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A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on Apex Express, Host Miko Lee talk story with singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen.  Hear about her new album Fossil,  her short documentary, and about her artistic inspirations. Thao's tour starts this week in North Carolina, so listen in to hear from the brilliant Thao, and then check out her website to catch a live show.   SHOW TRANSCRIPT [00:00:00] Opening: Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   [00:00:35] Miko Lee: Tonight on Apex Express, we talk story with singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen. Join me, your host, Miko Lee, as I talk with this multi-hyphenated artist. We get to hear about her new album, chat about her short documentary, and hear about her artistic inspirations. Thao's tour starts this week in North Carolina, so listen in to hear from the brilliant Thao, and then check out her website to catch a live show.   [00:01:05] Ayame Keane-Lee: In today's show, you'll be listening to some songs from Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's 2020 album, Temple. First off, let's listen to “Pure Cinema.”   MUSIC     [00:05:44] That was “Pure Cinema” by today's guest, Thao Nguyen. Let's get to the interview.   [00:05:50] Miko Lee: Welcome  Thao Nguyen to Apex Express.    [00:05:54] Thao Nguyen: Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.    [00:05:57] Miko Lee: I love talking with creative people and you're such an amazingly talented singer and songwriter and imagination creator. I'm wanna start with the first question I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?   [00:06:16] Thao Nguyen: Who are my people? Some of them include the family I was born into. I'm from Virginia. I was born and raised in Virginia. but I'm the daughter of Vietnamese refugees of war. And, I moved out to the Bay in 2006 after my first US tour. And, I'm so fortunate to have such a robust community here in the bay and all of my chosen family here.   [00:06:40] Miko Lee: And what legacy do you carry with you?    [00:06:43] Thao Nguyen: What legacy? I think the legacy I prioritize. I think, you know, [laughs] we inherit a lot and as time goes on and we get older, we realize everything is finite and you have to choose which legacies you choose to continue, and perpetuate and honor and what you have to leave by the wayside. And so the things I choose to continue and celebrate are that of a real ability to be very present and in the moment and available to joy and I think the people I come from are really good at metabolizing joy because they know the flip side of it so well.    [00:07:23] Miko Lee: Ooh, that's so interesting. Can you speak more about what it means to metabolize joy?    [00:07:30] Thao Nguyen: [Laughs] uh, an ongoing practice? I think it is to be truly present and I believe, of course gratitude goes a long way, but I to fully metabolize it is to allow yourself to feel embodied in it. And, you know, there's more somatic practice I think that to actually feel it course through your body, you are allowing it, you're honoring it as completely as possible. And, do you have to acknowledge that it's happening as it's happening? You know, I think that's having true presence with it.   [00:08:08] Miko Lee: Can you roll back with me in time and talk about your earliest childhood memories of being a singer or songwriting? What came first?    [00:08:18] Thao Nguyen: I loved music from a very early age, but I didn't have a lot of access to it, to making it, it was more as a listener. The soundscape that I grew up with, there was a series called Paris by Night, which probably you've heard of within Vietnamese diaspora, uh, community and Culture. And it was this variety show that was, created by, people who had to flee Vietnam. And originally it was in Paris and it showcased A lot of singers and performers, who had fled, either before, during, or right after the fall of Saigon. And, it was this one gathering wherein. entertainers from the different generations, from my grandmother's generation, from my parents were able to coalesce and exist together. And there was just this sampler platter of a lot of different sonic influences. And then you had the younger generation, which was reinterpreting what American pop music was at the time. So you'd have my grandmother who [sang] cải lương which was this incredibly, it's like, almost like folk operatic, very dramatic, theatrical singing with a lot of pitch bending and, which I didn't understand that I was absorbing it in such a way that I would recreate it later on in my playing, but I would go on to credit it to being from Virginia and saying it was more of like an Appalachian influence, which it was as well. But the origins, the true origins were within my soundscape before I understood what that was. You know, so you have that and then you have, an artist named Lynette who's. basically in reinterpreting, like the latest Madonna song and has a cone bra on, so everyone's existing act after act in the same, um, sorry for that ramble. Did I answer that question?    [00:10:13] Miko Lee: Yeah. Uh, I, so what was, do you remember the age or you just grew up hearing all these different kinds of sounds?    [00:10:20] Thao Nguyen: I mean, that was from before I knew what age I was, you know, that was just like, and that was such, um. For the community and within my family it was such an event every time one of these, you know, double VHS things were issued that people would be making copies, someone would drop it off at the house. You know, there, there was always one or two in circulation, but it was this. Event that you'd,    [00:10:43] Miko Lee: are these like bootleg copies?    [00:10:45] Thao Nguyen: Yeah, there's like, wow, there's bootleg. There's also, there was one book in music store in Eden Shopping Center, which was like the hub of, of the Vietnamese community in, in, uh, Northern Virginia. And so someone would buy the original and then go and bootleg it. You don't know how you ended up with what, but just like they would drop off some citrus and and Hennessy or whatever, and then the Paris By Night thing. And um,    [00:11:11] Miko Lee: I love that the combo citrus, Hennessy and some music.   [00:11:16] Thao Nguyen: Everything is a digestif, you know? And, um, so I would have that. But then of course, I, you know, I, I listened to the radio. That was what, that was my main resource and I listened to the oldie station the most, and I loved Motown. And I remember, in this I was like five or six, we had these large speakers that's sat on the floor either side of, of this cassette deck, radio unit. And I would lay down and, every time Smokey Robinson came on, “You really got a hold of me” that was like my favorite song and I would tape it and then so either I would listen to it live or I would play the cassette and I would just lay down and get as close to the speakers as I could. But at that point, I hadn't seen who Smokey Robinson was, and I imagined, because I also am a child of eighties and nineties. I imagined it was Crystal who was Roseanne's best friend from the Roseanne show. You know, I didn't know anything, but I felt all of it.    [00:12:20] Miko Lee: Wow. Yeah. I love that. So, I love that. And I was really wondering, I heard this story about you, that you actually did a rap for on Charlotte's Web when you were in elementary school.   [00:12:33] Thao Nguyen: Okay. Okay. This is a deep cut. You've done some research.    [00:12:39] Miko Lee: Tell me about how that came to be. So you must have been introduced to rap pretty young to be doing that.    [00:12:44] Thao Nguyen: Oh, absolutely. This, so this was another, and this, I'm so glad you brought that up, because all of this is, every genre, every kind of music I, at this point is so vital to me, and it actually goes on to reflect the kind of music I make. And so I have an older brother who's almost eight years older, and around this same time, he's a huge hip hop fan, or that's one of the things he loves, he loves like Duran Duran and like the Fat Boys, you know? And , when I saved money, the first cassette I ever bought was Salt-n-Pepa. And I, yeah, so I was listento the Fat Boys and Queen Latifah. And I loved, I loved every, I loved to hear the flow, the different cadences and in third grade I was voted best rapper. This, and, you know, not coincidentally. This is the year I, I do the book report, the Charlotte's Web, you know, and they gave me the option. You can either write it or you can write a song or whatever. And so I wrote a rap about Charlotte's Web, but I was too shy. I had recorded it and just played it in my presentation. I didn't perform it live.    [00:13:51] Miko Lee: And how was it received?    [00:13:54] Thao Nguyen: I mean, I can still hear the roar. yeah, everyone, [laughs] I think the teachers    [00:14:01] Miko Lee: The crowd roared. The third graders roared.    [00:14:03] Thao Nguyen: Yeah. I mean, everyone's standing on their desks. It's rickety, you know, teachers are worried about child safety, it doesn't matter. They're like, Encore. I'm like, I don't have anything else. Uh, you know, uh,   [00:14:15] Miko Lee: Wait for real?   [00:14:17] Thao Nguyen: No, no. [laughs] the teachers thought it was cute. Probably the kids thought it was funny. I actually don't know because I was so nervous I even pressing play. I was so nervous. I don't know if I registered what, how it was received.    [00:14:34] Miko Lee: That's so sweet. Given your eclectic music knowledge and the music that was around you at the time as a musician, now you've been described with so many different categories, country tinge, indie folk, pop, blues. How would you describe your music?  [00:14:54] Thao Nguyen: I would describe it as. What's embarrassing is I've been doing this a long time now and I've never figured out a way to describe it. I would, I, I generally just say it's, you know, it's under the umbrella of indie rock, but influenced by jazz and hip hop. And because I learned to play guitar by picking out country blues songs. And because I grew up in Virginia, there, there are these, like old time, Country blues picking patterns that I've used. I, you know, it's, yeah. So that, I've never figured out a way to say it succinctly and I continue    [00:15:29] Miko Lee: and you don't need to. That's okay.    [00:15:31] Thao Nguyen: Thank you.    [00:15:31] Miko Lee: Is there a big Vietnamese population in Virginia?    [00:15:35] Thao Nguyen: Yeah, I, I think there is a very healthy population there. And it was one of the first places that people were settling when they were being resettled. And my parents met, in a refugee camp in Guam. And then they were sent to Arkansas. And then from there sponsored out to North Carolina. And then from there of a few friends that they had made, had found work with Metro, which is the public transportation train system in DC and found my dad work there. So that's why people resettle, that's why we ended up in Virginia.    [00:16:16] Miko Lee: So Thao & The Get Down Stay Down you released five studio albums and now you're working primarily as a solo artist. Right?    [00:16:25] Thao Nguyen: Yes. Yeah. I will say I still work record and perform with a band. And a lot of the people who worked and performed with me in that iteration are still with me. it was more I wanted to, just use my name and move beyond what the get down stay down was, which I was never really sure. With things that you choose when you're 22. As time goes, you know, it starts to, and you're lucky if you can kind of shed things and not, not stay beholden too much.   [00:16:57] Miko Lee: Ah, what have you learned to shed?   [00:17:02] Thao Nguyen: Oh my gosh. Thankfully a great deal and it's an ongoing exercise, but. I used to be so much heavier with the weight of what I thought a serious artist was what I thought a serious songwriter should be, who I thought, where I thought my, you know, different benchmarks of what success were. What I should be making versus what people wanted to hear versus what I wanted to hear. I actually never I wasn't always all the way sure about what I wanted. You know, I, I think a lot of people encounter that, but I've thankfully been able to shed as much as I can. It's an ongoing practice, but I, you know, one thing it. Is that I used to think, I can't believe I've been doing this this long. And it's, not necessarily, I didn't understand what I was working towards, but only that I had not gotten there yet. And then, you know, I think pandemic and on, I've been just so and as I get older, the transition into being so sincerely grateful that I'm still here and I get to do this. this is what my job is, and however I can, and whatever I can do to sustain, being able to, to do this for my livelihood and maintain my integrity within it is the greatest gift. So as when I made that switch a a lot of things, a lot of the darkness left me.    [00:18:39] Miko Lee: Oh, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing.   [00:18:42] Ayame Keane-Lee: Next, let's listen to Temple, the first track off of Thao's album of the same name.   MUSIC   [00:22:56] That was Temple by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. Back to her interview with Miko.   [00:23:01] Miko Lee: I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about the 2017 documentary Nobody Dies, a film about a musician, her mom in Vietnam. How did that, and that's a documentary that follows you and your mom as you go to Vietnam. I'm wondering how that project came about.  [00:23:17] Thao Nguyen: Yes, I'm happy to tell you about it. in 2015 I was invited by concert promoters in conjunction with the US Embassy based in Hanoi, to come perform for the, I guess at that point it was the 25th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the US and Vietnam, and I was able to bring my band and I was able to bring my mom, and she hadn't been back in 43 years, and she used to work for the South Vietnamese embassy and was stationed in Lao, when Saigon fell. So she actually left Vietnam in 73, assuming she would go back after her time abroad and then was never able to return. So I was able to bring her, the struggle was would she actually come, you know, and we had, I had, a bear of the time initially convincing her it would be okay. And, it was like, just begging her to come. She's like freaking out. She hangs up on me. I call back. She hangs up. You know, it was a back and forth that I'm trying to convince her of things that I'm not sure of where she's like, I'm still on a list. I'm like, no, you're not. But I don't know that, you know who, how would I know that? But I told her she wasn't on the list. Anyway, my, a friend of mine who's a filmmaker, as this all was happening, he asked if he could come along and document all of it. And he and, his DP traveled with us and it was an incredibly intense trip, and it was beautiful and I am so glad it was documented. And then somewhere along the way I had a performance and, this was all in editing. And then I ran into Don Young at CAAM Center for Asian American Media. Oh, I know what it was. It was something for Sundance and Don Young and I were just in the same shuttle going to the airport and we were talking and I told him a little bit about this and then I sent him some footage and you know, and then CAAM and PBS were gracious enough to co-produce and, Make it so it could be, you know, a a half hour documentary that aired on PBS. Um,    [00:25:21] Miko Lee: so that that was on a bus ride.    [00:25:23] Thao Nguyen: That was on an airport shuttle.    [00:25:25] Miko Lee: Airport shuttle. I love it.    [00:25:26] Thao Nguyen: Yeah [laughs].    [00:25:28] Miko Lee: So was it hard to convince your mom, I know it was hard to convince her to go to Vietnam. Was it hard to convince her also then to be on film? What was her response to that?    [00:25:37] Thao Nguyen: Well, luckily for all of us, my mom loves to be on film and is, um, a total flirt and ham and. Oh,    [00:25:48] Miko Lee: so that was a bonus. That was like a,    [00:25:49] Thao Nguyen: that was a bonus. The camera loves her. As did the film director, my friend Todd, she loved it. And she just, she comes alive and she's a true performer. And, it was really beautiful to see her in this element that I, I didn't know if I'd ever, I actually. Never thought I'd get to see her this way. You know, I grew up, both my brother and I grew up translating for her, it is sort of at every, at every level. And, we'd go out to restaurants and it's not that she, you know, it's like she would get shy and then it would just easier, it always just became easier if we just did it for her. But, so we'd order for restaurants and, and to see her. not to say that she doesn't I mean, she was a small business owner. She owned a laundromat, dry cleaners in Virginia and totally is the reason why everybody is alive, you know? But, to see her move so seamlessly and easily, I'm sorry, it's emotional in the world was this, such a gift I didn't know I'd get. And, You see her haggling with people, you know, and, and she's directing as she's pointing out. Yeah. It was just a really, no matter how long someone has been away from the place they were born, you know, to see them back there is, um, it was, yeah, it was just such a beautiful gift and I'm glad we have it on film.   [00:27:17] Miko Lee: Did you discuss that with your mom? How different that was for you to see her in a different way?    [00:27:22] Thao Nguyen: You know, not, not, um, not directly. I've written about it, but I've not, we don't have the kind of, Yeah. That, that's never come up in those ways. You know, we talk a lot. I basically, I try to call her at least, uh, almost every day, just 'cause she lives across the country. So I wanna just be sure that, you know, I'm just doing these like, casual wellness checks, but we don't often get into those more philosophical conversations. Um, but she did, you know, the, the song Temple, Which would become the lead single of the album Temple was, inspired by this moment of candor that I had never experienced before and I would never experience again. It happened one night when we were in Vietnam and she just said outta nowhere. You have to understand what freedom is and you have to understand why a million people would risk their lives at sea, and I can't. I can't teach you that. I can't help you with it. You have to know for yourself. And that's what became, the song Temple where wherein she's speaking to me about her life before, during, and after war.   [00:28:35] Miko Lee: That's so powerful. Thank you for sharing. I, I appreciate that about your music, the personal, visions and dreams and pain that you experience putting that in. Is there another song of yours that really stands out to you?    [00:28:51] Thao Nguyen: Another one. Aside from that?    [00:28:53] Miko Lee: Aside from that.    [00:28:54] Thao Nguyen: There's. You know, yes, there's a, there's definitely a few from this new album that is, that I just finished and it's releasing in September. From that same album Temple there's, the song Marrow. there's a few. That album is as much, it was, it was this, I just had this, I knew that I had to make it both about, what my Vietnamese identity is and what it is to be queer in Vietnamese and stay in the culture, which is not something that I thought I could do. So yeah, I would say both Temple and Marrow encapsulate, this effort to fully align myself in ways that I hadn't been able to.    [00:29:40] Miko Lee: And what is Marrow about?    [00:29:42] Thao Nguyen: Marrow is about what it means to fully accept yourself so that you could offer yourself to the rest of your life. You know, it's, it's like.   [00:29:54] Miko Lee: That's all.   [00:29:56] Thao Nguyen: That's all. And it's, and it was against the backdrop of getting married. but it was more about me coming to terms with not even coming to terms, like even that language is so, disparaging. It's, it was just about claiming myself and saying to my family, I need to be, you know, I, I need to be my full self and I believe I can be with you still. But you know, the lines are, It's so funny. I sing it all the time and I can't do that. The line I'm thinking of in particular is, at that point I'm apologizing to my partner at the time and saying, you know, I am basically, I couldn't claim us because of this barrier, but I'm sorry to you and I'm sorry to me, and the, you know. I have grief in my marrow. Will you marry me still? So is it, that's a roundabout way of explaining what that, what that song is.   [00:30:54] MUSIC    [00:34:24] Ayame Keane-Lee: You just listened to “Marrow” by tonight's guest, Thao Nguyen.    [00:34:28] Miko Lee: You talk about Temple and how that was based on this trip you took in 2015, right? 2016. How long does it generally take you for a song to germinate?    [00:34:41] Thao Nguyen: You know, that one, um, that's, that is an example of a, a longer, uh, gestation period because it was such an intense, because Vietnam was such an intense time. Uh, it was months, maybe it was two years before I could even think about it, honestly. And there are other things that happen. I wish things happened more instantaneously. It's very rare that a whole song will just present itself. You know, temple, that song in particular, when I started writing it, it took maybe two hours, but it took me two years to get to the point where I could    [00:35:20] Miko Lee: And it just came to you in two hours?   [00:35:22] Thao Nguyen: Yeah. It just came, just the vision. All those, the imagery, everything that I'd wanted to say. It just, I understood how. To present it. And I think I had tried in other forms over that time, but it just wasn't ready. Other songs, um, yeah, anywhere from it's, it's like the chorus or a hook or a verse will come very quickly, and then the time, the more arduous stuff is building around it to make sure that it, it, you know, it's properly bolstered. Like I, if I believe in a hook, then I'll, I'll try to build the house around it.    [00:36:02] Miko Lee: And how, what do you do? Do you just record it straight up right when you get the hook, like on a small device or what's your process?    [00:36:09] Thao Nguyen: It um, typically I'm playing an instrument, either guitar or piano or I've written, you know, sometimes I get bored, I write on other instruments, but primarily it's guitar, piano, and, um. It'll be the melodic hook only on the instrument, and then I'll put words. But yeah, it's, I, I just use voice memos and then as I'm building it, then I'll move into pro tools and, and, and record a more proper demo.    [00:36:40] Miko Lee: And do you have a set working process or you just vibe it whenever you're feeling it? And I ask because I always ask this of artists. Because I think it's so interesting, what is the discipline it takes for your art form? And I remember I interviewed Isabel Allende years ago and she said, yes, I make myself go in my studio at 8:00 AM every day. And even if I can't write, I sit there from this time to this time. So what, what is your process like? Or do you have a set process?    [00:37:05] Thao Nguyen: Yes. Absolutely. And it's taken me so many years to figure out what my set process is and to have the discipline to really, really, um, I do believe it is a daily practice and it is a daily discipline and I'm so afraid of what happens when I slip out of it because I know what happens. I've tumbled into this very dark, deep well of despair and I don't know. You, you start to question what your whole purpose is. It gets bad very quickly, right? So I'm always trying to stay on the side of not completely sliding down. Not to say it isn't very joyful and I mean this a very lucky position to be in. One of the things that's been going on for the last few years is I have multiple projects going on at once and I do have to figure out, I had an, um, the album is just finished thankfully, but I am developing a musical and I'm also writing a book. And so I have to figure out, I divvy out the days. I would like to say that I can work on all three in one day, not possible. So I have to choose, um. And it's always, the morning time is the best for generating something from nothing. And then I try not to edit or revise or question it until that afternoon or later. Actually, you don't question it within that same day. Like the main, I think the main priority for me is maintaining momentum and optimism. So I need to do whatever it is to thwart whatever part of me is trying to take it down. Um, so I'll work in the morning for a few hours and then leave it, you know, and as writers say, leave it no matter if it's songwriting or whatever, like leave it at a place where you, when you start again, you feel good about it and you know what the next step is.   [00:39:08] Miko Lee: Do you have a set time? It's like just the morning from this time to this time. And then do you say musical today? Book today. Album today. How do you do that?    [00:39:17] Thao Nguyen: Well, it depends on the deadlines.    [00:39:21] Miko Lee: Of course.    [00:39:22] Thao Nguyen: I, yeah, I, I work to the deadline. 'cause there's always, thankfully, there's always at least one happening and yeah, I. I love this by the way, because I actually, when I'm stuck, I just look up different routines for writers and artists. It's like my favorite thing to do. So I love to participate in this conversation. Um, but I wake up, I meditate, I try to do a little stretching, and then I do a walk. It depends on where I'm working. Okay? Here's the thing. If I'm working on music, I have to work at home. If I can write, then I'm gonna go to a coffee shop or the library or my friends just opened up local economy, uh, that, that, so I've been going there and because writing is so lonely and miserable that I cannot be in the house, I, I, there's no way I have to be in public. Um, and just at least feeling the energy of other life    [00:40:18] Miko Lee: With songwriting also?    [00:40:19] Thao Nguyen: With songwriting, I have to be home 'cause I'm making all this noise. So what? Yeah, with songwriting I'll be at home, but that's way less miserable 'cause I can just play guitar or piano or something and then, or I'll be in studio with my friends that I'm making the album with. Um, now that I've finished the album and I'm moving and I'm more squarely in the book writing, um, I try to do two hours. You know, not, not solid. I will try, like, for a while, um, I was doing the timer with the, you know, 25 minutes at a time. And then that wasn't, I wasn't getting enough done and then, yeah, and then more than two hours. I, I just can't, it's not sustainable. Um, for me, I feel like I get a solid hour to two. Or maybe you hit like a two page, two or three page, um, quota or something, and then just don't even look at it and then go, and then I go exercise and I need to be outside and, or go on a hike or something.    [00:41:34] Miko Lee: Okay. Tell us about this book. What is it about, what's the timeline? No pressure.    [00:41:41] Thao Nguyen: I would love to tell you what it was about, if I knew better. Um, what it was. It's, it's a collection of essays and I'm calling it, so it's, it's, uh, it'll be out on Gray Wolf, um, into, in spring of 27. And so it is due relatively soon 'cause they, it's a longer lead time. I'm calling it a community memoir, um, because it's a collection of essays from different, it's all through my lens, but it's to celebrate these characters that I grew up with in Foster Virginia, within my family, within the community that I, they're so vivid to me and. Their stories. The quieter sides, the quieter moments of what it means to live in diaspora or what I wanna capture. And also what, you know, part of it is what shaped my musical life. And, and there are all these influences and elements that I, that I just wanted to celebrate and honor and. These people that I remember, but I, I'm, we're all, you know, I'm, I'm turning 42. I'm like, I, we're close to lo I'm close to losing the Hi-Fi detail of them, you know, and, and I don't know who else, is in a position to capture it. You know, and, and also it's this amazing opportunity to talk to my mom's, brothers and sisters. You know, there are tales. There's, of course, you grow up with, I think it's really different to, I was raised, you know, in Virginia by my, primarily by my mom. My grandmother and my aunt didn't come till I was five, but the stories that I heard. Mostly were from my mom who fled in, who left in 73, and her experience is so different than my grandmother, my aunt, all of my mom's siblings who stayed, who had to stay through the fall and, and live in a different regime, you know?    And so to get to hear those stories of just like the more quotidian indignities of what is life after you've lost your. To them they've lost their country, but they're still in it. You know, like, what is it to, with what were the rice rations like? Yeah. So, 50 years on what stays with people, you know, against the backdrop of the most devastating thing that can happen is that like the rice was so broken and it was so rationed and the quality of it was so infuriating and that they and my uncle talks about just for the 50th anniversary, I went back, I had an event, um, I think at the Smithsonian, and I went and I was staying with my uncle, and so I was able to ask them questions and he remembers buying meat on the black market. But you, you'd go to this market, you'd make eye contact with the person. They, you follow them to a behind the stall. They give you this meat wrapped in newspaper. You don't even know what it is. You don't, you can't unwrap it till you get home, you know? Anyway, those are the things that I, I just am so fascinated by, and I, there's just this kind of humanity and life in them that I wanna help. Um, record and if nothing else, just so that I know that it gives me an opportunity to ask these questions. Um, there's stuff about, you know, I'm estranged from my father and I have a lot there, there are things that I, you know, it just, these essays are helping me, better understand and, and process. these open-ended. storylines that, that, have punctuated and haunted me.    [00:45:38] Miko Lee: And this is your first book, right?    [00:45:40] Thao Nguyen: It is, yes.    [00:45:42] Miko Lee: What made you decide to do a book format and also essays, I heard you say? Mm-hmm. Um, as opposed to another album or a series of songs.    [00:45:52] Thao Nguyen: Um, I've always wanted to be a writer. Bef I wanted to be a writer before I was a songwriter, before I wanted to do anything. And I think it scares me the most in my life. And, and it was time to, you know, the opportunity came up, um, very fortunately to get to write a book for Gray Wolf, which of which I'm a huge fan, you know, and, uh, it's a true honor to be affiliated with them. And. Uh, I wanted to do it because it's a lifelong goal and dream, that actually is way scarier to me than making music and performing music. So I, I kind of just needed to see that I, I needed to try.    [00:46:38] Miko Lee: And why an essay format?    [00:46:40] Thao Nguyen: Um, I think that's what naturally. For this, for the first go, it, it, it is what naturally I'm drawn to and what happens most easily. Uh, and I think they're similar to songs in that way. And I, I am very much as a writer, as a songwriter or any or prose writer, I want to try and just capture the, a moment and a feeling and I. Um, that's my main prerogative and my main compulsion when I write. And so for this first go, I'm hoping that there will be more, but this, yeah. Is, is just the, the easiest way to package it.    [00:47:28] Miko Lee: I'm absolutely looking forward to reading it. Now share about a musical. Tell me more    [00:47:34] Thao Nguyen: Musical. I don't know how much I can say besides, uh, it's not been announced yet, but I do, I have been in, I do spend a lot of time in New York, um, and it's an adaptation. Um, I. I shouldn't have. I, I just wanted to mention that it was happening, but I know now that I sh I can't actually say.    [00:47:56] Miko Lee: Okay. That's okay. It's secret, So how can our audiences find out more about you and your work? We'll put a link to your website absolutely. On their webs, on our, program page. But are there other ways that folks can find out more and keep up to date with what you're doing?   [00:48:11] Thao Nguyen: For sure there's, um, well, all the social media, um, outlets were on there @thaogetstaydown. And um, I have a substack called THAO For The Record, which actually was just me sort of documenting my process of making this next record. Um, but that is my preferred way to be in touch in a more long form, um, less harried way. And the new album is coming out in mid to late September. And so I'm really excited about that. And we're, we are gearing up for more touring, starting the summertime.    [00:48:54] Miko Lee: Excellent. Can't wait to listen to you more and hear the new, piece. And thank you so much for joining us on Apex Express.    [00:49:02] Thao Nguyen: Thank you so much for having me. It was such a joy to speak with you.   [00:49:05] Ayame Keane-Lee: The last song we're playing tonight is also the last on the album Temple. It's called “I've Got Something.”   MUSIC [00:53:51] That was “I've Got Something” by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. [00:53:55] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for listening tonight. Remember to reconnect to your ancestral technologies and hold in the power of tenderness. Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about our show and our guests tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preti Mangala-Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me Miko Lee, and edited by Ayame Keane-Lee. Have a great night.            The post APEX Express – 6.18.26 Talk Story with Thao Nguyen appeared first on KPFA.

In this week's update, we examine the violent protests and riots that erupted across the United Kingdom following the arrest of a Sudanese asylum seeker for an attempted beheading in Belfast. Similar anti-immigrant demonstrations flared in London and Glasgow, while the US Embassy in London issued a security alert warning of continued rioting over the following days. An expanded written version of this report can be found in this week's Threat Journal newsletter. You can subscribe for free by visiting www.ThreatJournal.com. A link to this issue will be sent to you immediately via email. AlertsUSA Homepage http://www.AlertsUSA.com – (Homeland Security Alerts for Mobile Devices) AlertsUSA on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alertsusa AlertsUSA on Twitter https://twitter.com/alertsusa Threat Journal on Twitter https://twitter.com/threatjournal Threat Journal Homepage https://www.ThreatJournal.com

Darrell Castle talks about a bill currently working its way through the U.S. Congress which would, if passed, literally integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries and would put funding for the Israeli military on auto pilot. Will it pass and be signed by the President? Many people seem to think it will so he takes a look at it today. THE ISRAELIZATION OF THE U.S. MILITARY Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 12th of June in the year of our Lord 2026. I will be talking about a bill currently working its way through the United States Congress which would, if passed, literally integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries and would put funding for the Israeli military on auto pilot. Will it pass and be signed by the President. Many people seem to think it will so we take a look at it today. Yes, unfortunately it seems that certain members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States are now ready to complete the process of uniting the two countries militaries. The first bill introduced in the House would have literally combined the two. Many of the Israel first politicians are already dual citizens so why not complete the process and stop all the hypocrisy. Just go ahead and make the U.S. military the official enforcement arm of Israeli foreign policy. The most egregious provision of the original bill is that the benefits due to American veterans like me, such as medical and educational benefits would have also been available to all Israeli veterans. That would have been a supreme insult to every American veteran who has ever served. The last time I checked there were about 15 million living American veterans so why not just insult them all while they are still alive. Just tell them all that “your service to this nation meant nothing” but certainly no more to America than an Israeli veteran meant to America. Fortunately, that portion of the bill was pulled before it advanced but there are rumors that it is still out there in Congress or at least in some of their minds and it will be added back in. The bill being considered is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would fund the U.S. military for another year. According to members of the House whose opinions I have read, there is near certainty that Section 224 of that bill will pass through the House and become law with the President's signature. Congressman Ro Khanna, Democrat, and Thomas Massie, Republican tried to pass an amendment to delete Section 224 but the amendment failed. That section will set up a “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative” that integrates US-Israeli military research and development co-production of weapons systems, licensing agreements, AI, directed energy. Data integration, and missile defense. It creates the framework for bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and virtually every manner of U.S.-Israeli military cooperation. The Director of this “Initiative” who will be responsible for coordination of the work will reportedly be an Israeli. The funding will come 100% from the U.S, treasury through part of the $1.5 trillion defense budget requested by President Trump. The purpose as stated is to fully connect the functionality of the U.S. military with that of the Israeli military in what is being described as an equal partnership that will include the government of Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces as full partners. There will be intelligence sharing and in fact the bill includes a requirement that intelligence must be shared. Israeli forces will be included in the planning process of how U.S. weapons are developed and procured.  This serves to explain at least in part why Netanyahu has been indicating recently that Israel might be willing to forego some of the mandatory $3.8 billion the U.S. gives it every year. He obviously knows there is an even bigger slice of American Pie coming his way via Section 224. The intelligence sharing portion of the bill was introduced by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas which he calls “US-Israel Intelligence Sharing Enhancement.” Interestingly, at the same time the New York Times recently carried an article entitled “Pentagon Sees Growing Espionage Threat from Israel.” The article is sourced to the Defense Intelligence Agency which says that the espionage threat from Israel is at the highest possible level and even says that Israel eavesdropped on negotiations between the United States and Iran conducted in Pakistan. The senators pushing this bill often refer to Israel as our best friend and most trusted ally but at the same time the DIA has that country listed as the highest possible espionage threat. Just to keep following this espionage threat let me tell you or remind you of a couple of things this best friend has done during its roughly 78 years as a political nation. In 1984 when a man named Yitzhak Shamir was prime minister and Ronald Reagan was the US president; Israel dispatched an American of dual citizenship named Jonathan Pollard to do some spying against the US. Pollard worked in the US defense establishment and had access to some of the most highly classified military secrets. He stole and delivered the entire 10 volume DIA manual of in person or human intelligence operatives all over the world. The manual contained the names and locations of US intelligence operatives working in the Soviet Union and Communist China both countries in a desperate cold war with the US. Pollard delivered the manual along with many other vital intelligence documents to his handlers in Israel. Can you guess what our best friend and most trusted ally did with the manual and other information. Yes, that's right, they gave it to the Soviet Union and Communist China in exchange for “favors”. Thousands of US personnel along with foreign operatives working with US Intelligence were arrested and many were killed so I guess as the saying goes with friends like that who needs enemies. Pollard did his work in 1984 and in 1987 he was sentenced to life in prison and he served exactly 30 years plus five years of probation. He was then allowed to move to Israel where he has hero status. The American Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, had him over to the US Embassy for a little get together recently. That Pollard incident illustrates the one-sided relationship the US has with Israel quite clearly but as bad as it was it was not the worst. No, the worst happened in 1967 when a man named Levi Eshkol was Prime Minister of Israel and Lyndon Johnson was US President. In fact, last Monday the 8th of June was the 59th anniversary of the Israeli attack on an American ship named USS Liberty. The Liberty was an intelligence gathering ship operating in International Waters in the Eastern Mediterranean when it was attacked by air forces of Israel. This attack was not an accident or improper identification or anything except a deliberate act of murder. The Liberty, an unarmed vessel, was relentless bombed and strafed by Israeli jets while clearly flying the American flag. The attack severed the radio mast and cut off the crew's ability to send a distress call but one crewman managed to climb on deck despite strafing fire, raise an antenna and get off a distress call. Out in the Med a US carrier heard the message and immediately launched jets for a rescue effort. I can tell you from a lot of personal experience that there is nothing that motivates US soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines like coming to the rescue of brothers in trouble. Unfortunately, the US Commander in Chief, Lyndon Johnson personally ordered the Carrier captain to withdraw his jets. They left Liberty to die on its own but the little ship and its crew refused to die. 34 men were killed and 171 wounded but the ship would not sink and made it back to port. The pilots of our most trusted friend and ally even machine-gunned wounded sailors in the water something honorable men do not do even when their nations are at war. No real investigation by government investigators with subpoena power has ever been conducted to my knowledge. Oh, there was a cursory inquiry as there always is but according to reporter Donald Jeffries who did a yeoman's job of private investigation and who has written extensively about the matter President Johnson ordered the board of inquiry to rule it an accident. Why did the Israelis attack the USS Liberty. Without going into a lot of what amounts to guesswork, it was probably because Israel was fighting what came to be known as the six-day-war against a coalition of enemy nations one of which was Egypt. The Liberty was to be sunk and the incident blamed on the Egyptians which would have given the US an excuse to enter the war against Egypt as retaliation. In both the Liberty attack and the Pollard incident not a single thing regarding US policy toward Israel changed. Not one dollar was cut from the very generous support.  Compare this to the reaction upon news this week that an Apache Attack Helicopter had been shot down in the Persian Gulf near Hormuz. The President said he would retaliate with a massive bombing attack and would “take over” Iran's petroleum industry. I don't believe the story which makes no sense but not much in this war makes sense. An Apache is an attack helicopter with a mission of finding and destroying enemy armor but it can be used for armed reconnaissance as well. Perhaps that was its mission over the Gulf. It landed in the water with no injuries to crew so no I don't believe it and it was probably done by Israel if it was done at all. I don't think it was more than an excuse to resume the war. Finally, folks, the US has reportedly given Israel more than $300 billion since its founding in 1948 but it is on the brink of an even more egregious relationship whereby it combines its military with that of Israel. Something causes Washington politicians to shower our money that we work for on Israel and to support it while it robs the US at home and commits mass murder abroad. Why is the question. If all our politicians are blackmailed prostitutes shouldn't we have some knowledge of our worth, How much do they get from the pimps who own them. At least that's the way I seen it. Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

He crossed one of the hottest deserts on Earth at 16 because his faith left him with no legal way out, then landed in San Francisco with $75 and barely any English. That's where Payam Zamani's story starts, and it quickly becomes a masterclass in resilience, immigration, and what it really takes to build a life when the stakes are real.We talk through Payam's early years growing up Baha'i in Iran, the constant pressure and discrimination, and the moment he realises survival means leaving everything behind. From Pakistan to the US Embassy in Islamabad, he describes his first direct experience of human rights and why the United States still represents “hope to the world”, even while wrestling with its contradictions. It's an unfiltered conversation about gratitude, complexity, and refusing to let hardship become an excuse.From there we move into entrepreneurship and the Silicon Valley ecosystem: why contract law matters, why failure is treated as experience, and why venture capital and reinvestment create momentum that's hard to copy elsewhere. Payam shares how he and his brother built AutoWeb.com, an early internet pioneer in online car buying, and how that journey leads to a public company valued at around $1.2bn. We also dig into the darker side of capitalism: greed, excessive materialism, and the hollow feeling that can follow “winning”.Finally, Payam lays out his idea of spiritual capitalism: building companies that serve people, changing hearts not just rules, and aiming for a coherent life where work and values cannot be separated. If you care about startups, leadership, immigrant success, purpose-led business, or building wealth without losing yourself, you'll get a lot from this one. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway.

Host Meg Grier interviews Dennis Blocker, a military war dog trainer and handler with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and author of three books. Dennis shares a story from his time guarding the US Embassy construction site in Baghdad along the Tigris River. He explains how he and his German shepherd Taurus identified a suspicious motorcyclist with explosive residue on his hands — using the concepts of "JND" (Just Noticeable Difference) and "COB" (Change of Behavior) in dog handling. He draws a parallel to faith: just as a handler must spend time with their dog to recognize subtle behavioral cues, we must spend consistent time with God to recognize when He's communicating with us. The episode closes with a reflection on relying on God the way dogs rely on their owners. 0:00 Show intro — "God and Our Dogs" on Bernie Radio 0:07 Mission statement & show overview 0:38 Guest intro — Dennis Blocker, war dog trainer & author 1:10 Welcome & conversation begins; favorite stories from three books 1:56 Dennis introduces the theme of trust — in God and in your dog 2:21 Reading dog body language — how dogs communicate through movement 3:22 Explains JND (Just Noticeable Difference) and COB (Change of Behavior) 4:22 Connects JND/COB to recognizing when God is speaking to us 5:07 Story begins — Checkpoint Miami, guarding the US Embassy in Baghdad 5:58 Suspicious motorcyclist arrives; Taurus begins growling 6:34 Dennis positions Taurus downwind; reads the dog's cues 7:28 Taurus alerts on handle grips — explosive odor detected 8:09 Suspect's hands test positive for multiple explosive residues 8:56 Meg draws the spiritual lesson — time with God = recognizing His signs 9:36 Discussion on growing closer to God over time 9:51 Book three update — Dennis's son handles publishing to Amazon 10:33 How to contact Dennis & find his books (DogsOf2Wars@yahoo.com) 10:59 Closing thought: "PAWND-ER" — how is your dog relying on you today? 11:24 Sign-off, show info, and how to find Bernie Radio Host: Meg Grier - Stories@GodAndOurDogs.com Website: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072683640098 God and Our Dogs airs every Saturday at 11:15am on Boerne Radio 103.9FM - www.boerneradio.com. Air Date: 05/30/26See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by the historian Katrina Navickas to discuss the history of Grosvenor Square in Mayfair as a site of protest and policing. From the early twentieth century the square was home to the US Embassy, and it was the site of several protests against American foreign policy, most notably the Vietnam War in 1968. The policing of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign led to the first CCTV system in the UK being erected in the square. The Embassy building itself, designed by Eero Saarinen, became a potent symbol of American power in London, but more recently the Embassy has moved to a more secure location in Nine Elms.Katrina Navickas is Professor of History at the University of Hertfordshire. Her latest book is Contested Commons: a History of Protest and Public Space in England (Reaktion Books, 2025). She contributed the ‘Croydon' chapter to Owen Hatherley's The Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs (Open House London, 2020), and also the Croydon guide for the Open City Pocket London maps. She is also a founding member of the Rural Modernism network.The podcast is produced in association with the Architects' Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I found out One Minute Remaining had been nominated for Outstanding Episodic Series at the 2026 CrimeCon Clue Awards in Las Vegas — the only international nominee across the entire awards — I had about five minutes to feel good about it before the chaos began.Getting to Vegas from Australia isn't just a matter of booking a flight. There's a media visa to apply for, a trip to the US Embassy in Sydney, prison visit requests to file with corrections departments in two states, unanswered emails, rejections.This is the episode where I take you behind the scenes of what it actually takes to do this job. The bureaucracy, the knock backs, the paperwork, the moments where you wonder why you ever left radio and the moments that remind you exactly why you did.Photo by Tim Mossholder VOTE FOR OMR AUSTRALIAN AUDIO AWARDSEARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mihailo Vukojičić just ran 2:26 at the Copenhagen Marathon and he was 100kg and completely out of shape 3 years ago. Matt chats with Mihailo about weight loss, mindset, fueling, training, and chasing a national record. Mihailo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mika42.2/ Mihailo Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/98499496 Train with Matt Fox here: https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/ Join the Supporters Club and private podcast feed here: https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders/ Contact Matt Fox here: matt@sweatelite.co Matt Fox Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/ Matt Fox Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359 In this episode, Matt speaks with Mihailo Vukojičić about his journey from being over 100kg with unhealthy habits to becoming a 2:26 marathoner. Mihailo shares how he started running in 2022, ran his first half marathon in around 1:41-1:42 at 93kg, and later missed the Athens Marathon because his passport was stuck at the US Embassy. They discuss his simple weight loss approach, technique changes from heel striking to forefoot running, using a 130 BPM heart rate cap to build aerobic fitness, and his 2:47 first marathon in Berlin 2023. Mihailo also explains how his fueling evolved from minimal race intake to 110-120g of carbs per hour in Copenhagen, and how he handled an injury-disrupted buildup with variable weekly mileage while relying heavily on confidence, perceived effort, and belief over device metrics. The conversation also covers nutrition structure, the HEXIS app, legal supplements, lactate testing, HRV, training flexibility, doping debates, the Enhanced Games, WADA, and Mihailo's long-term goal of potentially reaching 2:13 and chasing a national record. Topics: 00:00 Post Marathon Check In 01:02 From 100kg To Running 02:50 First Half Marathon Lessons 04:36 Athens Marathon Passport Disaster 07:14 Simple Weight Loss Approach 09:00 Form Fixes And Heart Rate Training 11:01 First Marathon Breakthrough Berlin 13:33 Dieting Low Carb And Fasted Runs 15:35 Carb Fueling Revolution Copenhagen 17:21 Injury Disrupted Build And Weekly Mileage 21:16 Confidence Mindset On Race Day 23:24 Lactate Testing Pros And Cons 30:12 Devices HRV And Keeping It Simple 31:04 HRV Versus Feel 32:18 Plans And Flexibility 33:26 Confidence Training Loop 36:01 Fueling And Carbs 37:13 Legal Performance Boosters 41:35 Daily Nutrition Structure 46:18 Goals And National Record 48:14 Mindset And Belief 52:13 Injuries And Pushing Limits 53:46 Doping Debates Online 57:21 Enhanced Games And WADA 58:50 Wrap Up In Belgrade

Cuba seems willing to concede more than ever if the Trump administration is willing to take the win. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. A rally in support of former Cuban president Raul Castro outside the US Embassy in Havana. Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summits between US and Chinese leaders are important events. They provide opportunities to discuss sensitive issues, manage friction, and to identify ways to solve problems and promote cooperation where possible. A great deal of preparation usually goes into a US-China summit, involving hundreds of phone calls, virtual, and in-person meetings between US and Chinese officials.   The May 14-15 summit in Beijing was atypical, perhaps not surprisingly since Donald Trump is a very atypical president. Today we are going to talk about the summit – the process and well as the outcomes and the implications for the US-China relationship and American interests.  Joining us today to talk about these issues is Sarah Beran. Sarah Beran was senior director for China and Taiwan affairs in the National Security Council during the Biden administration from 2022 to 2024. She was subsequently deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing. At the NSC, she led strategic preparations for multiple summits between President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. After her 23 years in government service, Sarah joined Macro Advisory Partners.   Timestamps:   [00:00] Introduction   [01:45] Differences in Preparing for the Summit   [03:33] What Was Missing from Trump's Itinerary   [08:18] US and Chinese Objectives for the Summit   [12:30] Constructive Strategic Stability as a Framework   [18:09] Iran, North Korea, and Denuclearization in Chinese Policy [23:55] Tension over Taiwan Language   [29:15] Potential Reactions to Trump Calling President Lai   [30:12] Future of US-China Relations and Ally Reactions 

Justine Walker sits down with Dawson Law, a senior advisor on geopolitical risk and compliance. Their conversation explores potential scenarios for Iran, including protracted conflict, partial sanctions relief, and regime collapse — highlighting how economic measures and geopolitical negotiations could shape different outcomes. They also consider broader global developments, from shifting Gulf investment patterns to U.S. policy on Cuba, China, and export controls. Throughout, the episode underscores growing sanctions divergence between the U.S. and its allies, and the need for companies to prepare for geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty. Dawson Law previously served for over a decade as a U.S. diplomat at the US Department of State where he worked on the Iran Desk and was posted at the US Embassies in Sudan, Poland, Vietnam and Australia. He later worked as a senior sanctions policy advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and served as the first U.S. Treasury Representative to the United Kingdom, supporting transatlantic coordination on economic statecraft including Iran sanctions and illicit finance.

On this special edition of USModernist taped live earlier this year at the Onera Foundation in New Canaan CT,  we explore diplomacy through Modernist architecture with three guests: Dublin architect Cormac Murray gives a talk on John Johansen's US Embassy in Dublin; legendary photographer Norman McGrath, who shot that building soon after it opened, and architect Christen Johansen, son of John Johansen, discusses family legacy.  Laurence Laforgue of the Onera Foundation hosts.

Today's guest is Katrina Fotovat, the former Principal Deputy Director in the Secretary of State's Office of Global Women's Issues, where she led a team of experts promoting women, peace, and security, countering violent extremism, promoting women's economic empowerment, and combatting gender-based violence. In this episode, Alon and Kat discuss the critical work that has been done by the Office of Global Women's Issues under three different presidential administrations, local outreach programs facilitated by the US overseas to support women's issues and combat gender-based violence, including working with men and boys, and the global impacts of the current Trump administration's drastic cuts to foreign aid. Full bio Katrina “Kat” Fotovat is the former Principal Deputy Director in the Secretary of State's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI), where she led a team of experts promoting women, peace, and security, countering violent extremism, promoting women's economic empowerment, and combatting gender-based violence. Ms. Fotovat has over 20 years of experience advocating gender and human rights globally, specifically in conflict and post-conflict settings. Before joining the office she served as Director for the Office of Communications, Policy, and Partnerships, in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations where she oversaw an expert team that provided policy and strategy guidance to respond to atrocities, fragility, increase global stability and peacebuilding, and integrating women, peace, and security efforts in areas of conflict. Ms. Fotovat was also the Deputy Director for the Global Programs Office in the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor where she oversaw over a billion dollars in active programs geared toward supporting civil society and human rights in the most sensitive and fragile spaces, including internet freedom, transitional justice, and marginalized populations. Other positions in the US Government included as a Political Officer in the US Embassy in Moldova, and as the Senior Grants Officer in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Senior Human Rights Advisor in the Office of the Procurement Executive, and Interagency Liaison at USAID. Before joining the U.S. government, Ms. Fotovat's experience includes transitional justice and peace negotiations efforts with the Nobel Prize-nominated, Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG). This work included drafting post-conflict constitutions in Iraq and Kosovo, and international crisis aid negotiations in Sri Lanka. Additionally, she has done extensive gender and human rights work supporting the efforts of UNHCR, CEDAW, American Bar Association, and other organizations. Ms. Fotovat previously worked as a part of legal counsel at the International Human Rights Legal Clinic, focusing on trafficking in persons and asylum cases, with a special focus on Burma. Ms. Fotovat also helped to found an anti-trafficking in persons organization in Moldova, where she was also a Peace Corps Volunteer. She holds a Juris Doctor in International Human Rights Law and a master's degree in Foreign Policy from American University. She is married and has a son.

In this week's update, we examine the UK's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raising the national terrorism threat level from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE, following a vicious antisemitic stabbing in London's Golders Green Jewish community. The US Embassy in London followed up with a security alert for Americans in the country. We break down the attack, Ashab al-Yamin's first claim of responsibility for lethal strikes on individuals rather than property, and the escalation of this Iranian proxy front's sustained low-tech terror campaign. This is not random street crime; it is state-sponsored Islamist proxy warfare, with Tehran outsourcing violence to radicalized cutouts. The campaign is active, ongoing, and now more lethal—copycats and further escalation are expected. An expanded written version of this report can be found in this week's Threat Journal newsletter. You can subscribe for free by visiting www.ThreatJournal.com. A link to this issue will be sent to you immediately via email. AlertsUSA Homepage http://www.AlertsUSA.com – (Homeland Security Alerts for Mobile Devices) AlertsUSA on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alertsusa AlertsUSA on Twitter https://twitter.com/alertsusa Threat Journal on Twitter https://twitter.com/threatjournal Threat Journal Homepage https://www.ThreatJournal.com

Fifty-one years ago the last helicopter fled the US Embassy in Vietnam, and Donald Trump has brought America into another losing war. Steve Schmidt exposes Pete Hegseth's incompetence, villainy, and criminal failures in this catastrophe. Today's Merch: Secretary of War Crimeshttps://thewarningwithsteveschmidt.com/products/secretary-of-war-crimes?_pos=1&_psq=secre&_ss=e&_v=1.0 SUBSCRIBE for more and follow me here:Substack: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/subscribeStore: https://thewarningwithsteveschmidt.com/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewarningses.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveSchmidtSES/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewarningsesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarningses/X: https://x.com/SteveSchmidtSESoptions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't miss this fascinating interview with writer and teacher Victoria Montes, a long-time expat currently living in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Victoria has spent much of her life moving around the word, from Nigeria, Morocco, and Pakistan as a diplomat's kid growing up in the '70s, to a young military police officer based in Germany, to working as a photojournalist covering the war in Afghanistan, and now teaching schoolkids on military bases. She sits down with us to talk about her journey navigating identity, home, transitions, and the complicated emotions that come with uprooting and beginning again. Her extraordinary experiences have led her to write a number of books, including The Embassy Burned, inspired by her own proximity to the 1979 attack on the US Embassy in Pakistan. Victoria also discusses living in GTMO, something she describes as "the surreal normalcy of everyday life." ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here. AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free! ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

──────────────────────────────────────── [00:07:33] Fed Reserve Study: Trump's Tariffs Entirely Responsible for the Surge in Consumer Goods Prices A Federal Reserve study found Trump's tariffs explain the entirety of excess inflation in core goods since January 2025. Without them, prices would have already fallen below pre-pandemic trend lines. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:14:28] Gulf's Largest Aluminum Producer Declared Force Majeure — 4% of World Supply Cut Off The Gulf's largest aluminum producer invoked force majeure due to the Strait blockage, cutting off 4% of global aluminum production on top of the existing tariff hit. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:27:06] Trump Has Issued 1,600 Pardons in One Year — Six Times His Entire First Term Total Trump issued 1,600 pardons in year one versus 250 in his entire first term. The long line of grifters and white-collar criminals makes this the most corrupt administration since Ulysses Grant. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:53:00] Trump's Lie of the Day: He Posted a Jesus Meme and Claimed It Was Him as a Doctor Trump posted a meme showing himself in a white robe with healing light from his hands. When pressed, he claimed it depicted him as a Red Cross doctor. The central angel figure was modified to match a depiction of Baal. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:07:44] Pete Hegseth: Every Missile We Fire and Every Iranian We Kill Is for Jesus Knight covers Bruni's piece noting Hegseth explicitly declared every bomb and every Iranian killed is done for Jesus. Knight calls this the real blasphemy — more than any meme. Trump agreed. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:14:25] Trump Attacked Pope Leo for "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" — Then Said He Could Be Israel's Prime Minister Trump attacked Pope Leo for citing Christ's Beatitudes, calling him weak on crime. He then said he could become prime minister of Israel he is so popular there. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:41:09] Judge Threw Out Trump's $10B Defamation Suit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Birthday Card A federal judge dismissed the suit. The Journal accurately described the Epstein birthday card Trump signed "may every day be another wonderful secret." Congress later released the card confirming it. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:46:06] Netanyahu Has Pushed the Iran War for 40+ Years — CIA Director Called His Presentation "Farcical" A British official recalls Netanyahu demanding they bomb Iran when he was still an opposition MP. The CIA director called his situation room presentation farcical. Netanyahu said Saturday he had been waiting for this moment for 40 years. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:54:52] Trump Is Netanyahu's "Goy" — Zionist Donors Obliged Him to Underwrite Whatever Netanyahu Wants A former US officer says Trump's major donors obliged him to underwrite whatever Netanyahu wants. Netanyahu personally arranged the US-Azerbaijan cooperation meeting, bypassing the State Department. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:58:38] Larry Ellison Bought Paramount/CBS, Now Taking Over CNN — Hegseth Celebrated the Acquisition Ellison — a close Netanyahu ally — bought Paramount/CBS and is now taking over Warner/CNN. Hegseth publicly celebrated it. CNN's Iran coverage has been notably pro-war since. ──────────────────────────────────────── [02:01:47] Levin and Pollard Are Coordinating — Huckabee Met Pollard at US Embassy With Levin's Stepson Levin's stepson held a secret meeting with convicted spy Pollard at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, joined by Huckabee. Both are now pushing for nuclear strikes on Iran. ──────────────────────────────────────── [02:06:56] Jonathan Pollard — Who Gave US Secrets to Israel Then Russia — Now Calls for Nuclear Strikes on Iran Pollard passed US military intelligence to Israel, who traded it to the Soviets for prisoners. Trump pardoned him at Miriam Adelson's request. He now calls for an EMP first strike and carpet bombing Iran to the Stone Age. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

──────────────────────────────────────── [00:07:33] Fed Reserve Study: Trump's Tariffs Entirely Responsible for the Surge in Consumer Goods Prices A Federal Reserve study found Trump's tariffs explain the entirety of excess inflation in core goods since January 2025. Without them, prices would have already fallen below pre-pandemic trend lines. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:14:28] Gulf's Largest Aluminum Producer Declared Force Majeure — 4% of World Supply Cut Off The Gulf's largest aluminum producer invoked force majeure due to the Strait blockage, cutting off 4% of global aluminum production on top of the existing tariff hit. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:27:06] Trump Has Issued 1,600 Pardons in One Year — Six Times His Entire First Term Total Trump issued 1,600 pardons in year one versus 250 in his entire first term. The long line of grifters and white-collar criminals makes this the most corrupt administration since Ulysses Grant. ──────────────────────────────────────── [00:53:00] Trump's Lie of the Day: He Posted a Jesus Meme and Claimed It Was Him as a Doctor Trump posted a meme showing himself in a white robe with healing light from his hands. When pressed, he claimed it depicted him as a Red Cross doctor. The central angel figure was modified to match a depiction of Baal. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:07:44] Pete Hegseth: Every Missile We Fire and Every Iranian We Kill Is for Jesus Knight covers Bruni's piece noting Hegseth explicitly declared every bomb and every Iranian killed is done for Jesus. Knight calls this the real blasphemy — more than any meme. Trump agreed. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:14:25] Trump Attacked Pope Leo for "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" — Then Said He Could Be Israel's Prime Minister Trump attacked Pope Leo for citing Christ's Beatitudes, calling him weak on crime. He then said he could become prime minister of Israel he is so popular there. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:41:09] Judge Threw Out Trump's $10B Defamation Suit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Birthday Card A federal judge dismissed the suit. The Journal accurately described the Epstein birthday card Trump signed "may every day be another wonderful secret." Congress later released the card confirming it. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:46:06] Netanyahu Has Pushed the Iran War for 40+ Years — CIA Director Called His Presentation "Farcical" A British official recalls Netanyahu demanding they bomb Iran when he was still an opposition MP. The CIA director called his situation room presentation farcical. Netanyahu said Saturday he had been waiting for this moment for 40 years. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:54:52] Trump Is Netanyahu's "Goy" — Zionist Donors Obliged Him to Underwrite Whatever Netanyahu Wants A former US officer says Trump's major donors obliged him to underwrite whatever Netanyahu wants. Netanyahu personally arranged the US-Azerbaijan cooperation meeting, bypassing the State Department. ──────────────────────────────────────── [01:58:38] Larry Ellison Bought Paramount/CBS, Now Taking Over CNN — Hegseth Celebrated the Acquisition Ellison — a close Netanyahu ally — bought Paramount/CBS and is now taking over Warner/CNN. Hegseth publicly celebrated it. CNN's Iran coverage has been notably pro-war since. ──────────────────────────────────────── [02:01:47] Levin and Pollard Are Coordinating — Huckabee Met Pollard at US Embassy With Levin's Stepson Levin's stepson held a secret meeting with convicted spy Pollard at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, joined by Huckabee. Both are now pushing for nuclear strikes on Iran. ──────────────────────────────────────── [02:06:56] Jonathan Pollard — Who Gave US Secrets to Israel Then Russia — Now Calls for Nuclear Strikes on Iran Pollard passed US military intelligence to Israel, who traded it to the Soviets for prisoners. Trump pardoned him at Miriam Adelson's request. He now calls for an EMP first strike and carpet bombing Iran to the Stone Age. ──────────────────────────────────────── Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSg60Pfl09o&t=1s 12 Apr 2026 This is the arrest - the 5th arrest - of Dr Ranjeet Brar. Vascular Surgeon at Kings College Hospital. Well nnown campaigner against NHS privatisation, and anti-war activist, who campaigns for the rights of the Palestinian people and against genocide. If you speak out against genocide in Britain today, the government, Wes Streeting, Keir Starmer, Shabana Mahmood and the Labour Party send police to your house to arrest you. They leave your family unsupervised. They accuse you falsely of racism. They lock you in a cell and other police from the “Public Protection Unit” interview you (eventually) and clumsily try and entrap you to say racist things, or ask you to implicate yourself as “a terrorist”. When all that is done, they release you on “bail conditions”. What are they? They are “you cannot go to the US Embassy”! So our government and the US imperialists skulking in their fortress at Nine Elms, with their guns and missile emplacements on their roofs, their soldiers, CIA operatives and Mossad agents, all their fascist means of control, their mass media and press control… all feel vulnerable because one NHS doctor turned up ant the palestine encampment opposite their embassy and condemned their war atrocity: the double tap tomahawk cruise missile mass murder of 186 primary school children in Minab. Teuly we must say: get the US war criminals out of our country. Close the US embassy. Close the Israeli embassy. Close the US bases. Stop all UK participation in the illegal wars. Try the Labour Party war criminals. Try the city billionaires and seize their assets. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one!: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/  

Monday, April 6th, 2026 Today, Donald Trump calls for war crimes in a profanity laden Easter Sunday threat to Iran sayinig “open the fuckin' strait you crazy bastards”; the Department of Homeland Security inspector general has launched an investigation into Corey Lewandowski's bribe scheme; Trump's new budget proposal includes privatizing the TSA; the Iranian strike on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia caused more damage than previously reported; the Department of Homeland Security pauses plans to buy warehouses to convert to concentrations camps; US planes were shot down over Iran this past weekend; a Tennessee library director was fired for refusing to move LGBTQ+ kids books to the adult section; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, DailyLook For 50% off your first order, head to DailyLook.com and use code DAILYBEANS.  Thank You, HomeChef For a limited time, get  50% off and free shipping for your first box PLUS free dessert for life!  HomeChef.com/DAILYBEANS.  Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.  The Daily beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Harry Dunn is running for CongressHarry Dunn for Maryland The Latest Breakdown:Anna Bower and I Discuss a Trump DOJ Own Goal StoriesD.H.S. Inspector General Inquiry Focuses in Part on Corey Lewandowski | The New York Times Trump Budget Seeks TSA Privatization, Cuts to Cyber, FEMA | Bloomberg Iranian Strike on U.S. Embassy Caused More Damage Than Disclosed | WSJ Tenn. library director fired over refusal to move LGBTQ+ books to adult section | The Washington Post Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap DEI program | CBS News DHS pauses plans to buy warehouses for immigrant detention | NBC NewsGood TroubleFundraiser for fired Tennessee librarian raises $100K Help Luanne James in Her Time of Need Protect Chaco Canyon Public comment period ENDS TUESDAY, 4/7!Revoking Chaco Canyon Protections Ignores Pueblos, Tribes, and the Public (REPOST) - Archaeology Southwest Link to comment:https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=D949F582-402D-F111-8341-001DD804183B     →2026 Primary Election Calendar: All the Dates Ahead of Midterms →Public Comment Period Open: White House Ballroom Proposal →Standwithminnesota.com →Tell Congress Ice out Now | Indivisible →Defund ICE | 5Calls →Congress: Divest From ICE and CBP | ACLU →ICE List  →iceout.org →2026 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From! | Erin in the Morning Good NewsLovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Our Donation Links The Daily beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans with a MATCHED Donation http://onecau.se/_ekes71 More Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate

 U.S. officials have issued an urgent warning for Americans in Iraq to leave the country immediately, citing credible intelligence that Iran-aligned terrorist militias could carry out imminent attacks in Baghdad.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today Justin sits down with Janosh Neumann, known as Jay. Jay was born in Russia under a different name and joined the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB ,as a counterintelligence officer in 1996. Over the next few years, he investigated international money laundering and other crimes. In 2008, he and his wife, Victoria, who was also an FSB officer, traveled to the Dominican Republic where they walked into the US Embassy and offered to defect to the United States. This was the start of a years long relationship with the US government, which helped relocate the couple to the United States to start a new life with many ups and downs along the way. He's here today to discuss his life story, which has been made into a graphic novel series called Almost American by Aftershock Comics in 2022. Connect with Janosh: realspycomics.com info@realspycomics.com Twitter/X: @RealSpyComics_ Check out the comic book of his life, ALMOST AMERICAN, here. https://a.co/d/0aTyO0lv Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 Police said the blast struck the entrance to the embassy's consular section around 1 a.m., prompting an immediate response and an ongoing search for those responsible. "We've determined that an explosion hit the American embassy," Oslo police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK, adding that the blast occurred at the entry to the compound's consular section.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On tonights live, Andy & DJ are joined in the studio by Andy Stumpf. They discuss Americans being urged to leave Iraq immediately by the US Embassy in Baghdad, gunfire at a crowded Flordia beach during spring break and the woke Canadian school banning children from eating in its cafeteria and lunch room to avoid offending Muslim students during Ramadan.

Air defense systems engaged this morning following yet another air attack on the US embassy in Baghdad ... Chaotic scenes continue to play out due to a shortage of TSA agents at US airports ... A judge halts RFK Jr.'s sweeping changes to US vaccine policy.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Israel says it has killed two top Iranian leaders as new attacks hit U.S. targets. The conflict expands with drones targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Plus, a new report says the Trump administration is pushing Cuba to remove its president during ongoing talks. And a judge blocks RFK Jr.'s overhaul of childhood vaccine recommendations, halting the changes and freezing the advisory panel's actions. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

TOPICS: US Embassy Attack Canada Haiti Drone Strikes Mickey Rourke Gets the Boot "Coffee Talk with David Eon" (LIVE WEEKDAY DAILY NEWS TALK) for Wednesday, March 11th, 2026.

//The Wire//2300Z March 9, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TERROR ATTACK STRIKES NEW YORK AS PROTESTERS TARGETED WITH IEDS. AMERICAN BOMBING OF IRAN CONTINUES AS IRANIAN DRONE STRIKES REGULARLY TARGET OIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN MIDDLE EAST.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Middle East: The war continues, with both American strikes on Tehran, and Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv continuing over the weekend. The American 'Shock and Awe' campaign continues day and night, with increasingly more substantial bombings taking place over the weekend. Iranian drone attacks continue as before, with several strikes of note being carried out over the weekend. As of this morning, the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the UAE is still on fire from last night's attacks. The BAPCO refinery in Bahrain was also struck again several times over the past few days, along with the desalination plant in Ma'ameer. The fuel point at Kuwait International Airport was also struck over the weekend, as civilian flights throughout Kuwait remain grounded until further notice due to Iranian targeting efforts.Strait of Hormuz: The impacts to shipping remain constant, with one commercial vessel reporting being struck by a drone in the Saudi port of Jubail on Saturday. This morning BAPCO declared a force majeure for their contracts, indicating that they are unable to meet the obligations of their contracts, due to the war impacting operations.Turkey: This morning Turkish authorities stated that another Iranian ballistic missile had been intercepted in their airspace. The missile was reportedly shot down by a US Navy vessel stationed in the eastern Med.Norway: An explosion was reported at the US Embassy in Oslo, as an unidentified assailant placed an IED at the entrance to the facility Saturday night. Norwegian officials have stated that the incident is being investigated as a possible terror attack, and photos of the suspect have been released, as the suspect remains at large. No further details have been provided on the composition of the suspected explosive device, however the investigation is ongoing.-HomeFront-New York: On Saturday, an anti-Islam protest outside of Mayor Mamdani's residence was attacked by counter protesters, which involved terrorists attacking demonstrators with IEDs. Initially, groups of protesters were separated by the NYPD: The group protesting against Mamdani (and against Islam in general) was separated from a group of counterprotesters by pedestrian barriers as is customary for events where protesters have a high likelihood of attacking each other. In this case, two of the counterprotesters arrived with IEDs, lit their fuses, and threw them over to the main protest group, targeting the small group of about a dozen anti-Islam protesters. Both of the IEDs that were thrown failed to detonate, as the impact with the ground extinguished the lit fuses. The suspects were immediately detained at the scene, and a search of the area revealed additional IEDs located in a parked vehicle adjacent to the event. The two suspects have been identified as Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both residents of Pennsylvania. More details are expected as the investigation continues.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: A bit of back story is needed to explain the context for how important the attack in New York City actually was. The protest that started everything was an "Americans Against Islamification" protest organized by Jake Lang, who has become infamous for going into Islamic strongholds, and holding protests that are intended to inflame tensions. This context may result in many people being tempted to roll their eyes and dismiss this attack due to the history of Lang's protests usually being rather theatrical. For instance, the day before the IED attack on his group he crashed a vigil to the Ayatollah, driving by the event in a Uhaul van with a go

This episode is presented by Create A Video – A lot of developments over the weekend in the US-Israel war on Iran - from oil price spikes to a potential terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Norway. Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePetePod.com/ All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow Media Bias Check: GroundNews promo code! Advertising and Booking inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.comGet exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on March 9th 2026. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio. Presenter/producer: Kris Boswell.

Do you struggle with discipline and consistency? You know what you need to do to better your health, finances, relationship, or career. You may have even started to see results. Still, you return to old habits or a dysfunctional situation. Not being able to stick to your goals isn't about capability or skills. It's the fear and discomfort of the unfamiliar that makes obedience so hard.​ In today's episode, Lisa shares what working in foster care and living in Rome taught her about living in Radical Obedience ™.​ As a social worker, Lisa saw children removed from dangerous and neglectful situations. Every single one wanted to go back because they felt safer in a bad environment that they knew than they did living in better circumstances that were unfamiliar. When working at the US Embassy in Rome, there was a concession with junk food because even though Americans know how dangerous processed food is, they still chose it in Italy because it felt familiar. The bottom line is you have to either get used to unfamiliarity or get used to the consequences of disobedience.​ If you are tired of risking your favor because you'd rather be in a situation you know, instead of doing what you were called to do, this episode is for you. Do new things. Embrace being uncomfortable so you can move forward and live in Radical Obedience ™.   

Police are are investigating an explosion at a U.S. embassy. AP correspondent Mike Hempen reports.

Timothy Hogan is an author and lecturer within the Western Mystery School tradition. He is a Past Master in several spiritual traditions, including many bodies in Freemasonry (AF&AM) and Rosicrucian lineages. He is a Grand Master for multiple Knight Templar lineages and runs the Templar Collegia. Timothy Hogan has lectured in public and private venues worldwide, including as a guest speaker at Universities and US Embassies, and has appeared on numerous television programs, as well as multiple podcasts and radio interviews. He is the author of The Alchemical Keys to Masonic Ritual; The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon; Revelation of the Holy Grail (written under the pen name of Chevalier Emerys); Entering the Chain of Union; The Way of the Templar; Novo Clavis Esoterika; Thoughts from Meditations; and he is the author of The Elements of the Elements.https://www.timothywhogan.com  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Khomeini's return from exile in 1979 wasn't just history, it was prophecy coming alive. From overthrowing the Shah to the US Embassy hostage crisis, Iran rose as a key player in the Last Days. Bible prophecy warns of Persia (Iran) and its role in global conflict. Ezekiel 38 names nations aligned against the world—and Khomeini's actions were the beginning.This is spiritual, watch and see how history and prophecy collide, and why the signs of the Last Days demand your attention.———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Krystal and Saagar discuss Rubio admits Israel dragged US into war, US embassies burn, Tucker claims Mossad captured in gulf countries. Trita Parsi: https://x.com/tparsi?s=20 Scott Horton: https://x.com/scotthortonshow Kat Abughazaleh: https://katforillinois.com/ Kat's Discord: https://discord.com/invite/katforillinois To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.comMerch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump warned more strikes on Iran were imminent, as US embassies across the Middle East shut down. Israel's strikes in Tehran and Beirut are expanding the war into Lebanon. US oil prices are on track for their biggest one-day jump in years – a surge that could push gas prices even higher. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is testifying before the Senate Judiciary committee. Plus, a environmental health advocacy group has found some alarming substances in the US food supply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump and the administration say the operation in Iran is ahead of schedule. Iran attacked the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a move that will not please the Saudis. Iran's entire navy has been eliminated according to reports. A new poll from Harvard Harris is horrible for Democrats and very encouraging for Republicans. SCOTUS ruled that California schools cannot hide students' "Gender Identity" from parents in a MASSIVE decision.    Join UNGOVERNED on LFA TV every MONDAY - FRIDAY from 10am to 11am EASTERN!    www.FarashMedia.com www.LFATV.us www.OFPFarms.com www.SLNT.com/SHAWN

Strikes escalate across the Middle East as Iran attacks the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia; Midterm elections today in North Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas; a West Virginia bill cuts hefty tax breaks for data centers; and how clean energy goals are tied to high-quality union jobs

Eyes on Iran. With the largest and most advanced US aircraft carrier in position on Israel's porch, the US Embassy evacuates all Americans from Israel, saying "time is of the essence." Hillary Clinton doesn't remember meeting Jeffrey Epstein, never stayed at his properties and only had casual associations with Ghislaine Maxwell. When asked about photos of what Bill was doing with women and Epstein she replies a dozen times, "You'll have to ask my husband." We remind the Clintons about the penalty for perjury as we unearth well documented proof that the entire Clinton crime family were regulars at Epstein's New Mexico ranch.

We start the political strategy behind the longest State of the Union speech yet. President Donald Trump's pick for surgeon general, a MAHA influencer, was grilled on Capitol Hill today. A CNN investigation found nearly 100 documents appear to be missing from the Justice Department's investigation on Jeffrey Epstein. The US Embassy is offering diplomatic services to a Israeli settlement in the Occupied West Bank. Plus, we explain why AI company Anthropic is ditching its core safety principal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. In the foreign policy portion of his lengthy State of the Union address, US President Donald Trump repeated his oft-mentioned talking points about Iran, Magid reports, noting the president's terminology about never hesitating to confront threats against the US. Trump has said he is "aware of" last week's killing of Palestinian-American 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siam in an armed settler attack in the West Bank, and Magid reviews why the US administration has not commented or gotten involved in this latest incident of Jewish settler violence. As the US Embassy in Israel announces first-time pop-up locations for consular services in the Jewish settlements of Efrat and Beitar Illit, Magid discusses the decision to hold the project in these new locations. With a formal communication channel established between the Board of Peace and the Palestinian Authority, Magid discusses how the PA is seeking legitimacy and aims to be as involved as possible in the Gaza reconstruction. Magid also reports on conversations with Arab and European diplomats involved in the Board of Peace, and their comments about the enormous amount of pressure required to be applied on Hamas and Israel for the disarmament of Hamas to succeed. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump: US ‘wiped out’ Iran’s nuclear program ‘but they want to start all over again’ US avoids condemning settler killing of Palestinian-American in armed West Bank attack In first, US embassy to provide consular services at pop-ups in West Bank settlements US approves formal communication channel between PA and Board of Peace — officials Waving off the skeptics, US feeling bullish after Board of Peace inaugural confab Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: President Donald Trump exits the House Chamber after delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

//The Wire//2000Z February 24, 2026////ROUTINE////BLUF: UNITED STATES CAPTURES LAST TANKER VESSEL THAT ESCAPED VENEZUELA. IDAHO VEHICLE RAMMING SUSPECT ARRESTED. WEATHER CONDITIONS POOR IN TEHRAN.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Indian Ocean: Overnight, the United States seized another tanker vessel, interdicting the last remaining vessel that had fled Venezuela in the wake of the Maduro regime's collapse. The M/T *BERTHA* was captured in the Indian Ocean this morning, after running the American blockade weeks ago.Mexico: Over the past 24 hours, most of the violence around the country has taken the form of arson attacks on convenience stores scattered around the nation, and subsequently looting has been reported at the burned-out stores and commercial venues which have been targeted by cartel militants. Sporadic cartel roadblocks continue to be emplaced on major roadways randomly, which mostly take the form of burning vehicles being used to block the roadway. Most of these roadblocks are resolved in a few hours, and are not usually manned by cartel members.Analyst Comment: Otherwise, Government forces have been able to secure the airports, and the US Embassy reported this afternoon that flights have resumed for anyone who so desires to depart. Most of the conflict throughout the past 24 hours has focused on CJNG forces conducting ambush-style attacks on federal forces, rather than overtly controlling terrain.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - This afternoon President Trump is scheduled to give the State of the Union Address before Congress. The speech is scheduled for 9:00pm Eastern time.Analyst Comment: For those speculating that the war with Iran will be announced during this address, it will be a little late in the day for that. By the time the speech is scheduled to start, the sun will be about to rise in the Middle East, so it will probably be too late timing-wise if the cover of darkness is necessary for whatever is planned.Idaho: The suspect in the St. Luke's vehicle ramming attack has been identified and was arrested last night. Sarah Elizabeth George, a resident of Boise, has been charged with stealing the ambulance, conducting the ramming attack into the Portico Building, and the subsequent attempted arson.Analyst Comment: As one might expect, the suspect's digital profile indicates that the attack was conducted for ideological reasons, which meets the definition of being classified as terrorism. It is unclear as to if terrorism charges will be filed, but the suspect's social media accounts contain the usual indicators of mental instability and open calls for violence. The suspect was identified after leaving the credit card receipt for the gas cans that were to be used in the attack, at the scene of the crime.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Weather in Tehran is not great, with cloud cover rolling in this afternoon. METeorological Aerodrome Reports (METARs) for points around Tehran indicate an overcast sky at 10,000ft remained in place for much of the day, with a scattered layer situated at 4,000ft. The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for Imam Khomeini International Airport calls for suboptimal weather conditions (cloud cover and rain) until at least tomorrow night.Weather conditions are constantly changing, however very tentatively, cloud cover is forecasted to be murky at best over the next few days. Lunar illumination peaks this weekend, with the window of 80% illum taking place from roughly February 27th, to March 6th. Meanwhile, cargo flights continue unabated, as more resources constantly flow into the Middle East.Analyst: S2A1Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2undergroundDisclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.//END REPORT//

//The Wire//2300Z February 19, 2026////ROUTINE////BLUF: DOMESTIC TERROR ATTACKS CONTINUE IN UNITED STATES. IRANIAN DRILLS CONTINUE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ. VEHICLE EXPLOSION REPORTED OUTSIDE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA. FLASHBANG DEVICE DEPLOYED AT POLLING PLACE IN NORTH CAROLINA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Armenia: This afternoon an explosion involving a vehicle was reported outside the US Embassy in Yerevan. As of this report, no details have clarified if the explosion was a deliberate VBIED attack, or some other more benign accident, however the investigation is ongoing.Middle East: The military drills in the Strait of Hormuz have continued as before, largely without incident. Several long-range missile launches have been conducted as part of the exercises, and maritime traffic through the Strait has remained fairly steady despite growing concerns among maritime shipping companies. Various European leaders have continued to express increasing urgency that their citizens should leave Iran as soon as possible, as evacuation will not be an option for much longer.Analyst Comment: Concerning the logistics of Americans who may wish to evacuate Iranian territory before things get hot, air travel (if it's even available) is probably the least-safe option at this point. Officially, the US State Department recommends land-border crossings with Armenia and Turkey. The Armenian border crossing in Agarak is still open, and is by far the most reliable means of exiting the country as a visa is not needed for American citizens fleeing Iran. The Turkish border crossings are more numerous, but coordination with the Turkish Embassy is needed to obtain a visa before Americans will be allowed in. Concerning this morning's vehicle explosion in Armenia, it's likely that security measures will be enhanced for a while, so getting out sooner rather than later would be ideal, for anyone still stuck in Iran.-HomeFront-Florida: As nationwide walkout protests involving students continue, children continue to be hit by vehicles as they conduct anti-ICE protests on busy roadways. This morning a student from Palm Beach Lakes Community High School in West Palm Beach was critically injured after stepping into the street during a protest. The condition of the student is not known at this time.Idaho: Early this morning just after midnight, a vehicle ramming attack was reported at a medical facility in Meridian. Local authorities state that one assailant stole an ambulance from the bay at St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center, which he then used to ram into the Portico West administration building on the corner of Eagle and Franklin. After ramming through the plate-glass entryway, the suspect then abandoned the ambulance, and retrieved multiple cans of gasoline that he had cached in the nearby vegetation before the attack. After obtaining the gas cans, the suspect doused the building with the gasoline, but due to the rapid arrival of authorities, egressed from the scene before he was able to ignite the accelerant. The suspect remains at large, and locals are advised to contact authorities with any information that might assist in the investigation. However, no physical description, clothing, or surveillance footage of the suspect has been provided at this time.Analyst Comment: Considering the multiple weapons used during the attack (the gasoline and the vehicle itself) this meets current criteria for being described as a Complex Coordinated Attack (CCA). As such, this incident is being treated as a deliberate terror attack while the investigation is ongoing.North Carolina: Yesterday evening a possible explosive attack was conducted outside a polling place in Moore County. Aberdeen police state that a loud bang was heard yesterday evening outside the Parks and Rec building on Sandhills Blvd. that was serving as an early voting site. Pol

Media Research Center President David Bozell exposes how "The Big Four" (Apple, Google, Yahoo, MSN) are secretly rigging your news feed. Discover the "curious case" of Newsweek's sudden revival, why Apple News has ghosted conservative outlets for 100 straight days, and how the FTC is finally getting involved. Plus, on a lighter note: meet Cosmo the Springer Spaniel, the newly appointed "Ambassador Dog" currently running the US Embassy in South Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

INSIDE IRAN: CONFRONTING REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES AND UNCOVERING THE DOUBLE COUPColleague Craig Unger. Unger describes his 2014 trip to Tehran to find Iranian corroboration for the October Surprise. He visited the former US Embassy, now a "Den of Spies" museum documenting the 1953 CIA coup against Mossadegh, which remains a source of deep grievance. Unger secured a rare interview with Mohsen Rafighdoost, a founder of the Revolutionary Guards and Khomeini's driver. During the interview, Rafighdoost slipped, saying "If we met with the Republicans..."—a moment Unger captured on video. Unger also interviewed Abolhassan Banisadr, the ousted first president of the Islamic Republic, in Versailles. Banisadr provided documents confirming the plot, describing it as a "double coup": it removed Carter in the US and allowed hardliners to consolidate power in Iran by undermining moderates like himself. NUMBER 7

THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1968, North Vietnamlaunched the Tet Offensive to deliver a knockout blow; while a military disaster for the communists, the televised breach of the US Embassy shattered American claims of progress and turned public opinion. Simultaneously, the siege of Khe Sanh symbolized the war's futility, as US forces fought fiercely to hold the base only to abandon and bulldoze it shortly after the battle concluded. These events led trusted figures like Walter Cronkite to declare the war a stalemate, convincing President Johnson that he had lost the support of middle America. NUMBER 12