healthy Again” or “MAHA” movement. First up, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health of Human Services – found himself in the hot seat Wednesday as his confirmation hearings began. Kennedy, who is facing opposition both from Democrats who regard his anti-vaccine rhetoric as dangerous and Republicans who view him as too liberal, struggled to answer basic questions during these hearings. Perhaps most distressingly, he shilled for the disastrous Medicare privatization scheme known as “Medicare Advantage,” at one point saying that he himself is on a Medicare Advantage plan and that “more people would rather be on Medicare Advantage.” Kennedy went on to say most Americans would prefer to be on private insurance. As Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project writes, this is “basically Cato [Institute] style libertarianism.”2. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is signaling they intend to scrap a proposed EPA rule to ban “forever chemicals” from Americans' drinking water, per the Spokesman-Review out of Spokane, Washington. Per this piece, “perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated PFAS, are a set of man-made chemicals used in thousands of products over the decades. High levels of them have…been linked to cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, low birth weight and other diseases.” Shelving PFAS regulation was high on the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 wish list, though the Trump team had previously sent mixed messages on the topic. Trump's pick to oversee regulation of dangerous chemicals is Nancy Beck, a longtime executive at the American Chemistry Council.3. As if those betrayals weren't enough, Trump has also selected Ms. Kailee Buller as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the past year, Buller has served as president & CEO of the National Oilseed Processors Association. More simply put, she is the top seed oil lobbyist in the nation. This is perhaps the most illustrative example of the MAHA bait and switch. Not only is the Trump administration spitting in the face of their own supporters and doing the opposite of what they promised in terms of cracking down on ultra-processed, unhealthy food – they are doing so in an openly and brazenly corrupt manner. Under Trump, regulatory agencies are on the auction block and will be sold to the highest bidder.4. In more health news, legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has come out with a new story – and it's a doozy. According to Hersh's sources, the Trump administration mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic long before the public knew anything about the virus. He writes “I learned this week that a US intelligence asset at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, where the Covid virus was first observed…provided early warning of a laboratory accident at Wuhan that led to a series of infections that was quickly spreading and initially seemed immune to treatment.” Hersh continues “early studies dealing with how to mitigate the oncoming plague, based on information from the Chinese health ministry about the lethal new virus, were completed late in 2019 by experts from America's National Institutes of Health and other research agencies.” Yet, “Despite their warnings, a series of preventative actions were not taken until the United States was flooded with cases of the virus.” Most damningly, Hersh's sources claim that “All of these studies…have been expunged from the official internal records in Washington, including any mention of the CIA's source inside the Chinese laboratory.” If true, this would be among the most catastrophic cases of indecision – and most sweeping coverup – in modern American history. Watch this space.5. Meanwhile, in more foreign affairs news, Progressive International reports that “For the first time in history,” Members of the United States Congress have joined with Members of Mexico's Cámara de Diputados to “oppose the escalating threats of U.S. military action against Mexico” and call to “strengthen the bonds of solidarity between our peoples.” This move of course comes amid ever-rising tensions between the United States and our southern neighbor, particularly as the GOP has in recent years taken up the idea of a full-blown invasion of Mexico. This letter was signed by many prominent U.S. progressives, including Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, AOC, Greg Casar and Raul Grijalva, as well as 23 Mexican deputies. One can only hope that this show of internationalism helps forestall further escalation with Mexico.6. Turning to the issue of corruption, former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme that included him acting as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government, per the DOJ. Until 2024, Menendez had served as the Chairman or Ranking Member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee – an ideal perch for a crooked politician. During sentencing, Menendez broke down and weepily begged the judge for leniency. Yet, almost immediately after the sentence was handed down, Menendez changed his tune and started sucking up to Trump in a transparent attempt to secure a pardon. Axios reports Menendez said “President Trump was right…This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.” Unfortunately, Trump's fragile ego makes him particularly susceptible to just this sort of appeal, so it would be no surprise if he does grant some form of clemency to the disgraced Senator.7. Likewise, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears to feel the walls closing in with regard to his corrupt dealings with his Turkish benefactors. And just like Menendez, Adams' strategy appears to be to ingratiate himself with Trump world. On January 23rd, the New York Daily News reported that Adams had pledged to avoid publicly criticizing Trump. Adams has previously called Trump a “white supremacist.” Adams' simpering seems to having the intended effect. On January 29th, the New York Times reported “Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case,” against Adams. This story notes that “The defense team is led by Alex Spiro, who is also the personal lawyer for Elon Musk.”8. Our final three stories this week have to do with organized labor. First, Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports Trump has ousted National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. This alone is a tragedy; Abruzzo has been nothing short of a crusader on behalf of organized labor during her tenure. Yet, more troubling news quickly followed: Trump has unlawfully sacked Gwynne Wilcox a Democratic member of the labor board with no just cause. As Eidelson notes, the law forbids “firing board members absent neglect or malfeasance.” Wilcox was the first ever Black member of the NLRB and her unlawful removal gives Trump a working majority at the board. Expect to see a rapid slew of anti-worker decisions in the coming days.9. In some good news, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reports that union collective bargaining agreements have successfully “thwart[ed]…Trump's return to work order.” Instead, the administration has been forced to issue a new order, stating “Supervisors should not begin discussions around the return to in-person work with bargaining unit employees until HHS fulfills its collective bargaining obligations.” In other words, even while every supposed legal guardrail, institutional norm, and political force of gravity wilts before Trump's onslaught, what is the one bulwark that still stands strong, protecting everyday working people? Their union.10. Our final story is a simple one. Jacobin labor journalist Alex Press reports that in Philadelphia, the first Whole Foods grocery store has voted to unionize. The nearly-300 workers at the store voted to affiliate with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1176. Whole Foods was sold to Amazon in 2017 and since then the e-tail giant has vigorously staved off unionization. Could this be the first crack in the dam? Only time will tell.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe