Single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal
POPULARITY
Categories
Actor Paul Newman built a second career far from Hollywood, trading red carpets for racetracks and spending more than three decades behind the wheel. In Winning, Adam Carolla explores how Newman discovered racing in midlife and developed into a championship driver and successful team owner. The film also shows how that passion shaped the rest of his life, from the people he surrounded himself with to the charity he gave back. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2693- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Quince - Go to https://Quince.com/WIRE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Shopify - Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling today at https://Shopify.com/wire- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
U.S. allies in Europe and Asia signal support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices ride the wave of disruption from the Iran conflict, and a New York Times investigation uncovers allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused multiple girls and women. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2691- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.Hello Fresh - Go to https://HelloFresh.com/morningwire10fm to Get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value) on your third box. Offer valid while supplies last.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More troops are inbound to the Middle East, canceled Bachelorette star Taylor Frankie Paul responds to viral abuse video, and Hollywood and martial arts legend Chuck Norris passes away. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2692 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Shopify - Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling today at https://Shopify.com/wire - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Congress clashes over the future of Homeland Security, Iran reels from leadership losses amid renewed international pressure, and a wave of deadly attacks here at home sparks a heated debate over denaturalizing citizens. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2689- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors: Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com Vanta - Get started at https://Vanta.com/MORNINGWIRE- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Iran strikes the world's largest natural gas facility sending oil prices soaring, a joint statement from U.S. allies says they are “ready to contribute” in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and shocking revelations come to light about a left-wing icon. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2690 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Boll & Branch - Get 15% off your first order + free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wire with code wire. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13: Chapter 17. The Shining Wire 13.1 Snares Before I researched this episode, I vaguely assumed that the use of snares was now illegal in the UK. It isn't. And I am embarrassed not to have already realised this. There is no excuse for using such a cruel and fundamentally lazy method as snaring. There is a campaign to ban the use of snares in the UK that I fully support. They can be found at antisnaring.org.uk. 13.2 Chapter 17. The Shining Wire 13.3 Part One of Watership Down 13.4 Next Episode I am going to pause from going through the book for one, maybe two, episodes, so that I can discuss wider subjects around the book and its portrayals. Vocab: Silf: Outside (as in 'silflay')
Markwayne Mullen fields fiery questions in his DHS confirmation hearing, the Fed holds firm on the interest rate, and Tesla teams up with LG to open a new battery plant in Michigan. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2688 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Fast Growing Trees - Visit https://fastgrowingtrees.com to get 20% off your first purchase when using the code WIRE at checkout. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Two more Iranian leaders fall to IDF strikes, a top US counterterrorism official resigns, and President Trump hosts the Irish Prime Minister for St. Patrick's Day. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2686 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The war in Iran shifts focus from the skies to the seas, California loses its luster as locals exit en masse, and “homebrewed” hormone cocktails make their way to the States. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2685- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsor:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Join this channel to get access to perks: EARLY Access, EXCLUSIVE Episodes & Much More! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpeD7roEp99UANH0HVZ3dOA/joinWhat's Your Story - Writer/Director Gus Van Sant? LIFE IN FILM PodcastOur guest today isn't just a 2 time Oscar Nominated Director, he's a writer, Photographer, an author & painter.Join us as we chat about directing Sean Penn towards his Oscar Winning performance in 'Milk', shooting 'Good Will Hunting' & and his new movie based on a crazy true story 'Dead Man's Wire'.Credits Include Good Will Hunting / Drugstore Cowboy / Psycho / Finding Forrester / My Own Private Idaho / To Die For / Elephant / Last Days / Milk / Promised Land / The Sea of Trees / Dead Man's Wire... etc-----------------------------Host - Actor/Writer Elliot James Langridge Please contact (Scott Marshall Partners) -----------------------------Our SponsorsMoviePosters.com is the #1 place for movie posters old and new! use our affiliate link https://www.movieposters.com/?sca_ref=8773240.c977RvLKKpL& Get 10% off with code LIFEINFILM10BetterHelp provides you with access to the largest online therapy service in the world. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/lifeinfilm-----------------------------'Dead Man's Wire' is in cinemas March 20th-----------------------------Thank you to our guest Gus, Dominick & the team at 42Westas always thank you to our sponsors MoviePosters.com & BetterHelp-----------------------------If you enjoyed this episode, please review and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and You Tube etc and please share. It makes a huge difference. -----------------------------Join us on Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, @LIFEINFILMpod. Check out the Patreon at patreon.com/Lifeinfilmpodcast & Join this channel to get access to perks: EARLY Access, EXCLUSIVE Episodes & Much More! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpeD7roEp99UANH0HVZ3dOA/join -----------------------------Please don't forget to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! ╔═╦╗╔╦╗╔═╦═╦╦╦╦╗╔═╗ ║╚╣║║║╚╣╚╣╔╣╔╣║╚╣═╣ ╠╗║╚╝║║╠╗║╚╣║║║║║═╣ ╚═╩══╩═╩═╩═╩╝╚╩═╩═╝Thanks for watching this episode ... see you in the next video!0:00 - Get EARLY Access & EXCLUSIVE Episodes0:13 - Our Guest Gus Van Sant / How it all began?3:33 - Adapting 'Drugstore Cowboy' / Writing 'My Own Private Idaho'5:32 - We Didn't see 'Good Will Hunting' Being Successful8:20 - Directing Sean Penn to his Oscar Win for 'Milk9:25 - Support The Podcast / Movieposters.com / Betterhelp11:05 - How 'Dead Man's Wire' Came to Be / Casting15:35: - Based on a Mad True Story17:12 - Collaborations / Advice18:59 - Like, Subscribe & Join our YouTube Channel!
President Trump presses NATO allies to help protect the Strait of Hormuz, the Northeast braces ahead of severe winter weather, and two Florida teens accused of a gruesome murder plot are held without bail. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2684 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.
In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the current state of the MBA admissions season. We are now getting close to the end of the interview invite season for Round 2 as top MBA programs begin to release their final decisions. This upcoming week, IESE, UVA / Darden, Emory / Goizueta, Yale SOM, Dartmouth / Tuck, INSEAD, Georgetown / McDonough and Georgia / Terry are releasing their Round 2 decisions. A few MBA programs are also beginning their next admissions rounds, including Oxford / Said, Notre Dame / Mendoza, Imperial Business School, Emory / Goizueta and Johns Hopkins / Carey. Graham highlighted upcoming MBA webinar events. On Thursday, we are hosting a series of panel discussions focused on international students who are targeting the top MBA programs in the United States. On May 11, Clear Admit is hosting our in-person MBA Fair in Atlanta. We are also hosting several online Application Overview events in May. Signups for all of these events are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events And finally, Clear Admit will also be livestreaming a “Decision Day Watch Party” on March 25, you can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearAdmitMBA In the news & notes section of the show, Graham mentioned an MBA admissions tip that focuses on the Round 2 wait list and showcased more entries from our Real Humans Alumni series. This week focuses on three alumni from Fuqua / Netflix, Haas / Google and Johnson / Deloitte. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries and one DecisionWire entry: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is seeking to pivot from banking to MBB consulting and wants to use an executive MBA program to make that pivot. This week's second MBA applicant appears to have a strong career in cybersecurity and wants to pivot to consulting in digital strategy. They still need to take the GRE. This week's final MBA candidate is deciding between Fuqua and Ross, and possibly Johnson too. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!
Alec, Nick and Michael return for another week to discuss the latest in Greek football, the gift that keeps on giving.00:00: Introduction00:17: How are we doing?01:38: Panathinaikos stun Betis18:08: AEK make history against Celje24:42: Olympiacos roll OFI25:36: Will Thrylos defend their title?28:48: Panetolikos hold PAO34:09: AEK stumble in Peristeri38:25: Missed opportunity for AEL?46:27: Chatsidis on fire for PAOK49:05: What's happened to Levadiakos?52:25: Aris continue to struggle55:12: Who makes European play-offs?56:26: Kifisia edge towards safety57:16: PAOK fan killed in Thessaloniki1:00:25: Mavropanos headlines Greeks Abroad1:03:48: Kostoulas frozen out at Brighton1:08:45: Greece squad announced1:13:48: Limnios reviving his career1:16:24: Kalamata celebrate promotion in style1:20:37: Real Betis v Panathinaikos predictionGive us a follow on:X: https://twitter.com/HellasfootyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellasfooty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@HellasFootyRead our articles on: https://hellasfooty.com/Intro music credit to George Prokopiou (Ermou Street)
S2 Underground Nexus (Submit Tips Here): https://nexus-s2underground.hub.arcgis.com/ Research Notes/Bibliography can be found here: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Common Intelligence Picture: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=204a59b01f4443cd96718796fd102c00 Border Crisis Map: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=7f13eda1f301431e98a7ac0393b0e6b0 TOC Dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ebe374c40c1a4231a06075155b0e8cb9/ 00:00 - Strategic Overview 02:21 - Homeland Threats 06:33 - The Gulf War 13:20 - Grand Strategy 19:03 - The Intel Spiral 25:15 - GhostNet Reports Download the GhostNet plan here! https://github.com/s2underground/GhostNet The text version of the Wire can be found on Twitter: https://twitter.com/s2_underground And on our Wire Telegram page here: https://t.me/S2undergroundWire If you would like to support us, we're on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=30479515 Disclaimer: No company sponsored this video. In fact, we have ZERO sponsors. We are funded 100% by you, the viewer. All of our funding comes from direct support from platforms like Patreon, or from ad revenue on YouTube. Without your support, I simply could not do this work at all, so to those of you who chose to support my efforts, I am eternally thankful. Odysee: https://odysee.com/@S2Underground:7 Gab: https://gab.com/S2underground Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/S2Underground BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/P2NMGFdt3gf3/ Just a few reminders for everyone who's just become aware of us, in order to keep these briefings from being several hours long, I can't cover everything. I'm probably covering 1% of the world events when we conduct these briefings, so please remember that if I left it out, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's unimportant. Also, remember that I do these briefings quite often, so I might have covered an issue previously that you might not see if you are only watching our most recent videos. I'm also doing this in my spare time, so again I fully admit that these briefings aren't even close to being perfect; I'm going for a healthy blend of speed and quality. If I were to wait and only post a brief when it's "perfect" I would never post anything at all. So expect some minor errors here and there. If there is a major error or correction that needs to be made, I will post it here in the description, and verbally address it in the next briefing. Also, thanks for reading this far. It is always surprising the number of people that don't actually read the description box to find more information. This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney. Our Reading List! https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/133747963-s2-actual The War Kitchen Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmtpjXT22tAWGIlg_xDDPA
Send a text Sophie joins us to discuss the arrivals and departures from the beginning of free agency for the 2026 season. We also discuss needs going further and how do we grade the Patriots on the first week of free agency. Will A.J Brown be a Patriot? I hope you all enjoy and as always thank you all for listening!
What happens when a space mission goes wrong? NASA astronaut and retired Navy Captain Butch Wilmore joins Morning Wire to share the incredible story of being stranded in space for nearly 300 days after a spacecraft malfunction. He breaks down what went wrong with the mission, the dangers astronauts face during emergencies, and how his faith helped him endure the ordeal. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2681- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/WIRE and use promo code WIRE at checkout.Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Cybercrime Wire, hosted by Scott Schober, provides boardroom and C-suite executives, CIOs, CSOs, CISOs, IT executives and cybersecurity professionals with a breaking news story we're following. If there's a cyberattack, hack, or data breach you should know about, then we're on it. Listen to the podcast daily and hear it every hour on WCYB. The Cybercrime Wire is brought to you Cybercrime Magazine, Page ONE for Cybersecurity at https://cybercrimemagazine.com. • For more breaking news, visit https://cybercrimewire.com
Domestic terror fears grow after attacks at a Michigan synagogue and a Virginia campus, Democrats believe they have found a new rising star in Texas, and we have the “skinny” on the 98th Annual Academy Awards this Sunday. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2679- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsor:Quince - Go to https://Quince.com/WIRE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Two Virginia libraries are evacuated due to a bomb threat, Trump announces a massive push against Iran, and new details emerge on the Lebanese man who targeted the Temple Israel Synagogue in Michigan. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2680 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Vanta - Get started at https://Vanta.com/MORNINGWIRE - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot celebrate artists who found a new creative gear decades after they hit the music scene. It's Late-Career Encores, this week on Sound Opinions.Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TBecome a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3eEvRnGMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundops Featured Songs:Johnny Cash, "Hurt," American IV: The Man Comes Around, American, 2002The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!, Sun, 1955Johnny Cash, "The Mercy Seat," American III: Solitary Man, American, 2000Misson of Burma, "Academy Fight Song," Single, Ace of Hearts, 1980Misson of Burma, "2Wice," The Obliterati, Matador, 2006Wire, "1 2 X U," Pink Flag, Harvest, 1977Wire, "Joust & Jostle," Wire, Pinkflag, 2015The Staple Singers, "I'll Take You There," Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, Stax, 1972Mavis Staples, "99 and 1/2," We'll Never Turn Back, Anti-, 2007Superchunk, "Driveway To Driveway," Foolish, Merge, 1994Superchunk, "Me & You & Jackie Mittoo," I Hate Music, Merge, 2013Naked Raygun, "I Don't Know," Throb Throb, Homestead, 1985Naked Raygun, "Living in the Good Times," Over the Overlords, Wax Trax!, 2021A Tribe Called Quest, "Can I Kick It?," People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, Jive, 1990A Tribe Called Quest, "We the People....," We Got It from Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, Epic, 2016Bonnie Raitt, "Thank You," Bonnie Raitt, Warner Bros., 1971Bonnie Raitt, "The Road's My Middle Name," Nick of Time, Capitol, 1989Cher, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," Chér, Kapp, 1971Cher, "Strong Enough," Believe, WEA and Warner Bros., 1998Redd Kross, "Annie's Gone," Third Eye, Atlantic, 1990Redd Kross, "Candy Coloured Catastophe," Redd Kross, In the Red, 2024Converge, "Concubine," Jane Doe, Equal Vision, 2001Converge, "We Were Never the Same," Love is Not Enough, Epitaph and Deathwish, 2026John Prine, "Angel From Montgomery," John Prine, Atlantic, 1971John Prine, "When I Get to Heaven," The Tree of Forgiveness, Oh Boy, 2018Pulp, "Common People," Different Class, Island, 1995Pulp, "Spike Island," More, Rough Trade, 2025Al Green, "Belle," The Belle Album, Hi, 1977See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week on The Sidebar Podcast, Leise Winny and Mr. Royce move from local culture to national dysfunction with one central idea: discernment is survival.The episode opens by pushing back against the lazy idea that Baltimore begins and ends with The Wire, before diving into accents across Baltimore and the DMV, Black speech, and the way identity gets heard before it's understood. From there, the conversation spirals into bigger questions: Are we living in a cult? Are we already at war? And why do people keep dressing dysfunction up as depth?The middle of the episode gets sharper, tackling Trump's name in the files, the repeated disappointment Black women face in America, and the reality that capitalism keeps presenting itself as the final boss in every conversation.By the end, the discussion turns inward — to work, gender, leadership, and the exhausting performance of modern life. Are men natural leaders, or just socialized to think they are? Are jobs just renting your personality? And why does discernment feel more necessary than ever when everything is trying to sell itself as truth?Funny, blunt, observant, and a little chaotic — classic Sidebar.0:00 — Show snippet0:30 — Show disclosure0:38 — Show music1:04 — Intro1:30 — Baltimore is more than The Wire9:59 — Accents in Baltimore & the DMV10:57 — Black accents14:00 — Beyhive is in a cult16:34 — We are at war20:40 — Weird is really just weird23:20 — Trump in those files28:30 — Black women keep getting disappointed by America50:00 — America is capitalism's final boss1:22:20 — Jobs are renting your personality1:30:00 — Discernment is key1:36:01 — Are men natural leaders?1:52:00 — Potlucks are nastyOutro — End of show
//The Wire//2300Z March 13, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TERROR ATTACKS CONTINUE IN THE AMERICAN HOMELAND. WAR CONTINUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN IRAQ, NO SURVIVORS REPORTED.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Persian Gulf: Last night CENTCOM reported the loss of one KC-135 Stratotanker, which crashed in western Iraq. Rescue operations were conducted immediately, however all six crew members have been confirmed deceased. The incident occurred as a result of a mid-air collision, which involved another KC-135 aircraft that was also damaged.Strait of Hormuz: This morning another commercial vessel was struck while attempting to transit the Strait, which resulted in catastrophic damage to the vessel. The crew abandoned ship, and several crew members remain missing.Turkey: Another ballistic missile was intercepted overnight, as Iranian forces continue to target Incirlik Airbase. This is the third such interception since the war began.UAE: Overnight drone attacks continued to strike Dubai, with the International Financial Center being struck by a Shahed drone yesterday evening.Analyst Comment: Today was also the third day in a row that the UAE has changed their reporting criteria. Social media reports no longer list the total number of drones that impact within their country, with the daily rollup reports instead stating the number of drones and missiles that were "dealt with". Due to the video confirmation of drones impacting within Dubai overnight, these reports are now openly misleading, as the number of successful Iranian strikes remains unreported.-HomeFront-Michigan: Yesterday afternoon a vehicle ramming and small arms attack was reported at Temple Israel, one of the largest synagogues in Michigan. The attack began as a vehicle ramming attack targeting the main entrance to the facility. After the suspect breached the entrance, he exited the vehicle and was engaged by security personnel on site, who neutralized the attacker. Initial reports claim that the suspect also had explosives inside his vehicle, however authorities have not confirmed this yet as the vehicle caught fire during the incident and burned down a substantial portion of the structure, including the suspect. No one but the attacker was killed during the attack.Analyst Comment: The suspect in this case has been identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized US Citizen originally from Lebanon. Some sources claim that he conducted the attack due to to his family being killed in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Beirut yesterday, however these claims cannot be independently verified at this time. Either way, the suspect attacked the 12,000-member synagogue on a Thursday afternoon when almost no one was at the facility, which is an indicator that the terrorist did not have much time to plan the attack. More information is expected later on, as forensic analysis of the remains and vehicle debris is conducted.Virginia: Yesterday a mass shooting was reported at Old Dominion University after a terrorist entered a classroom and began targeting students. Local authorities state that a lone gunman entered an ROTC classroom at ODU shortly before 11:00am yesterday morning, first shooting the instructor, who has been identified as LTC Brandon Shah. Immediately after the first shots were fired, the cadets in the classroom mounted a counterattack, using violence of action to subdue the attacker. At some point during the attack one cadet produced a pocket knife which was subsequently utilized in stabbing the attacker to death. The assailant was found dead by police at the scene after being stabbed 22x times.Analyst Comment: The suspect in this case has been identified as Mohamad Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized US citizen from Sierra Leone and former National Guard soldier who had previously been convicted of attemp
Jason Fraley celebrates Oscar Week with a special 10th anniversary flashback to his first trip to cover the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood as a live contributor for CBS News Radio in 2016, culminating today with "Spotlight" winning Best Picture. You'll first hear Jason's interview with writer/director Tom McCarthy and co-writer Josh Singer at the film's Washington D.C. premiere at the National Portrait Gallery in November 2015, where Jason also interviewed "The Wire" creator David Simon, who hosted a Q&A with the real Boston Globe reporters. You'll then go backstage at the Oscars in 2016 to hear McCarthy and Singer react to winning Best Original Screenplay, followed by "Spotlight" producers Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust celebrating Best Picture. Finally, you'll hear Jason catch up with David Simon again in 2017 to react to "Spotlight" winning Best Picture and the troubling state of journalism in the 21st century. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion ")
The Cybercrime Wire, hosted by Scott Schober, provides boardroom and C-suite executives, CIOs, CSOs, CISOs, IT executives and cybersecurity professionals with a breaking news story we're following. If there's a cyberattack, hack, or data breach you should know about, then we're on it. Listen to the podcast daily and hear it every hour on WCYB. The Cybercrime Wire is brought to you Cybercrime Magazine, Page ONE for Cybersecurity at https://cybercrimemagazine.com. • For more breaking news, visit https://cybercrimewire.com
Ger Gilroy is back hosting the Crappy Quiz, trying to keep Mick McCarthy, David Wilson and Matthew Brennan in line on the shoutiest segment across a multitude of platforms!This week's Crappy Quiz is brought to you by Optimum Nutrition. We're delighted to team up with Optimum Nutrition, the world's number one performance nutrition brand, as they launch their new global campaign, The Optimum Advantage. With over 35 years at the top of performance nutrition, trusted by the world's best athletes, and a growing partnership with the IRFU, @optimumnutrition are right at the heart of Irish Rugby.
A suspect rams a vehicle into one of the nation's largest synagogues, Iran's new supreme leader issues a statement amid injury speculations, and Senate Democrats once again vote against funding DHS. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2678 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Fast Growing Trees - Visit https://fastgrowingtrees.com to get 20% off your first purchase when using the code WIRE at checkout. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Iran desperately fights to maintain their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a sweeping investigation in Southern California reveals a breeding ground for hospice care fraud, and the battle over the SAVE America Act splits Capitol Hill right down party lines. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2677- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ross Bolen and Barrett Dudley discuss Paramount purchasing Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO's new mini-series DTF St. Louis, and Timothée Chalamet's controversial comments on opera and ballet. Also, Barrett finally watching Sinners. Later this week, take on The Wire season 3 with us on Patreon.com/OystersClamsCockles. Support Our Sponsors: FactorMeals.com/occ50off for 50% off your first Factor box PLUS free breakfast for 1-year Squarespace.com/OCC code “OCC” for 10% OFF your first purchase of a website or domain Lucy.co/OCC code “OCC” for 20% OFF your first order Video Produced by Kade Orris Subscribe on YouTube: YouTube.com/@OystersClamsCockles Presented by Bolen Media: BolenMedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
//The Wire//1700Z March 12, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MEDIA REPORTS MINES LAID IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ. MULTIPLE SHIPS STRUCK BY EXPLOSIVE BOATS IN PERSIAN GULF. THREATS TO AMERICAN HOMELAND REMAIN ELEVATED.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Persian Gulf: Last night two tanker vessels were struck by Iranian Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). Two explosive-laden small boats rammed into the side of two oil tankers that were anchored outside the port of Basrah. The two vessels (the M/V ZEFYROS and M/V SAFESEA VISHNU) were conducting ship-to-ship operations near the Basra Oil Terminal when both vessels were struck by remotely-controlled explosive boats. Several hours later, a third vessel was struck by a drone in the southern Persian Gulf, off the coast of Jebel Ali.Strait of Hormuz: This morning many mainstream media sources have cited closed-source reporting claiming that Iranian forces have indeed mined the Strait. An estimated 10x mines have been laid, with some reports stating that potentially dozens of mines have been laid throughout the choke point.Analyst Comment: So far, there's not much we can do with off-the-record reports citing unknown sources. However, considering the concerns over the past few days, it's possible that the Iranians have laid a few strings of mines, even though doing so would likely harm their relationship with China. Where these mines are located, is anyone's guess. But if the Iranians can continue successful targeting efforts with remotely-piloted small boats, it would not be that much of a jump to assess that they can probably place a few mines as well.Middle East: Around the region, attacks on American installations and positions continue. Al Dhafra Airbase was struck this morning, and more substantial drone strikes were reported throughout Dubai overnight. Most of the munitions were intercepted, but the Address Creek Harbor hotel was hit by a Shahed drone early this morning. In Bahrain, hotels and other sites continue to be targeted by Iranian drones, in addition to oil infrastructure throughout the island nation which has been targeted several times since the start of this conflict.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Yesterday afternoon, multiple mainstream media outlets began broadcasting claims of an alleged plot for Iranian forces to attack the American homeland. Specifically, claims have been made that Iranian forces may attempt to launch drone attacks on California from ships off the west coast. No substantial information or context has been provided beyond that initial leak.As of right now, this is a giant game of telephone. The report probably came from the FBI, was passed to various police departments as a Law Enforcement Sensitive document, and was subsequently leaked to the media (without posting the actual source document). For context, the "Iranian drone ship off our coast" attack vector has been theory for so many years that in intel circles it's more of a thought experiment that is used to teach concepts. For many, many years, this theory has not been considered a serious threat, simply because Iranian forces do no have the naval capability to sustain combat operations off the American west coast. A subset of this thought experiment is the theory of some malign actor (in this case, the Iranians) using containerized drone launchers concealed onboard legitimate containerships, which would launch without notice. This theory is vastly more likely, and has been confirmed to not just be possible, but operationally effective, as demonstrated by Ukraine's Operation SPIDER WEB last year. However, Iran does not have the same capabilities as America-backed Ukraine, so this theory, while possible, still lies in the theoretical realm instead of a direct pending threat. Hopefully more information will come to light regarding what the threats actually
//The Wire//2300Z March 11, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MULTIPLE SHIPS TARGETED BY IRANIANS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IRANIAN DRONE STRIKES REPORTED IN OMAN. POSSIBLE TERROR ATTACK OCCURS IN SWITZERLAND.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Middle East: Drone attacks throughout the Persian Gulf continue as before, with significant strikes being reported at the port city of Salalah in Oman this morning. Several drones targeted the oil storage tanks near the port, which have been burning throughout the day.Strait of Hormuz: This morning three merchant vessels were struck by Iranian munitions in the vicinity of the waterway. Two vessels were struck off the coast of Dubai and Ras al Khaymah, one of which was a containership that sustained unspecified damage. To the northeast, another vessel (the M/V MAYUREE NAREE) was struck while attempting to transit the Strait, which caused a fire that has since been extinguished. The crew of this vessel has reportedly abandoned ship in the hours after the strike, and three crew members remain missing.Analyst Comment: In addition to the threats posed by drones and missiles, concerns are growing regarding the possibility that the Strait may have been mined. President Trump indicated that the Iranians may have attempted to target vessels with naval mines over the past few days, however statements by American officials so far have have been inconclusive as to whether or not any mines have actually been laid. Due to this uncertainty, it would be wise for shipping companies to assume that at least some asymmetric naval capability exists within the Iranian Navy.Switzerland: Yesterday evening an attack was reported onboard a city bus in the town of Kerzers. One assailant set himself on fire while sitting on the bus, killing 6x people during the attack and wounding 5x others.Analyst Comment: So far, very little information has been released regarding this attack. The assailant has not been identified, and it may take some time for any potential motive to emerge. Due to the mass casualties that were caused by this incident, this incident should be considered a terror attack until more information comes to light.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - This morning a vehicle ramming incident was reported at the White House, which involved an SUV attempting to ram through the barricades at the corner of Connecticut and H Street. No injuries were reported and the driver was arrested at the scene. No word yet on what caused the incident, or if this was a deliberate attack.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Indications and warnings are mounting that missile defenses throughout the Middle East may be dwindling. Over the past few days, civilian aircraft have been repositioned from airports around the region, and several airlines have canceled flights throughout the region, such as KLM which has halted flights to Dubai until March 28th. As airspace opens up between waves of drone attacks, many commercial and private aircraft owners are taking the opportunity to get their airframes out of harms way.As a result of these developments, many locals believe this an indicator of interceptor missiles running dry, and thus what seemed like a fairly tepid war (by comparison) might suddenly get more active if the interceptions of drones become less common. This is obviously pure speculation based on an unknown factor; the true number of air defenses any nation has is a closely guarded secret. The same theory applies around the region, from Israel to Kuwait, with nearly all nations involved heavily suppressing any social media posts referencing successful Iranian targeting efforts. Nevertheless, the truth eventually gets out and what can be observed is that the drones still fly and interceptions are not always successful. And that success rate may be decreasing, if the data provided is accurate.
Once again, Dennis is joined via Zoom by Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic at The Queer Review and star of the YouTube channel Glenn Hates Everything and actor-writer-film enthusiast Drew Droege to talk about the movies of 2025. Part 1 was last week. Here's Part 2 and the films discussed include: Song Sung Blue, Hamnet, Blue Sun Palace, Before We Forget, It Was Just an Accident, The Parenting, A Nice Indian Boy, Sirat, Friendship, A Night Like This, Pee-wee As Himself, Lurker, Marty Supreme, The Naked Gun, Wicked: For Good, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sentimental Value, F1, Superman, Bugonia, Dust Bunny, Peter Hujar's Day, Dead Man's Wire, Companion, Enigma, My Mom Jayne, Strange Journey and Come See Me In the Good Light.
As both a musician and an activist, Steve Earle has been a voice for people living on the margins. His songs blend folk, country, and rock, and among his many awards are a bunch of Grammys and his recent induction into the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. And yet, many people will be more familiar with Steve Earle's work as an actor, on screen, on stage, and on TV series like The Wire and Treme. Add in a tumultuous personal life, and you have a guy with stories to tell. Steve Earle's current tour is called Fifty-One Years of Songs and Stories, and he plays a solo set, including a tune from the show, 'Tender Mercies', in-studio. Set list: 1. Copperhead Road 2. I Don't Trust Happiness 3. City of Immigrants
The FBI warns California of a potential Iranian drone strike, the International Energy Agency is about to add the most barrels of oil it's ever released, and the former correctional officer who last saw Epstein alive is being called before the House Oversight Committee. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2676 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The FBI raids the homes of two ISIS-inspired men in NYC, the price of oil surges over the Iran conflict, and the Iranian women's soccer team makes a bold stand for freedom—at their own peril. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2673- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.comAlliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The U.S. consulate in Toronto is attacked, Iran threatens Trump (again), and Tulsi Gabbard fights to declassify the cause of “Havana Syndrome”. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2674 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Balance of Nature - Join hundreds of thousands of customers in one simple routine that's changing the world. Go to https://BalanceofNature.com to subscribe and save today. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history through his unique perspective on the mafia. In this episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins welcomes an unusual guest from the world of organized crime storytelling—cartoonist Brett Juliano, creator of the Dust Bunny Mafia comic series. Instead of traditional books or documentaries, Brett tells real Mafia stories through short, three-panel comics featuring his unique cartoon characters while staying grounded in historical research and documented sources. Brett explains how his lifelong interest in animation and storytelling evolved into a project that blends true crime history with visual humor and commentary. After moving to Chicago, he became fascinated with the city's underworld history and began transforming real mob stories into illustrated comic strips that challenge Hollywood myths and highlight lesser-known facts about organized crime. His work draws on true crime books, FBI files, court transcripts, and podcasts, including Gangland Wire itself. Each comic strip distills a real historical moment into a visual gag or ironic twist that reveals the strange reality behind mob legends. Gary and Brett discuss several Dust Bunny Mafia comics and the real events behind them: The “Sicilian Flu” Courtroom Act A humorous look at a tactic sometimes used by mob figures: appearing frail in court to gain sympathy or delay proceedings. Wiseguys who were partying the night before might suddenly appear in a wheelchair, wrapped in blankets or hooked to oxygen tanks when they walked into court. Lucky Luciano and the Myth of “Lucky” Brett examines the legendary story that Charles “Lucky” Luciano got his nickname after surviving a brutal kidnapping and beating. His comic plays with the idea that mobsters often exaggerated their own legends—especially when trying to impress people. The Kansas City Mob Search – Carl “Tuffy” DeLuna One comic comes directly from Gary Jenkins' own experience investigating the Kansas City mob. When police searched DeLuna's home in 1979, the mobster calmly offered coffee and eventually led investigators straight to the basement, where incriminating notes were stored. The scene shows how, sometimes, the truth of organized crime investigations is stranger than fiction. Bugsy Siegel in Rainy Portland Another comic explores the obscure story of Bugsy Siegel visiting Portland to meet local crime boss Al Winters, only to endure two straight weeks of rain—highlighting the contrast between Hollywood-style mob glamour and the less glamorous reality of underworld negotiations. A New Graphic Anthology on Kickstarter Brett is now launching a major new collection of his comics titled: “Family Business: An Offer You Can't Refuse.” The book will include: 130+ pages of full-color comics More than 230 true crime strips Historical commentary explaining the real story behind each comic Additional artwork parodying mob businesses and underworld culture The project will be funded through a Kickstarter campaign beginning March 24, with the finished book expected to ship later in the year once printing is completed. Click here for
Composer-rockstar Danny Elfman invites SCORE into his state-of-the-art studio to discuss a lifetime of continuous innovation, from collecting macabre curiosities for his own inspiration to embarking on new musical pursuits with A$AP Rocky (even performing for the first time on SNL).Why Danny searches for the extremes to express human emotion in music, how a Coachella experiment launched a new phase performing next to bands like Tool and Limp Bizkit, and what's the story behind getting all of those tattoos? Plus, finding the voice for Sam Raimi's acclaimed new film Send Help, the anxious percussions of Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire, and the sweeping romance of Luc Besson's Dracula — all at the same time.Also, the harrowing moment with Oingo Boingo in concert that led to him ripping off his shirt in live shows to jam with fellow musicians, and the supernatural energies he taps into when he enters peak creativity.Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader in Los Angeles. Production coordination by Kyle Bales and Bryan Williams. Special thanks to Sydney Worden and Melisa McGregor.
//The Wire//2300Z March 10, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WAR CONTINUES IN MIDDLE EAST AS DRONE ATTACKS CONTINUE. SHIPS BEGIN ATTEMPTING TO RUN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AMID IRANIAN TARGETING EFFORTS. US CONSULATE IN TORONTO TARGETED IN SMALL ARMS ATTACK.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Middle East: The Planet satellite imagery company has announced an extension of their holding of satellite imagery throughout the Middle East. Planet had previously instituted a 96-hour hold on all imagery of American installations in the region, for the Operational Security (OPSEC) reasons of preventing Iranians from using up-to-date satellite imagery in their targeting efforts. As of this morning, Planet has extended this delay to two weeks, with all imagery of non-Iranian terrain being withheld for 14 days from all customers.Strait of Hormuz: The Strait remains semi-officially closed, as most commercial vessels refuse to accept the risk of trying to run the gauntlet. Iranian forces continue to strike cargo vessels, but some vessels are making the attempt to transit the Strait, amid these threats. This morning, one commercial vessel was reportedly struck by a drone (or had a near-miss), highlighting the risks for commercial shipping.Analyst Comment: Interestingly enough, some vessels have pulled a Leeroy Jenkins, and plowed through the Strait over the past few days with their transponders off, hoping for the best. Other vessels have also tried the old standby trick that was discovered during the Houthi targeting in the Red Sea last year...they're changing their AIS transponder data to claim affiliation with China, in hopes of being allowed free passage. This has worked for a couple of dozen vessels so far, but the targeting of shipping in the Persian Gulf is still too random to draw a conclusion as to what's actually being targeted by the Iranians.Korean Peninsula: South Korean officials have voiced concern regarding the reallocation of American strategic resources from the region. This morning, the South Korean media group Yonhap published photos of Americans disassembling a THAAD battery, which is being relocated to the Middle East to replace at least one of the sites that was damaged/destroyed by Iranian targeting efforts.Canada: This morning an active shooter was reported at the U.S. Consulate General in Toronto. Toronto Police state that a white Honda CRV approached the facility, stopping at the main entrance. Two suspects exited the vehicle and fired shots from handguns at the Consulate, before egressing from the scene. Multiple shell casings were recovered from the shooting site, and the shooters remain at large.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: National security is of course a higher priority than providing up-to-date satellite imagery of the Middle East for the civilian world; as unfortunate as it is, censorship is a critical part of warfare and there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. However, the timing and nature of this censorship occurring now, is quite interesting. As a reminder, the Chinese have provided extremely detailed imagery of American equipment losses since the start of the war via their own satellite networks, so the Iranians don't exactly need American satellites at all.This seemingly unimportant satellite imagery delay can also serve as an indicator for the expected timeline of the war...requesting American satellite companies to intentionally withhold their imagery from the public for two full weeks is not something that is done if the war is coming to a close. Right now, a lot of rhetoric is flying concerning the potential end of the conflict, with analysis of President Trump's remarks on the war focusing on how long the war might last, or what might happen over the next few days/weeks. At the moment, we cannot make decisions based on this rhetoric, as it changes by the hour a
//The Wire//2300Z March 9, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TERROR ATTACK STRIKES NEW YORK AS PROTESTERS TARGETED WITH IEDS. AMERICAN BOMBING OF IRAN CONTINUES AS IRANIAN DRONE STRIKES REGULARLY TARGET OIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN MIDDLE EAST.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Middle East: The war continues, with both American strikes on Tehran, and Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv continuing over the weekend. The American 'Shock and Awe' campaign continues day and night, with increasingly more substantial bombings taking place over the weekend. Iranian drone attacks continue as before, with several strikes of note being carried out over the weekend. As of this morning, the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the UAE is still on fire from last night's attacks. The BAPCO refinery in Bahrain was also struck again several times over the past few days, along with the desalination plant in Ma'ameer. The fuel point at Kuwait International Airport was also struck over the weekend, as civilian flights throughout Kuwait remain grounded until further notice due to Iranian targeting efforts.Strait of Hormuz: The impacts to shipping remain constant, with one commercial vessel reporting being struck by a drone in the Saudi port of Jubail on Saturday. This morning BAPCO declared a force majeure for their contracts, indicating that they are unable to meet the obligations of their contracts, due to the war impacting operations.Turkey: This morning Turkish authorities stated that another Iranian ballistic missile had been intercepted in their airspace. The missile was reportedly shot down by a US Navy vessel stationed in the eastern Med.Norway: An explosion was reported at the US Embassy in Oslo, as an unidentified assailant placed an IED at the entrance to the facility Saturday night. Norwegian officials have stated that the incident is being investigated as a possible terror attack, and photos of the suspect have been released, as the suspect remains at large. No further details have been provided on the composition of the suspected explosive device, however the investigation is ongoing.-HomeFront-New York: On Saturday, an anti-Islam protest outside of Mayor Mamdani's residence was attacked by counter protesters, which involved terrorists attacking demonstrators with IEDs. Initially, groups of protesters were separated by the NYPD: The group protesting against Mamdani (and against Islam in general) was separated from a group of counterprotesters by pedestrian barriers as is customary for events where protesters have a high likelihood of attacking each other. In this case, two of the counterprotesters arrived with IEDs, lit their fuses, and threw them over to the main protest group, targeting the small group of about a dozen anti-Islam protesters. Both of the IEDs that were thrown failed to detonate, as the impact with the ground extinguished the lit fuses. The suspects were immediately detained at the scene, and a search of the area revealed additional IEDs located in a parked vehicle adjacent to the event. The two suspects have been identified as Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both residents of Pennsylvania. More details are expected as the investigation continues.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: A bit of back story is needed to explain the context for how important the attack in New York City actually was. The protest that started everything was an "Americans Against Islamification" protest organized by Jake Lang, who has become infamous for going into Islamic strongholds, and holding protests that are intended to inflame tensions. This context may result in many people being tempted to roll their eyes and dismiss this attack due to the history of Lang's protests usually being rather theatrical. For instance, the day before the IED attack on his group he crashed a vigil to the Ayatollah, driving by the event in a Uhaul van with a go
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani comes under fire amid suspected terror in his city, Trump says he's “nowhere near” putting boots on the ground in Iran, and Rihanna's house is fired on—with her inside. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2672 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President Trump says victory in Iran is near as the operation in Iran reaches Day 10, fears of Islamic terror attacks mount amid bomb threats, and we talk to an expert on the economic and geopolitical fallout so far from Epic Fury. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. - - - Ep. 2671 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsors: ZipRecruiter - Go to https://ZipRecruiter.com/WIRE to try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE. Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After 36 years in power, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead following Operation Epic Fury. In this episode, we break down the late Supreme Leader's brutal legacy, the power vacuum left in his wake, and who could take his place. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2670- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What does it take to launch a massive airstrike on Iran? We talk to former fighter pilot and TOPGUN instructor David Berke to find out. From 18-hour bomber runs to split-second ejections under fire, Berke breaks down how America trains elite pilots for combat — and what makes U.S. airpower so dominant. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. - - - Ep. 2669 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsors: Vanta - Get started at https://Vanta.com/MORNINGWIRE Zocdoc - Go to https://Zocdoc.com/WIRE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tehran scrambles to fill a deepening leadership vacuum as the hits keep coming, President Trump replaces Kristi Noem with a Republican Senator as head of Homeland Security, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer catches flak for walking a thin line on the Iran conflict. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2667- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Quince - Go to https://Quince.com/WIRE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Zoc Doc - Go to https://Zocdoc.com/WIRE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President Trump stands firm on his hard line approach with Tehran, an American adversary is apparently aiding Iran's fight against the U.S., and an age old conflict breaks anew between the CEOs of Mcdonalds and Burger King. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2668 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kristi Noem is out at Homeland Security, dozens of states sue the Trump administration over tariffs, and Britney Spears is arrested. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2666 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more. - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The U.S. & Israel make moves for air dominance over Iran, Governor Tim Walz faces a fraud hearing, and the Pentagon identifies four of the six soldiers killed by an Iranian strike in Kuwait. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. - - - Ep. 2665 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsors: Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com Shopify - Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling today at https://Shopify.com/morningwire - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The White House finds its footing in presenting the Iran campaign to Americans, the Supreme Court strikes down a California law allowing schools to “socially transition” kids, and the suspect who allegedly stabbed a Virginia mother to death is revealed to be an illegal immigrant with a lengthy rap sheet. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2663- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.Equip Foods - Equip's Prime Bar is a real food protein bar with nothing to hide: just 11 ingredients and 20g of clean protein - made from ingredients you can pronounce like collagen, beef tallow, colostrum, cocoa butter - and sweetened naturally with just date and honey. Bringing good, clean habits into 2026 is made simple with Equip. Morning Wire listeners will get 25% off one-time purchases, or 40% off first subscription orders for a limited time by heading to https://equipfoods.com/wire and using code WIRE at checkout.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The U.S. and Israel announce plans to dominate Iranian airspace, key primaries shake up Senate and congressional races, and Elon Musk's X makes a move to police AI-generated fake news. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2664 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 - - - Today's Sponsor: Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices