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In this episode, Mike is joined by Dr Arzan Tarapore, Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. They unpack the Pentagon's decision to revert the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) name back to Pacific Command (PACOM). They explore the strategic and political rationale behind the change; its implications for security dynamics in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific; and what it reveals about U.S. conceptions of the Indo-Pacific as an operational theatre in U.S. defence planning.
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer explore the value of writing an ancestor's military story by correlating multiple sources. Diana uses her father Bob Shults's World War II Navy records as a case study. She demonstrates how to use AI to cross-reference personal oral histories with official documents like muster rolls and discharge papers. Listeners learn how to build a comprehensive timeline that bridges the gap between limited personal recollections and formal military service records. The discussion highlights the use of the FamilySearch Simple Search tool to locate unindexed muster rolls that reveal specific locations and dates of service. Diana shows how she organizes this research in Airtable to track her father's path through training in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Florida, and his eventual deployment on the USS Antietam in the Western Pacific. By integrating this specific documentation with historical context about training bases and ship operations, researchers can effectively flesh out an ancestor's service experience and uncover new avenues for future investigation. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links A Navy Life: The World War II Service of Bobby Gene Shults - https://familylocket.com/a-navy-life-the-world-war-ii-service-of-bobby-gene-shults/ "Formal Naval Air Station Memphis," NAVFAC - https://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/BRAC-Bases/Southeast/Former-Naval-Air-Station-Memphis/ Technical Training, Naval Aviation News, November 15, 1944; imaged, Oklahoma Naval Air History - https://www.oklahomanavalairhistory.com/techarticle01.php Lelan Kent, "Yellow Water N.A.G.S. & Weapons Storage," Abandoned Southeast - https://abandonedsoutheast.com/2023/10/11/yellow-water-n-a-g-s-weapons-storage/ Andrew Bucholtz, "San Diego in WWII, Part IV: Home Base of the Pacific," posted 11 October 2023, SDHist - https://sdhist.com/home-base-pacific-san-diego-wwii-iv/ CV 36/CVA 36 / CVS 36 – USS Antietam, Seaforces-online - https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/cv/CV-36-USS-Antietam.htm Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d Research Like a Pro with AI Workbook – Second Edition (eBook) - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-ai-workbook-second-edition-ebook/ 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
The Mariana Trench is the deepest and probably the most enigmatic place on Earth. Whatever that means. Bizarre creatures, such as deep-sea anglerfish, frilled and goblin sharks, barreleye fish, hatchetfish live in a crescent-shaped trench in the Western Pacific. Just three people have ever descended down the Challenger Deep in the southern end of the Mariana Trench. There, at a depth of almost 11,000 ft, vents are bubbling up carbon dioxide and liquid sulfur. But did you know that there are places no less mysterious and creepy than the Mariana Trench? If bizarre places with a notorious reputation don't frighten you, how about visiting the Bermuda Triangle? This is really one of the weirdest places on Earth and some people even believe the mythical city of Atlantis lies at the bottom of the triangle. They claim its inhabitants use extraterrestrial technologies to sink ships and crash airplanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the first time, China's coast guard is asserting sovereignty over waters beyond the First Island Chain and out in the open Pacific, far to the east of Taiwan. To justify it, a hastily assembled group of Chinese academics has suddenly declared that the Philippines' northernmost (and very much inhabited) Batanes island province actually belongs to China.Is this a dangerous new escalation or just another day in East Asia's highly contested maritime gray zone?This week, co-hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso flip the script and put a reporter in the guest chair: Brad Lendon, CNN's Senior News Desk Reporter for Global Military Affairs, who's covered China's maritime rise for over a decade and authored the June 25 story that sparked this conversation, “‘Salami slicing': How China is trying to increase control in the Pacific”Brad makes the case that this "salami slicing" is nothing new. Beijing has spent years applying steady, below-the-threshold pressure using white-hulled coast guard ships rather than navy gray-hulls. But now those ships are radio-challenging commercial vessels east of Taiwan, mapping the seabed and settling in for what looks like a permanent presence outside the First Island Chain.In this episode:Why coast guard "law enforcement" ships are a more insidious tool for asserting sovereignty than warshipsWhat China's radio challenges to commercial ships could be rehearsing, and Ray's "boa constrictor" warning about a soft quarantine of Taiwan already beginningHow the out-of-nowhere Batanes claim fits Beijing's long-game strategyWhether the Japan-Philippine maritime delimitation talks were a real trigger or just a convenient pretextWhat it all means for the U.S. defense strategy built around the First Island Chain, and whether it's the right tool for a non-military threatBrad's unforgettable story from the bridge of a Canadian frigate threading the Taiwan Strait at midnightA sharp, practitioner-level look at how the map of the Western Pacific is being quietly redrawn one slice at a time.Subscribe for your weekly Indo-Pacific briefing.Follow Brad Lendon's reporting on CNN or on X, @BradLendonFollow us on X, @IndoPacPodcast, LinkedIn or FacebookFollow Ray Powell on X, @GordianKnotRay, or LinkedIn, or check out his maritime transparency work at SeaLightFollow Jim Carouso on LinkedInSponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss renewed US-Iran hostilities; a bewildering bewildering week in Congress as the NDAA and appropriations stalled in the Senate, the Iran supplemental and reconciliation; how Sen. Mitch McConnell's illness and Sen. Lindsey Graham's sudden death impact legislation; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's dismissal of “middle power” strategies; Volodymyr Zelenskyy's latest cabinet reshuffle that ousted Yulia Svyrydenko and his popular defense minister Mykylo Federov; after dismissing the Knesset and calling October elections, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to visit Washington for Graham's funeral; Israel and Lebanon advance peace talks and Hamas asks Iran for help; more than 100 Democratic lawmakersand one Republican vote against military support for Israel; Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with Trump at the White House; Xi Jinping continues to purge the part of top leaders accused of corruption, expelling Politburo member Ma Xingrui, the former governor of Xinjiang province who once headed the country's space program; North Korea accuses Pak Hui-chol, deputy director of the Organization Department of the Korean People's Army General Political Bureau, of abuse of power and corruption; and the US Coast Guard will base a squadron of its cutters to the Western Pacific.
Yesterday, President Trump spoke at a defense and innovation summit in Pennsylvania about the need for both, and his commitment to reshoring and rebuilding the nation's industrial base. Unfortunately, events half-a-world-away are underscoring the necessity, as one summit participant put it, “to supercharge the supply chains” so as to accelerate the translation of defense innovation into production into deployed weapon systems. Not only are we rapidly exhausting our dwindling supply of advanced weapons in Iran. It's no coincidence, comrade, that Communist China is simultaneously flooding the Western Pacific with warships, coast guard vessels, maritime militia and armed fishing boats as it asserts ownership of international waters and puts in place the makings of a blockade or quarantine of Taiwan. To paraphrase the money quote from Jaws: We're going to need a bigger boat – and lots of them – and right quick. This is Frank Gaffney.
The U.S. war against Iran is having a profound impact far away from the battlefield, all the way on the other side of Asia in the Western Pacific. There's an emerging consensus among Washington's allies and foes alike that the U.S. will be incapable, unwilling, or a mix of both to fight a war against China in this part of the world. That's prompting a rapid reevaluation of security postures across the region, a shift on full display over the past week: Australia moving to bolster security ties in the South Pacific and Japan building what many see as a new security architecture for the post-American order. Derek Grossman, CGSP's non-resident fellow for the Asia-Pacific and a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, joins Eric to discuss the week's key events in the South China Sea, South Pacific, and Japan's latest moves to build a new intelligence agency.
SCHEDULE JBS, 7-7-20261862 NYC Liz Peek. Revamping Federal Reserve Communications: No More Dot Plots? Liz Peek discusses new FedChair Kevin Warsh's shift away from "forward guidance" and "dot plots". She argues this pragmatic approach requires investors to analyze raw economic data rather than Fed algorithms. Despite past recession fears, the economy remains stable with low unemployment at 4.2%. (1) Liz Peek. The Democratic Party's 2028 Internal Conflict: Socialists vs. Establishment. Peek analyzes the rising tension between the Democratic establishment and radical socialists like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She suggests Governor Newsom faces credibility issues due to "flip-flops," while younger socialist candidates threaten to alienate traditional Jewish and Black voters, potentially wrecking the party's 2028 prospects. (2) Captain James Fanell. China's Nuclear Triad Expansion: Submerged Ballistic Missile Test. Captain Fanellexplains the significance of China's recent submerged ballistic missile launch from a Jin-class submarine. Reaching over 10,000 kilometers, this JL-3 missile flew over U.S. territories like Guam. This rare test signals China's rapid development of a nuclear triad intended to achieve strategic deterrence against the U.S. (3) Captain James Fanell. Countering China's First Strike Strategy in the Pacific. Fanell argues China's SLBM test challenges their "no first use" policy, effectively demonstrating a first-strike capability. He recommends the U.S. bolster its naval force structure in the Western Pacific and utilize B-2 bomber flights to signal resolve against Chinese efforts to drive America out of the region. (4) Mary Kissel. NATO's New Vigor and the European Defense Dilemma. Mary Kissel discusses NATO'srenewed urgency following Russian aggression in Ukraine. While front-line nations like Poland exceed spending targets, many Europeans have historically relied on the U.S. defense umbrella to fund social welfare states. She warns that Putin continues to test NATO's unity at the margins. (5) Mary Kissel. Confronting Beijing's Provocations and the Cost of Appeasement. Kissel critiques the U.S.government for pursuing trade deals while China conducts intimidating missile tests in the Pacific. She urges the administration to recognize the severity of the threat, strengthen regional alliances, and impose actual consequences for Beijing's increasingly hostile behavior to avoid a greater future threat. (6) Joseph Sternberg. Federal Reserve Introspection and Britain's Political Turmoil. Sternberg examines Governor Waller's speech regarding how "forward guidance" may have blinded the Fed to 2021 inflation. Turning to the UK, he notes Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plummeting popularity and argues that British politics is trapped in personality-driven cycles without addressing fundamental policy or welfare state problems. (7) Joseph Sternberg. Cultural Divides: American Earnestness vs. European Cynicism. During the World Cup, Sternberg observes that European visitors are struck by American earnestness regarding God, patriotism, and politics. He notes that while shared history exists, deep cultural divisions persist; Europeans often view patriotism as destructive, whereas Americans continue to view it as a healthy instinct. (8) Gregory Copley. Xi Jinping's Internal Struggles and the Vulnerable 'Boomer' Fleet. Copley views China'smissile test as a move by Xi Jinping to look credible amidst domestic instability and loss of control over the PLA. He notes that while the Jin-class submarines are "noisy" and vulnerable, the test sends a pointed message to the West and Pacific nations. (9) Gregory Copley. Russian Bluster and NATO's Disorganized Response. Copley dismisses Russian threats against Poland and Finland as "agit prop" designed to save face during the NATO summit. He argues Russia is incapable of a major war with NATO and that Putin remains secure despite domestic pressures, petrol rationing, and the West's disorganized attempts to unify. (10) Gregory Copley. Iran's Leadership Vacuum and the Illusion of Nuclear Success. Copley reports a lack of cohesive leadership in Iran, with Ayatollah Khamenei potentially incapacitated. He asserts the West has failed on all metrics, including regime change and securing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran views its nuclear program primarily as a bargaining chip for sovereignty rather than victory. (11) Gregory Copley. The Prodigal Son: Prince Harry's Mounting Legal and Financial Woes. Copley discusses Prince Harry's precarious position after losing a major lawsuit, leaving him with a 50 million pound debt. King Charles III prioritizes his duty to the monarchy over family ties as concerns grow regarding Harry's management of the Invictus Games and his wife's public criticisms of the family. (12) Thaddeus McCotter. Democratic Party Discipline: Managing Candidate Crises and Ideological Rifts.McCotter explores how the Democratic establishment "blew up" problematic candidates like Eric Swalwell to install figures like Xavier Becerra. He describes an ongoing "civil war" between the establishment and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), with leadership working to clear out radicals to appeal to mainstream voters. (13) Thaddeus McCotter. The Republican Civil War: MAGA Populism vs. the Establishment. McCotter analyzes the Republican Party's struggle with the MAGA movement, which he defines as populist rather than traditionally Republican. He warns that without a clear programmatic platform beyond Donald Trump, the movement may not survive his leadership, potentially leading to conflict with the revanchist Republican establishment. (14) Grant Newsham. The Shadow of Appeasement: Europe's Unwillingness to Defend Itself. Newsham compares current European hesitation to confront Russia with 1930s appeasement. He argues that many European nations have developed a "pathologic dependence" on the U.S. to fund their social welfare states. He warns that without U.S. backing, Europe lacks the unity to stop Russian aggression. (15) Henry Sokolski. Iran's Nuclear Defiance and the Futility of Unsupervised Deals. Sokolski highlights the disconnect between U.S. and Iranian positions following a recent memorandum of understanding. Iran refuses inspections of bombed enrichment sites, while the U.S. insists on them. He warns that preventing Iran from building a bomb remains an uphill battle without clearer public goals. (16) Corrections applied: Liz Peek (not "Elizabeth Peak"), Zohran Mamdani (not "Zoron Mandani"), Thaddeus McCotter(not "Thaddius Marter"), JL-3 and B-2 (hyphenated).
Captain James Fanell. Countering China's First Strike Strategy in the Pacific. Fanell argues China's SLBM test challenges their "no first use" policy, effectively demonstrating a first-strike capability. He recommends the U.S. bolster its naval force structure in the Western Pacific and utilize B-2 bomber flights to signal resolve against Chinese efforts to drive America out of the region. (4)
America celebrates its 250th birthday, Russia and China conduct joint naval drills, dozens are killed in Yemen clashes as tensions mount, the U.N. convenes Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Japan conducts a near-Earth asteroid flyby, Ukraine fails to intercept any ballistic missiles as the latest Russian attacks kill at least 16, the Sara Duterte impeachment trial begins in the Philippines, secret U.K. army files are found dumped in a recycling bin, DOGE officially shuts down, the White House accuses Smithsonian leadership of political activism, and Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in the Western Pacific. Sources: Verity.News
STREAMING THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, FEATURING GORDON CHANG, RICK FISHER, JIM FANELL, STEVE YATES, 7-1-261962 LAIKAThese transcript excerpts provide a wide-ranging discussion on China's geopolitical challenges and aerospace ambitions. A central focus is a light aircraft crash into a Beijing skyscraper, which the speakers interpret as a massive failure of Chinese air defense that has left the regime feeling highly insecure. The dialogue shifts to China's space program, specifically the development of the Tiangong space station, and its long-term strategy to establish dominance over the Earth-Moon system. Additionally, naval experts examine China's "salami slicing" tactics in the Western Pacific, where law enforcement vessels are used to assert sovereign claims over international waters. The sources ultimately paint a picture of an increasingly paranoid state that is aggressively expanding its influence while struggling with internal purges and security vulnerabilities.
Rabbi Scott Klein serves as a U.S. Army Chaplain with the rank of Captain and is assigned to the 82nd AirborneDivision and as the Garrison Rabbi at Fort Bragg, NC - the largest military installation in the world by population.A champion of communication, education and leadership, Rabbi Klein holds a doctorate in educational leadership. His rabbinical ordination is from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Yonkers, NY. Rabbi Klein was recently featured in The Forward. Rabbi Yoni Warren, BCC joined the Navy following graduation from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2011. While in active service, he served first with the Marine Corps in Okinawa Japan where his duties took him across the Western Pacific and to Afghanistan. His next tour was at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. where he worked with Midshipmen from all faiths and no faiths while also serving as the rabbi for the Commodore Levy Chapel and Jewish Center. In 2018, he was assigned as Command Chaplain aboard the USS Oak Hill, out of Norfolk VA with a deployment to the waters off Europe and the Middle East. Completing a residency in Clinical Pastoral Education, Rabbi Warren was next assigned to Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., Chaplain Warren where he was assigned to Labor and Delivery, NICU, and Pediatrics. Back to sea again, he deployed aboard the USS Harry S Truman for its 2024-5 Combat Deployment into the Red Sea. Selected to Commander Milestone, Rabbi Warren is now the Command Chaplain at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, the Navy's only Boot Camp, where he leads the largest single religious ministry team in the Navy with 12 Chaplains, 7 Religious Program Specialists and 1 civilian in supporting 46,000 recruits each year as they transition from civilians to basically trained sailors. Rabbi Benjamin Flax serves as the Battalion Chaplain for the 101st Engineer Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard, part of one of the oldest unit lineages in the United States Army. In that role, he provides religious support, pastoral care, and command advisement to Soldiers and their families in training, in the field, and through the ordinary and extraordinary stresses of military life. In 2025, Rabbi Flax deployed to Kuwait in support of Passover, leading seders, Shabbat services, and Jewish holiday observances for service members downrange. In civilian life, he serves as the rabbi of Tifereth Israel of Winthrop, Massachusetts, where his work centers on pastoral care, Jewish teaching, lifecycle moments, and community leadership. Rabbi Flax earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama, a master's degree from Harvard University, rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim, and a graduate certificate in Gerontology and Palliative Care from Yeshiva University. He lives in Revere, Massachusetts with his family. He is a former Executive Director of NAJC. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the executive producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Jewish Healing Conference. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. For sponsorship opportunities as either an individual or institution, please write to Rabbi Ed Bernstein at NeshamaCast@gmail.com Thank you to Steve Lubetkin and Lubetkin Media Companies for producing this episode. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. Opinions expressed on NeshamaCast reflect those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect official positions of NAJC. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.
Send us Fan MailHere they are, the books I don't want you to miss for June 2026!First, we have The Summer of Death by Geoff Williams. Did you know that in 1936 there was a deadly heatwave that killed thousands of Americans? Of course, you didn't and neither did I! Thankfully, we have Geoff Williams to not only tell this story, but to know when to crack a joke and when to take things seriously.Next is the Wreck of the Mentor by Eric Jay Dolin. Dolin is one of my favorite writers and he has done it again. In 1832, the whaleship Mentor wrecked on a remote reef in the Western Pacific and then it somehow got worse for those who survived. It's simple folks, if you are into maritime survival stories like the Wager or Dolin's previous book Left for Dead, you have to pick this one up.Next we have the Longest Hardest Race by Eric Moskowitz. Today, we have NASCAR, but back in 1909 long distance races were all the rage. They were also absolutely insane as Moskowitz describes in this one. And of course, if we are talking early automobiles, Henry Ford is going to be a big part. And as always, he won't be keeping his hands clean, literally or figuratively.Next is Fires in the Night by Matthew Wolfe. In the 1990s, there was a group known as the Earth Liberation Front of ELF. They liked setting things on fire, especially in the Pacific Northwest where Wolfe tells the story about how it all happened and what was the fallout. Wolfe nails this book because he never takes sides, but he's not above pointing out where both sides can fail in a cultural divide. For our final new book, we have the American School of Spies by Stephan Talty. Talty is another one of my favorites and you should read anything with his name on it. In this one, he looks at the Americans flung into Greece during World War II to wreak some havoc while also protecting some priceless art. This one has got everything!For my classic pick of the month, I am going with Island of the Lost by Joan Druett. If you aren't familiar with Druett, she is a New Zealand writer who might as well be crowned the queen of maritime history, especially around Australia and New Zealand. Island of the Lost rekindled my love of reading back in the day. It's part survival, part leadership parable. In 1864, the schooner Grafton wrecks on Auckland Island. The survivors have no hope of rescue. It comes down to whether or not the captain can keep the men together, survive, and find a way home. Sounds crazy enough, but guess what? At the same exact time the Grafton survivors are battling for their lives, a ship called Invercauld wrecks on the same island. The survivors never mingle, but the actions of each captain would be the difference between life and death. One for good, one for bad.That's it for this month! Let me know what you think of these books and if you read them yourself. Until next time nerds, stay cool.Support the show
You are not going to believe the jaw-dropping concessions being made in this newly leaked 14-point U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)!
Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)
SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-10-26.Greg Scarlatoiu analyzes Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang, noting that Kim Jong-un now views himself as a strategic equal to Xi and Putin. Despite sanctions, North Korea's economy shows a facade of growth fueled by billions made exporting artillery and special forces to Russia. Kim is also modernizing his security apparatus into a structure similar to Russia's FSB. (1)Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)Victoria Coates highlights Taiwan's indispensable role in the global AI revolution through TSMC's high-end chip production, which the U.S. and China currently cannot replicate. She emphasizes that Taiwan's engineering "super workers" are a state secret. Coates also discusses the political friction in Washington regarding arms sales and the need for Taiwan to increase its own defense spending. (3)Victoria Coates addresses the Pentagon's decision to list major Chinese companies like BYD and Alibaba as security risks due to their military ties. She argues for clear country-of-origin labeling on products to inform American consumers. Furthermore, Coates criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing climate goals over addressing China's use of forced labor in the solar panel supply chain. (4)Natalie Ecanow details Qatar's massive $400 billion investment footprint in the United States, including high-profile real estate like New York's Park Lane Hotel and significant orders for Boeing aircraft. She argues these investments are not merely financial but serve to buy long-term political influence and goodwill with American policymakers, regardless of party affiliation, by embedding Qatari wealth into the U.S. economy. (5)Natalie Ecanow explains that Qatari wealth is controlled by the Al-Thani autocracy, whose values often conflict with U.S. interests, such as their support for Hamas and the Taliban. She highlights the lack of transparency in Qatarifunding, citing a lawsuit that revealed nearly half a billion dollars in undisclosed money sent to Texas A&M University, and calls for stricter U.S. disclosure laws. (6)Joel Kotkin examines the definition of fascism, arguing that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not a fascist because she respects democratic norms. He identifies China's government-led economy as the closest modern parallel to historical fascism. Kotkin also warns of "techno-fascism," where a small group of global tech companies exert unprecedented control over public opinion and information through surveillance tools. (7)Joel Kotkin disputes the label of "fascist" for the MAGA movement, noting it lacks the youth-driven, paramilitary organization characteristic of movements led by Mussolini or Hitler. He describes MAGA as a chaotic coalition of various interest groups held together by Donald Trump's personality. Kotkin emphasizes that using the term as a political slur ruins the possibility of necessary civil discourse. (8)Michael Bernstam discusses a looming glut of liquefied natural gas driven by record U.S. shale production, which is stabilizing energy prices in Europe. Regarding Russia, he explains that while crude exports continue, Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have created a domestic manufacturing crisis, leading to fuel shortages for Russian agriculture and industry that are difficult to repair under sanctions. (9)Michael Bernstam reveals that China has significantly reduced its oil imports by nearly half by drawing on massive strategic reserves of 1.4 billion barrels and increasing electric vehicle adoption. Simultaneously, the U.S. has reached record domestic oil production of nearly 14 million barrels per day. These factors combined help lower global oil prices despite declining inventories in other OECD countries. (10)Tal Fortgang explores Justice Scalia's legal philosophy through a biography by James Rosen, focusing on Scalia's dissent in Lee v. Weisman regarding religious benedictions at public graduations. Fortgang explains how Scaliapopularized "originalism" and "textualism," arguing that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the original public meaning of the text rather than through subjective "moral readings" by judges. (11)Tal Fortgang discusses the "Scalian revolution" that shifted the Supreme Court toward judicial restraint. He notes that while Scalia faced a hostile press and "nasty" internal criticism from colleagues like Harry Blackmun, his ideas eventually prevailed. Fortgang also observes that the modern partisan venom in confirmation hearings began during Scalia's era with the contentious treatment of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (12)Simon Constable reports from France on falling global commodity prices for food and energy due to supply meeting demand. He then shifts to the immigration crisis in Britain, where violent incidents in Belfast and Southampton have fueled public outrage. Constable attributes the unrest to a failure of both major parties to manage unfettered immigration and the lack of cultural integration. (13)Simon Constable discusses the declining popularity of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the potential rise of challengers like Andy Burnham. He highlights a dramatic shift in British public opinion, with polling by Lord Ashcroftshowing that a vast majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green voters—and even a third of Conservatives—now favor rejoining the European Union after a decade of Brexit. (14)Bob Zimmerman tracks the transition to commercial space, noting that private companies like Vast are leading the race to build stations to replace the aging ISS. He discusses Amazon's struggle to launch its satellite constellation due to rocket delays, contrasted with SpaceX's efficiency. Zimmerman also reports on a milestone for SpaceX, as a single Falcon 9 booster successfully completed a record 35th flight. (15)Bob Zimmerman highlights discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope, including a black hole 6 billion times the mass of the sun located 10 billion light-years away. He also describes a "flickering" quasar from the early universe that challenges current Big Bang theories. Finally, Zimmerman provides an update on the Curiosity rover as it travels through the "Grand" valley on its ascent of Mars. (16)Two name fixes: Joel Cotkin → Joel Kotkin (7, 8) — the urbanist/scholar's correct spelling Natalie Eacano → Natalie Ecanow (5, 6) — the FDD scholar's correct spelling
Peter Huessy details China's growing non-strategic nuclear arsenal and dual-use delivery systems. He explains that Beijing believes it can control escalation to keep the US out of the Western Pacific. Huessy emphasizes that NATOlacks a comparable response in Asia, as the US withdrew similar theater weapons in 1991. (16)1953
SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-9-2026.JUNE 1957.Liz Peek discusses SpaceX's $1.78 trillion IPO, questioning whether valuations for AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are sustainable. She notes that Starlink's profitability supports Elon Musk's moonshots. Despite inflation concerns, strong domestic private investment is currently driving U.S. economic prosperity while Europe struggles with over-regulation and high energy costs. (1)Liz Peek examines the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America in blue cities like Seattle and Los Angeles. She argues establishment Democrats fail to counter radical socialist propaganda. Concerns are raised over candidates promoting the abolition of prisons, drug use without judgment, and anti-Israel positions funded by extremist-linked donor groups. (2)Jonathan Schanzer analyzes the downing of a US Army helicopter by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz. He notes Trump's focus on a potential economic siege over expensive military munitions. Schanzer discusses rumors of IRGCleadership decapitation by Israel and suggests the regime is flailing due to internal disarray and chaos. (3)Jonathan Schanzer discusses the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, noting that Iran's influence is shrinking. He highlights Qatar's role as a state sponsor of terrorism that buys American influence through massive investments, totaling hundreds of billions. Schanzer warns that Qatar and Turkey remain primary patrons for the radical Muslim Brotherhoodextremist group. (4)Mary Kissel addresses the Iranian standoff, emphasizing the threat of "impregnable" nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain. She notes Iran uses the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. Additionally, Kissel praises Ukraine's innovative drone technology for creating a stalemate against Russia and fostering a burgeoning, globally sought-after military-industrial complex within the war-torn country. (5)Mary Kissel highlights a regional trend toward liberty and transparency in the Americas, citing recent elections in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. She credits voters for rejecting failed leftist policies and discusses figures like Nayib Bukele and Javier Milei, the latter implementing a conservative agenda that is successfully reducing soaring Argentine inflation. (6)Joseph Sternberg explains China's reform of the Hukou residency system, which has limited internal migration since the 1950s. By granting migrants access to urban social services like healthcare and education, Beijing aims to reduce high household saving rates and stimulate domestic consumption to revitalize its slowing, multi-trillion dollar communist national economy. (7)Joseph Sternberg describes the UK Labour Party's internal strife as it debates returning to Blairite centrism versus far-left socialism. He critiques Keir Starmer's lack of decisive leadership during an anemic economic period. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage's Reform Party is successfully poaching Labour's traditional working-class voters in various important regional British parliamentary by-elections. (8)Gregory Copley analyzes the downing of a US helicopter off Oman, noting strategic differences between American and Israeli objectives. While the US seeks a deal, Israel aims for regime change. Copley highlights the weakened state of the IRGC leadership and discusses how new global oil sources are currently mitigating Iranian threats. (9)Gregory Copley reviews the historical failure of the Jimmy Carter administration during the Iranian hostage crisis. He explains that President Trump refuses to be "Jimmy Carter," instead seeking the total collapse of the IRGC leadership. Copley argues that internal public response in Iran is far more effective than military commando raids. (10)Gregory Copley reports on a rare Ebola outbreak and jihadi threats in Central Africa. He notes that local governments fail to fund necessary healthcare infrastructure, relying instead on outside aid. Additionally, Copley details the ongoing Ethiopian civil war and the complex regional power struggle over control of the vital Red Sea. (11)Gregory Copley discusses Prince Harry's desire to return to Britain due to financial depletion. He notes the lack of trust from King Charles and Prince William, and the dissipated public affection for the Duke. Copley also references his new book on the authority and success of constitutional monarchy as practiced today. (12)Josh Blackman traces the modern history of the death penalty from the 1972 Furman case to 1976's Gregg v. Georgia. He critiques the "evolving standards of decency" doctrine used by the Warren Court, arguing it reflects the views of elites rather than the constitution or the broader American general voting public. (13)Josh Blackman examines the Atkins v. Virginia ruling, which prohibits executing individuals with low IQs. He highlights the subjectivity of IQ tests and the lack of constitutional basis for such standards. Blackman notes that defendants now have incentives to intentionally fail these tests to avoid the death penalty in federal court. (14)Peter Huessy discusses US plans to deploy nuclear-capable F-35s in Europe to counter Russian threats. He explains Russia's "escalate to win" doctrine involving low-yield battlefield nukes for "surgical" strikes. Huessy warns that Russiapossesses thousands of non-strategic weapons, far exceeding current NATO theater capabilities and its lack of transparent weaponry numbers. (15)Peter Huessy details China's growing non-strategic nuclear arsenal and dual-use delivery systems. He explains that Beijing believes it can control escalation to keep the US out of the Western Pacific. Huessy emphasizes that NATOlacks a comparable response in Asia, as the US withdrew similar theater weapons in 1991. (16)
Japan sits just 68 miles from Taiwan, while the Philippines is even closer at 61. As one guest puts it, “You can't invade Taiwan if you don't control the northern Philippines.” That geography is exactly why three countries - the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines - are quietly building what may become the backbone of deterrence in the Western Pacific.In this episode, co-hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso sit down with Lisa Curtis, Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and research assistant Ryan Claffey to discuss their report: “U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Cooperation: The Bedrock of a New U.S. Indo-Pacific Deterrence Strategy.”The conversation covers:Why the First Island Chain, from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, is the most strategically consequential geography in the world todayHow a bankrupt Subic Bay shipyard nearly fell into Chinese hands and is now being transformed into a military-commercial hub central to U.S. forward postureThe expansion of the U.S.-Philippine Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in northern Luzon and what permanent missile deployments in Batanes would mean for deterrence across the Luzon StraitWhether Trump's transactional approach to Beijing and the prospect of a trade-focused summit could undermine allied solidarityPhilippine political risks, including the Sara Duterte faction and what a change in Manila's leadership could mean for the allianceJapan's growing security role under Prime Minister Takaichi, from record defense spending to missile deployments across the Southwest IslandsThe race for critical minerals, the Luzon Economic Corridor, and how economic resilience underpins the security architectureWhy this trilateral could become the foundation for a broader networked deterrence strategy across the Indo-PacificWhether you're following the South China Sea, Taiwan, U.S.-China competition, Japan's security pivot, or the future of Indo-Pacific alliances, this episode breaks down why the U.S.-Japan-Philippines triangle may become one of the region's most important strategic partnerships.
In this classic episode Greg Lawson is talking about his book 'Roswell: The After Action Report'. The Roswell Incident is possibly the most investigated and controversial UFO case in history. There are no shortages of beliefs and opinions to the actual events of this unusual happening. Dozens of corroborated witnesses and hundreds of professed witnesses have been interviewed, each with their varying degree of credibility. In Roswell: The After-Action Report, veteran detective Greg Lawson uses forensic statement analysis and his thousands of hours of training and experience to review the cultural influence, historical context, and eyewitness testimony of those closest involved. The results of his review prove once again, citizens should always be skeptical of those in charge. Bio Have you ever experienced something you could not explain? A feeling, a presence, a voice or a vision? If so, you are not alone. Millions of people have reported such experiences and they often dismiss them as misunderstandings. Still others hastily attribute them to ghosts, spirits, hauntings, the paranormal or the supernatural. Greg Lawson has traveled to over 40 countries visiting some of Earth's strangest sites and conducting his own investigation of their paranormal histories. Greg is a 30-year law enforcement officer, professional investigator, police academy instructor, college educator, and former expert witness for investigative procedures. He also researches and investigates human paranormal experience and locations known for spiritual or unusual activity. He has authored two books on the subject and specializes in providing alternative perspectives to explain human experience. Greg is also a 10-year military veteran with the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, (...yes you can do that...) and is currently a street patrol lieutenant in Central Texas. He uses the thousands of hours of training he has received through his profession and his experience as a detective along with his Masters Degree in Education to study paranormal human experience and physical anomalies. With deployments to Central America, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and two Western Pacific sea deployments, Greg is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and holds an honorary Admiral commission in the Texas Navy. Greg received his bachelors degree in applies arts and sciences and his master's degree in education, specializing in complex adaptive human systems. He is a proud alumni of Texas State University. Go Bobcats! https://www.amazon.com/Roswell-After-Action-Report-Greg-Lawson-ebook/dp/B09GRCPTG1 https://www.authorgreglawson.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/ https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcast https://simonbown.com/ My new book, Aspects of Alien Abduction https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRRPCT9Y Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For review:1. US SOUTHCOM X: SOUTHCOMCommander Gen. Francis L. Donovan (USMC) personally inspected all aspects of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay's security posture, leading a comprehensive perimeter security assessment and discussing force protection, operational readiness, and measures to ensure the safety and security of service members, their families, and the joint force stationed at the installation with base officials. 2. US President Donald Trump put off his decision on the memorandum of understanding with Iran after demanding his team secure more concessions on Iran's nuclear program.3. The US military stopped a merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, the US Central Command said on Saturday.The Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star ignored more than 20 warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, the military said. 4. Bloomberg: An Iranian ballistic missile strike has targeted a major US military hub in Kuwait on Saturday, May 30, wounding multiple personnel and destroying high-value aviation assets.According to intelligence and military sources, Iran deployed a Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile targeting the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. 5. CNN: Iran has salvaged entrances to dozens of missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, a Sunday report said, as the Islamic Republic continues to rebuild its military infrastructure amid ceasefire talks with the US.Citing satellite images, Iran has been able to dig out 50 of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 separate underground missile facilities across the country. It has also repaired other damaged areas of those bases, including key access roads that the US and Israel bombed during the war.6. Israel captured the historic Beaufort Castle and the surrounding strategic ridge as it pushed deeper into Lebanon, the IDF announced on Sunday.7. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses the Shangri-La dialouge on May 30, 2026. The head of the Pentagon called on U.S. Western Pacific allies to maintain military strength and called on China not to disrupt the regional equilibrium while praising the current state of affairs between Washington and Beijing.8. Japan's defense minister has pushed back against Chinese allegations that Japan's push to broaden regional defense cooperation was “new militarism,” saying that Tokyo's increased defense spending and broader regional footprint has been conducted in a transparent fashion with regional security in mind.
All content and media by Project 100 is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. ****Professor Matthew Kiernan is CEO of Neura Australia and one of the nation's leading neurologists tackling the growing dementia crisis. Kiernan explores why dementia is now Australia's number one cause of death, the modifiable risk factors that could prevent 45% of cases, and the groundbreaking monoclonal antibody treatments now available for Alzheimer's disease. Kiernan explains how the Western Pacific region carries 60% of the world's dementia burden and why researchers are racing to develop blood biomarkers that could detect brain diseases decades before symptoms appear. We also get into:• Why dementia has overtaken heart disease as Australia's leading killer • The role of vascular health in brain function and cognitive decline • Blood biomarkers coming within five years for early detection • Monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer's now available in Australia • The connection between contact sports, head injuries and neurodegeneration • How GLP-1 medications are showing promise for brain health • Sleep's critical role in clearing toxic proteins from the brain Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us Fan MailVet Tix Chief Strategy Officer Steven Weintraub.Steve's dedication to service began in 1987 when he enlisted as a Combat Engineer in the Marine Corps Reserves. Following his 1989 graduation from Arizona State University, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served as a Logistics Officer. His active-duty career took him across the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf, including a deployment to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope aboard the USS RushmoreContinuing his education, he earned an MBA in 2000. While in the Marine Corps Reserves, Steve answered the call to active-duty multiple times, completing two combat tours in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After over three decades of service, culminating in his retirement as a Colonel in 2019, Steve remains deeply committed to the veteran community.Through his involvement with numerous organizations and initiatives in Arizona and nationally, he passionately works to connect transitioning service members and veterans with vital resources. This unwavering dedication was acknowledged with his inclusion in We Are The Mighty's MIGHTY 25 in 2021 and his induction into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.-Quick Episode Summary:In this episode, host Martin Foster sits down with Steven Weintraub to explore how shared experiences, connection, and community can profoundly impact the lives of veterans and first responders. Through the story behind Vet Tix, Steven discusses the hidden challenges many veterans face after service, the importance of belonging, and why something as simple as attending an event can help restore purpose, identity, and hope.-
SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys PREORDER JOE'S BOOK https://www.amazon.com/Highlands-Burn-Foundling-Brigade-Saga-ebook/dp/B0GSG5CNXX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QWHSPAADI07D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uLEY0I7D6t0IC9GWsF7SH1FKEgKqsqTLmV4PQ_lLi-wVUCYgTqIv0BWd9_-x3VzP.xn7v2CqU5MjngXmmSbYvVGsY_fxkvgsz-LA2tkhHHTs&dib_tag=se&keywords=joseph+kassabian&qid=1774247705&s=digital-text&sprefix=%2Cdigital-text%2C176&sr=1-1 SEE US LIVE MAY 29TH IN LONDON: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-29th-may-tickets-1985443952308 CANT MAKE THE SHOW? WE'RE STREAMING IT! GET YOUR LIVESTREAM TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/livestream-lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-29th-may-2026-tickets-1985444086710 GET SECOND HOME'S DEBUT ALBUM https://secondhomes.bandcamp.com/album/find-a-way-to-hate-it A tiny speck of inhospitable black sand turns into hell on earth as tens of thousands of men slaughter one another over caves, bunkers, and mountains. Armed with explosives, flame throwers, napalm, and more naval gunfire than the Japanese had ever seen, US Marines struggle through one of the most horrific battles of the Pacific Campaign of WWII. Part 1/3 SOURCES: Toll, Ian W. Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944–1945 Allen, Robert E. The First Battalion of the 28th Marines on Iwo Jima: A Day-by-Day History from Personal Accounts and Official Reports, with Complete Muster Rolls. Burrell, Robert S. "Breaking the Cycle of Iwo Jima Mythology: A Strategic Study of Operation Detachment" Toland, John. The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936–1945 Leckie, Robert. The Battle for Iwo Jima Kakehashi, Kumiko. So Sad to Fall in Battle: An Account of War Based on General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's Letters from Iwo Jima Wheeler, Richard. Iwo Jima. Tatum, Chuck. Red Blood, Black Sand: With John Basilone on Iwo Jima
While we celebrate the US military's accomplishments over the first forty days of the Iran conflict, a less desirable outcome has been the significant expenditure of munitions and reallocation of critical resources to the region. In Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire, Colonel (Ret.) Mark Cancian and associate Chris Park crunch the numbers on the seven most heavily used munitions. Rest assured, there's enough left to cover any scenario with Tehran, but a future conflict with China in the Western Pacific highlights inadequate Pentagon inventories. Much like Ukraine before it, this conflict exposes the fragility of America's defense industrial base, making urgent, creative solutions from what Cancian and Park call the "primordial soup of R&D" essential. So, is Washington finally ready to take that lesson seriously?Mark Cancian (Colonel, USMCR, ret.) is a senior adviser with the CSIS Defense and Security Department. He joined CSIS in April 2015 from the Office of Management and Budget, where he spent more than seven years as chief of the Force Structure and Investment Division, working on issues such as Department of Defense budget strategy, war funding, and procurement programs, as well as nuclear weapons development and nonproliferation activities in the Department of Energy. Previously, he worked on force structure and acquisition issues in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and ran research and executive programs at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.Chris H. Park is a research associate for the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).Read the transcript here.Read the report here.Subscribe to our Substack here.
Steve and Alf discuss the Iran War, emphasizing what itreveals about modern missile and anti-missile technology, drones, andthe implications for a US-China conflict in the Western Pacific.Links:https://seekingtruthfromfacts.substack.com/Chapter Markers:(00:00) - Missile War Reality Check (01:49) - How the War Started (04:46) - Iran Outperforms Expectations (06:22) - Why Missile Defense Fails (14:25) - Ceasefire and Hormuz Brinkmanship (19:52) - Nukes and the JCPOA Fallout (33:44) - US Politics and Israel Lobby Aftershocks –Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
Without question there is much turmoil across our nation and around the world. The continued conflict in the Middle East shows no sign of relenting. War with Iran and its surrogates continues. Russia's invasion into Ukraine and the continued war has been going on more than 4 years. China has just sent warships to the Western Pacific for war drills as tensions with Japan are rising. Political division is as intense as ever. Political offices are filled with those who are more concerned by the next election than doing what is in the best interest of the nation. Offensive language has been on the increase on both sides of the political aisle. Scandal has rocked both state and federal offices. New revelations of fraud are occurring all too regularly. Teen rebellion is escalating with teen takeovers of convenience stores and shopping malls. The lives of the preborn are increasingly being snuffed out by the abortion pill and those who strategically dismember their little bodies. Crime, violence, drug abuse, domestic abuse and theft never take a vacation. It's ever before us. These are all the marks of a people who have turned their back on God. It's imperative we turn back to the Lord. Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Without a doubt, there is much ungodliness and unrighteousness on full display. That same passage further indicates in verse 21, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." That's where we are at today.
Without question there is much turmoil across our nation and around the world. The continued conflict in the Middle East shows no sign of relenting. War with Iran and its surrogates continues. Russia's invasion into Ukraine and the continued war has been going on more than 4 years. China has just sent warships to the Western Pacific for war drills as tensions with Japan are rising. Political division is as intense as ever. Political offices are filled with those who are more concerned by the next election than doing what is in the best interest of the nation. Offensive language has been on the increase on both sides of the political aisle. Scandal has rocked both state and federal offices. New revelations of fraud are occurring all too regularly. Teen rebellion is escalating with teen takeovers of convenience stores and shopping malls. The lives of the preborn are increasingly being snuffed out by the abortion pill and those who strategically dismember their little bodies. Crime, violence, drug abuse, domestic abuse and theft never take a vacation. It's ever before us. These are all the marks of a people who have turned their back on God. It's imperative we turn back to the Lord. Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Without a doubt, there is much ungodliness and unrighteousness on full display. That same passage further indicates in verse 21, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." That's where we are at today.
Today's EM Morning Brief covers an active multi-day severe weather outbreak across the Southern Plains and into the Upper Midwest, with confirmed tornadoes in Kansas and Minnesota and an enhanced threat continuing through Tuesday. Emergency operations continue in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands under Super Typhoon Sinlaku, with a Presidential emergency declaration in effect. NIFC is at Preparedness Level 2, with active large fires on the Southern Plains and a growing wildfire near the Colorado–New Mexico border. USGS reports Kīlauea's eruption paused, while three Alaska volcanoes remain at elevated alert levels. CISA adds a new Adobe Acrobat vulnerability to the KEV catalog, and CDC's HAN on medetomidine in illicit fentanyl remains active. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.Key Takeaways* Multi-day severe weather outbreak is the top national concern, stretching from the Southern Plains into the Upper Midwest; confirmed tornadoes and damage reported in Kansas (Ottawa, minor injuries in Franklin County) and southern Minnesota late Monday, with tornado watches continuing through Tuesday across TX, OK, AR, MO, and WI.* Excessive rainfall and flooding risk flagged by the National Water Center from the Texas Hill Country through the Great Lakes through mid-week.* Super Typhoon Sinlaku remains the Pacific operational priority — Presidential emergency declaration in effect for Guam (signed April 12), Typhoon Warnings for Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and the Northern Islands, Tropical Storm Warning for Guam.* Wildfire posture is elevated for April — NIFC at National Preparedness Level 2; active large fires include Buffalo Gap (SD, ~5,400 acres), Horny Toad (TX Panhandle), and Glen Ferris (WV).* Early-season fire activity in the Southwest — Colorado fire near the NM border grew to ~450 acres; New Mexico maintains statewide fire restrictions banning prescribed burns, fireworks, campfires, and smoking on state lands.* Volcanic activity — USGS reports Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption paused after episode 44 (ADVISORY / YELLOW); Great Sitkin remains at WATCH / ORANGE; Shishaldin and Atka Volcanic Complex at ADVISORY / YELLOW.* Cyber — CISA added a new Adobe Acrobat vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, triggering federal remediation timelines.* Public health — CDC's Health Alert Network advisory on medetomidine in the illicit fentanyl supply remains active guidance for EMS, EDs, and harm-reduction programs.* Planned federal exercise — FEMA biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PA/MD border); not an actual emergency.* Water advisory — Precautionary boil-water notice for the Island of Rota (CNMI) tied to planned water system maintenance.* Travel posture — U.S. State Department travel advisory posture remains elevated across multiple regions; operators with international deployments should re-check country-specific levels before travel.SourcesNOAA / NWS / Storm Prediction Center• SPC Convective Outlook — Daily severe weather outlooks covering the Plains and Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado threat• NWS Active Alerts — National map and feed of active watches, warnings, and advisories• National Water Center — Flood and hydrologic outlook for Upper Midwest and Great LakesNational Hurricane Center / NWS Guam• NWS Guam / WFO GUM — Tropical cyclone warnings and advisories for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands• Central Pacific Hurricane Center — Central and Western Pacific tropical cyclone productsUSGS — Earthquakes and Volcanoes• USGS Volcano Notices (HANS) — Current volcanic alert levels and aviation color codes, including Kīlauea and Alaska volcanoes• USGS Earthquake Map — Real-time global earthquake feed and magnitude filtersNIFC / InciWeb• NIFC Situation Report — Daily national Incident Management Situation Report and preparedness level• InciWeb Incident Information System — Current large-fire tracking, including Buffalo Gap and other active incidentsFEMA• FEMA Press Releases — Disaster declarations, grants, and operational announcements• FEMA Disaster Declarations — Searchable database of federal disaster and emergency declarationsDHS / NTAS• National Terrorism Advisory System — Current DHS National Terrorism Advisory bulletin postureCISA• CISA News & Events — Advisories, alerts, and operational cybersecurity guidance• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Current KEV catalog including newly added Adobe Acrobat vulnerabilityCDC / Public Health• CDC Health Alert Network — Current HAN advisories including medetomidine in illicit fentanylU.S. State Department• Travel Advisories — Country-by-country travel advisory levels and recent updatesColorado• Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control — State wildland fire information and incident statusKansas• Kansas Division of Emergency Management — State emergency management updates and severe weather response• NWS Topeka — Local forecast office warnings and confirmed tornado reports for eastern KansasMinnesota and Wisconsin• NWS Twin Cities — Severe weather warnings and storm reports for southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin• Wisconsin Emergency Management — State severe weather response and county-level watchesNew Mexico• New Mexico Fire Information — Statewide fire restrictions, red flag warnings, and active incident updatesOklahoma• Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management — State emergency management severe weather response• NWS Norman — Local forecast office tornado watches and warnings for central OklahomaPennsylvania and Maryland• FEMA Peach Bottom REP Exercise — Biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise noticeSouth Dakota• South Dakota Wildland Fire — State wildland fire situation and incident resourcesTexas• Texas Division of Emergency Management — State severe weather and wildfire response updates• Texas A&M Forest Service — Statewide wildland fire situation and active incident trackingWest Virginia• West Virginia Division of Forestry — State wildland fire situation and active incident informationGuam and Northern Mariana Islands• Guam Homeland Security / OCD — Territorial emergency management and typhoon response coordination• CUC Public Advisories — Commonwealth Utilities Corporation notices, including Rota boil water notice• NWS Guam Tropical Cyclones — Current warnings and advisories for Super Typhoon Sinlaku This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe
UUP President Fred Kowal sits down with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for an in-studio interview that covers DiNapoli's longtime role as a trusted friend of UUP and organized labor. In 2024, UUP honored Tom with our Friend of SUNY award, which recognizes distinguished service to SUNY and the progressive development of public higher education in our state. Kowal and DiNapoli also talk about DiNapoli's political career, his strong support of SUNY and public higher education, his handling of the state's pension plan and his upcoming contested reelection bid in November. In Labor Lookback, episode producer Mike Lisi goes back in time to revisit the 1937 Detroit Woolworth's sit-down strike and provides an entertaining history of labor's favorite rodent, Scabby the Rat. Special thanks to The Workers' Mic podcast, which interviewed Scabby's creator, Jim Sweeney, in 2024; and to Albany NY pop band C. Jane Run, which allowed us to use part of their song "Standby." In Kowal's Coda, Kowal discusses two books that's he's reading, Ian Toll's "Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945" and SUNY College of Environmental Science Professor Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass."
The pro-Iran war hawks keep crowing about how U.S. military prowess is supposedly striking fear in Beijing and Moscow. But what's really happening is that Trump is doing exactly what China and Russia hoped he'd do. Beijing has wanted the U.S. out of the Western Pacific and Putin, of course, wants NATO wrecked. Our major allies are scrambling to form new economic and military relationships, and America is likely to be very lonely in the world with only a few stooges to count as friends. This is what ending our role as a global superpower would look like. Plus, the U.S. is unable to win the war at a cost that is acceptable to Americans, Trump is taking a cue from Putin by bombing civilian infrastructure, and blaming NATO for not being willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz is absurd when the world's most powerful navy doesn't seem to want to do it either.Bob Kagan joins Tim Miller for the holiday weekend pod.show notes Bob's recent piece in The Atlantic Tim's bimbofied livestream "Foreign Policy" piece on South Korea that Bob referenced Follow "Bulwark Takes" for breaking news over the weekend Tim's playlist
Naval Primacy and the Battle of Ideas in the Pacific Guest Author: Captain Jerry Hendrix, US Navy aviator retired. Summary:Hendrix discusses the historical "free sea" concept, framing China's Western Pacific ambitions as a modern "inner German border" requiring a strategy of naval primacy. Number:1 (9)1912 KAISER
Naval Primacy and the Battle of Ideas in the Pacific Guest Author: Captain Jerry Hendrix, US Navy aviator retired. Summary:Hendrix discusses the historical "free sea" concept, framing China's Western Pacific ambitions as a modern "inner German border" requiring a strategy of naval primacy. Number:1 (9)1905 ADMIRAL KORNILOV
Kurt Friedrich Gödel foi um austríaco que, em 1931, formulou teoremas que marcaram uma mudança profunda na lógica, na filosofia da matemática e nas fundações da computação. Afinal, o que é a teoria da Incompletude de Godel? Confira o papo entre o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza. >> OUÇA (53min 51s) * Naruhodo! é o podcast pra quem tem fome de aprender. Ciência, senso comum, curiosidades, desafios e muito mais. Com o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza. Edição: Reginaldo Cursino. http://naruhodo.b9.com.br * APOIO: INSIDER Agora não tem mais pra onde fugir: o ano começou. Março é o primeiro grande momento de decisão do ano. É quando você percebe que vai precisar de roupa que funcione de verdade. Para trabalhar. Para treinar. Para viajar. Para viver. Março é também o Mês do Consumidor: a primeira grande oportunidade de compra do ano. É hora de tomar uma decisão inteligente para não precisar escolher de novo daqui a dois meses. Clientes recorrentes têm 15% de desconto. Primeira compra tem 20% de desconto. E todo mundo pode somar esses descontos com os descontos do Mês do Consumidor e chegar a até 50% de desconto total. Então, minha dica é: use o endereço a seguir pra ter o cupom NARUHODO aplicado ao seu carrinho de compras. >>> creators.insiderstore.com.br/NARUHODO Ou clique no link que está na descrição deste episódio. INSIDER: inteligência em cada escolha. #InsiderStore * REFERÊNCIAS Teorema de Gödel (SciCast #474) https://www.deviante.com.br/podcasts/scicast-474/ ALTAY DE SOUZA (NARUHODO) - Entre sistemas e discursos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW21iEryZvY&t=5s Lyotard JF. La condition postmoderne: rapport sur le savoir. Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit; 1979. https://www.leseditionsdeminuit.fr/livre-La_Condition_postmoderne-2180-1-1-0-1.html Glaser BG, Strauss AL. The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine Transaction; 1967. http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Glaser_1967.pdf Bardin L. Análise de conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições 70; 1977. https://ia802902.us.archive.org/8/items/bardin-laurence-analise-de-conteudo/bardin-laurence-analise-de-conteudo.pdf Malinowski B. Argonauts of the Western Pacific. London: G. Routledge & Sons; 1922. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55822/55822-h/55822-h.htm Spinoza on free will and freedom. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Internet]. 2024 https://iep.utm.edu/spinoza/ Nagel E, Newman JR. A Prova de Gödel. São Paulo: Perspectiva; 2001. https://www.amazon.com.br/Prova-G%C3%B6del-Ernest-Nagel/dp/8527301555 Bourdieu P. The Logic of Practice. Stanford: Stanford University Press; 1990. https://monoskop.org/images/8/88/Bourdieu_Pierre_The_Logic_of_Practice_1990.pdf Gödel K. On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems. New York: Dover Publications; 1992. https://monoskop.org/images/9/93/Kurt_Gödel_On_Formally_Undecidable_Propositions_of_Principia_Mathematica_and_Related_Systems_1992.pdf Foucault M. The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences. New York: Vintage Books; 1994 https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/Foucault_Michel_The_Order_of_Things_1994.pdf Naruhodo #405 - O que é o infinito? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdu5LRFKa-M Naruhodo #447 - O que é AVC e como evitá-lo? #TodosPeloPirulla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRu9cet1TWM Naruhodo #442 - Qual o efeito da arte sobre nós? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pgyTDtRbeo Naruhodo #343 - O que é e como funciona uma relação estética? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrF27pTFGg8 Naruhodo #135 - Como eu sei que você é você e não eu? - Parte 1 de 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq-VjuiTOY0 Naruhodo #136 - Como eu sei que você é você e não eu? - Parte 2 de 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZkLKL6QH0 Naruhodo Entrevista #52: Gustavo Sol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGCDcg6RS2w Naruhodo #183 - É possível juntar exatas, humanas e biológicas numa nova ciência? - Parte 1 de 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oqajpETpt4 Naruhodo #184 - É possível juntar exatas, humanas e biológicas numa nova ciência? - Parte 2 de 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPt2fTNFnOs * APOIE O NARUHODO! O Altay e eu temos duas mensagens pra você. A primeira é: muito, muito obrigado pela sua audiência. Sem ela, o Naruhodo sequer teria sentido de existir. Você nos ajuda demais não só quando ouve, mas também quando espalha episódios para familiares, amigos - e, por que não?, inimigos. A segunda mensagem é: existe uma outra forma de apoiar o Naruhodo, a ciência e o pensamento científico - apoiando financeiramente o nosso projeto de podcast semanal independente, que só descansa no recesso do fim de ano. Manter o Naruhodo tem custos e despesas: servidores, domínio, pesquisa, produção, edição, atendimento, tempo... Enfim, muitas coisas para cobrir - e, algumas delas, em dólar. A gente sabe que nem todo mundo pode apoiar financeiramente. E tá tudo bem. Tente mandar um episódio para alguém que você conhece e acha que vai gostar. A gente sabe que alguns podem, mas não mensalmente. E tá tudo bem também. Você pode apoiar quando puder e cancelar quando quiser. O apoio mínimo é de 15 reais e pode ser feito pela plataforma ORELO ou pela plataforma APOIA-SE. Para quem está fora do Brasil, temos até a plataforma PATREON. É isso, gente. Estamos enfrentando um momento importante e você pode ajudar a combater o negacionismo e manter a chama da ciência acesa. Então, fica aqui o nosso convite: apóie o Naruhodo como puder. bit.ly/naruhodo-no-orelo
In December 2025, a four-ship People's Liberation Army Navy task group - including an amphibious assault ship capable of carrying 1,000 Marines and 30 helicopters - tracked southeast through the Western Pacific, passing through waters near Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. Australia scrambled surveillance aircraft. Pacific Island leaders said almost nothing publicly. Most of the world barely noticed.Our guest noticed - because she was there. Ambassador Laura Stone just retired as the US Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, capping a distinguished Foreign Service career that included multiple tours in Beijing and serving as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China. She joins hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso to explain why this naval activity matters far more than the headlines suggest.In this episode: What is China's “second island cloud” strategy, and why does the Marshall Islands sit at its center? What is the Compact of Free Association, and why does it make the Marshall Islands far more than just a remote atoll? What is Kwajalein Atoll, and why should you Google it right now? How is China using economic influence, bribery, and Belt and Road investment to gain a foothold in the Pacific - and what's working (and not working) in the US response? What does the gutting of USAID mean for the Pacific Islands? And what does the nuclear legacy of US atomic testing still mean for Marshallese people today?Ambassador Stone also paints a frank picture of the Marshall Islands' future - a country losing 3–5% of its population per year to outward migration, sitting just six feet above sea level, facing an existential climate threat that Washington is no longer prioritizing.
Questions to Ministers SCOTT WILLIS to the Minister for Energy: Has he seen reports that the big four electricity gentailers are projected to make $1.86 billion in operating profits for the six months to December; if so, does he think it's fair that households will likely pay more on their power bills on average to fund a liquefied natural gas import terminal? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What will the changes in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill mean for businesses and workers? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What reports has she seen about the economy? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon MELISSA LEE to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What recent announcements has he made about Eden Park? TAKUTA FERRIS to the Minister of Health: Does he agree with the former Minister of Health's statement that "I want to see IMPBs with the ability to have commissioning authority. I will empower local health decisions and Maori health providers with more autonomy than they have had for some years"; if so, why does the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill remove statutory functions from iwi-Maori partnership boards? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? PAULO GARCIA to the Minister of Immigration: What update can she provide on the Active Investor Plus visa? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister for Energy: What is the estimated life cycle cost of the LNG terminal compared to projected levy revenue over the 15- and 20-year life cycles described in the Cabinet paper? CARL BATES to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent announcements has she made about supporting major events in New Zealand? TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister of Climate Change: Has he seen the Copernicus Climate Change Service's recent finding that 2025 ranked among one of the hottest years for the Western Pacific region; if so, what actions has he taken to ensure Aotearoa is committed to ambitious climate action? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister for Infrastructure: Does he stand by his statements following the release of the Infrastructure Commission's National Infrastructure Plan?
The United States and China are pursuing sharply different strategies in a region that is no longer best understood as the "Middle East," but as part of a broader Asian-centered geopolitical system historically described as "West Asia." This vast region stretches from countries along the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, all the way to the Eastern Mediterranean. While the U.S. remains the undisputed military hegemon in this theater, China is steadily becoming the indispensable economic power, providing access to vast pools of capital, new technology, and expanding trade. Mohammed Soliman, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and a director at the geopolitical advisory firm McLarty Associates, joins Eric from Washington, D.C., to discuss his new book that explores how the U.S., China, and other powers are adapting to this new expanded view of the Middle East known as "West Asia." Purchase the book: West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East by Mohammed Soliman
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.The 2025 Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.Our first conversation was with Matt Gibson, who is head of the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Prior to his current role, Matt served as co-head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group in the Investment Banking Division from 2021 to 2023. Before that Matt served as co-head of One Goldman Sachs from 2019 to 2021 and served as global co-head of Client Coverage within Investment Banking Services from 2015 to 2020. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2001 as an associate and was named managing director in 2008 and partner in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, Matt was a US naval officer for five years, working in a variety of capacities on two different US Navy ships. During this time, Matt's service centered on operations in the Western Pacific, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea. Matt serves on the US Naval Academy Board of Trustees and the Global Advisory Board for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Matt earned a BS in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2001.Matt and I had a fascinating conversation about Goldman's evolution of its private markets strategy and how the firm's “One Goldman Sachs” initiative has enabled them to bring the entire firm to bear as it helps deliver solutions for both wealth and institutional clients. We covered:How Matt's experiences across the firm inform the way he approaches solving needs for clients.The how and the why behind the “One Goldman Sachs” initiative.Goldman's client-centric approach. Why it matters to be an early mover in certain instances in private markets.Goldman's approach to partnerships in private markets.The power of the platform and how Goldman leverages its platform to help its private markets efforts.The importance of understanding geopolitics in today's increasingly complicated investing world.Thanks Matt for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion for private markets and private wealth. Show Notes00:42 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast00:56 Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference Overview01:09 Interview with Matt Gibson02:26 Matt Gibson's Career Journey02:50 The Importance of Client Engagement03:17 One Goldman Sachs Initiative04:13 Commercial and Cultural Impact of One Goldman Sachs05:11 Convergence of Public and Private Markets06:04 Growth in Retail and Institutional Alternatives07:44 Balancing Customization with Scale08:23 Leveraging the Goldman Sachs Platform10:10 Origination and Investment Banking Synergy11:23 Infusing Goldman Sachs Culture12:34 Private Markets Culture and Strategy13:35 Building Capabilities Through Partnerships15:19 LP Relationships and Private Markets Evolution16:44 Strategic Decisions in Private Markets19:13 Agility in Product Strategy21:08 Serving Clients in Private Markets25:41 Geopolitical Considerations in Investing28:06 Mega Trends and Geopolitics29:47 Future of Private Markets30:37 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
HEADLINE: The Western Pacific as the New Inner German Border GUEST AUTHOR: Jerry HendrixSUMMARY: Captain Jerry Hendrix argues that the Western Pacific has replaced the Cold War's "Inner German Border" as the primary geography of global ideological and military competition. He traces the concept of the "Free Sea" back to Hugo Grotius's 1609 legal arguments, which established that the ocean cannot be owned like land—a principle that became foundational to the Enlightenment and modern global trade. Hendrix asserts that American naval primacy since 1945 has been essential in upholding this system, ensuring unencumbered commerce and significantly reducing global poverty, a status quo now under threat.1911 USS MAINE, HAVANA HARBOR
Today, I provide a comprehensive overview of significant meteorological phenomena affecting various regions. The episode elucidates the incursion of Arctic air, which is precipitating lake effect snow across the Great Lakes, accompanied by dangerously low wind chills that may plummet to single digits or below zero in certain locales. We also note the absence of severe thunderstorms as the Storm Prediction Center reports minimal probabilities for such events today. Additionally, we discuss the restoration of buoy tender capacity by the Coast Guard in Oceania, enhancing navigational support in the Western Pacific. Furthermore, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Willits, California, has been documented, although no substantial damage has been reported thus far. We will continue to monitor these developments and provide updates as warranted.Takeaways:* Arctic air is pushing south and east, leading to significant lake effect snow along the Great Lakes.* The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for northern Indiana due to severe weather conditions.* A magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred near Willits, California, with no significant damage reported by local officials.* FEMA has updated flood maps for Pima County, urging local residents to prepare for an appeal period for the new mappings.* The Coast Guard's operational capacity has been restored in Oceania, enhancing navigational support for mariners in the Western Pacific.* Winter weather advisories remain in effect across multiple states, with specific warnings for parts of New York and Michigan.Sources[USCG | https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4378815/uscgc-hickory-arrives-in-guam-restoring-full-buoy-tender-capacity-in-oceania/][FEMA | https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260112/fema-updates-flood-maps-pima-county][USGS | https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75295231][USGS | https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75295291][SF Chronicle | https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/earthquake-willits-mendocino-21248590.php][USCG | https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4377704/coast-guard-interdicts-15-aliens-near-san-clemente-island/][NWS Northern Indiana | https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?firewxzone=INZ103&product1=Winter+Storm+Warning][NWS South Bend page | https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.6769&lon=-86.269][NWS Gaylord | https://www.weather.gov/apx/][NWS Grand Rapids | https://www.weather.gov/grr/][NWS Albany | https://www.weather.gov/aly/winterheadlines][NWS Buffalo | https://www.weather.gov/buf/BUFHWOBUF] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe
Step into the Season Opener of Coffee Talk with Bryan & Marie as they sit down with an extraordinary guest, Rob Whiteley. After serving 28 years in the U.S. Army (1993–2021), Rob retired as the Operations Sergeant Major for Cadet Command and Fort Knox. His career spans roles as an 11B Infantryman and later an 11Z Senior Enlisted Advisor, with multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Western Pacific, and beyond.Now in retirement, Rob has dedicated his life to building a nonprofit organization focused on service, purpose, and giving back. Join us for a powerful, grounded conversation about leadership, sacrifice, transition, and the mission that continues long after the uniform comes off
Researchers are hoping an early-warning system that will be trialled in Vietnam could help to reduce the growing number of dengue fever cases. Dengue fever is the world's most prevalent mosquito-borne disease and cases have been increasing across the Western Pacific and South East Asia. A computer model which will serve as an early-warning system will be rolled out across selected districts in Vietnam's Mekong Delta early next year.
The Western Pacific as the Modern Strategic Frontier: Colleague Jerry Hendrix discusses his book To Provide and Maintain a Navy, identifying the Western Pacific as the modern strategic equivalent of the Cold War's Inner German Border, exploring the historical development of "free sea" legal concepts by Hugo Grotius and their necessity for global economic prosperity. 1925
In the future near-peer and peer fight, salvo competition and missiles will be the preeminent means by which one country will kinetically overwhelm the other in a fight. I discuss the way the US Navy is in an existential hazard of being woefully under-prepared to meet the threat if Western forces go toe toe with regional hegemons in the East or West. Let's anticipate the disasters now that are the Spanish in the English Channel in 1588, the British Royal Navy at Jutland in 1916, and the discovery in WWII all these battleships were not really capital ships, or had adequate armaments, yet their political dimensions compel not only their continuous construction but are the most devastating when lost. The aircraft carrier has been a signature component of US naval power and prestige for more than a century. The utility has continued to diminish since the end of WWII. The tremendous disadvantage of putting so much manpower and treasure into these single use leviathan systems in the modern world of distributed missile and PGM systems, emerging near-peer & peer adversaries and concentration of power in vulnerable systems is a recipe for future disaster. The US Navy surface fleet is in tatters and shattered by readiness, maintenance and armament issues that are critical indicators of a navy totally unprepared. It's time to clean house and fire the admirals and SES personnel. More on the carrier dilemma in Chasing Ghosts Episode #034 and Dispatch #006. References: Pro Publica: The Navy Accused Him of Arson. Its Own Investigation Showed Widespread Safety Failures. 2017 USN Ship Collisions Gregory Vistica Fall from Glory: The Men Who Sank the U.S. Navy Michael Junge Crimes of Command: in the United States Navy, 1945-2015 Gerry Doyle Carrier Killer: China's Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles and Theater of Operations in the early 21st Century David Lee Russell Early U.S. Navy Carrier Raids, February-April 1942: Five Operations That Tested a New Dimension of American Air Power Jeff Vandenengel Questioning the Carrier: Opportunities in Fleet Design for the U.S. Navy Jeff Vandenengel interview on Midrats with CDR Salamander Ivan Gogin Fighting ships of the PEOPLE LIBERATION ARMY NAVY 1949 - 2023 Jerry Hendrix Retreat From Range: The Rise and Fall of Carrier Aviation Pacific War in WWII James D. Hornfischer Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal James D. Hornfischer The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945 Ian W. Toll Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 Ian W. Toll The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942–1944 Ian W. Toll Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945 Jeffry R. Cox Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II Jeffrey R. Cox Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942 Jeffrey R. Cox Blazing Star, Setting Sun: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign November 1942–March 1943 Jeffrey R. Cox Dark Waters, Starry Skies: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign, March–October 1943 Samuel Eliot Morrison The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War My Substack Write me at cgpodcast@pm.me
PREVIEW. Marine Corps Strategy in the Western Pacific Against China. Colonel Grant Newsham, United States Marine Corps retired, discusses Marine Corps planning for deployment in East Asia if China attacks Taiwan. Current plans prioritize placing small missile units on Pacific islands to target Chinese ships. Newsham is unhappy, noting this focus reduces the Marines' versatility and ability to conduct other missions, such as humanitarian assistance or seizing key terrain. 1968 GUADALCANAL ISLAND
Thomas Shugart, founder of Archer Strategic Consulting and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the tools and tactics of warfare have changed in the past decade and whether the U.S. military is adapting fast enough to deter a great power war. This is the second episode in a special series from The President's Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world. Mentioned on the Episode: Thomas Shugart, "Blue Planet, Red Planet: A New World of Contested Maritime Power," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Dome: It's Past Time for an Emergency Anti-Drone Hardening Program," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Forging Ahead: The PLA Shows Us What It Wants Us to See," The Shugart Update Thomas Shugart, "Has China Been Practicing Preemptive Missile Strikes Against U.S. Bases?" War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "Mind the Gap, Part 2: The Cross-Strait Potential of China's Civilian Shipping Has Grown," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "The United States Can't Afford to Not Harden Its Air Bases," War on the Rocks Thomas Shugart, "Trends, Timelines, and Uncertainty: An Assessment of the Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific," Center for a New American Security Timothy A. Walton and Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific," Hudson Institute We Are China, "Forging Ahead - Episode 1: Orders Are Sacred 第一集《军令如山》," Youtube.com For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-next-battlefield-thomas-shugart
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, John Culver argues that two seemingly contradictory trends define China's military this year: Xi Jinping's sweeping purge of senior PLA leaders and the PLA's rapid transformation into a far more lethal, joint-capable force. He notes unprecedented vacancies on the Central Military Commission and across theater commands—suggesting corruption is the excuse, not the cause—as Xi prioritizes loyalty and faster progress toward his ambitious reform goals. While 2027 isn't an “invasion deadline,” Culver says the PLA is racing to meet its centennial benchmarks, with September's parade showcasing a growing nuclear triad, serious investments in undersea warfare, and expanding unmanned aircraft. He cautions that any U.S.-created “hellscape” around Taiwan can be mirrored by China, which can produce equipment that is combat relevant in the Western Pacific at industrial scale. On gray-zone pressure, he casts China's Coast Guard as a paramilitary tool and says its ability to run a sustained blockade would hinge on complex command-and-control that it hasn't yet demonstrated in military exercises. Ultimately, Culver emphasizes that there is much about the PLA that remains unknown from the outside as Xi Jinping purposely keeps information opaque. This episode was recorded on October 15, 2025. John Culver is a nonresident senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings. Prior to retiring from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2020, he served since 1985 as an analyst and manager on China, with a particular focus on the People's Liberation Army. From 2015 to 2018, Culver served as national intelligence officer for East Asia (NIO-EA). He was a founding member of the CIA's Senior Analytic Service, was in the Senior Intelligence Service, and was a recipient of the CIA's Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, and the William L. Langer Award for extraordinary achievement in the CIA's analytic mission.
BOOK TITLE: The Decisive Decade: American Grand Strategy for Triumph over China AUTHOR: Jonathan DT Ward HEADLINE: Taiwan: The 'Lock on the Island Chain' and a Key to China's Regional Dominance China's military analysts view Taiwan as the "lock on the island chain," crucial for projecting power into the Western Pacific and throughout Asia's maritime geography. Seizing Taiwan would permanently alter Asia's military balance and enable China to exert significant power, potentially even creating famine in the Japanese islands. Taiwan also represents economic leverage due to its role in semiconductor production and holds ideological significance for Xi Jinping. 1950 PEKING STUDENTS, PLA
Robert L. Suettinger examines China's political evolution, from Mao's devastating Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution to Xi Jinping's reversal of market reforms. He underscores the Chinese people's persistent desire for freedom, countered by the regime's repressive surveillance and control.Exploring Hu Yaobang's legacy and the Tiananmen Square protests, Suettinger critiques Beijing's economic policies and surveillance tactics. He questions the sustainability of China's trajectory, weighing its demographic crisis and military ambitions in the Western Pacific, offering insights into its precarious path. Robert Lee Suettinger is a historian of contemporary politics in the People's Republic of China. He spent nearly 24 years in the intelligence and foreign policy bureaucracies of the US federal government. As well as writing a book on the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Suettinger's most recent one is entitled The Conscience Of The Party: Hu Yaobang, China' Communist Reformer.
Preview Colleague Jim Holmes of the Naval War College outlines the line of attack the PLA Navy aims to follow to command the western Pacific after 2027. More later. 1904 JAPANESE FLEET