Podcasts about World War II

A.M. Edition for April 16. Washington dusts off its World War II playbook, asking manufacturers like GM and Ford to ramp up weapons production. Plus, we look at why pricier fuel is putting Spirit Airlines' future in doubt. And Europe drafts a plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz after fighting stops. But as WSJ's Max Colchester explains, it risks agitating President Trump who has appealed for immediate help with the Iran war. Luke Vargas hosts.  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aceh in Sumatra is the only Indonesian province where Sharia Law, Islamic religious law, is in force. It followed years of conflict between Aceh and the central government.In Arabic, Sharia means "the clear, well-trodden path to water". It is derived from the Quran, Islam's holy book and from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.Interpretation of Islamic law is nuanced according to local culture and customs, which means the application of Sharia Law may look quite different from country to country.Azwar Abubakar was the acting governor of Aceh who oversaw the first implementation of Sharia Law - a public caning - on 24 June 2005. He speaks to Surya Elango.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

In October 1987, one of Africa's most radical leaders, Captain Thomas Sankara, was gunned down in a coup in Burkina Faso. His overthrow was orchestrated by his old friend, Blaise Compaore. Thomas Sankara's brother, Paul, spoke to Alex Last in 2013.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Thomas Sankara at the international press conference in Paris 1986. Credit: Langevin Jacques via Getty Images)

On April 6th, 1941, Germany launched Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece, with the 12th Army under General List striking primarily through the newly conquered territory of Yugoslavia to outflank the well-prepared Greek Metaxas Line. The opening days of the attack were harder than the Germans expected — the Greeks defended stubbornly along the Metaxas Line, particularly at the Rupel Pass, but flanking movements soon made those positions untenable, and the vital port of Salonika fell after just three days of fighting. Meanwhile, the British were dealt a serious blow when a Luftwaffe raid on the port of Piraeus set off an ammunition ship, closing the harbor for two critical days, while intelligence intercepts revealed German forces pushing through the Monastir Gap to envelop the British Aliakmon Line. What followed was a grinding fighting retreat southward by Allied forces through the Servia and Olympus passes toward the historic pass at Thermopylae, with ANZAC troops buying time against an advancing German army that was better supplied, better supported from the air, and ultimately impossible to stop — raising the alarming question of whether any evacuation from Greece could even be arranged. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the anxiety you most want to get rid of is the one you most need to listen to? Existential psychologist Dan Koch and marketing strategist Kristen Tideman join Evan Rosa for a conversation about what anxiety is actually for—and what happens when it turns against you. "To be human is to be unfinished. It is to have constantly limits around you, and your choice is to accept them or pretend they're not there." In this episode, they reflect together on the existential roots of anxiety and what it looks like to confront real limits—from an MS diagnosis to faith upheaval to collective crisis. Together they discuss healthy versus unhealthy anxiety and how to tell them apart, the post-WWII origins of existential therapy, boundary situations and “thrownness,” what denial costs us spiritually and psychologically, and how accepting our limits can paradoxically expand our world. The conversation moves between lived experience of multiple sclerosis and philosophical framework about mortality, between Kierkegaard's "dizziness of freedom" and a three-month-old baby in an emergency room—asking not how to eliminate anxiety, but how to let the right kind of anxiety make your world bigger. Episode Highlights "To be human is to be unfinished. It is to have constantly limits around you, and your choice, among other things, is to accept them or pretend they're not there."—Dan Koch "I was literally in the ER. I'm holding my three-month-old baby who just got here. I'm like, my life just started—and I don't even know what this means. I don't even wanna Google what it means."—Kristen Tideman "Our brains are big enough and our minds are strong enough that unlike deer, plants, and coconuts, we can think about the future. We can imagine our own death."—Dan Koch "There's ways I wanna deny the MS. I wanna deny that that's part of my existence now. I wanna deny even components of my own faith change."—Kristen Tideman "Is my world getting smaller, or is my world getting bigger?"—Dan Koch About Dan Koch Dan Koch is an existential psychologist, therapist, and host of Religion on the Mind, a podcast and media project exploring the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and everyday life. His clinical work focuses on religious change—deconversion, deconstruction, reconstruction—and the downstream effects on identity, family, and meaning-making. He draws on the existential tradition from Kierkegaard and Jaspers through Viktor Frankl and Irvin Yalom. Koch has spoken openly about his own fifteen-year experience with panic disorder. Learn more and follow at religiononthemind.com [VERIFY] About Kristen Tideman Kristen Tideman is the founder of Tidy Studios, a marketing strategist and creative consultant. She holds a master's degree in philosophy and has brought that background into her work exploring questions of meaning, anxiety, and faith in public conversation. She lives with multiple sclerosis and is a new mother. Learn more and follow at [VERIFY—need Tidy Studios URL and social handles] Helpful Links and Resources Religion on the Mind https://www.religiononthemind.com/ Religion on the Mind https://religiononthemind.substack.com/ Religion on the Mind https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/religion-on-the-mind/id1448000113 Tidy Studios https://www.tidystudios.com/ Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl https://www.beacon.org/Mans-Search-for-Meaning-P602.aspx Dan Koch on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/dankoch Show Notes Why tackle anxiety now—geopolitical overwhelm, media firehose, personal crisis converging Kristen's competing anxieties: new motherhood, MS diagnosis, ongoing faith change Dan's path into existential psychology through clients navigating religious change Existential psychology's post-WWII roots—Viktor Frankl, concentration camps, the search for meaning The atomic bomb as psychological turning point—from imagining one's own death to imagining collective annihilation "Our brains are big enough that unlike deer, plants, and coconuts, we can think about the future. We can imagine our own death." Healthy vs. unhealthy anxiety—the central distinction in existential thought Healthy anxiety broadens your world; unhealthy anxiety becomes self-referential spiral The inner critic mistaken for motivation—when unhealthy anxiety masquerades as drive "I was literally in the ER. I'm holding my three-month-old baby. I'm like, my life just started—and I don't even know what this means." Philosophy becoming flesh—studying mortality vs. receiving a diagnosis "There's ways I wanna deny the MS. I wanna deny that that's part of my existence now. I wanna deny even components of my own faith change." Ontological anxiety vs. pathological anxiety—Kierkegaard's "dizziness of freedom" Avoidance vs. acceptance as the fundamental hinge in existential psychology The body carries what the mind tries to bypass—emotions as literal electricity in the nervous system Thrownness—Heidegger's concept of being tossed into unchosen circumstances Jaspers' shipwreck, Sartre's blind man on a raft, Kierkegaard's captain in a storm Boundary situations—MS, new parenthood, AI, sociopolitical chaos, loss of shared reality Kristen on maturity: "Anything that comes at us, we can use as an excuse to weaken our resolve or to strengthen it." "To be human is to be unfinished. It is to have constantly limits around you, and your choice is to accept them or pretend they're not there." "Is my world getting smaller, or is my world getting bigger?" Neurotic anxiety spins us inward; accepting limits pushes us toward collaboration and community Emmy van Deurzen and Irvin Yalom—real problems require more than one person Loving your neighbor as a practical consequence of accepting your own limits #ExistentialPsychology #Anxiety #MentalHealth #FaithDeconstruction #HumanFlourishing #Kierkegaard #ViktorFrankl #ChronicIllness #MSAwareness #ForTheLifeOfTheWorl Production Notes This podcast featured Kristen Tideman and Dan Koch Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Noah Senthil A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

In 1993, the Irish writer Roddy Doyle won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction. His novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, was remarkable for the way it conveyed gritty drama through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. Roddy tells Ben Henderson about his inspiration for Paddy Clarke, how he balanced writing with becoming a father and teaching, and the emotions of the night he won the award.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Roddy Doyle. Credit: Dominic Ledwidge O'Reilly/Getty Images)

The origin of Paddington is one worth noting on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Michael Bond recalled seeing Jewish children arriving in Britain during World War II with name cards around their necks and suitcases in their hands. That inspired the beloved bear, and a Rhode Island artist is helping to keep the story alive. Ocean State Media's Pamela Watts reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Double Tap - Ep 457 This episode of Double Tap is brought to you by: Blue Alpha Night Fision (Code: WLSISLIFE Die Free Co. (Code: WLSISLIFE) Flatline Fiber Co (Code: WLS15) Bowers Group (Code: WLS) Text Dear WLS or Reviews +1 743 500 2171  Show Titles   GunCon.net Tickets on sale now. Use code AGENCY171 DEAR WLS Question from Boone I'm wanting to make a SBR 350 legend ar but I'm wondering what barrel lengths to consider. I'm not wanting to get too short for hunting up to 100 yards. What length would you recommend? And I'm also considering building a 6mm ARC at a later date and what length would be reasonable for it? Question from Adam B I have acquired some cool WWII flags and one has a bring back letter. It is in the old blue duplicator paper and was wrapped with a cover sheet. When i opened up what I thought was just a cover sheet, it was actually a very faint letter for the second flag. Do you know of any place that can restore or recover the document to give the second flag its story. NO Jeremy, I won't sell them to you. Question from Fisher Cat Hey knucklefucks, what are your opinions of the lever action rifle from Henry that's in 556/223? I've been debating on buying one over an ar15 because who doesn't love a lever action? Love the show Question from Dennis H Will Gideon optics be making the mediator 2 in with a green reticle? Also wondering if this would be a sufficient optic for a semi automatic shotgun? Question from Jon F Hey fellas! Long time listener, first time caller. I have a Marlin 1895 trapper in 45-70, this is my primary hunting rifle and I want to get a can for it. I'd like to keep it as light a possible and still be somewhat hearing safe. Also this will most likely stay on this gun, so direct mount (11/16-24). What do you think is my best option? I was leaning towards the dreadnought but I'm not stuck on it. Question from Andrew L I'm in process of printing and building an AR22 based on the CMMG conversion system. I'm also adding an FTN5 can and most likely, a 3-position safety. My question is, have any of you had experience with this kind of setup and what kind of reliability did it have? I'm just looking for something fun to build and shoot but also the secret stash of SHTF supply of files and parts. I'm curious to what you guys have printed or used, what kind of material, print settings etc that had worked best for you. I know there's been some talk about a dedicated show or segment for 3d printed stuff and I'd be fully onboard for that! I'd even contribute if I can or you need. Thanks for the great work! I listen while at work or my 1-hour commute to or from it. Notes: FUCK THE LIBTARDS… GUN INDUSTRY NEWS Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition File Lawsuit Over National Park Service Federal Facilities Firearms Ban The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), and a private citizen have filed a lawsuit challenging the National Park Service's ban on carrying firearms in federal facilities such as visitor centers, ranger stations, and maintenance buildings. The suit argues that this prohibition violates Second Amendment rights by forcing law-abiding visitors to disarm to comply with park registration rules, citing Supreme Court precedents like Bruen. SAF leaders describe the ‘sensitive places' restrictions as attempts to circumvent public carry protections. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5″ Adopted by St. Louis County Police Department The St. Louis County Police Department has selected the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F 9mm striker-fired pistol as its new duty sidearm, citing positive feedback on performance, ergonomics, and slide features from transition training. The Echelon features a patent-pending Central Operating Group with a self-contained stainless steel chassis for quick grip module swaps, including three backstraps, and a Variable Interface System supporting over 30 optics footprints via self-locking pins. Fully ambidextrous controls benefit left-handed officers, with the department recommending it as a durable, configurable platform.0 Ruger Gen II American Rifles – Left-Handed Ranch Configuration Ruger has announced left-handed versions of its Gen II American bolt-action rifles, starting with the Ranch configuration. These feature improved stocks with adjustable length-of-pull and comb, a three-position safety, and Cerakote finishes. Chambered in straight-wall and intermediate calibers suited for hunting and short-barreled applications. MDT S90 SPUHR to V-Mount Adapter and M-LOK to V-Mount 90° Adapter for Send-It Gen2 Electronic Level MDT Sporting Goods has released two new V-Mount adapters for the Send-It Gen2 Electronic Level: the S90 SPUHR to V-Mount Adapter and the M-LOK to V-Mount 90° Adapter. These adapters enable integration with Spuhr mounts and M-LOK slots, allowing repositioning of the electronic level off the top rail for improved flexibility in precision rifle setups. They address mounting limitations caused by large optics, night vision, and thermals by expanding the V-Mount ecosystem. SK Customs Recreates Al Capone's ‘Sweetheart' Colt 1911 in Limited Edition of 200 Units SK Guns (SK Customs) has released a limited-edition recreation of Al Capone's iconic ‘Sweetheart' Colt 1911, chambered in .45 ACP with classic Government Model design. The pistol features detailed floral engravings, custom sights matching the original, polished and blued finish, checkered front strap and mainspring housing, and grips of genuine vintage red deer stag. Announced on April 10, 2026, only 200 units are produced, numbered 001 through 200. IWI US Arad-5 Rifle IWI US has launched the Arad-5 rifle, now manufactured at their new facility in Andersonville, Tennessee. This 5.56x45mm NATO rifle features a semi-monolithic upper with patented CamLok barrel lock-up and a short-stroke piston gas system. It is the first major product from their expanded domestic operation, originally developed for Israel's Tier 1 units. Caldwell Surface-to-Air ClayCopter Caldwell has launched the Surface-to-Air ClayCopter, a battery and Bluetooth-powered clay target launcher designed for shotgun shooters. It mounts on shotguns via vented rib or MLOK rails and offers app-controlled launches, voice commands, and randomization for realistic training. The device supports 90mm and 110mm discs, is highly portable under 10 pounds, and enables one-person operation for skeet, trap, and 3-Gun practice. Before we let you go – JOIN GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA We'd love if you supported the show, join Agency 171 at agency171.com. Lot's of prizes, rewards and kick ass swag. No matter how tough your battle is today, we want you here fight with us tomorrow. Don't struggle in silence, you can contact the suicide prevention line by dialing 988 from your phone. Remember – Always prefer Dangerous Freedom over peaceful slavery. We'll see you next time! Nick – @busbuiltsystems | Bus Built Systems Jeremy – @ret_actual | Rivers Edge Tactical Aaron – @machinegun_moses Savage – @savage1r Shawn – @dangerousfreedomyt | @camorado.cam | Camorado

Dr. Deb Muth February 2026, 3 million documents released, a network exposed. But here’s what no one is sayingThe trauma of trafficking doesn’t end when the victim escapes It doesn’t even end when that survivor’s lifetime. It writes itself into DNA. It alters the stress response of children not yet born. And it creates epigenetic markers that echo through 3, 4, and even 5 generations. This is not a metaphor, this is molecular biology. And if we don’t understand how deeply trauma sees itself. Biologically, genetically, and spiritually, we will never understand why autoimmune disease, addiction, and chronic illness are epidemic in families that carry this hidden history. Today, we’re going deeper than headlines. We’re going into the cells, the genes, and the soul. Welcome back to Let’s Talk Wellness Now. We’re here to uncover root causes, explore regenerative medicine, and empower you to heal from the inside out. I’m Dr. Deb, your medical detective, and today we’re confronting one of the most important and least discussed wellness topics of our time. How the exploitation and trafficking of women and children doesn’t just harm individuals, it damages bloodlines. And if you’re someone who carries an unexplained chronic illness, autoimmune disease, addiction, or trauma that seems to have no clear origin, this episode may finally connect the dots. Grab your cup of tea or coffee, settle in, and let’s go deep into this subject. Can you put an ad sponsor right here before we get started? Let’s start with what just happened. In February of 2026, the Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. According to The Guardian, on February 2nd, 2026, these files contained allegations that Epstein didn’t just abuse women, he provided them to other powerful men. One accuser identified Harvey Weinstein from a photo lineup. Describing coercion and payment. Another FBI document described threats of force. Lativia launched a criminal investigation after the files linked Epstein’s network to modeling agencies overseas. But here’s what I need you to understand. As a practitioner who treats trauma survivors, Epstein’s operation was not new. It was ancient. From Mesopotamian slave codes to Roman markets to the transatlantic trade, trafficking has always been about the same thing. Power, and exploiting vulnerability for profit. The tools change. Private jets instead of ships, social media instead of market squares. But the wound, it’s identical. And that wound… It doesn’t heal when the victim is freed. It embeds itself into biology. Let me explain what happens when a human being experiences the kind of trauma that trafficking creates. The immediate biological response. When someone is trafficked, their body enters a state of chronic survival mode. The autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious functions like heart rate, digestion, immune response, it gets locked into a fight or flight. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, floods the system. At least, at first. This is protective. But when the threat never ends, when abuse is daily, when escape is impossible, cortisol stays elevated for months and even years. And here’s what chronic cortisol does. It suppresses immune function, making the body vulnerable to infections, cancer, and autoimmune disease. It disrupts the gut microbiome, leading to leaky gut, food sensitivity, and systemic inflammation. It dysregulates hormone production, thyroid sex hormones, insulin, and it creates metabolic chaos. It damages the hippocampus, the part of the brain region responsible for memory and emotional regulation. But it goes deeper than that. Cellular memory, trauma written into our tissues. Research published in the Biological Psychiatry of 2025 and Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025 shows that trauma doesn’t just affect the brain, it reprograms cells throughout the body. Mitochondria, the energy factories inside every cell, shift from producing ATP energy to producing reactive oxygen species, stress signals. This is why trauma survivors often develop chronic fatigue syndrome. That cortisol, over time, starts to dive down, and eventually can’t be produced when it’s supposed to be during a traumatic episode, and it stays at this low level, creating what we now know as chronic fatigue syndrome. Inflammatory genes turn on and stay on, even after the threat is gone. This is why we see such high rates of autoimmune disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, inflammatory bowel disease, in trafficking survivors. The fascia, the connective tissue that wraps every muscle and organ, stores trauma physically. This is why survivors develop chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and tension that no amount of massage can release. The body literally remembers the violation at a cellular level. The ACE study, Childhood Trauma as a Disease Predictor, the CDC’s Adverse Childhood Experiences Study in 2025, showed that 64% of the U.S. adults had experienced at least one ACE abuse. neglect, or household dysfunction. And nearly 1 in 6 has experienced 4 or more. And the data is devastating. The ACE that you have maybe experienced, if you have had this, you have a higher risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression, suicide, and addiction. Trafficking survivors often score 8, 9, or 10 out of a 10 on the ACE scale. Their bodies are biologically aged by trauma. And according to the VA’s National Center for PTSD, PTSD is associated with excess mortality, meaning survivors die younger, not just from suicide, but from the stress related to chronic disease. Now, here’s where it gets even more profound. What is epigenetics? Well, your DNA is like a library of instructions, but not every book is open all the time. Epigenetics is the system that decides which genes get turned on. or off, without changing the DNA sequence itself. And here’s the critical discovery. Trauma can change those epigenetic marks, and those marks can be passed to your children. The Science of Inherited Trauma. The studies on the Holocaust survivors and their descendants showed that children and grandchildren of trauma survivors had altered stress hormone regulation, even though they never experienced the original trauma themselves. Research on famine shows in the Netherlands during World War II, Found that children born to mothers who were pregnant during starvation had higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease decades later. This happens because stress during pregnancy alters the developing fetus’ stress response system, and when a pregnant woman is trafficked, abused, or living in chronic fear, her elevated cortisol levels cross the placenta, and the baby’s developing brain is bathed in stress hormones. And the child’s HPA access, the stress regulation system, Is programmed for hypervigilance. The child is born with a biological predisposition to anxiety, depression, autoimmune disease, and addiction. And it doesn’t stop there. That child grows up, and if they have children, their altered stress response can influence the next generation through epigenetic inheritance, and through the environment they create. This is why we see patterns of addiction, autoimmune disease, and mental illness running through families, even when there’s no clear genetic mutation. It’s not just genetics, it’s inherited trauma written into gene expression. There is also a spiritual dimension to this. There’s something beyond biology here, something that science is only beginning to touch. Survivors often describe feeling disconnected from their bodies, as if their spirit left during the abuse. And never fully returned. This is disassociation, a survival mechanism. But in many healing traditions, somatic therapy, internal family systems, even ancient spiritual practices, there’s recognition that trauma fragments the self. And healing isn’t just about regulating cortisol or repairing the gut, it’s about reuniting the spirit with the body. It’s about teaching the nervous system that it’s finally safe to be fully present once again. And when that happens, when one person heals that fracture, it changes the trajectory for everyone else who comes after them. So what do we do with this knowledge? Well, first. Trauma-informed root cause medicine. Healing trafficking survivors and their descendants requires more than talk therapy. It requires nervous system regulation, vagal nerve stimulation, somatic experience, breathwork. Gut healing, repairing the microbiome, addressing that leaky gut, and reducing the inflammation. Hormone balancing, supporting adrenal function, thyroid, and sex hormones, detoxification, clearing accumulated toxins that the stressed body couldn’t process, both physically and emotionally. Nutritional restoration. Replenishing the nutrients depleted by chronic stress. This is functional medicine. This is what I do every day with my team. Second, we need epigenetic reversal, and that is actually possible. Here’s the hope. Epigenetic marks can be changed. Studies show that meditation therapy, safe relationships, and even nutrition can reverse some of the epigenetic damage caused by trauma. Every time a survivor learns to regulate their nervous system, they’re not just healing themselves, they’re changing what gets passed to the next generation. Third, we have to speak the truth. Silence protects the perpetrators. Truth-telling breaks generational curses. And every time we name trafficking for what it is, a crime that damages biology, genetics, and spirit, we create the space for healing. Thank you for going deep with me today on Let’s Talk Wellness Now. If this episode moved you, share it, because healing begins when we stop pretending trauma is only psychological, and we start treating it as a biological, genetic, and spiritual crisis that it truly is. If you or someone you love needs trauma-informed care, visit serenityhealthcarecenter.com or explore our functional medicine platform at venari.com. Survivors seeking support can reach the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Join our Seen at Last Facebook group, which is a free community where we support women to be seen at last. I’m Dr. Deb. Take care of your body, mind, and spirit. Be well, and we’ll see you on the next episode.The post Episode 260 – How Trauma Passes Through Generations: Epigenetics, Trafficking and Chronic Illness first appeared on Let's Talk Wellness Now.

On Tuesday's show: Fort Bend County's new chief executive was sworn in Monday. We learn more about County Judge Daniel Wong, a former Sugar Land city council member who was appointed to the position after K.P. George was removed from office last week.And we learn about some of the reaction to Houston City Council's passage of a revised HPD policy for interacting with ICE.Also this hour: Houston's social scene quite often revolves around alcohol. But what if connection didn't require a drink? We learn how one Houston woman turned her personal journey to sobriety into a growing movement to create alcohol-free spaces and community, called Sober Girl Houston, as more Americans rethink their relationship with drinking.And we revisit the story of The Melody Maids, a group of singing teenage girls from southeast Texas that traveled the world performing for troops from World War II to Vietnam. A new documentary tells their story, and it will be shown April 15 at the River Oaks Theatre.Watch

Robert “Bob” Bain was born in Minnesota and worked as an insurance agent for 38 years. Beyond his career, he played a major role in developing Bismarck: he promoted hockey, served on the City Park Board and City Commission, and volunteered with the United Way.

Let me begin by acknowledging that what is in motion will lead us to the most significant wealth transfer and opportunity in human history.Yes, the disruption is indeed real.However, so is the development that is taking place on the other side of it.Three years ago, I ceased checking the stock market and my bank account.Instead, I began observing the subtle movements in the digital asset space and the countries that are repatriating their gold.Because in the midst of change, these indicators provide valuable insights.Let's delve into this together.If you've been feeling like a significant shift is occurring in the global economy, but you can't quite pinpoint it, you're not alone.There are numerous events happening simultaneously, and most of them aren't being reported in a way that clearly connects the dots.While I share much of this information with my clients, I felt compelled to share a more prominent message due to the widespread fear and confusion, which is often intentionally created to facilitate the rest of a global transition.The Petrodollar Is FinishedFor over 50 years, there was a simple rule that governed global finance: if you wanted to buy oil, you needed US dollars. Every country on earth had to hold dollars, which created permanent demand for the currency and gave the American financial system enormous power.That arrangement is now over. The key agreement that held it together was not renewed. Countries can now trade oil in whatever currency suits them.This is not a minor adjustment. This is the foundation of the post-World War II financial order cracking apart. And if you've been watching energy markets, currency movements, and gold prices, you're already seeing the early effects.What the Markets Are Telling YouRight now:* Gold is trading above $4,700 an ounce* Silver is sitting around $75* Oil has climbed to roughly $110 a barrel* Stock markets have dropped significantly in recent weeksThese numbers aren't random noise. They reflect a market beginning to price in something that most mainstream commentary hasn't fully acknowledged yet — the possibility that the current financial architecture is being replaced, not just reformed.The Central Bank SituationThere are several signals worth paying attention to regarding the future of the central banking system.A new central bank chairman is stepping in mid-May. He has a reputation for questioning the fundamentals of how the current system operates — not just tweaking interest rates, but asking bigger questions about the structure itself.Perhaps more striking: a recent Treasury announcement described new currency coming this summer. The announcement covered the US dollar, the economy, and the financial system at length. What it didn't mention — not once — was the central bank.That's either an oversight, or it's intentional. Given the current environment, intentional seems more likely.The Debt Trap, Explained SimplyHere's the core problem with the system we've been living in.Every dollar created comes attached to a debt. Interest is charged on that debt.But here's the catch — the money to pay the interest was never actually created. So you have to borrow more to pay back what you already borrowed, plus interest.Do that for 50 years without a reset, and you end up exactly where we are — with debt levels that have no realistic path to repayment through normal means.The last three major financial resets happened in 1933, 1945, and 1971. We are now the furthest we have ever been from the last one. Something has to give.A Word on Your Bank DepositsThis is worth knowing, even if it's uncomfortable.Legislation passed in a previous administration changed the priority order for how banks handle their obligations in a crisis. Under those rules, a bank's debts to other financial institutions rank above their obligations to depositors.In plain English: if a large bank gets into serious trouble, it can cover itself before it covers you.Credit unions generally don't carry the same exposure to complex financial instruments that create this risk. That's worth factoring into where you keep your money.It's also worth noting that major wealth management firms are quietly raising their recommended allocation to physical metals — from around 10% to closer to 30%. The people managing large pools of money are hedging. That tells you something. Gold Leaving US VaultsOne of the more significant recent developments has received very little attention.A major European country just completed the process of moving all of its gold reserves out of US custody and back home. Another large European nation is now discussing doing the same. This kind of thing hasn't happened in over a century.When countries start pulling their gold home, they're expressing a view about where power is shifting. They're not doing it for logistics reasons. They're doing it because they sense the old order is changing and they want their assets under their own roof before that transition is complete.Physical Silver vs. Paper SilverIf you follow precious metals at all, you've probably noticed the price has been somewhat volatile. Here's some context that explains why.The traded price of silver — what you see quoted on financial sites — is largely determined by paper contracts, not actual physical metal. Estimates suggest there are roughly 300 paper ounces in circulation for every one real, physical ounce.When powerful financial players want to push the price down, they sell paper. But something interesting has been happening: every time silver gets pushed toward $68-70, buyers step in immediately and the price bounces back up. A floor is forming.Meanwhile, physical silver is quietly disappearing from storage facilities at a rate not seen in years. And for six consecutive years, the world has consumed more silver than it has mined. That gap has to close eventually — and when it does, the price will reflect reality rather than paper promises.The Hard Truth About What's ComingLet's be straightforward here. The transition from one financial system to another is not going to be smooth.There is a credible argument that the correction ahead could be severe — more severe than what we saw in 2008-2009. Pensions, investment accounts, and real estate values are all potentially exposed. Living standards may fall during the transition period. Supply chains could face disruption.The 1929 parallel is worth sitting with. In the months before the crash, life looked completely normal. People were going to work, shopping, building, investing. And then almost overnight, everything changed.The difference between then and now is that you have advance warning. You have time to make decisions while things still feel relatively normal. That window doesn't stay open forever.But Here's the Other SideIf the reset unfolds the way many analysts expect, what comes after the difficult transition is genuinely promising.* Wars winding down means energy prices fall and inflation eases* A restructured central banking system means rates can come down meaningfully* A return to tariff-based government revenue could eventually reduce or eliminate income tax* A manufacturing resurgence creates real jobs and real wages* A new currency system backed by hard assets protects the value of your money going forwardThe disruption is real. But so is what's being built on the other side of it.What You Can Actually Do Right NowYou don't need to panic. But you do need to act thoughtfully. Here's a simple framework:Protect what you have.

May we resolve to live not by lies, political correctness, wokeness, or ‘repressive tolerance‘ by any name. May we live by the Truth alone, and may God have mercy on us. Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to. — Theodore Dalrymple (Anthony Daniels) Frontpage Magazine interview (August 31, 2005) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. — Romans 10:8-13 KJV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. — John 14:6 KJV Links Videos / Clips [x] = Played Triggered! Featuring Dave Chappelle- He Rapes But He Saves! [x] 0:47--2:23 The Problem With Feminising Society – Helen Andrews [x] 1:00--4:06 Headlines [x] = Mentioned / Discussed Featured [x] Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit High-Profile Deviance [x] Democrat [Kevin Cichowski] who wants to be Florida’s next governor is filmed being arrested after allegedly beating up two elderly people with a cane and phone | Daily Mail Online [x] Tony Gonzales says he will resign from House – POLITICO Eric Swalwell and curious coincidences of timing [x] Swalwell says he plans to resign from Congress amid sexual assault allegations – ABC News [x] Exclusive | Bleary-eyed Eric Swalwell wears a robe, parties with ‘yacht girls' during ‘hush hush' St. Tropez blow-out, wild video shows Double Standard…? [x] Trump, 79, Thirsts Over Woman in Front of Teenage Grandson, Donald Trump III The woman is Nina Coates, a golf content creator from Taiwan. Coates, who lives in Miami, responded to the president's affections on social media. “Yes I'm married,” she wrote alongside a laughing face emoji. A HuffPost analysis released on March 28 found that Trump's golf excursions have cost the taxpayer at least $101.2 million in travel and security expenses since his return to office in January last year. All of Trump's wives have been younger than him. He married his current wife, first lady Melania Trump, in 2005. She is 55, 24 years younger than her husband. Before Melania, there was Marla Maples, who is 62. His first wife, Ivanka Trump,[sic] died at 73 in July 2022. The Rest [x] = Mentioned / Discussed Live Not By Lies Theodore Dalrymple – Wikipedia Anthony Daniels (psychiatrist) – Wikiquote [x] FrontPage Magazine – Our Culture, What's Left Of It [x] THE MYTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY – A Lecture by Carroll Quigley Ph.D. [x] Bandwagon effect – Wikipedia [x] Mob rule – Wikipedia The Deviance of Trump [x] Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations – Wikipedia Marla marla maples donald trump rape at DuckDuckGo [x] Scandalous Details About Donald Trump And Marla Maples’ Marriage [x] Trump believed rape accuser E. Jean Carroll was wife in photo [x] ‘It’s Marla’: Donald Trump confuses rape accuser with ex-wife, trial told | US News | Sky News [x] Leaked Donald Trump tapes dredges up 1989 spousal rape accusation Ivana ivana trump, donald trump rape at DuckDuckGo [x] Donald Trump’s ex-wife’s claim he ‘raped’ her resurfaces in new documentary | The Independent | The Independent [x] Did ivana trump say Donald trump raped her Ivanka ivanka trump at DuckDuckGo [x] Ivanka Trump Believes Alleged Victims of Sexual Misconduct—Unless They're Accusing Her Father Donald Trump’s comments about daughter raise eyebrows – CNN – YouTube Donald Trump: “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” – YouTube Ivanka Trump: All the times Donald Trump was inappropriate with his daughter | indy100 Donald Trump thinks Ivanka is ‘hot’ and would ‘date her if she wasn’t my daughter’ – The Mirror Donald Trump’s unsettling record of comments about his daughter Ivanka | The Independent | The Independent Behavioral Sink [x] Behavioral sink – Wikipedia [x] Population Density and Social Pathology: When a population of laboratory rats is allowed to increase in a confined space, the rats develop acutely abnormal patterns of behavior that can even lead to the extinction of the population – 1962-calhoun.pdf Beirut on the Charles GQ Article Draws Law Students’ Ire | News | The Harvard Crimson [x] Beirut on the Charles: At faction-ridden Harvard Law School, the only natural impulse that remains above suspicion is ambition itself (Feb, 1993) by John Sedgwick – GQ_BeirutOnTheCharlesFull.pdf Degenerate “Cultural Bolshevism” Herbert Marcuse – Wikipedia Joseph Goebbels – Wikipedia Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory – Wikipedia Marcusean ‘Repressive Tolerance’ at Work Sweet Cakes by Melissa – Cases – First Liberty Klein v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries – Wikipedia [x] Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission – Wikipedia On This Day Events April 2026 Calendar of Public Holidays | Office Holidays Holidays and Observances in the United States in 2026 What day is it today? Important events every day ad-free | United States OTD Worldwide Public Holidays Tuesday April 14th 2026 | Office Holidays On This Day – What Happened on April 14 Today in History: April 14, Abraham Lincoln fatally shot at Ford’s Theatre | AP News What Happened on April 14 – On This Day What Happened on April 14 | HISTORY April 14 – Wikipedia What Happened On April 14 In History? 14 | April | 2020 | Executed Today Holidays Dolphin Day (US) Ex-Spouse Day (US) Gardening Day (US) Library Workers Day (US) Pan American Day (US) Pecan Day (US) Reach As High As You Can Day (US) That Sucks Day (US) Yom HaShoah Day (Jewish commemoration) ‘Six million Jews in WWII’ is a grossly inflated number, which is a marginalizing disservice to victims everywhere. That’s not ‘Holocaust denial’. It’s not denying the reality of genocidal tragedy – on the contrary, it affirms the tragedy(s) everywhere. This group does not have a monopoly on tragedy, as R.J. Rummel proved in DEATH BY GOVERNMENT: GENOCIDE AND MASS MURDER in which he coined the term ‘democide’. Despite relentless attempts to denigrate him (wonder why?) David Irving‘s work is instructive, and he is an unimpeachable witness. Why would a man be banned from entire countries simply for his ideas…? There’s also Edwin Black’s IBM and the Holocaust and the subject of what it more broadly represents (i.e., fascism)… There’s also the controversy of the term ‘holocaust’; “A burnt sacrifice; an offering, the whole of which was consumed by fire, among the Jews and some pagan nations”…?? World Quantum Day (Intl) Historical Events 2015 – Archaeologists announce they have found 3.3 million-year-old stone tools at Lomekwi in Kenya, the oldest ever discovered and predating the earliest humans 2003 – The Human Genome Project is completed: The project dedicated to mapping the genes of the human genome was started in October 1990. 2002 – 66th US Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods becomes the third player to claim back-to-back Masters, three strokes ahead of Retief Goosen of South Africa 2000 – Metallica files a lawsuit against the peer-to-peer sharing platform Napster, accelerating a movement against file-sharing programs 1996 – Greg Norman blows six-shot Masters lead in epic collapse: Third-round leader Greg Norman loses a six-shot lead in the final round of the Masters golf tournament and finishes second—one of the worst collapses in sports history. Nick Faldo wins the green jacket, finishing five strokes ahead of Norman. “I played like a bunch of [expletive],” the Australian tells reporters afterward.… read more 1994 – Musician Billy Joel & supermodel Christie Brinkley announce plans to divorce 1994 – In a friendly fire incident during Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq, two U.S. Air Force aircraft mistakenly shoot-down two U.S. Army helicopters, killing 26 people. 1991 – The Republic of Georgia introduces the post of President following its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. 1988 – The USS Samuel B. Roberts strikes a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will. 1988 – The Soviet Union agrees to withdraw from Afghanistan: In a United Nations ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, the Soviet Union signs an agreement pledging to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Soviet troops had invaded the country in 1979 to support the communist rulers. They were defeated primarily by the Mujahideen, who were groups of militant Islamists sponsored by the CIA.123 1986 – U.S. bombs terrorist and military targets in Libya: In retaliation for the April 5 bombing in West Berlin that killed two U.S. servicemen, U.S. president Ronald Reagan orders major bombing raids against Libya, killing 60 people. The raid, which began shortly before 7 p.m. EST (2 a.m., April 15 in Libya), involved more than 100 U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft, and was over within an… read more 1986 – The heaviest hailstones ever recorded hit Bangladesh: The lumps of ice weighed about 1 kg (2.2 lb). At total of 92 people reportedly died as a result. 1969 – Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand tie for Best Actress Oscar: During the first internationally televised Oscars ceremony, Ingrid Bergman exclaims “It's a tie!” upon opening the Best Actress envelope—the first tie in a major acting category in three decades. The award went to both Katharine Hepburn, for her turn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter, and Barbra Streisand,… read more 1960 – Montreal Canadiens win fifth consecutive Stanley Cup: The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup for a record fifth year in a row. The Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Finals after sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in four games, while the Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings, four games to two. The championship… read more 1956 – In Chicago, Illinois, videotape is first demonstrated. 1944 – Explosion on cargo ship rocks Bombay, India: The cargo ship Fort Stikine explodes in a berth in the docks of Bombay, India (now known as Mumbai), killing 1,300 people and injuring another 3,000. As it occurred during World War II, some initially claimed that the massive explosion was caused by Japanese sabotage; in fact, it was a tragic… read more 1939 – The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press. 1935 – “Black Sunday” Dust Bowl storm strikes: In what came to be known as “Black Sunday,” one of the most devastating storms of the 1930s Dust Bowl era sweeps across the region. High winds kicked up clouds of millions of tons of dirt and dust so dense and dark that some eyewitnesses believed the world was coming to… read more Was it ‘accidentally’ engineered…?678910 1932 – Loretta Lynn is born: Loretta Lynn, a singer who greatly expanded the opportunities for women in the male-dominated world of country-western music, is born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Unlike some country-western stars that sang about a rural working class life but lived an urban middle class existence, Loretta Lynn's country roots were unquestionably authentic. Born Loretta… read more 1931 – First edition of the Highway Code published in Great Britain. 1927 – The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden. 1918 – American pilots engage in first dogfight over the western front: Six days after being assigned for the first time to the western front, two American pilots from the U.S. First Aero Squadron engage in America's first aerial dogfight with enemy aircraft. In a battle fought almost directly over the Allied Squadron Aerodome at Toul, France, U.S. fliers Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow succeeded in shooting… read more 1912 – Doomed passenger liner RMS Titanic hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic: The subsequent sinking of the world’s largest ocean liner of the time resulted in more than 1500 deaths. It was one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history. Was there more to the story…? 1910 – Taft becomes first U.S. president to throw out first pitch at MLB game: Skull and Bonesman,11 President William Howard Taft becomes the first president to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Major League Baseball game. The historic toss on opening day is to star Walter Johnson, the Washington Senators' starting pitcher against the Philadelphia Athletics at National Park in the nation's capital.… read more 1909 – Armenian Genocide: A massacre is organized by Ottoman Empire against Armenian population of Cilicia. Muslims in the Ottoman Empire begin a massacre of Armenians in Adana. 1908 – Hauser Dam, a steel dam on the Missouri River in Montana, fails, sending a surge of water 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) high downstream. 1906 – The first meeting of the Azusa Street Revival, which will launch Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement, is held in Los Angeles. 1894 – The first ever commercial motion picture house opens in New York City. It uses ten Kinetoscopes, devices for peep-show viewing of films. 1894 – First public showing of Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope (moving pictures) 1890 – The Pan-American Union is founded by the First International Conference of American States in Washington, D.C. 1890 – Painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (49) weds Aline Victorine Charigot 1881 – The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight occurs in El Paso, Texas. 1880 – Philosopher John Muir (41) weds Louisa Strentzel 1865 – William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State, and his family are attacked at home by Lewis Powell. 1865 – Ulysses S. Grant and his wife turn down an invitation to join President and Mrs. Lincoln at Ford's Theatre to see the comedic play Our American Cousin. In doing so, he deprives assassin John Wilkes Booth of a second target. 1865 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is shot: President Abraham Lincoln was shot and fatally wounded during a performance of the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington; Lincoln was taken to a boarding house across the street and died the following morning at 7:22 am. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, wanted to revive the Confederate cause, mere days after their surrender to the Union Army, bringing the American Civil War to an end. At least, that’s the official story…45 1846 – The Donner Party of pioneers departs Springfield, Illinois, for California, on what will become a year-long journey of hardship, cannibalism, and survival. 1828 – First Edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language is printed: Noah Webster, a Yale-educated lawyer with an avid interest in language and education, publishes his American Dictionary of the English Language. Webster's dictionary was one of the first lexicons to include distinctly American words. The dictionary, which took him more than two decades to complete, introduced more than 10,000 “Americanisms.” [Because, defining terms is important! Who’s in charge; who decides…?]… read more 1775 – First American abolition society founded in Philadelphia: The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, the first American society dedicated to the cause of abolition, is founded in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush. The society changes its name to the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage… read more 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital, with four Roman legions. Births 1975 – Anderson Silva, Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer (51) 1973 – Adrien Brody, Performer who became the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner playing a Holocaust survivor in The Pianist. (53) 1941 – Pete Rose, Baseball great nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” who topped Ty Cobb’s record for career hits. Banned from the sport in 1989 for gambling. (died 2024) 1932 – Loretta Lynn, Queen of country music who was born a coal miner’s daughter—which inspired her biggest hit and an Oscar-winning biopic. (died 2022) 1925 – Rod Steiger, American soldier and actor (died 2002) 1907 – François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, Haitian dictator (died 1971) 1889 – Arnold J. Toynbee, English historian and academic, key architect of the Third British Empire author of 12-volume A Study of History (Oxford University Press 1939). (died 1975) 1738 – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1809) Deaths 2021 – Bernie Madoff, American mastermind of the world’s largest Ponzi scheme [except for the Federal Reserve!] (born 1938) 2015 – Percy Sledge, American singer (born 1940) 2013 – George Jackson, American singer-songwriter (born 1945) 2013 – Charlie Wilson, American politician (born 1943) 2007 – Don Ho, American singer and ukulele player (born 1930) 1995 – Burl Ives, American actor, folk singer, writer, and freemason (born 1909) 1943 – Yakov Dzhugashvili, Georgian-Russian lieutenant, eldest son of Joseph Stalin (born 1907) 1759 – George Frideric Handel, German-English organist and composer (born 1685) Footnotes Wikipedia Contributors. “Operation Cyclone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ “How Jimmy Carter and I Started the Mujahideen.” CounterPunch.org, CounterPunch, 8 Nov. 2015, www.counterpunch.org/1998/01/15/how-jimmy-carter-and-i-started-the-mujahideen/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Dixon, Norm. “How the CIA Created Osama Bin Laden.” Green Left, 18 Sept. 2001, www.greenleft.org.au/2001/465/analysis/how-cia-created-osama-bin-laden. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Perloff, James. Exploding the Official Myths of the Lincoln Assassination. 2024, www.amazon.com/dp/0966816064. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Perloff, James. “Announcing James Perloff's Latest Book.” Jamesperloff.net, 2026, jamesperloff.net/announcing-james-perloffs-latest-book/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ FDRLibrary. “FDR and the Dust Bowl.” YouTube, 20 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRAbOAim8U8. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Dust Bowl.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Deforestation.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Jan. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Desertification.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertification. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Snyder, Michael. “1930s Dust Bowl Conditions Are Returning to the Middle of the United States.” Substack.com, Michael Snyder's Substack, 8 Apr. 2025, michaeltsnyder.substack.com/p/1930s-dust-bowl-conditions-are-returning. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. ↩ Best of Danny Jones. “The Man Who Was BORN into the Deep State Finally Speaks | Kris Millegan.” YouTube, 10 Apr. 2026, youtu.be/eM8eMtcNACw. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026. 7:00--34:00 Kris Millegan on; William Howard Taft, Alphonso Taft, William Huntington Russell, Phi Beta Kappa, Skull and Bones, the (family) history of the (modern) opium trade, and American football. ↩

ffinlo Costain meets David R Montgomery, the author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations. In a warm conversation, they discuss worms, the plough, soil bank accounts, regenerative farming, human nutrition and much more. ffinlo also finds out why human health improved in the UK during the Second World War. Montgomery is also co-author (with Anne Biklé) of What Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature. His new book, ReGen: A New Future for Farming, Food and Health, is out later in 2026.

In this episode of the Kokoda Track Podcast, host Glenn Azar shares his thoughts on the importance of respecting the history and culture of the Kokoda Track. He reflects on the debates and arguments that often arise online about the correct way to experience the track, and how this can be a distraction from the true spirit of the place. Glenn emphasizes the need to prioritize education, respect, and understanding, and to remember that there's no one "right" way to walk the track. He encourages listeners to approach the experience with an open mind and a willingness to learn. This podcast is brought to you by Adventure Professionals. KOKODA FITNESS PROGRAM OTHER ADVENTURES See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Maybe It Shouldn't.I've watched those viral videos where elderly people share their life insights—the ones with millions of views. It struck me that what truly resonates isn't advice on success, but reflections on what we mean to other people. On connection.I should know. I've died three times—or had three Near-Death Experiences. Once, my entire body was paralyzed. Believe me, there are things worse than death. These encounters strip everything back to what is essential.Here is what I learned matters most:That you enjoy your life.That you connect with God (or the Divine, or the Universe—whatever you call it).That you share your love openly.That you live a healthy lifestyle with a plant-based diet and consistent movement.Looking back, I am deeply grateful for the path I chose.I followed my heart. I shared love and sexuality with the women I desired. I even experienced the Divine through a profound, tantric connection with my partner—a revelation for a former atheist. Yes, separation hurts. But to share that level of intimacy with someone you love is priceless. When you are old, that window closes. I am grateful for the therapy and inner work that freed me to love, overcoming the traumas that once locked my heart away. Today, I am not married, but I live with a woman I chose. We met 20 years ago and have shared love and intimacy freely, without the confines of a traditional marriage.I am also happy for the over ten years I spent in meditation retreats, living in celibacy. That surrender to God is a treasure beyond measure.I am happy for my health and fitness, the direct result of my lifestyle choices.Sure, I'm proud of my work as an engineer designing high-tech systems. But it was only a part of my life—and one that often disconnected me from myself. I couldn't stop solving technical problems, even in the middle of the night.Do not get trapped by success or money. Without a connection to something greater, everything you gain feels meaningless in the end.My mother, whose family lost everything in WWII, would tell us: "Close your eyes. Only what you see now, you truly own." You can lose possessions, status, even people. But you cannot lose God once you have surrendered.If you enjoy your life and do the things that call to you, you will never regret those happy moments. You will, however, regret the strenuous work that proved futile. Ask yourself: How much are you sacrificing for a little more success, recognition, or money?Today, a new trap is destroying lives: smartphone and social media addiction. Suicide rates and unhappiness are at their highest because of it. Everywhere, you see parents who care more for their screens than for their children.So here is my final insight: Give your space to living people. Open your heart. Love.And remember: prevention is the best doctor. Choose a healthy lifestyle not just for your body, but for your soul. That is a life that makes sense.My Video:  Does Your Life Make Sense? https://youtu.be/qKpeIGVRAcsMy Audio: https://divinesuccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/Podcast5/Does-Your-Life-Make-Sense.mp3

For thousands of years, the most desperate minds in history — scientists, sorcerers, and everyone in between — have refused to accept that death is the end. | #WDRadio April 12, 2026==========HOUR ONE: I'm pretty sure that unless you were born of a virgin, died, and then rose from the grave three days later, no one has had any real success at bringing people back from the underworld. But that's exactly what people who practice necromancy try to do – wake the dead. They can't be successful at it though, can they? (Raising The Dead) *** The people of Japan have a myth of a terrible snake-like creature with death-dealing powers called a Tsuchinoko. But unlike many legends, there have been modern sightings of this bizarre cryptid. Is it real? If so, what could it be? (Is The Legendary Tsuchinoko Real?) *** At the age of only 14, George Stinney Jr. was the youngest person in history to be put to death in the electric chair. Then, seventy years later he was proven innocent. (The Execution of an Innocent) ***They were cigar-shaped, glowed red and could turn on a dime. Which ruled out even the most sophisticated rockets of the time. What is it that World War II fighter pilots were seeing in the skies flying with them? (The UFOs of World War 2)==========HOUR TWO: All families have their ups and downs. However, when you find a clan where an infanticide trial is arguably the least worst thing to happen to them, it's safe to say you've found one very special household… the Mabbitt family. 
(The Confusing Disappearance of Luella Mabbitt) *** A woman moves into a home where the past three residents went insane. What could possibly go wrong? (The House With The Unfortunate Past) *** Bartholomew Roberts, better known as the in famous pirate Black Bart, operated in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean from 1719 to 1722. He was easily the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy, having been known to have captured over 400 ships in his day. But could it be true that he was actually forced to become a pirate against his will? (Was Black Bart Forced To Become a Pirate?) *** If you could choose a superpower, what would it be? Invisibility? Flight? Super strength or speed? What about X-ray vision like Superman? Would you believe there was a man in the 20th century who did have x-ray vision, without technology to do it? He had a few other superpowers as well! (The Man With The X-Ray Eyes)==========SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: It was the slaying that shocked Australia. Sometime on the night of December 26th, 1898, Michael Murphy and his two younger sisters were slaughtered as they traveled back from Gatton in southeastern Australia. Their murders prompted a massive investigation—yet the crime remains unsolved to this day. (Australia's Unsolved Gatton Murders) *** A snowy November day, a bus full of students, and an icy lake. It was about to become the day of the worst school-related accident in Washington state history. (School Bus Plunges To An Icy Death)==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT'S SHOW:VIDEO of Kuba Bux from 1938: https://weirddarkness.com/archives/6546BOOK: Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II by Keith Chester: https://amzn.to/2MdWUHl“Australia's Unsolved Gatton Murders” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/yapybysk“The Confusing Disappearance of Luella Mabbitt” from Strange Company: https://tinyurl.com/y88xoa95“The Man With The X-Ray Eyes” by Marc Hartzman for Weird Historian: https://tinyurl.com/y9ok2wnz“The House With The Unfortunate Past” by Dar77 from Your Ghost Stories: https://tinyurl.com/y85t95qe“Was Black Bart Forced To Become a Pirate?” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/yc7doxlj“Is The Legendary Tsuchinoko Real?” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y7aoznc2“The Execution of an Innocent” from Bugged Space: https://tinyurl.com/yagynb2y“Zombie Science” by Kimberly Hickok for Live Science: https://tinyurl.com/ybud3hly“Raising The Dead” by Jen Jeffers for Ranker: (link no longer available)“The UFOs of World War 2” by Adam Janos for History: https://tinyurl.com/yamx3hnl“School Bus Plunges To An Icy Death” by Daryl McClary for History Link: https://tinyurl.com/ybtxdrrl==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)=========="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46==========WeirdDarkness®, WeirdDarkness© 2026==========To become a Weird Darkness Radio Show affiliate, contact Radio America at affiliates@radioamerica.com, or call 800-807-4703 (press 2 or dial ext 250).

   Sisterhood, CIA, and the Terror Transition  APRIL 13, 2026This collection of transcripts details the transformative role of women at the CIA, from the agency's origins during World War II to the pursuit of Osama bin Laden. Authors and analysts explore how pioneers like Mary Bancroft provided vital intelligence during the Cold War despite being relegated to clerical roles and facing systemic sexism. The narrative follows the career of Heidi August, who rose from a secretary to a station chief, illustrating the shift in focus from Soviet espionage to global counterterrorism. A central theme is the intellectual contributions of female analysts, such as Cindy Storer and Barbara Sude, who identified the threat of al-Qaeda long before the 9/11 attacks. Despite their pioneering work in targeting and intelligence analysis, these women often struggled to have their warnings heard by male leadership. Ultimately, the sources highlight a hidden history of sacrifice and expertise, showing how a dedicated "sisterhood" fundamentally shaped modern American intelligence operations.1. THE OSS ORIGINS AND MARY BANCROFT Guest Mundy: Guest Mundy describes the CIA's WWII roots through the OSS, where elite, college-educated women like Mary Bancroft were recruited for their intelligence and language skills,. Working as Allen Dulles's "right-hand woman" in neutral Switzerland, Bancroft provided crucial analysis and handled a high-level Nazi double agent plotting against Hitler,,. Despite her sophisticated operational role, she faced blatant sexism, once being ordered by Dulles to fetch food during a meeting. Mundy explains that these pioneer women were intentionally tested for their tolerance of being under-recognized while men claimed credit for their work. (2)1952 WARSAW

How do dictionaries define colors? And why are some of those definitions so confusing, like “stronger than carmine” and “bluer than fiesta”? Dictionary editor Kory Stamper explains it all in her new book. Plus, the story behind the expression more bang for your buck goes back to World War II. And did you know there's a term for those pieces of green plastic fringe in supermarket displays that makes things look more appetizing? Keep an eye out for parsley runners! Also: brolic, more bang for your buck, feeling dingy, mirabiliary, a brain teaser about verbal misunderstandings, between the mustard and the mayo, liminal, the German disease, and the sayings It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good and Hay is for horses, straw is cheaper, grass is free, marry a farmer, and you have all three. Hear hundreds of free episodes and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org. Be a part of the show: call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; elsewhere in the world, call or text +1 619 800 4443. Send voice notes or messages via WhatsApp 16198004443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Bio: Anna Laura is an entrepreneur at heart. Her Grandmother's story of waving a white tablecloth to avoid attacks by bomber planes during World War II inspired Anna to start White Flag. White Flag is a lifestyle brand aimed to spark conversations about Jesus Christ through simple designs inspired by biblical truths. She has worked with many artists and creators, including Lauren Daigle and Chip & Joanna Gaines, to bring White Flag out into the world. She is also a single mother of two in Nashville, Tennessee.  Show Summary: Have you ever asked a question in church or with a mentor and felt like it wasn't received well? Anna Laura was in high school when she started asking tough questions within the church. The reaction to her questions led to the forging of a new path in her life as a single mom and entrepreneur. Join God Hears Her hosts, Eryn Eddy Adkins and Vivian Mabuni as they learn the trajectory of Anna's story and how God helped her to surrender her hurts and her doubts to him.   Notes and Quotes:  “A lot of what I heard growing up was that if you questioned or doubted, or you weren't doing things a certain way or living thing a certain way, then you had ‘lukewarm Christianity.'”  —Anna Laura  “I look back at seasons where everything felt really hard as a single parent and the bits of life and the anchor in it all were the people who were the safe space.” —Anna Laura  “The act of surrender has been a daily evolving process for me.” —Anna Laura  “Get it all out on paper and watch God connect the dots right in front of you.” —Anna Laura  “I can't tell you how powerful it is to give yourself the freedom to share the entire spectrum of your emotions with God when you're in the middle of it.” —Anna Laura  Related Episodes:  GHH Ep 33 – Adventurous Obedience with Kari Jobe: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/adventurous-obedience-with-kari-jobe/ GHH Ep 169 – Learning to Surrender with Tara Sun: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/learning-to-surrender/   Links:  White Flag by Anna Laura: https://www.whiteflag.org/ God Hears Her website: https://go.odb.org/ghh191  Subscribe to the God Hears Her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GodHearsHerODBM

Keith explores how long-running social and economic shifts are redefining the American Dream—especially for younger adults who are putting off milestones like moving out, starting families, and buying homes.  He connects these trends to today's housing scarcity, elongated renter stage, and what that means for long-term rental demand and real estate investors. Keith also zooms out to place the current moment in the sweep of American history, then welcomes Redfin Chief Economist Dr. Daryl Fairweather for a data-driven conversation on affordability, supply constraints, renting versus owning, and how demographic changes could shape the next wave of opportunities in both ownership and rental markets. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/601 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   welcome to GRE I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, learn just how far behind today's 30 year olds are then American history by decade as the nation approaches its 250th birthday. Finally, a conversation about what's next for the housing market with Redfin's chief economist Darrell fairweather today on get rich education.   Corey Coates  0:27   Since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests include top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android. Listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast, or visit get rich education.com   Keith Weinhold  1:10   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally, while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Speaker 1  1:44   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:54   Welcome to get rich Education. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, the voice of real estate investing since 2014 almost nobody talks about a really important story going on in America today. And I find this really astonishing. I mean, you could almost never think of America the same way again, as you'll hear while you've got these other headlines out there, constantly sucking oxygen out of the room, like decisions from the White House and inflation and wars. One big story. It moves so slowly that it kind of creeps up on you. It is the jaw dropping change in American society over the last 40 years. And then we'll discuss its seismic changes for real estate. And this is sourced from a Census Bureau supplement. It's about how fewer us adults reach typical life milestones by age 30, and this is partly because more adults opt for college than in previous generations. Oh, well, college doesn't sound like such a bad thing. I'll get to that. And by the way, 30 is an age that has come and gone for me, so I've lived through it. We're looking at a period from 1985 to 2025 so 40 years first, it's those that live on their own. In 1985 it was 83% today it's just 67% so then the percentage that don't live on their own and probably live with their parents or roommates, that has doubled. You see even more drastic declines for other milestones since 1985 those that have ever married from 77% down to 45% those that live with a child and the responsibility that this entails that's fallen from 59% down to 36% and those that own a home 48 down to 29% and again, this is for all 30 year olds since 1985 this steady, sliding, relentless decline of those who live on their own, are married, have a child, or own a home, is pretty stunning, and this is inside the most powerful nation on Earth. And here's the thing, this pattern from about 40 years ago, it unabatedly crosses through booms and busts and bubbles and bailouts, sort of like it didn't even notice those things. Somewhat ironically, what's grown during this time is the percentage that have a bachelor's degree. It's gone from 25 up to 43% so therefore, here we. Are. We've got this generation that's better educated than ever, and yet more of them are stuck down on the launch pad. It's like we built better rockets yet we can't light the fuse. And before I help you make sense of this and tell you what I believe the main force behind it to be, you just got to consider what an unfathomable aberration this has all become. At age 25 James Madison was the key architect of the US Constitution. A lot of constitution signers were in their 20s and 30s. At age 21 Steve Jobs started Apple in a garage at 20 Bill Gates co founded Microsoft at 19 Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook in a dorm room. And sure, some of these are exceptional examples, but these people committed early, and then they figured it out on the fly.   Keith Weinhold  5:59   Well, what about women? The US birth rate has hit an all time record low, because today, nearly half of 30 year old women are still child free. Okay, so some of this is logical. You can connect a few dots here more time in school, yeah, all right, that means later marriages and later kids. Sure, student debt that equals financial Gravity Boots that keep you in place. Urban living means smaller spaces. But when you stack all this together, like I just laid out later, it's not just later anymore. It is really later. That is the huge change that really startles you when you put all of this together and again, remember, over this same time span, 1985 to today, I've mentioned before how the average age of the first time homebuyer has ballooned from 29 up to 40. I mean 40 that can really take some time to sink in. And again, that's just the average in high cost housing areas. This number could be 45 or higher. I mean, sheesh, the starter home is now like a midlife purchase, and it's made right around the time that your back starts to make decisions for you, consider where we are here now, the term home ownership that is increasingly linked to older people. Those things home ownership and older people are increasingly synonymous terms. Now, owning a home, it's like a luxury good for the already established. I mean, it is pretty jaw dropping. And one contributor to these friends is the lack of available housing supply, still a 60 to 70% collapse in some populous northeast states, but really something like that. That's just a small thing. When you amalgamate it all together, it's become cultural really. The bigger trend that underlies this decline in meeting life milestones at age 30 is that long term true inflation exceeds wage increases over the decades, but there are big social shifts too. And by the way, I left my parents home for good at age 23 and some surely do so younger than I did marriage and children, they are the classic triggers to buy a house, and the longer that these type of milestones get postponed, the more likely people are to favor then flexibility over committing to a mortgage, and this then means that there is an elongated renter stage of life. Renters are no longer just passing through they're no longer just graduated from college, renting a year or two and then buying a home. Instead, they are planting flags and really pounding in stakes. And there are countless surveys that show that renters value the ability of being able to relocate without the hassle of having to sell a house. And on top of all of these trends as America ages overall, something really interesting starts to happen. This is why single family rentals have really begun to shine over the past few years, and why you had this Advent and popularity of new build and build to rent rental properties coming onto the market because single families give people the feeling of home and space and privacy and a backyard for the dog, but yet at the same time, it's commitment light, a lighter version. Now apartments benefit too, of course, and for investors, this isn't just. The trend, this is a long term tailwind, fewer life transitions. It means more stable occupancy and longer renter life cycles that lead to fewer turnovers and vacancies and repairs, so less churn, more consistency and better predictability. So the bottom line here is that this delay of life milestones, it's not subtle. It is pretty seismic, and increasingly people say that the American dream no longer even includes home ownership. Demography is destiny, and they must rent from you. And here at GRE we invest like these trends are real, but I really want to emphasize that this elongated renter stage of life really is a long term, long tail phenomenon. And I want to emphasize that because, like I said last week, in the short term, we really aren't seeing any significant rent increases due to that affordability constraint. Now we're nearly five years after America had a big wave of consumer inflation, and that really hurt kind of people this age that I'm talking about, people in their 20s and 30s, that really hurt them the most because they don't own assets that compound with the concurrent asset price inflation, they only had to deal with the bad stuff, the consumer price inflation.    Keith Weinhold  11:30   And as America approaches its 250th birthday, let's think about how this era compares to other decades. And by the way, do you know what a 250th anniversary is called? I put a line about this in my newsletter that I sent you the other day. It is called a semiquincentennial, or, I guess, semi quincentennial. I don't think that anyone's going to be using that word after the fireworks. Semiquincentennial. That sounds like a word that an Economic Committee came up with during a recession to kind of mask a worse problem or something. I suppose that the etymology makes sense. If you break it down, quincentennial would be 500 and semi would be half of 500 in any case, as you try to compare this American era to others, listen to this from the parallel truth. This is about three minutes long, and then I'll come back to comment. It's America by decade, starting all the way back in the 1770s This is a decent summary here, although it can get unnecessarily gloomy at times.   Speaker 2  12:41   Imagine you could live in the United States one decade at a time, not the America you see in movies, not the America in textbooks, but the real America. Let's start with the 1770s the decade of independence. This is not a freedom story, yet. It's a war story. Most people are farmers, roads are mud, medicine is almost nothing. And if you're a young man, your future is simple, fight or starve. Then came the 1800s The decade of expansion. America is still small, but it's hungry, new land, new states, New promises, but there is also growing slavery. Native tribes are being pushed out, and the country is quietly building a conflict it can't avoid. Now it's the 1860s the decade America almost died. There is civil war, Brother versus brother. Cities are burning. If you lived here, you didn't watch history, you survived it. Next is the 1900s The decade of industrial America, factories, railroads, steel, oil. The country becomes a machine. Cities explode with workers, but life is brutal, long hours, dirty air, child labor, you might earn money, but you will pay with your health. It's the 1920s now, the decade of jazz and madness. This is America's first big party decade, cars, radio, Hollywood. Everyone thinks the future is unstoppable. Then came the 1930s the decade the party ended. The Great Depression happens, banks collapse and jobs disappear. People line up for bread. A man with a suit could be broke in one week. This decade teaches America one lesson, that money is not real until it's in your hand. It's the 1940s now the decade America became the world's boss. World War Two turns the US into the world's factory. While Europe is burning, America is building. And when the war ends, America comes out richer than anyone in history. It's the 1950s the decade of the American dream, suburbs, big houses, one salary supports a whole family, TV dinners, new cars, new highways. This is the decade America sells the world the idea of perfect life. Next came 1960s the decade of rebellion, civil rights, Vietnam assassinations, the country feels like it's splitting. You could be hopeful or terrified, sometimes both in the same week, 1970s was the decade the system started breaking, oil crisis, inflation, crime rate, and in 1971 America quietly changes money forever. The dollar stops being backed by gold. From this point onward, America runs on trust. It. The 1980s the decade of Wall Street, America, big business, big spending. The stock market becomes religion. America looks confident again, but the middle class starts weakening slowly. Then came the 1990s the decade America felt unstoppable. The Soviet Union has collapsed and the US feels untouchable. The internet is born. This is the decade where Americans truly believe that they have won. It's the 2000s now the decade of shock, 911, wars, fear, surveillance, then 2008 hits, banks crash, housing collapses, and America learns something painful. The people who caused the crisis don't pay for it. It's the 2000s and 10s, the decade of the digital trap. Social media becomes reality, politics becomes war. Everyone is online, but nobody feels connected. The economy recovers, but normal people don't. And finally, it's the 2020s. The decade, chaos became normal. Pandemic changes everything. Supply chains are collapsing, inflation returns, AI arrives and trust collapses. And by 2026 America is still rich, but it feels exhausted. People are working harder, owning less, and trusting nobody. And the strangest part is that America didn't collapse. It just slowly became a different country, not through invasion, not through revolution, but through decades of small changes that added up to a completely new reality. So the real question is, if you could choose one decade to live in? Which one would you pick?   Keith Weinhold  16:22    Yeah, which decade would you pick to live in? A lot of people say the 1950s where we had, like they touched on there the post war boom and how one salary could support an entire household. Some people say the 1990s because the Cold War ended, we had the start of Wide Internet use, and it's before you had these stark political divisions where people started to put party ahead of country. Now some people would probably say, Are you kidding me? I'd rather live in this decade right here. I can work from home more easily than I ever could have before. And I think you can make valid cases for all of those things. And speaking of this era, a quarter just ended, and we do this quarterly at most. It's our asset class rundown. Year over year, national home prices are only up about half of 1% per the nar 1% Case Shiller and totality, single family rent index shows just 1.3% rent growth. That's year over year. This quarter, the s, p5 100 was down 5% stocks of all types are down largely to the Iran war. The yield on the 10 year treasury note rose from 4.1 up to 4.3% due to higher inflation expectations. Why does that matter so much? That's what influences 30 year mortgage rates, which also rose from 6.2 up to 6.5% West Texas Intermediate oil prices soared from 59 bucks to over 100 last quarter. Gold hit an all time high of 5400 bucks in the quarter, and then fell to about 4600 by the end of the quarter. Other precious metals hit their all time peak. Bitcoin fell from 88k down to 68k That's the asset class rundown. I'll return with Redfin's chief economist, Dr Darrell fairweather and more. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to get rich education.    Keith Weinhold  18:18   Let me throw out a simple idea. Sometimes doing nothing with your money is actually a decision. Leaving it parked might feel safe, but over time, purchasing power changes. So the conversation isn't about chasing returns, it's about intentionally placing money somewhere. Freedom, family investments works in real estate people use every day. Housing, senior communities, essential properties, things tied to living and not trends. Their freedom notes offering is built for accredited investors looking for structured income backed by real assets, not speculation. I am an investor with them myself. The Freedom team makes themselves available to walk through their approach, structure and operating philosophy so you can ask questions and determine alignment before moving forward. While past performance doesn't guarantee future results, their historical operating philosophy has yielded 100% investor payouts backed by over 20 years of experience. If you want clarity before making any moves, book a clarity call@freedomfamilyinvestments.com or text family to 66 866, text the word family to 66 866,    Keith Weinhold  19:41   flock homes helps you retire from real estate and landlording, whether it's one problem, property or your whole portfolio through a 721, exchange, deferring your capital gains tax and depreciation recapture, it's a strategy long used by the ultra wealthy. Now. Mom and Pop landlords can 721, the residential real estate request your initial valuation, see if your properties qualify@flockhomes.com slash GRE, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre.   Robert Helms  20:16   Everybody. It's Robert Helms of the real estate guys radio program, so glad you found Keith Weinhold and get rich education, don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  20:35   This week's guest is the chief economist of Redfin during the housing crisis. She worked at the Boston Fed, studying why homeowners enter foreclosure. Since 2023 she served at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. She holds her BS from MIT, and she really knows her way around campuses, because she received her Master's and PhD in Economics at the University of Chicago, where she specialized in behavioral economics, that's interesting. Welcome to GRE. Darrell fairweather,   Daryl Fairweather  21:06   thank you for having me.    Keith Weinhold  21:08   Hey, Daryl. I'd like to get to some of the statistics later in the things that Redfin does and compiles, but tell us about the behavioral side of the housing market that's often so interesting and evencounterintuitive   Daryl Fairweather  21:22   yeah, one of the most interesting things about the housing market is that people get really emotional when making this huge financial decision. It's something that people don't have a lot of practice with. Most people maybe buy a home once or twice in their whole life. There's so much social weight that's put on it. It's the American dream. There's a lot of family pressure, and there's a lot of hurting behavior that can happen. People get swept up in the moment. Maybe they overbid on a home, or maybe they miss out because other people are avoiding the housing market. So it's a really interesting place to both study psychology and economics.   Keith Weinhold  21:56   Sure, most homeowners are just inexperienced at this whole thing. Yeah, behavioral economics, it really has this strong gravity in real estate. Maybe something that you've said touches on what I call the Zestimate illusion. A lot of times, sellers anchor their price to not just the Zillow estimate, but sometimes even the peak sale price in the whole neighborhood, and that's what they think that they should get for their home?   Daryl Fairweather  22:21   Yeah, that does happen quite a bit. And I don't think a lot of people realize how much those estimates can move once a home is listed. The list price tends to move that estimate quite a lot. So it's not a fact. And those estimates don't really know many details about the home, like what upgrades might have happened, or what internally is happening within the home, like if people have gotten new appliances or gotten a new air conditioning system, it doesn't really take those things into account. So you shouldn't just anchor off of the Redfin estimate. You should definitely talk to an agent. Look at the comps. The comps can tell you a lot in terms of what homes have sold for recently, and then track your local market in terms of whether it is going up in value or down in value, because those comps might be a little bit stale, and you have to adjust for where the market is right now.   Keith Weinhold  23:06   There's some really good points there. And when I think of the behavioral side of economics in the real estate market, another nascent thing that comes to mind Darrell, is the rate shock paralysis that really set in in America in 2022 mortgage rates are still historically on the low side. But few people think about it that way. They're really swayed by the recency bias   Daryl Fairweather  23:31   yes. And one thing to take into account, though, is how much home prices have gone up since the last time rates were this high. So if you're looking at the monthly mortgage payment and how much that is compared to people's monthly incomes, it is quite expensive to buy a home. In most metros, you cannot afford to buy a home on the local median income. There's only maybe four metros that are in the middle of the country where it's still affordable to buy a home on a middle class salary. So combined the rate and the price those mortgage payments are still quite expensive, although they have gotten slightly more affordable since last year because rates are slightly lower than last year, they did come up a bit with, you know, oil prices coming up, but still, compared to last year, rates are a bit lower and a bit more affordable to get a home.   Keith Weinhold  24:13   And of course, all this is besides the point that those 2021, mortgage rates, they were born out of a collapsing economy, and I don't think that we really want that either. But yes, to your point about affordability, that's been such a buzzword in the housing market for quite a while, and for good reason. It wasn't very long ago that we reached a 40 year low in affordability. Can you tell us about what can improve affordability next? Darrell or what's most likely to happen? For example, it seems like insurance rate increases have really leveled off.   Daryl Fairweather  24:50   Yes, the reason why affordability is so bad, especially in coastal cities, the places that have the most opportunities, is because of a lack of supply. Existing homeowners, they are fine. They like when their home goes up in value, but it really is a problem for first time homebuyers, when prices just keep climbing and when new housing gets proposed, it's often the existing homeowners who are blocking that housing from getting built, and so supply is constrained. You can see this very clearly in a place like San Francisco, which had a huge economic boom in the 2010s yet housing did not keep up with all of the job opportunities that were coming to the area, and when you have all these people moving in with higher incomes, it drives up prices when there isn't adequate supply. You take Austin as another example. Austin had a huge boom during the pandemic, but supply responded. Builders built, there was a lot of development that happened, and as a result, prices came right back down. They're still above where they were pre pandemic, but nowhere near the heights that we saw back in 2021 so it just goes to show that when you allow supply to get built, it does help keep prices more moderate and keep things more affordable.   Keith Weinhold  25:59   Yes, and nimbyism is rampant, is consumer inflation or some of the other big forces out there, for sure, but yes, this national dearth of supply something that's existed even well before the pandemic, for example, it's bounced back somewhat, but still not quite enough, and it's really part of what, in my opinion, has helped support housing prices, even when mortgage rates tripled back in 2022 Can you tell us more what you believe about the future of housing supply with all the data that you do with there at Redfin Daryl,   Daryl Fairweather  26:37   housing supply improved a bit during the pandemic, but we're still far below What we need in order to make housing more accessible to middle class people. But there are new challenges that are coming. One that you mentioned is insurance. Insurance costs are going up. So even if you have a fixed rate mortgage and you've locked that in, you still have to worry about the rising cost of ownership because of insurance costs are going up. Property taxes are going up in many places, and maintenance costs are increasing. So that is going to make home ownership, and just the cost of ownership in general, whether you're an investor or an owner occupant, more expensive moving forward. And that's going to vary depending on where you are. There going to be some parts of the country where insurance goes up much faster, like in Florida, and other parts where insurance will probably be more stable like in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. So it's important now even more so to really research the neighborhood, research the home, and figure out how those expenses could increase in the future.   Keith Weinhold  27:32   Yeah, here we are in this housing market where, you know, Darrell, I think of it in a lot of ways, is, you know, maybe for three years now, we've largely been stuck in the mud, much of it due to lower supply, where we have a lower overall proportion of both buyers and sellers.   Daryl Fairweather  27:48   Yeah, what's happening right now is really an hangover from the pandemic, because so many people locked in 3% mortgage rates during the pandemic, and if those homeowners were to sell and buy again. Even if they bought the same priced home, they would end up paying more in their monthly mortgage payment because of how much higher mortgage rates are, and that's holding back supply quite significantly. It's the reason why prices have not come down despite rates going up, is because the higher rates are holding back both demand and supply at the same time, and contributing to the overall lack of inventory that's out there,   Keith Weinhold  28:24   this aberration where we have a big proportion of American homeowners living in homes where if they tried to repurchase that home at today's terms, they couldn't even do it. To your point about people not wanting to move, and that's a big reason why they almost can't. They might pay more in rent elsewhere for a like property if they were to sell what they own, if those still locked in terms and Darrell here, I think, you know, our audience is largely real estate investors, a lot of them investing in one to four unit properties. So with what you're seeing there at Redfin. And I think a lot of us know that, yeah, rent growth has been pretty slow as well. What do you see for rents in 2026 and perhaps 2027   Daryl Fairweather  29:08   originally, when we went to go do our predictions for 2026 we said that rents were going to increase this year. Now, I think that rents will continue to stay flat, and that's because there's still a lack of demand for for sale housing. People are staying in the rental market, but people are overall tightening their budgets because they're worried about the economy. They're worried about inflation. So if they can, you know, get roommates or live with family, they're going to choose to do that to keep their overall expenses lower, which will reduce demand for both for sale housing and for rental housing. And I think a lot of home sellers, they've tried to sell their homes. We saw many people try to sell their homes last year and then end up delisting their homes, and they're trying again. We saw more of those people come back in January, but I think those people are going to continue to kind of try to test the market, be a bit disappointed that there isn't enough demand, and then some of. Up for sale housing will end up as rental housing. Just driving around my neighborhood, I see so many rental signs on single family homes that I never saw before, almost more for rent signs, and I'm seeing for sale signs, so that added inventory from these accidental landlords who would like to move but don't want to give up their mortgage rate is going to increase the supply of single family rentals, and that will mean more competition for those investors that are trying to rent out the homes.   Keith Weinhold  30:27   Talk to us about rental occupancy. That's something that we're seeing at a historic low in apartment buildings, for one thing. But can you talk to us about what you see for future occupancy levels of both residential one to fours and apartments. Going forward,   Daryl Fairweather  30:43   a lot of new supply came online during the pandemic, especially in places that build a lot of condos. Many one bedroom or zero bedroom condos got built, and then those are really difficult to rent out, because, you know, they're just not that attractive. We really have more of a shortage of types of housing that's appropriate for families and those one bedroom units that are really targeted at like affluent young people. There aren't that many affluent people right now, so they're they're difficult to rent out. I think that trend is pretty much over. We're not seeing too many more condos being developed because the condos that were developed during the pandemic are still having trouble finding owners or finding renters in those apartment buildings. Now, I think we're going to start to see an uptick in single family rental vacancy, because I think a lot of those people who would like to sell their homes are having trouble selling their homes because of how mortgage rates are and how skittish people are about making a commitment to ownership right now, and they're going to alternatively try to rent out those and that will mean more availability of those rentals and not as much pressure on rents to go up in that segment of the market.   Keith Weinhold  31:51   Woe for the builder that targeted young, affluent types, they don't really exist so much anymore. That's really pretty interesting. Well, Darrell, do you have any last thoughts overall about the housing market? Maybe something I didn't think about asking you that's really important, whether that's for an investor or a prospective homeowner.    Daryl Fairweather  32:12   Yeah, I think if I was an investor right now, I would be paying attention to what economists and housing people call the silver tsunami that's older generations starting to sell their homes. We did a study recently that showed that people who are 70 years and above have as much wealth and housing as middle aged people, which is the first time that group has exceeded in terms of the wealth that they hold. And if you're 70 plus, there's definitely a clock ticking on how long you're going to stay in that home, which means that a lot of new inventory will become available in those homes. They probably need work. They probably need some renovations, and that could be a really great opportunity for an investor to buy a home that maybe has been neglected for a while because it's been a senior living in there who hasn't been really keeping it up to date. You can renovate it and perhaps sell it again to a younger buyer by doing some updates and make a nice profit there.    Speaker 3  33:03   Oh, well, Daryl, this has been a great update laced with plenty of practical things that someone can actually do. Do you have a resource you'd like to share in case our audience would like to connect?   Daryl Fairweather  33:16   Yes, you can find me basically on any social media channel. I'd recommend checking you out on YouTube to start. And then if you would like data on what's happening in your local housing market, you can check out the Redfin data center. Just Google Redfin data center, it'll bring you right there. And you can find lots of local data on your market,   Keith Weinhold  33:34   Daryl Fairweather. It's been great having you here on the show.   Daryl Fairweather  33:37    Thank you.   Keith Weinhold  33:44   Yeah, insightful material from Dr Darrell fairweather today, no end to the housing scarcity in sight. She says, rents continue to stay flat, partly due to this accidental landlord. They didn't plan to be a landlord, but they need to move and yet they don't want to sell the single family home that they got with a good owner occupied financing a few years ago. And the reason that's a headwind for single family investors, because it keeps more rental supply on the market. Last week, I touched on how you should not expect rent increases in the near term, I own a lot of single family rentals myself, and I am not getting rent increases. It's not so much that single family vacancies are high now, but apartment building vacancies are high. That fact alone that actually does hurt the single family rental market a little, because even though a renter might desire a single family, and maybe you think, Well, an apartment couldn't compete with that feeling. But yet, if an apartment is so much cheaper than the single family, and they often are now, well then that renter will go for the cheap apartment instead the one. You can think of Redfin is that they're part Zillow, part real estate agent, and part data company, and they can give you early signals on things like buyer demand and price direction and days on market, those types of indicators. So for the latest housing market research and news, you can do a search for the Redfin data center, and then for Daryl, start on YouTube. You can follow her on x at fairweather PhD, thanks to Dr Darrell fairweather today, until next week, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Speaker 5  35:36   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively to   Keith Weinhold  35:56   the preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, get richeducation.com  

My Little Pony first appeared in shops in the United States in 1983 and in that decade alone more than 100 million would be sold. But American toymaker Bonnie Zacharle tells Josephine McDermott how her idea to make a pony you could play with like a doll was turned down several times. She reveals the toys she liked to play with as a child living in Japan, how she updated Mr Potato Head and how her pony design first hit the market as a much bigger, harder model called My Pretty Pony. She says she told her friend in toy marketing to get out of her office when she first suggested the ponies should come in pastel pinks and purples instead of realistic dun, black and grey colours. But she concedes that market testing showed it was what the customer wanted and she's very proud of what she's achieved.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: The original prototype of My Little Pony. Credit: Bonnie Zacharle)

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the first battle of Changsha. From Chongqing, Chiang debated defensive strategies for Hunan, ultimately adopting Plan B after Xue Yue's pleas, focusing on successive resistance north of Changsha to thwart Japanese advances. Japanese forces, under Okamura Yasuji, launched assaults in Jiangxi and Hunan. In Jiangxi, the 106th and 101st Divisions attacked Huibu and Gao'an, where Chinese troops under Luo Zhuoying and Song Kentang fiercely resisted. Gao'an fell briefly but was recaptured by the 32nd Army and the elite 74th Army, with heavy casualties on both sides, as recounted by soldier Liu Qihuai. In Hunan, Japanese units crossed the Xin Qiang River and landed at Yingtian, facing brutal opposition. At Bijia Mountain, Qin Yizhi's 195th Division held for four days; Battalion Commander Shi Enhua's reinforced unit perished entirely, their fragmented remains mourned by locals. Along the Miluo River, Chen Pei's 37th Army fortified positions, repelling waves of Japanese attacks, including suicide squads disguised as civilians. Recruit Yang Peyao's unit endured bombardments, inflicting significant enemy losses before withdrawing at dusk.   #197 The First Battle of Changsha Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Major Luo Wenlang, battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 55th Regiment, 19th Division of the 28th Army, harbored a peculiar quirk: he couldn't sleep soundly without unwrapping his leg bindings, a small ritual that anchored him in the chaos of war. Since the war's eruption, such luxuries were rare, and unwrapping his bindings every night became an impossibility, leaving him to endure restless slumbers. Tonight, however, sleep eluded him entirely; he tossed and turned on his makeshift bed, his mind a whirlwind of unrest. Two days after the northern Hunan battle ignited like a powder keg, the 55th Regiment received urgent orders from Division Commander Tang Boyin to race to Wukou in Pingjiang County. Their path wound through Luo Wenlang's hometown of Fulinpu, a twist of fate that stirred conflicting emotions. Entering the village under the cover of night, the entire battalion encamped in the commander's modest family village, with battalion headquarters naturally established in his ancestral home.   Luo yearned to step across that familiar threshold but dreaded it, for his parents remained oblivious to a devastating truth. They slaughtered chickens and prepared meat, hosting the battalion staff with drinks and hospitality, after all, this was their son's unit gracing their home. Luo orchestrated door planks and straw for bedding, posted sentries, and deftly evaded his parents until they retired. Before dawn broke, he mustered the troops, ensured they were fed, and led them onward, slipping away like a shadow. By noon on the 22nd, they reached Wukou, only to receive fresh directives: rush to Yingtian to bolster the 95th Division against the enemy's audacious landings. The 3rd Battalion spearheaded the division's reinforcements, marching relentlessly through day and night, arriving at Dongtang, over 30 kilometers southeast of Yingtian—on the 23rd, hearts sinking upon learning Yingtian had already fallen into enemy clutches.   Luo Wenlang sought out the retreating 95th Division Commander Luo Qi to beg for a mission, his resolve unyielding. Luo Qi, anticipating his arrival, relayed Commander Guan Linzheng's ironclad instructions: The 19th Division's reinforcements would assume Dongtang's defenses. With the main force still en route, Luo Qi tasked Luo's battalion with relieving a segment held by a replacement regiment. He handed over a map, sketching a line with a pencil, a simple stroke that thrust Luo Wenlang and his men onto the front lines of fate. An operations staff was dispatched to guide them to the position and oversee the handover.   As the troops advanced, they encountered scattered soldiers fleeing like startled rabbits; seizing a platoon leader revealed they were indeed from the replacement regiment. Mere minutes from division HQ, the enemy was already closing in, a predator's breath hot on their necks. Luo Wenlang and Deputy Battalion Commander Wu Yacui split the battalion, launching a counterattack on Dongtang from dual routes. Fortune favored them; the Japanese held only an exhausted company, crumbling under a single, ferocious charge. They swiftly deployed two companies to the positions, reserving one as a bulwark. By dusk, the full 55th Regiment arrived, accompanied by the rest of the 19th Division's reinforcements, allowing the battered 95th Division, ravaged at Yingtian, to withdraw for desperate reorganization. The regimental commander positioned Luo's 3rd Battalion on the regiment's vulnerable left wing. In the blink of an eye, it was the 27th, aligning with the 15th of the eighth lunar month. Amid the relentless great battle, few noted the calendar, and the skies hung heavy with clouds. Luo Wenlang twisted on his straw bed, his thoughts a snarled knot of anxiety and memory.   At 11 p.m., gunfire shattered the night; a barrage of machine gun bullets riddled the battalion HQ house, raining thatch and dust upon Luo like fallout from a storm. Catastrophe had struck! Luo surged toward the positions with the bugler—his battalion signal chief—and the reserve force, ascending the hilltop in a frenzy. Halfway up, he spotted 8th Company's Lieutenant Platoon Leader Rong Fayu leading over 20 soldiers in retreat. Bellowing "Why unauthorized retreat?" while brandishing his pistol, he compelled Rong to rally and turn back. The Japanese had launched a nocturnal assault; 8th Company Commander Yi Zuitao lay slain by a fatal shot, over a dozen comrades felled in brutal close combat, the survivors scattered like leaves in the wind; the high ground now belonged to the enemy.   Upon learning of Dongtang's loss, the regimental commander personally led the regimental reserve, his face etched with urgency. Under flickering lantern light, poring over the map with Luo, Division Commander Tang Boyin telephoned, his voice a whipcrack of command: Recapture it before dawn, or both would face the merciless hand of military justice. After seizing the high ground, the enemy hesitated to press further; Luo surmised the darkness concealed paths, and their numbers were not overwhelming. Forgoing the regimental reserve, he led 7th Company's 4 squads and remnants of the routed 8th Company in a stealthy ascent. Near the position, a ravine concealed over 20 8th Company soldiers, rallied by Sergeant Squad Leader Tan Tianrong, who had lurked in wait for reinforcements, dreading exposure at dawn under the enemy's gaze.   Spotting the battalion commander personally spearheading the counterattack, Tan Tianrong's face lit with fierce joy; his men, armed with grenades, surged as the vanguard. Intimate with the terrain even in blindness, they hurled explosives into bunkers, trenches, and works. The commander orchestrated the charge; the Japanese force of 40-50 men crumbled, over half slain or maimed, the remnants fleeing northward to their village stronghold. It was past 4 a.m.; the moon pierced the clouds, bathing the earth in a silvery glow. With positions reclaimed, the night revealed its secret: tonight was Mid-Autumn. Moonlight unraveled the tangled threads of his past; Luo draped his clothes over his shoulders, sat beneath the luminous orb, and wept in solitary anguish.   Before the war, devastating news had arrived: his brother Luo Yinong had been killed in Jiangxi. Luo had three brothers; the eldest shouldered half the family's burdens, their bond unbreakable. The brother had enlisted first in the 50th Army, climbing to battalion commander through sheer valor. He and his younger brother had followed suit, inspired by that call to arms.   Wartime conscription demanded only one per family, but battling the devils was a duty for the nation and its people. His brother had risen to deputy regimental commander before his end. The 50th Army notified him first. Engulfed in battle, there had been no time to console his grieving parents or tend to the funeral; it weighed on his heart like an unyielding stone. His sister-in-law, diligent and unassuming, cared for a young boy and carried another child; the long, arduous days ahead loomed like an endless shadow. The night dew brought a biting chill, the moon an icy sentinel; Luo shivered uncontrollably, his tears mingling with the frost.   The sky hung heavy with overcast gloom, yet the moon lurked beyond the clouds, casting a faint, ethereal light that warded off utter darkness. Along the road, a unit's elongated black shadow snaked southward in hurried silence, a serpent of weary resolve pressing through the night. Qin Yizhi reined in his horse, pausing to gaze back: the queue stretched onward, silent and impeccably orderly, belying the exhaustion of a force scarred by days of ferocious combat, their spirits unbroken amid the shadows. After the Japanese seized the 195th Division's defiant outpost at Bijia Mountain, they surged across the Xin Qiang River in a merciless onslaught. The river, shallow enough to wade knee-deep, offered no true impediment; the real barrier was forged from the defenders' scorching blood, a crimson testament to their unyielding stand. The 195th Division clashed in a maelstrom of cruelty; positions were heaped with corpses time and again, the Xin Qiang's waters churning blood-red in relentless cycles of carnage. From the night of the 23rd to the dawn of the 25th, respite was a forgotten dream; Okamura Yasuji, in a gesture of grim respect, inscribed Qin's name in elegant calligraphy and hung it within his command tent, a haunting trophy of the foe's tenacity.   Following their triumphant landing at Yingtian, the Japanese entangled the Ninth War Zone's left-wing defenders in a protracted snare, their advances grinding slowly like a predator toying with prey, menacing the flanks of the frontal troops with insidious intent. On the evening of the 27th, Xue Yue issued the fateful order for the 15th Army Group to withdraw to the precarious ground between the Miluo River and Shangshan City, ushering this blood-soaked force into an all-night march toward the next defensive crucible. Late into the night, a brief halt was called. Soldiers slumped to the ground, adjusting leg wraps and gear with mechanical precision; logistics teams darted through the ranks, distributing rations like lifelines; cooks, having forged ahead, arrived with steaming pots of rice soup, infusing the air with a rare warmth. Though no clamor broke the hush, a quiet camaraderie enveloped the queue, a fleeting balm against the war's chill.   The division staff claimed a flat expanse beside a farmhouse yard for their respite. Qin settled onto a stone roller used for grinding grain, nibbling at his meager ration and sipping the hot soup that steamed in the cool air. Suddenly, moonlight pierced the clouds, cascading down in silvery streams; the familiar contours of the farmhouse stirred a flood of warmth in his heart, evoking memories of home.   Chongqing, Huangshan Villa. Every window was shrouded in double layers of thick curtains, sealing out any sliver of betraying light, as if the very walls conspired to guard secrets from the encroaching night. Tonight's ethereal protagonist rose languidly from the eastern valley, its orange-red moonlight casting an aura of drowsy reluctance, as though it had not fully shaken off the slumber of the day. The feeble glow dappled the building's roof, balcony, and the surrounding hillsides, intersections, and thickets, where armed shadows lurked, capturing every rustle in the oppressive silence. Only upon close inspection could one discern the faint specks of moonlight glinting off steel helmets. Yet, beyond those fortified walls, another realm pulsed with life, a vibrant contrast to the shadowed vigilance outside. The front hall, living room, and dining room blazed with brilliant light. Vibrant flowers, dominated by chrysanthemums in full, defiant bloom, infused the air with color and fragrance; a phonograph murmured a cheerful Guangdong melody, weaving an atmosphere thick with festive joy, a deliberate illusion amid the storm of war.   Chiang Kai-shek, clad in a flowing black silk gown, strode ahead with poised grace, escorting his guests into the dining room alongside the elegantly attired Soong May-ling, their conversation laced with laughter and warmth. At the table, Soong May-ling's smile was a beacon of diplomacy, as she artfully arranged the seating to suit hierarchies and alliances, while servers in crisp white uniforms moved with nimble precision. This was Chiang Kai-shek's intimate Mid-Autumn family banquet; beyond a handful of pivotal military and political figures, the gathering brimmed with relatives. Guests and kin alike noted Chiang's buoyant spirits tonight; his smiles were wide and genuine, his discourse light and expansive, delving into casual topics with uncharacteristic ease.   In September 1939, China's War of Resistance Against Japan had entered its grueling third year. After the initial cataclysm of turmoil and disarray, the government and military had clawed their way to stability, adapting to this unprecedented historical crucible, with operations finally aligning into a semblance of order. According to figures proclaimed by Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin to Chinese and foreign reporters on the 13th of this month, Japanese invaders had seized 521 counties across 12 provinces, a vast swath of conquest. Yet, the Japanese imperialists had exacted this toll at a staggering cost. Just prior, on August 30, the Hirannuma Cabinet, installed a mere eight months earlier, had collapsed in mass resignation. Hirannuma Kiichiro's predecessor, Konoe Fumimaro, had similarly bowed out amid governmental failures, chiefly the unmet ambitions in the Sino-Japanese War that he had boldly promised to parliament, exacerbating domestic political and economic woes. Days ago, when Wang Pengsheng briefed Chiang on Japan's turbulent politics, he quipped: "Konoe said three months to destroy China; three months didn't work, nor three years, who knows about 30 or 300. Hirannuma had no solutions, down in eight months. Does Abe have good ideas? How long can he be prime minister?" Indeed, Abe Nobuyuki, Hirannuma's successor, would endure a mere four and a half months before resigning in ignominy. Tonight's feast showcased Chiang's favored cuisines: delicate Jiangsu-Zhejiang dishes mingled with robust Sichuan flavors. Chiang abstained from alcohol, raising his cup in mere symbolic toasts to his guests. During the meal, as if by unspoken accord, no one broached the raging domestic battles or the volatile international landscape; conversations meandered through trivialities, skirting anything heavy or discordant, a fragile bubble of normalcy.   On September 3, Britain and France had declared war on Germany, shattering the global order in a seismic shift. Foreign newspapers already bandied the term "Second World War," a phrase that evoked freshness, exhilaration, and sheer terror in equal measure. China's diplomacy surged with newfound vigor. In April, Ambassador to the US Wang Zhengting had negotiated a $20 million loan with American banks on China's behalf. In May, Stalin responded to Chiang's overtures, agreeing to exchange arms for Chinese tea, wool, raw hides, and more. A month later, the first consignment of light and heavy weapons—including artillery and heavy machine guns—arrived via clandestine routes through Xinjiang and Mongolia, bolstering the central army's frontlines. In August, Hu Shih, Wellington Koo, and Chien Tai represented the Nationalist Government at the 19th League of Nations Assembly, laying bare the Japanese imperialists' atrocities in China before the world and rallying global forces for peace to support China's defiant stand. Soon after, British and American civic groups ignited "China Week" campaigns, pressing their governments to aid the beleaguered nation. Waves of foreign volunteers streamed in from distant shores: doctors, journalists, ordnance engineers, even retired soldiers clamoring to join the fray on the frontlines.   "If we could pull America into this war..." Through Soong May-ling's subtle, persuasive influence, Chiang allowed himself to daydream of that prosperous, dynamic young powerhouse across the vast ocean. Thus, on this Mid-Autumn night, his talk turned to America, to his correspondence with President Roosevelt regarding the "tung oil loan." That saga had unfolded the previous October; T.V. Soong had jetted to America, securing a loan with China's tung oil, a commodity scarce in the US, as collateral. China had boldly requested $400 million; America countered with $25 million, a classic tale of "ask high, settle low." Yet, the funds were secured. One success paved the way for many. Soong May-ling had once confided to Chiang: "In mobilizing US aid for China's resistance, I'll make a difference." When Chiang responded with a smile, "Thank you, Madam," he could scarcely foresee how his beautiful wife's extraordinary prowess in fulfilling this solemn vow would astonish him, etching eternal glory for Chinese women worldwide and elevating Soong May-ling to the zenith of her life's achievements.   The most direct echo of the First Battle of Changsha's thunderous saga resides in the Ninth War Zone's meticulous report on the northern Hunan and southern Hubei operations, submitted to the Chongqing Military Committee and Chiang Kai-shek himself, a faded relic now entombed amid the vast ocean of Nationalist Government military and political archives in Nanjing's Second Historical Archives of China. This document, a painstaking compilation of combat dispatches from divisions, armies, and army groups, stands as a testament to valor and sacrifice. Tragically, time's relentless march and human folly have ravaged this priceless artifact, leaving only shards and whispers to conjure the heart-wrenching inferno of that bloody clash.   "October 24, Year 28. Urgent. To Chongqing. Chairman Chiang. Secret. Submitted by Commander Xue on orders." The rice paper has yellowed to a deep, somber hue, brittle and parched; a careless touch could reduce it to dust. Some pages lie fractured, their remnants affixed to white paper, forever unable to reclaim their original wholeness. Leafing through page by page unleashes a pungent miasma, a scorched, acrid, decayed blend that assaults the senses. Traces of fire and water mar the original rice paper sheets, with countless fragments glued haphazardly to white backings, their sequences lost to eternity.   "...The Xin Qiang River spanning from Lujiao to Leishi Mountain, defending a front of over 110 li..." "Enemy 13th and 33rd Divisions, parts of the Hata Detachment, naval units, and artillery, cavalry, engineers totaling..." "...Began attacking us first with artillery... fortifications completely destroyed, then infantry charged; relying on our officers and men all resolved to coexist with the homeland..." "...And launched balloons to direct artillery... our army braved the cannons... repelled them, corpses filling the river, turning the water red..." "Division casualties also reached over a thousand... failed to inflict greater strikes and annihilate... deep inner guilt, besides vigorously training troops awaiting orders to kill the enemy..." "...Attack casualties heavy, then concentrated large forces... artillery fire so dense like continuous firecrackers for hours... released poison gas, Wang Street garrison all heroically sacrificed, then breached... Zhao Gongwu kowtows, October 15"   Zhao Gongwu commanded the 2nd Division under Zhang Yaoming's 52nd Army. This unit first held the line along the Xin Qiang River, then fell back to northeast of Fengjiang Bridge to staunch the enemy tide once more; after October 6, it hammered southward-marching Japanese from the west in the Yanglin Street and Dajing Street regions. Through these crucibles, the division bled over half its strength. A fragment of an envelope clings to a sheet of white paper, its words faintly visible: "Changsha 126-3 Zhang Yaoming," "Hunan Jinjing Air Mail," "Combat Process by..." and the like. The stamp remains remarkably intact—a philatelic gem now. Measuring 1.5 cm square, it features Sun Yat-sen's portrait at its center, inscribed "Republic of China Post" below, with "5" in the upper right, "fen" to the left, and "5" in each lower corner. I sat at the long table in the spacious, brightly lit reading room, staring vacantly, my thoughts grinding to a halt. These remnants are all that endure for posterity, of that monumental battle, of the scorching blood and vanished lives of countless unnamed Chinese soldiers. With hands that once gripped a rifle, I gently caressed those pages from a bygone era; they were cold, devoid of any lingering breath.   As the full moon of the 15th of the eighth month dissolved into the golden-red blaze of sunrise, Qin Yizhi's 195th Division had already plunged into the rugged mountains and dense forests encircling Fulinpu. Per directives from 15th Army Group Commander Guan Linzheng, the 195th was to forge a new defensive bastion centered on Fulinpu, 40 to 70 kilometers from Changsha. Their mandate: stall the Japanese southward juggernaut, granting precious time for allied forces to muster and fortify around the city. Despite the grueling all-night march, morale soared undimmed. The advance chief of staff doled out positions to each regiment, and the troops dove into fortification labors with fervent zeal. The 195th Division's unyielding stand along the Xin Qiang River had already etched preliminary glory upon this unit in its baptism of fire. "Fame in one battle" echoed as a battle cry throughout the division, where collective honor intertwined with personal valor. Honor and triumph formed the bedrock for soldiers and armies alike. Yet, another fire fueled their resolve.   On September 23, amid the Japanese forcing the Xin Qiang River, Guan Linzheng's voice crackled over the phone to Qin Yizhi: "Facing you is the 6th Division." The 6th Division, a name that ignited fury in Chinese troops and civilians, forever linked to the demonic specter of Tani Hisao. Moments later, the whisper spread like wildfire through every trench: "The Japanese army that perpetrated the Nanjing Massacre is right in front." Agitation rippled through the ranks; some donned fresh uniforms and shoes from their packs, casting aside the worn; others flouted discipline to bid farewells to hometown comrades: "Today we fight to the death here; see you in the next life." "Tell my mother I died fighting the Nanjing Massacre enemies."   Some company commanders commanded their mess sergeants to expend all funds on hearty feasts. All Japanese were foes, but the 6th Division embodied a blood debt, an unforgivable vendetta; the Chinese nation does not lightly forget its tormentors. In the Xin Qiang River maelstrom, the 195th Division battled with heroic ferocity. Some soldiers, in their final breaths, murmured: "Die then; it's worth it." Others lamented slaying too few devils, gritting teeth, eyes refusing to close in eternal regret. Now under Inaba Shiro's command, the 6th Division splintered southward after breaching the Xin Qiang; roughly a thousand hounded the 195th to Fulinpu. On the morning of September 29, the Japanese blundered into the 195th's meticulously laid ambush. Qin Yizhi, pulse racing with excitement and tension, fumbled the binoculars from his guard's hand. His command sliced the air: "Begin." War history chronicles: "The 6th Division advanced south from the Miluo River along the Xinshi-Liqiao road and Xinshi-Fulinpu routes. The over a thousand reaching Fulinpu were ambushed by the Nationalist 195th Division, suffering heavy losses." As Japanese artillery and aircraft unleashed hell upon the 195th's positions, Qin orchestrated a swift southward withdrawal to the environs of Shangshan City. Again, without pause, they erected fortifications and set deadly traps.   On the morning of September 30, the pursuers from Fulinpu closed in on Shangshan, their numbers swollen to over 1,500. Qin Yizhi clenched his jaw, his demeanor icy calm, allowing the Japanese to creep into the kill zone before barking: "Hit them hard!" Combat raged from dawn to dusk, obliterating over 700 foes. Qin ascended a hill, surveying through binoculars, then erupted: "Bad! The enemy is retreating." Upon receiving Qin's telegram, Guan Linzheng scrutinized the map, momentarily stunned, then replied: "Enemy shows no retreat signs yet; proceed per original plan. Your unit to block at Shangshan City line until October 2." Xianning, Okamura Yasuji's 11th Army HQ.   Combat maps bristled with markings, staff officers darting amid ringing phones and clattering telegrams. The colossal red arrow in northern Hunan had fractured into tributaries, surging over 100 km southward from the outset; one tendril pierced to Yong'an City, a mere 30 km from Changsha. Vast swaths of northern Hunan lay conquered, yet Okamura sensed the tide turning, it was time to retreat. The Chinese employed their time-honored gradual resistance, battling while retreating with cunning grace. Some units fell back directly, others amassed on flanks—what portent did that hold? In Okamura's shrewd mind loomed an equally shrewd Xue Yue; he envisioned his adversary methodically weaving a snare.   Post-Yingtian landing, the 15th Army Group's timely evasion had unraveled his "Xiang-Gan Operation Plan" like fragile thread. If encircling and annihilating the Chinese main force proved unattainable, what purpose in pressing onward? Telegrams from 3rd Division's Fujita Susumu, 6th's Inaba Shiro, and 13th's Tanaka Seiichi piled on his desk, pleading to assault Changsha—for headlines and Imperial accolades, perhaps, but blind to their exposed supply lines vulnerable to enemy thrusts? Ground logistics teetered on collapse; the air force resorted to airdrops for isolated regiments. Venturing further south would stretch lines to breaking; a severed artery spelled doom for the vanguard. When would these commanders mature into true stewards of the Imperial Army? Okamura fretted and pitied them in equal measure.   At 4 p.m. on September 30, Okamura decreed a halt to advances at Shangshan and Yong'an. He commenced orchestrating the retreat. Changsha, Yuelu Mountain, Ninth War Zone Command Forward HQ. October 1. Xue Yue stood before the map, Guan's latest telegram clutched in hand. Qin's second missive insisted on Japanese withdrawal, corroborated by 15th Army Group scouts from Yingtian: This morning (October 1), Japanese transports unloaded artillery stowed the previous night, hauling it back to Yueyang; intercepted wires revealed a regiment aborting its southward push, standing idle. Guan assessed the mosaic and commanded counteroffensives: intercept if feasible, pursue relentlessly, deny the Japanese escape; he relayed retreat indicators to Xue. Xue paced the chamber, head bowed in contemplation. Chief of Staff Wu Yizhi, Staff Director Zhao Zili, and their cadre tracked his every step with expectant eyes, awaiting the verdict. Xue's thoughts whirled through military stratagems and beyond.   Pre-war, Xue had segmented the war zone's forces into tripartite blocs: Northern Hunan under Guan Linzheng's 15th, Yang Sen's 27th, and Shang Zhen's 20th Army Groups as "A Cluster"; Northern Jiangxi Nanchang with Yunnan Army Lu Han's 1st Army Group and the 74th Army as "B Cluster"; the Wuning, Xiushui, Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border guarded by Sichuan Army Wang Lingji's 30th Army Corps, Fan Songpu's Border Advance Army, and 8th Army; augmented by 3 armies' 7 divisions in general reserve. Before the storm broke, Xue pored over maps, tracing every mountain, river, road, and bridge, envisioning burial grounds for the invaders.   Now, beneath Changsha, 200,000 troops formed a tightening net. The "decisive battle in Changsha suburbs" blueprint had been wired to Chongqing. Chiang and the nation yearned for a resounding triumph as the resistance pivoted into a new epoch?! A masterful drama, honed over half a month's toil, neared its crescendo; yet that cunning fox appeared to sniff the trap's metallic tang, freezing in place. "Commander, phone from Minister Chen." "Brother Boling, good news." Chen Cheng's voice brimmed with levity, "Your formal appointment published. What? Ninth War Zone Commander! First to congratulate; document tomorrow." Shedding the "acting" prefix was inevitable; Chiang had intimated as much long ago. But for a man and general, true worth lay not in titles, but in forging indelible feats. Splendor was judged not by underlings, colleagues, or superiors, but by peers in the craft of war.   Unmoved by the promotion, Xue exhaled a profound sigh. Though the 15th's intelligence couldn't confirm a wholesale retreat, preparations for dual contingencies were imperative. Victories came hard; a splendid battle, harder still. He summoned Wu Yizhi and Zhao Zili to devise countermeasures for the enemy's potential flight. October 2, Sichuan Army Yang Sen's 27th Army Group, Yang Gancai's 134th Division special service company, under Company Commander Wan Mingyu, slogged through the profound mountains and forests on the northern Mufu Mountains' flanks. The 134th's covert mandate: infiltrate enemy rear via treacherous terrain, sabotage supply arteries in the Chongyang-Xianning sector, and deliver a dagger to the Japanese spine when opportunity struck, bolstering frontal defenses.   Past 3 p.m., a crystalline mountain stream materialized. Wan decreed a respite. Over 100 soldiers, drained from a half-day's ascent, collapsed like puppets with severed strings. Most propped their torsos with rifles in one hand, fanning hats to ward off the relentless forest mosquitoes with the other. Regaining breath, they devoured rations washed down with stream water. Some unfurled towels and ventured downstream, letting the cool flow rinse away layers of sweat. Then, a muted engine drone encroached from the heavens. Wan peered through the foliage: a low-flying plane vectored southward, its wings emblazoned with the Rising Sun.   A transport; Wan recognized the temporary Japanese airfield near Xianning. With lines overextended, airdrops sustained isolated units. Wan was prying open a can with his bayonet, the tip etching a cross on the lid before levering along the edge; paired with a rice ball, it promised a savory repast. His orderly proffered a cup of fresh stream water; 2nd Platoon Leader Hu Yaozong perched nearby on a rock, smirking, poised to pilfer from the opened tin. Wan warded off this Sichuan Pixian compatriot. The plane droned overhead then.   Both glanced skyward; the platoon quipped: "Open quick, damn, I'll repay two cans later." Commander: "Want cans? Sky has; shoot plane down, enough for two lifetimes, bloat your mother-in-law first." The can hailed from a prior supply raid. Platoon: "You want me to shoot the plane?" Commander: "Bastard! You shooting or not?" The platoon snatched the light machine gun from a tree fork, jamming the butt against his belly, one hand on the grip, aiming crudely: "Come down, you turtle son!" The other hand squeezed the trigger. Wan assumed jest, resuming his task. "Da-da-da..." Wan jolted; the half-opened can tumbled to his feet, spilling Japanese fish onto Chinese soil. Recoil floored the platoon; he hurled the gun like a branding iron, face ashen. Inspecting the trigger, he snarled: "Whose damn fault, why no safety?!" The gunner dashed over; tall and even-tempered: "Safety was on; how'd it fire without pulling?" Wan's initial panic: "Damn! Position exposed."   The company spearheaded the division's reinforced regiment to raze a recent Japanese depot, guarded by a mere company—but exposure doomed the regiment deep in hostile territory. The assault had been plotted for days; pre-departure, Yang Gancai had toasted them. Wan had sworn a blood oath: No return to Sichuan without success. Hu had jested then: "No Sichuan return means wanting Hunan girl as concubine." Banter was fine in peace, but in war's grip, this was no trifling errand. Wan unleashed a torrent of curses, rising to survey the environs. The main force lagged 15 km behind; advance or abort post-blunder? Enemy rear was a labyrinth; this isolated band teetered on a razor's edge. As if to compel a choice, the radio operator approached; Wan itched to lash out. In his fury and indecision, a miracle unfolded.   The transport's engines hacked like a consumptive invalid, then a witness spied the plane banking left, plummeting, its nose inexorably toward a colossal rock 3-4 km distant. It rebounded twice on the stone, nose and left wing crumpling; the fuselage, fragile as parchment, tumbled gently, skewing onto the slope amid splintered trees. Wan gaped, then bellowed: "Assemble!" The men snapped from reverie, charging downhill in a frenzied cascade. One hour later, 134th Deputy Commander and Reinforced Regiment Commander Liu decoded Wan's vanguard transmission via radio. Another hour passed before Liu received Yang Gancai's directive: Abort Mountain Leopard operation; return with documents expeditiously. One day hence, October 3, Okamura Yasuji's original retreat order from October 2 dawn, addressed to northern Hunan's 6th, 33rd Divisions, Nara and Uemura Detachments, plus its Chinese translation, landed on Xue Yue's desk.   Fifteen days later, at the Changsha Victory Celebration, unit accolades were proclaimed; for "shooting down enemy plane, obtaining vital enemy documents," meritorious honors went to 134th Commander Yang Gancai and Deputy Liu. Each received 1000 yuan and one 3rd Class Baoding Medal. Okamura's October 2 order original: Chinese forces retreated to Miluo and Xiushui Rivers banks assembling; to avoid disadvantage, this army should quickly withdraw to original positions, restore combat strength.   Withdrawal plan as follows: … Xue's October 3 order original:   "Northern Hunan frontal units with current posture immediately pursue facing enemy fiercely, must capture in Chongyang-Yueyang south area. ... Pursuit units may detach part to monitor and sweep enemy collection troops; main force execute overtaking pursuit... Already deep behind enemy advance units vigorously destroy enemy transport lines, cut escape routes."   From October 3, Chinese forces unleashed ferocious counteroffensives against the Japanese on three fronts: northern Hunan, southern Hubei, and the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border; the invaders receded like a vanishing tide, never to reclaim their ground. The 25th and 195th Divisions hounded the 6th Division and Nara Detachment from Fulinpu back to the Miluo River, then to the Xin Qiang River. On October 8, the Japanese fled across the Xin Qiang; the 195th's 566th Brigade surged in pursuit, launching a nocturnal raid on Xitang-Jianshan. Gains were modest, but the enemy, entrenched in their den, resisted with feral tenacity. Qin commanded the brigade's withdrawal southward; northern Hunan operations concluded.   In southern Hubei, the 79th Army chased remnants of the 33rd Division from Sanyan Bridge to Pingjiang, across Nanjiang Bridge, hounding them back to their Tongcheng lair. On the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border, 30th Army Group Commander Wang Lingji orchestrated a pincer against Japanese at Xiushui. The foes retreated to Sandu, mounting a stubborn defense. Chinese assaults faltered for three days; on the fourth night's blitz, victory crowned their efforts, expelling the invaders to their original Wuning stronghold. With both armies reclaiming pre-war lines, the First Battle of Changsha drew to its resounding close.   Over days, Xue Yue received a deluge of congratulatory telegrams and letters from the Nationalist Government, Military Committee, National Assembly, myriad civic groups, party officials, and social luminaries. As hoped, among them was Chiang Kai-shek's effusive missive, brimming with joy. For Xue Yue, this one sufficed. Chiang Kai-shek's telegram to Xue Yue:   "In this northern Hunan campaign, over half the enemy was annihilated. The triumphant news has invigorated the nation, all due to effective command and soldiers' valor; I commend without reservation. Thoroughly investigate and report meritorious personnel from this battle; also report the dead and wounded for awards and relief. With this initial victory foundation laid, our officers and men's responsibilities grow heavier; urge your subordinates to extra vigilance, redoubled effort, avoiding arrogance or complacency, to amass great achievements, my deepest hopes."   As if countering Chongqing's high-powered broadcasts, Japanese radios in Wuhan, Nanjing, Beiping, and Manchukuo blared at full volume: "In this Xiang-Gan operation, valiant Imperial forces penetrated over 100 km into northern Hunan, sweeping anti-peace elements, routing Chinese central main forces, inflicting over 40,000 enemy casualties, a pivotal triumph advancing the holy war. Having achieved objectives, Imperial troops have victoriously withdrawn..."   In the aftermath of the First Battle of Changsha, the Japanese high command spun a tale of calculated restraint, insisting their assault was merely a spoiling raid, a calculated jab never intended to seize and hold the city indefinitely. With brazen confidence, they downplayed their toll, claiming a mere 850 souls lost to death and 2,700 wounded in the fray, while boastfully asserting they had slain 44,000 Chinese defenders and taken 4,000 captive, painting a picture of overwhelming triumph amid the smoke and ruin. Yet, foreign military observers, peering through the fog of propaganda with detached scrutiny, painted a starkly different canvas. They gauged Chinese losses at a far more tempered 20,000 killed and wounded, a heavy but bearable scar on the nation's resolve, while estimating Japanese casualties soared to around 30,000, a grievous hemorrhage that belied the invaders' claims of minimal sacrifice. Military historian Michael Clodfelter, sifting through the annals of conflict, ventured an even grimmer tally: a staggering 50,000 Japanese casualties endured in the relentless clash, a testament to the ferocity of Chinese resistance and the high price of imperial ambition. In the battle's locale, neither side claimed clear victory, but globally for the resistance, it favored China. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The First Battle of Changsha unfolded in September 1939 during China's War of Resistance Against Japan. Japanese forces under Okamura Yasuji advanced into Hunan and Jiangxi, crossing rivers and capturing key positions like Yingtian amid fierce Chinese defenses led by Xue Yue. 

In this episode of Gangland Wire, I sit down with Salt Lake City author Flats to discuss his book, Ice Pick Willie: The Life and Times of Israel Alderman. We take a deep dive into the shadowy world of Israel “Icepick Willie” Alderman—a largely forgotten but deeply embedded figure in early 20th-century organized crime. Willie's criminal career traces back to Prohibition-era New York, where he began as a jewelry thief before evolving into something far more lethal. His nickname came from his preferred weapon: an ordinary household ice pick. In the 1920s, it was common, inconspicuous, and devastatingly effective. Flats explains how Willie's method allowed him to carry out murders quietly and efficiently, often avoiding the attention that accompanied more public gangland shootings. We follow Willie's movements from New York to Minneapolis and eventually into the orbit of Chicago's violent underworld. Along the way, he intersected with major figures of organized crime, including Meyer Lansky, Charles Luciano, and Bugs Moran. Flats outlines the shifting alliances and rivalries that defined the era, placing Willie within the broader context of gang wars that culminated in events like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The conversation also examines Willie's transition from violent enforcer to gambling operative as organized crime evolved and shifted westward. As Las Vegas rose with legalized gambling, figures like Willie adapted—moving from street-level brutality to more structured rackets under established mob leadership. Despite brushing against major historical events and powerful crime bosses, Icepick Willie faded into relative obscurity. Flats and I explore why certain gangsters become legends while others—equally dangerous and influential—slip into the margins of history. We also touch on Willie's odd cultural afterlife, including regional pop-culture references that keep his name alive in unexpected ways. This episode provides both a character study of a cold and calculated killer and a broader examination of how organized crime adapted from Prohibition chaos to structured syndicates. It's a detailed look at a man who operated in the shadows—lethal, efficient, and nearly forgotten. Flats' book, Ice Pick Willie: The Life and Times of Israel Alderman, is available now on Amazon. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [0:00] Hey, welcome all you wiretappers. Good to be back here in the studio of Gangland [0:03] Wire. This is Gary Jenkins. As most of you, I’m a retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective turned podcaster and documentary filmmaker. I got a couple of documentary films you can rent on Amazon if you choose. I’ll have links in the show notes. Or just go to Amazon and search my name and you’ll find my stuff. But anyhow, today I have a friend of mine from Salt Lake City called Flats. And he’s just Flats, all right? And he’s written a book about a man named Icepick Willie. Now, Icepick Willie has got a great, cool nickname. I’m surprised that he didn’t last through history a little better because people had an easy-to-remembering cool nickname. His real name is Israel Alderman. Now, Flats has been researching him. He got a hold of me because I did a show on David Berman, who ended up in Las Vegas. He was a Jewish gambler from Minneapolis. And ice pick ends up out there connected to him somehow. And I didn’t really stumble. I stumbled a little bit across that, but I couldn’t remember what it was. But anyhow, welcome flats. [1:09] Glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me. All right. Go ahead. I’m sorry. I’m always open for any chance to talk about Ice Pick Willie, one of my favorite people. And if you guys out there know anything about Ice Pick Willie, get a hold of me and I’ll connect you up with Flats. And I’ll have his Gmail in the show notes. But either that or get a hold of me pretty easy. Any rumors or stories, lies, anything about him. [1:38] But in the meantime, in a couple of weeks, actually, by the time this podcast is out, that book’s going to be up on Amazon. But you can always go back. You can always pull those down and add more information in and then put them back up if you want. So that’s a good way to go. Nicknames are interesting. I once talked about doing a show on nicknames and how people got them, and I just never got around to it. And many times you can see how people get their nicknames. Al Capone, Scarface Al. He’s got the big scar on his face, right? Here’s one. One of Icepick’s Willie’s contemporaries, a guy named Albert, was it Tannenbaum? Yeah, Tannenbaum. And he was called Tick Tock. And I looked that up because, like I said, he was a contemporary of Icepick Willie’s. And he got the name Tick Tock because somebody said you move all the time. You’re always like a watch. You’re Tick Tocking all the time. And, of course, there’s Anthony Accardo, who they called Joe Batters. And his guys gave him that. They used to call him Joe. And that was because he beat up somebody with a baseball bat so bad that Al Capone said, you’re a real Joe batters. But he also, many times the press will give people these nicknames. And they gave Anthony Accardo the nickname of the big tuna because he was big. And they had a picture of him with a huge big tuna he had caught. There’s Joe Bananas Bonnano. That speaks for itself, Joe Bananas. And I think the press gave him that. First question, Flats, you know how Icepick Willie got his nickname? The nickname came… [3:06] From when he was in Minneapolis, he apparently picked it up. And this is something which he admitted to later on in his life. He claimed to have taken about 11, 12 victims out by using an ice pick in the ear. [3:27] And ice picks were actually really common back in the 20s everywhere. People had them. Everyone had them in their homes. and they were a real popular tool among Murder Incorporated members. It’s a handy thing, small, quiet kind of a tool. [3:49] Normally, a knife-pick killing was something that took maybe three or four people, not counting the victim. They’d crowd around him and grab his arms, whatever, and then somebody’d do him, they’d haul him off. Uh, Willie had managed to turn this into a one man operation. He’d take his victim. [4:11] He’d be up at the bar with a drinking buddy, get this guy really liquored up, and he’d slip his ice pick out of his jacket. Boom, real quick in the air, ice pick’s gone, the guy’s down on the bar. Not much blood because it’s an ice pick. Forensics wasn’t real hot back in the 20s, so a lot of times they would diagnose this as a brain aneurysm. But the guy would slump over the bar, drunk, dead drunk, and then they’d just haul him off. The story is they’d take him in the back room, he’d go down the coal chute, which everybody had back then, out into a truck, they’d haul off the body. The people that went down the coal chute, they were all pretty much forgotten. But Willie, he seemed to have stuck around. Now, in Minneapolis, apparently he’s still a real popular figure. Memorable, which is funny because Minneapolis, for all my research, is the place there is the least documented evidence about. [5:19] But that seems to be that and Las Vegas are where he’s best known. There’s even a company in Minneapolis that does a nail polish they named Ice Rick Willie. It’s a popular culture thing there. Yeah. Now, did he start out in New York with Erlansky? He started out in New York. He grew up on the Lower East Side. Like so many people, Benny Siegel and Meyer, everybody came from there. Early on, and back by the 20s, Meyer had hooked up with Charlie Luciano, and most of the serious Jewish gangsters came under Meyer’s umbrella, so to speak. And this Willie supposedly, according to another author, this is when Willie hooked up with Meyer, was early on during Prohibition. But Willie didn’t start out as a bootlegger. He started out with a bunch of jewelry store robbers, but they were pretty notorious at him. God, his first record of him was, oh, when was it? About 1925. [6:34] He got a charge for robbery. Not a lot of details on it. The charge was dismissed, and it seems to be a pretty common thing throughout his entire life as far as resolution of his legal issue. But anyway, then right after Christmas, that’s in year 25, he was going by Izzy Alderman back then. Israel, Izzy was his nickname. He didn’t get into Willie till later, but he went into with a couple other guys and they hit a jewelry store for about $75,000 worth of jewelry. Oh, wow. That’s a pretty good chunk of change back then. That’s a score, man. That is a real score back then. Oh, yeah. And then a few months later, along with a couple other people, he hit another jewelry store in the Bronx, William Sims Robbery. This one was pretty well publicized. And they go in, they take the, everybody there, the owner, employees, customers, tie them up, they’re in the back room, they grab trays full of gems, usually diamonds, they’re out the door, never even touched the cash register. So they got about a hundred grand on that. Got away. Next morning. [7:59] Another jeweler, Sam Candle, as he was opening up his shop to let a friend in, some guys come pushing into the door. Izzy’s with them again. Once more, the same M.O., everybody’s in the back room tied up. Another hundred grand or so worth the gems. So they’re doing pretty good by now. Wow, yeah. I assume that whenever they fenced them, did you find out much about how they fenced them? Did the Italians get a piece of the action? Did they make him pay up, or did Meyer Lansky get a piece of that? I’m sure that Meyer was somehow connected to this. He got a piece of everything that was going on in the Jewish world. And originally, at that point in time, there was not a lot of interaction between the Italian mobsters and the Jewish mobsters. They had their own little thing that they kept to themselves. They felt safer that way. They could trust everybody. It was actually pretty much Meyer and Charlie Luciano that moved things past that point. I see. But up till then, everything was coming under Meyer’s thing. So they were doing pretty good until they did a robbery. [9:19] There was a jeweler, Aaron Roddark. Now, about 18 months earlier, he’d had an attempted robbery where he had shot and killed one of the robbers as they were running out of the store. So he got a bunch of publicity called the Fighting Jewelers in the press, a popular guy. About a year and a half later, another crew walks in. This is Izzy’s crew. [9:50] When they come in, same thing, the fighting jeweler, he goes for his gun. Doesn’t work out so well this time. This time, he’s shot and killed. But they didn’t get any jewels. They take off again. [10:05] But now they’re hot. This is big news. Fighting jewelers murdered. Big publicity, big public outcry. And cops are looking for them hot and heavy by now. [10:17] And by now, so a few weeks, couple weeks after the fighting jewelers murdered, one of Izzy’s crew was picked up, coming out of a doctor’s office, for a gunshot wound, where he’d been treated. Cots get word of this, they pick him up, and he immediately starts confessing to all the jewelry store robbers, giving up partners. They pick up a couple more people pretty soon everybody is just singing like canary it’s like the mormon tavern fire or something so the cops are looking for everybody they haven’t got they pick up almost everybody the two people are missing from the last robbery where the guy was murdered is Izzy Alderman and one of the other guys Robert Byrd. [11:09] So Izzy and Robert they know they’re hot They’ve got warrants out. They know the police are looking. They’ve got this information because they’re connected to whoever. So they leave town. They’re on their way to Chicago. They’re going to go there to hide out, take care of business for a couple reasons. One is Robert Berg has brother, Ollie, who is tied in with the Northside Bugs Moran gang in Chicago. Ago, Holly is also a jewelry driver and right about the time, right before. [11:47] His brother, Robert, gets to Chicago. Ollie and a couple guys are on an Illinois Central commuter train. They robbed three jewelry salesmen while they’re on the train of their jewels, managed to get off the train and get away. They got picked up about 12 hours later, though. So now his brother, Ollie, is in prison again, of course. But Robert is connected. They have connections to the Northside gang. Through the brother, through Ollie. And this is a safe place for them to go, relatively safe. At that point in time, Chicago’s got the beer wars going on, and so it wasn’t a real safe place to be. But they had out there, they’re there maybe a week or so. The cops raid a hotel room, they pick up Robert Burke. They also find a bunch of jewelry, which they trace back to the New York robbery. So they know this is all tied together now. They don’t get Willie. Izzy is still at that point. So Robert Berg, now he’s back to New York going to prison too. Izzy needs a new partner. Berg had a guy he was running around with, Red McLaughlin. [13:06] Red’s partner’s in jail, and Izzy’s partner’s in jail, so they came up a little bit. But now Red already at this point the cops are looking for him hot and heavy in Chicago a little while before they found him. [13:24] The cops saw him on the side of the road, Red was on the running board of the car, reaching through the window, choking the driver. The driver turned out to be, of course, a jewelry salesman with the jewelry in the car. Red explained to the cop that his friend was just having some kind of a fit, and he was trying to help him. The cop wasn’t going for it, and so Red was off to jail. He managed to get bailed out. And as soon as he’s out, he just goes off on all kinds of things. By now, the cops are looking for him for being involved in some kidnappings and bootlegging and murders. One newspaper article called him the man of a hundred brides. He’s like Lon Chaney of the criminal world or something. So now the cops are really hot after Red. He’s junk bail. He’s doing all this other stuff. There they raid a hotel, the Webster Hotel in Chicago. They’ve got a tip. That’s where they’re going to find him. Yeah. They don’t find Red, but they find his buddy in there. They find him, and he’s got a suitcase full of guns. [14:38] But no, he knows this is turned out to be actually Izzy Alderman, but he knows the cops are looking for Izzy Alderman. So he tells the cops his name’s Robert Lewis. They don’t know any better. Things are different back then. Yeah. He also told them that he was a bootlegger from Detroit. And that, I guess, would explain having a suitcase full of guns. And when they get ready to arrest him, he tells the cops they’re going to be wasting their time because he says he has some high connections in the illegal liquor business in town here. And apparently he was right because all of his charges were dismissed as soon as they haul him in once again. Back then, it seemed in Chicago, because of Al Capone, Bugs Moran. [15:30] New York with Meyer and Charlie, Prohibition contributed to it a lot. Corruption was just fantastic. So you could buy your people’s way out of everything, which was nice if that’s what you were doing. Yeah so anyway Robert Bird disappears and now Willie all of his partners all of his connections everybody’s locked up missing dead something he’s out of work again but he’s in Chicago since 1927 they’re in the middle of the beer wars he’s a starker a tough muscle man starker’s Jewish term so he hooks up right away They were Bugs Moran on the North side. Bugs is more, the Bugs Moran gang, they were people like Frank Foster, Ed Newberry. He had other Jewish gangsters working with him at the time. So Lizzie fit in pretty good. And it isn’t long at all, maybe a month later, he gets cops pull over a car. They find Frank Foster and Izzy Alderman in there. And they’ve got guns, of course. And once again, the charges just disappear. Everybody goes on their way. [16:51] So things are rolling along. The beer wars are going good. And now we get into the taxi cab wars. because in Chicago back then, that’s how you settled everything. You had a war. There were two cab companies mostly going on in Chicago at the time, and they were shooting up each other’s cab offices and throwing bombs and shooting up cabs. So the Yellow Cab Company puts out a hefty reward for the people involved, which leads to another made by the cops on this time. It was a Broadway apartment where there were supposed to be people involved in all of this. [17:30] Among the people they find, first off, Frank Foster, who at the time was a high-ranking member of Bugs Moran’s group on the north side. They also find another bunch of people, one of them named Harry Davidson. This was, again, Izzy Alderman, but he knew that the cops were looking for Izzy Alderman, and they were looking for Robert Lewis by then. So that was Harry Davidson, and that worked out. And, of course, everybody gets charged with concealed weapons, and then the charges are dropped, and catch and release. Yeah, catch and release Chicago. It was really interesting. So shortly after this, of course, this is 1929 in Chicago, and it’s Valentine’s Day. We all know what happened there. Now this brought major heat, major attention from everyone nationwide, the student. [18:30] And surprisingly, later in life, like I said, he used to almost brag about his activity as he got older. One of the things he would tell people is that he missed the St. Valentine’s Day massacre because he was in the bathroom. Yeah, I was going to say, he missed that. The bathroom wasn’t in SMT partage, if that was the case. They had an outhouse, Flats. They had an outhouse out back. That’s true. Yeah, he was close enough to do that activity. Yeah. He was just caught up in the middle of all the major things happening throughout Gangland at that point in time. Really? How does he end up in Minneapolis? It’s reasonably close to Chicago, and there are some connections. It is. [19:19] Before he ends up back in Minneapolis, first he ends up back in New York. What happens now in New York, they’ve got their own problems going on between the two gangs back then. Yeah, they had the Castle Marie’s War during that time, I believe, or sometime around then. It broke out. Actually, it happens right after he gets shot. But as he gets picked up, there’d been a shooting that they had. First, they had the Easter Massacre, where a few people get shot up. And then the Fox Lake Massacre. Like I said, everything in Chicago was wars or massacres. And by the time the Fox Lake massacre happened, it was after the Valentine’s Day thing. Izzy Alderman, Frank Foster, Ted Newberry, and probably at least 6, 8, 10 other people affected. They left the Northside gang, and they moved south and joined up with El Capote. [20:21] Obviously, they could see where everything’s going. I mean, everyone at the outside is winning. But the authorities were aware of it. So after the Easter massacre and the Fox Lake massacre, now the cops know there’s going to be all kinds of retaliation. Fox Lake thing, Al Capone’s people got shot up. So cops are out on the street looking for people. They pull over a car racing down the street. They find Frank Foster, Izzy Alderman again, out with their guns. Once again, they get hauled in, arrested, catching release. Shortly after this, now we get a reporter, Jake Lingle. Jake Lingle, he was crooked. He was on the take. He was one of these $65 a week reporters who vacations in Hawaii and has an apartment on Lake George Drive, that kind of thing. He even said he had a fancy piece of gold jewelry that was a gift from Al Capone. Anyway, he gets into trouble with people there. He gets killed. [21:32] Now, everybody knows you can’t. The people you don’t kill are cops and newsmen. Jake Lengel gets killed, and now, once again, it’s like St. Valentine’s Day all over again. Big public outcry. Cops are hot and heavy. They know somehow Izzy Alderman is somehow tied into this. Frank Foster’s tied into it. So they’re hunting them. And a few months later, a cop spots Izzy. He’s in a restaurant with another guy, Joe Condi. They’re eating dinner. Cop recognized Izzy because he was really, which is surprising, he was really well known then to the cops, to the press, to other gangsters. [22:19] And yet today, who was Izzy Aldenman? Who was Ice-Pick Willie? So time goes by. But the cop spots him, recognizes him, grabs, snatters him up, and arrests him. As soon as they come out of the restaurant, runs him in for questioning for the Lingle murder. They get him in. There’s nothing they can tie him to the Lingle case with. So they charge him with vagrants. This is a new deal, a new tool that prosecutors are using in Chicago. Yeah. We know you’re a gangster. We can’t prove anything, so we’re going to arrest you for vagrancy because you have no physical means of support. You don’t have a job. [23:07] When Izzy was arrested at this time, he had about $650 in his pocket. This is worth like over 12 grand today so yeah the economy’s good when vagrants are carrying that kind of money obviously but they get arrested charged with first they’re brought in before a judge one judge mccordy he says there’s nothing to hold them on the lingual thing so they’re free to go the minute they walk out of the court building they get arrested charged with vacancy taken in front of another judge, Judge Lyle. Now, Judge Lyle, he’s known, he’s a holy terror when it comes to gangsters. He’s just after them. And even he admits the vagrancy thing, I’m not sure it’s really valid, but we’re going to charge you anyway. First thing is, he says, is I want a lawyer. So the judge tells the court reporter, the defendant has no comment at this time. And then in what’s probably the shortest trial in history, Izzy and his buddy are found guilty. [24:21] And shipped away to jail in a matter of like 10 minutes or something. How long was the sentence for? How long was the sentence for? They were sentenced to six months in jail. Okay. Surveillance. Okay. So now their lawyer comes back, goes back to the first judge, McGordy, who had released them on the Lingle chart. [24:49] And he convinced her, I don’t know, for whatever reason, Judge McGurdy says, no, I have jurisdiction in this case because they were brought before me first. And so he issues a bond and sets them free again. As soon as they walk out of the courthouse, they’re re-arrested again for vagrancy. At this point, their lawyer, the lawyer’s upset. And he’s telling, he tells the cops, that’s it. If you’re going to take them in on this bullshit again, you got to take me too. So they all went down to the station, the lawyer with them, charged with vagrancy again, locked up. Judge Lyle, like I say, Judge Lyle was not a friend of these people. He missed their fail at $10,000 on the vagrancy charge. And then he immediately changed it to $20,000 a piece because he was afraid they might make the $10,000 bail. These vagrants, mind you. So they’re backed off in jail. [25:56] Late that night, the lawyer, who’s also out of jail at this point, finds another judge who is either totally unaware of this case or he’s very aware of it. Either way, this judge says, oh, no, that’s way too much bail for vagrancy. The bail should be $100 for that. And as he says, they’re bailing at $100. They’re out again. Boom. So the next day, they go to court facing the, vagrancy charge in front of Judge Lyle. Judge Lyle immediately says, no, your bond was issued falsely, charges him with another $20,000 bail, has him re-arrested. Oh, my God. So they get their bond reduced to $10,000. They bail out of jail. They go to court. [26:51] Finally, on the vagrancy charges, maybe a month later. They’ve been dealing with this now for almost two months. Vagrancy charge. First day of the actual vagrancy trial, Izzy goes in, they arrest him for the burglaries back in New York, charging with hoax. So now they’re ignoring the vagrancy charge. They’ve got him locked up. They’re holding him for extradition to New York. He fights this still. He holds out finally in December, just a couple days before Christmas. He ends up back in New York to face the vagrants. He’s charged with the robberies and the murder of the fighting jeweler. Finally, everything gets dropped back in New York. You know, this is Meyer and Charlie’s area. All the charges are dropped. He’s free and clear again. He’s back home, so he sticks around. and it’s just in time because, as you mentioned, the Castle Marie’s war breaks out like a month later. [27:57] There’s no actual evidence, a lot of evidence of his involvement, but coincidentally, he is charged with murder about a month after the war breaks out. And, of course, his charges drop again, too, like they are. And then as the war goes on, first, Charlie Luciano, he swapped, changed his sides, they whacked Joe the boss, and then they set up Maranzano. [28:27] And Salvador Marenzano gets shot and killed in a restaurant, supposedly by a hit squad of Jewish gangsters that Meyer organized, because Meyer and Charlie were pretty close at this point in time. It isn’t sure who all was involved in that. Benny Siegel was supposed to be one of the shooters. And there’s no mention of Izzy being involved in it, but once again, just coincidentally, he left for France a couple of weeks after the shooting, where he stays until the end of the year when they first held at a couple of conferences. The one where Charlie Luciano organized pretty much the Italian crime family And then a couple months later, Meyer had one where he organized Jewish people, except Meyer had more of a national thing, whereas Charlie’s was more of the New York Five family kind of thing. [29:37] So anyway, at this time, I guess moving along here, Dave Berman, as you’re familiar with, being a Jewish mobster out of the Midwest, he’d come under Meyer’s umbrella. And then in 1927, he gets called to New York. He ends up in New York. At the time, Meyer, the Bugs and Meyer gang, especially being Budgie Siegel and Meyer Lansky, had this thing going where they were kidnapping rival bootleggers. Bootlegging was big business. Meyer was taking control of all of that. It was coming, especially coming in from Canada, which is where the Midwest came in, coming in by boatloads from Canada. We were drinking Canada Dry. Yeah, good one. So Dave Berman, he ends up in New York. Another bootlegger named Abe Sharlin gets kidnapped. [30:45] And the family agrees to pay like a $50,000 ransom to get him back. So when the two guys show up to collect the ransom, instead of a pile of money, there’s a pile of cops waiting for him. Immediately, a shootout breaks out. The one guy jumps out of the car, pulls out his gun, big shootout, people running everywhere. One guy shot and killed. The other guy, he surrenders. That’s Dave Berman. So Dave Berman, it’s, doing this for Meyer, but the cops don’t know that for sure. But they arrest him. He’s off to Sing for seven years for kidnapping. [31:27] Actually, back then, Sing, the prison in Ossining, New York, sat on the river, and so most people sent there, prisoners were shipped up there by boat. That’s where the term sent up the river. I didn’t realize that. Cool. So he does his time while he’s locked up there there’s not a lot of Willie doesn’t show up a lot but there is one specific mention of him, B Kittle he was a nightclub singer back in the early 30s young girl goes to New York chasing her dream ends up working at the nightclub that just happens to be to hang out for the mobsters. She doesn’t know this, but… And actually, she ends up marrying Mo Sedway later on. And Mo Sedway was one of Meyer Lansky’s close people, Benny’s people. She does remark, though, that she remembers there were two guys she’d always see sitting over at a table in the corner drinking together. One of them, she said, was Izzy Alderman, who she said was a lieutenant for Moe Sedway, and the other was Fat Irish Green. [32:51] Fat Irish Green was Benny’s bodyguard, hang-around-everywhere kind of guy. We always see the same people popping up all through this thing. Izzy’s plugged into this bunch. So anyway, we jump ahead a couple years. Dave Berman gets out of prison. Gets out of prison immediately. Meets up with Mo Sedway and Meyer and Charlie, everybody there. Dave’s been a stand-up guy. He kept his mouth shut about everything. He took his beef. He was good about it. But the story goes, they offer him a million dollars in cash for his loyalty. Fire took the judge. More employers should be like him. [33:42] Dave said he didn’t want the money. He wanted to be, he wanted control of gambling in Minneapolis. His mother lived there. His brother, Chickie, was there running small-time gambling thing. That’s where he wanted to go. And they say, okie-dokie, which I think is a good example of the influence, shall we say, that the East Coast group had over the rest of the country. They can just, I’ll give you this city in the Midwest. But before A.V. heads there, interestingly enough, there’s a couple of treasury bond robberies, big treasury bond robberies that happened in New York. They need total like over $2 million. [34:31] Big bucks and the FBI tracks down some of the bonds to a Minneapolis gangster, so when they arrest him along with him the Minneapolis gangster his name was Royce Boris Royce not that it’s a big deal but with him they pick up Davey Berman Davey the Jew is what he was called at that time they weren’t quite as politically correct, They got Dave Berman, they got Moe Subway, and there was a guy that the newspapers called, one account called him Jacob Irish Greenberg, and another one called him Jack Green Greenberg. So this would have been Fat Irish Green, it was Jacob Greenberg. [35:21] Once again, by the time it was done, acquittals all the way around. Wonderful things for him. Now Davey Berman pays off to Minneapolis to join his brother in the gambling thing. He gets there. Brother Chickie was running gambling initially. Isidore, or Kid Khan, was in charge. Isidore Bloomfield was in charge of the Minneapolis thing. And his brother, Yiddy Bloom. Yeah. But, of course, Davey’s here now. Since Kid Khan and his bunch were also Jewish popsters, that means they are linked to Meyer. And when Meyer says, okay, here’s Davey, now that’s how it goes. Davey immediately starts expanding the gambling joints into horse booking and race wire and craft games and everything. And he’s a good businessman. He’s sharp. And he’s learned a lot, apparently, from Meyer because he knows how to keep his name and people out of the name. Back then in Minneapolis, they had a deal. It was called the O’Connor Existence. [36:41] For the it was a deal that the local police had with gangster you could come to our town, and we won’t bother you we’ll leave you alone three conditions you check in with us when you get here so we know you’re here you of course make various payments to the necessary police and city officials and it was an orphan’s fund to the widows and orphans fund the police, and you promised that you will not commit any crimes major crimes while you’re in twin cities minneapolis st paul and if they’d agree to that they could stay there safely no matter who was looking for them so this also made it kind of more attractive i think for dave burman and people like him because obviously all you got to do is pay people off you’re good to go yeah kind of like the hot springs of the north, huh? Oh, yeah. So, once again, with this kind of ability, you don’t find a lot of mention of. [37:52] Dave Berman or his crew, especially in Minneapolis, and some of the police records have been lost there over the years. So that made it a little harder, too, to track things down. There are a couple of interesting things. For example, now, part of the Berman crew, one of them especially was Slippy Sherr, a guy named Phillip Sherr. They went by Slippy. He was really an interesting sort of guy. He was definitely a violent person he was constantly charged with assaults and murders and of course the charges were always dropped there was one occasion he was out with some friends in a bar they end up in an argument with the bar owner turns into a fight the bar owner goes outside flags down a motorcycle cop who’s going by the motorcycle cop goes back in with the bar owner and they proceed to get in a fist fight with Flippy and his friends, they get lumped up pretty good. Later, when they go to court. [39:01] The officer made a remark in court about, he said, all in all, it was pretty fair fight all the way around. And he said, for the most part, they’re pretty nice guys when they’re not drinking. Yeah. So aren’t we all? He was that kind of the guy Flippi was bollocked, Oh, another example of that. Willie ends up, by the time he hits Minneapolis, he’s become Willie Alden. He’s given up the Izzy thing, trying to put that behind him. Now, his focus is gambling. He’s like Dave Berman. It’s a muscle, maybe, behind Dave Berman. But he’s mellowed out a lot, and you don’t hear a lot about him. In one incident, though, they were golfers of all things. They loved golfing. And this is the 30s. So, of course, they can only golf at the Jewish golf course. Jewish people weren’t allowed at the regular country club. They’re out golfing. Flippy, sure, he would always join them. We wanted to force them. They didn’t deal with golf well. They’d get upset easily. I know the feeling. I know. [40:19] So on one occasion, Flippi slices a ball over into a neighboring farmer’s field. There’s an 18-year-old kid over there farming his potato crop. And Flippi, being argumentative, is a problem breaks out over the ball, him and this kid. Pretty soon, Flippi’s over there in the field. First, he starts wailing on the kid with his fist. And then he starts beating on him with his golf club until he knocks him out. Oh, man. This is like a $30,000 golf club. Game for flippy by the time it’s over and probably got extra strokes on that hole while he was there. [41:03] That the berman crew ran in minneapolis was 613 hennepin this was they were regularly it seemed like it was an annual thing it’s probably a deal they hadn’t once a year the cops would hit 613 Hennepin, they’d raid it, they’d charge him with gambling, whatever, and they’d pay their fine, let it go. But like clockwork, if you check the newspapers, once a year, it’s 13 Hennepin. So finally, last time, 1940, they go in, and now their cops are hyped. Big, great, they ain’t got all these cops, they’re ready to get the door down, charge in. To get there, Doors are wide open. Cop belt all run in. There’s still hot coffee on the stove. There’s a chalkboard full of all the race results. Everything but people. The places. There’s nobody in the place. This upset him made more of an embarrassment, I think, than anything for the police. He finally got beat out on that one. [42:09] That was 613 Hennepin. Was that the address and the name of the spot, 613 Hennepin? Or was that Hennepin’s like a common name up in Minneapolis? It was called the TMA Club. Okay, and the address was 613 Hennepin. Yeah, it actually had a couple of different names, But the address, no matter what club was at that address, whatever they called, it was the same thing. Yeah, I got you. They just sold. Now, about this time, this is late 1930s, of course, I’m sure you’re familiar with the Silver Church thing, the support group, so to speak, in the States, right? Yeah, yeah. And Judge Perlman from New York got a hold of Meyer Lansky. Yeah. See if he could offer assistance. And among the people that Meyer called was Dave Berman, of course, in Minneapolis. And Dave said, sure, I’d be glad to help. And Willie would be glad to help, too. Dave was a little nervous about Willie’s assistance because they really didn’t want anybody killed. And he wasn’t sure about that with Willie. But as it turns out, they said that Silver Shirts held their meeting at the Elks Club in town. and J.B. Berman showed up with some friends and baseball bats. [43:32] It took him about 10 minutes to clear the place out. A couple more go-rounds like this and the silver shirts, all the… [43:42] Nazi groups, neo-Nazis, whatever, they changed their mind about having these kind of meetings there. Like in New York, when they had Nuremeyer brought his people in, they were not extremely friendly to the Nazis, which is understandable. So the Silver Shirts complained to the mayor, Mayor LaGuardia, demanding protection for their rallies and their marches. And the mayor is obligated by law to protect them, to provide them with the support. And he did. He rounded up all of the black and Jewish officers he could find and assigned them to that duty. His mother was Jewish. Yeah, crazy times. It’s hard to believe. If you don’t read it in history yourself, you wouldn’t know it. It’s really something that’s been a gift under the rug. We had those Nazi sympathizers right up to World War II. It was crazy. Oh, it was amazing. People like Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, who wrote The International Jew. At one time, if you bought a new Ford, you’d get a free copy of that book. [44:57] I read that somewhere, The International Jew, that Jewish conspiracy that’s supposed to take over the world and have all the money and everything. Yeah, that’s interesting. That’s ridiculous. They just want to take over gambling. It’s obvious. Yeah, really. Then they wanted to move all these guys you mentioned, Mo Sedway and Mayor Lansky, of course, and Buggy Siegel. They all end up out in Las Vegas. They take it all to Las Vegas, don’t they? Yeah, and like I said, right from the very beginning, you’ll see the same name over and over. Benny Siegel, Gus Greenbaum, Joe Stacker. They had an amazing bunch. And if you look at it, most of them died in bed. Yeah. [45:43] It was a whole different, probably, mindset than you’d see with the Italian gangsters at that time. These are people who managed to stay out of jail, stay out of the press, and stay out of the ground and make money. Yeah. A FBI agent here in Kansas City gave me a quote one time on a documentary I was doing. He was talking about this national crime syndicate. And he said, yeah, he said, the Italians provided the brawn, and the Jews provided the brains. Pretty much how well you got to Vegas, obviously the Jewish groups around the country had been running gambling. They were smart. Meyer especially was a visionary. This guy was a genius in Meyer’s mind. And he could see that, obviously, Prohibition, as wonderful as it was for them, wasn’t going to last forever. But he could see the future in gambling. And I’m sure he didn’t foresee Las Vegas back when Prohibition was repealed, but he did see the direction things were going. [46:55] He developed gambling all over the country. And then when Vegas came along, this was just a wonderful thing for legalized gambling. They had the expertise, the experience, the knowledge, all they needed. Because opening casino is an expensive venture, so they needed more money. The Italians provided extra cash, and the Jewish groups had all the experience and the knowledge to run there. That’s where, back in the one conference, the Fraconia conference that Meyer organized, where he organized the Jewish groups around the nation, at that time he convinced, both groups were convinced that it was time that they start working together and not be at odds with them. with each other. Yeah, no, it was actually, it turned out to be a real profitable agreement as time went on. Yeah, especially in Las Vegas, so. [47:55] I’ll tell you what, Flatsy, it’s a hell of a book. That’s a hell of a story you’ve got there, guys. [48:00] We’re not going to disclose everything because we’ve got to go on out to Las Vegas, but we’re not going to disclose everything. We want you to buy that book. It really sounds interesting. It’s really a walk through the history and the expansion of organized crime from the early days from the Castle of Racey War and Chicago and the Beer Wars to Minneapolis and on out to Las Vegas. It’s a hell of a story. and Ice-Pick Willie was there for all of it, it sounds to me like. That’s what I found so amazing is pretty much every major event in gangland history at that point in time, he would somehow evolve there. And yet, here like 50 years or so after he’s dead, nobody even remembers him. They will now. The people he knew, the people he associated with, the things he’s seen, what a life really guys the book is Ice Pick Willie the life and times of Israel Alderman and the author is Flats F-L-A-T-S and I will have a link to that book on Amazon when this comes out so thanks a lot Flats I really appreciate you coming on and telling those stories, you betcha thanks for having me.

Spanish Civil War Guerillas, the impact of Yugoslavia's transportation infrastructure, and evaluating British generals across the world wars. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doubts about the international dominance of the dollar are only growing amid worries about tariffs, political dysfunction, and fraying international alliances. Will the dollar continue to reign supreme? In Money Beyond Borders, the leading authority on international currencies, Barry Eichengreen, puts the dollar's prospects in deep historical perspective by chronicling the entire history of cross-border currencies, from the invention of coins in the seventh century BCE to the cryptocurrencies of today and the central bank digital currencies of tomorrow. Money Beyond Borders: Global Currencies from Croesus to Crypto (Princeton University Press, 2026) recounts how Greek and Roman coins became the first true international currencies. It tells how the Florentine gold florin became the "greenback of the Renaissance," and how it was succeeded by Spanish silver and a Dutch fiat currency. The book explains why the British pound dominated the international economy in the nineteenth century, why the dollar rose to the top during World War II, and why the dollar has survived predictions of the imminent loss of its preeminence since the 1970s. The long history of international currencies shows that the same factors that encourage their widespread use eventually lead to their abandonment. Money Beyond Borders makes a powerful case that the dollar is now on the downside of this cycle, and it considers who the winners and losers will be when there is flight away from the greenback. Revealing important patterns in the life cycles of international currencies over the past 2,500 years, the book offers valuable lessons and insights about how currencies rise--and why they fall. Barry Eichengreen is the George C. and Helen N. Pardee Chair and Distinguished Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Caleb Zakarin is the CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Doubts about the international dominance of the dollar are only growing amid worries about tariffs, political dysfunction, and fraying international alliances. Will the dollar continue to reign supreme? In Money Beyond Borders, the leading authority on international currencies, Barry Eichengreen, puts the dollar's prospects in deep historical perspective by chronicling the entire history of cross-border currencies, from the invention of coins in the seventh century BCE to the cryptocurrencies of today and the central bank digital currencies of tomorrow. Money Beyond Borders: Global Currencies from Croesus to Crypto (Princeton University Press, 2026) recounts how Greek and Roman coins became the first true international currencies. It tells how the Florentine gold florin became the "greenback of the Renaissance," and how it was succeeded by Spanish silver and a Dutch fiat currency. The book explains why the British pound dominated the international economy in the nineteenth century, why the dollar rose to the top during World War II, and why the dollar has survived predictions of the imminent loss of its preeminence since the 1970s. The long history of international currencies shows that the same factors that encourage their widespread use eventually lead to their abandonment. Money Beyond Borders makes a powerful case that the dollar is now on the downside of this cycle, and it considers who the winners and losers will be when there is flight away from the greenback. Revealing important patterns in the life cycles of international currencies over the past 2,500 years, the book offers valuable lessons and insights about how currencies rise--and why they fall. Barry Eichengreen is the George C. and Helen N. Pardee Chair and Distinguished Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Caleb Zakarin is the CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Novelist Leah Eskin joins Rick Kogan to discuss her book ‘Like Wafers in Honey’. Leah talks about Italian-Jewish cuisine, the cultural identity of Italian Jews, the World War II time period, her enjoyment writing the book, and more.

Dozens of Tuskegee Airmen went missing in action during World War II. Most of them have not been found. Who were these men and what happened to them? In her book, "Forgotten Souls," NPR investigative correspondent Cheryl W. Thompson tells their stories.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Of all the cities that experienced the Second World War, one of the most interesting stories is that of Paris.  Paris was not the scene of major fighting like Warsaw, which was all but destroyed. It was occupied for over four years, during which time it saw acts of resistance and collaboration.  When the city was liberated after the invasion of Normandy, it was supposed to be destroyed, but it survived due to one man's act of disobedience.  After liberation, the city witnessed incredible acts of reprisal and vengeance.  Learn more about the occupation and liberation of Paris on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.  Sponsors Samsara Don't wait for the next accident to take action. Head to Samsara.com/EVERYTHING ButcherBox Get your choice between chicken breast or top sirloin for a year OR ground beef for life, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/everything Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Save 50% on Unlimited premium wireless plans starting at $15/month at MintMobile.com/EED Audible Listen to Project Hail Mary Audible.com/hailmary Fast Growing Trees Get 20% off your first purchase when using the code DAILY at checkout at fastgrowingtrees.com/daily Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Ds7Rx7jvPJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – In modern conflicts of the past few years, battlefield tactics, techniques, and technologies are radically different from those of WWII. Yet the illusion of a technological edge can cloud senior leadership's ability to make logical, intelligence-driven decisions. The fact that the United States is enlisting the help of second- and third-world countries to...

Today's episode is the first in a new series about how the greatest political writer of the 20th century tried – and failed – to make sense of the central political event of the century. How did George Orwell respond in real time to the epochal events of the Second World War and how do his struggles relate to the uncertainties of our own time? What did he get right, what did he get wrong and what did he fail to understand at all? How did a writer who had vigorously opposed the war before it started find himself defending it as soon as it was underway? Who or what did he really want to win? And what did Orwell believe was worse than fascism? Join us this Friday 17th April at the Regent Street Cinema in London for the second film in our new season: a screening of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut followed by a live podcast recording with David and director and campaigner Beeban Kidron. Tickets available now ⁠https://bit.ly/3O5rSEY⁠ And find details of all our upcoming film events here ⁠https://www.ppfideas.com/events⁠ You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of all episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website ⁠https://www.ppfideas.com⁠ Next Time on Orwell's War: False Dawn (1940-41) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Intro: Theme/Topic (What's the problem, the question, etc.) Louie Zamperini was an Olympic runner who went on to serve as a bombardier in World War II. During a mission over the Pacific, his plane crashed into the ocean. Out of eleven men on board, only three survived. Louie spent 47 days drifting at…

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Sahar Saleem, an Egyptian paleoradiologist specialising in using medical imaging technology to study mummies and ancient artefacts.We start with the story a Jewish interpreter who helped guard Adolf Hitler's teeth in the final days of the Second World War. Then, the engineering efforts to reduce the tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - which kept it closed to the public for 11 years.We hear a Nepalese activist recall the massive protests that led to the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990.Plus, a childhood memory of the first major surrealist exhibition in New York.Finally, we hear of the current whereabouts of Jorge, a popular Argentine sea turtle.Contributors: Lyubov Summ - granddaughter of interpreter Yelena Rzhevskaya.Nunziante Squeglia - professor of geotechnics at the University of Pisa.Durga Thapa - Nepalese activist.Carroll Janis - performer at the first major surrealist exhibition.Nicky Salapu - former goalkeeper for American Samoa,Alejandro Saubidet - Argentine marine biologist.(Photo: Pisa Leaning Tower and Pisa Cathedral, in the celebrated Piazza dei Miracoli. Credit: Getty)

The Witness Files – Case 01: Waiting on the Other Side begins a new series exploring deeply personal true paranormal stories centred on presence, connection, and the possibility that love may continue beyond death. Sent in by Jenny, this case spans generations, wartime London, a haunted fire station in Bethnal Green, and a promise made between two people that may never have been broken.The story begins with Jenny's mother, who as a young girl in Peckham during the Second World War, experienced unexplained voices in her bedroom — two women speaking in a language she could not understand. Years later, after moving into a fire station flat in 1950s London, further strange activity followed. Objects moved, a man was heard whistling along to wartime songs, and a child described a figure standing at the end of the bed during storms. Even scepticism within the family would later soften when others admitted to sensing a presence in the flat.The account then moves forward to experiences after Jenny's father passed away — sightings in a cathedral, an electronic game seemingly playing by itself, and a powerful message delivered through a medium. At the heart of it all is a promise made decades earlier: that whichever one passed first would wait for the other. If you're drawn to true paranormal stories, after-death communication, spiritual encounters, and emotional witness testimony, The Witness Files – Case 01: Waiting on the Other Side is a moving story about love, memory, and the possibility that some connections never truly end.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/haunted-uk-podcast-ghosts-poltergeists-ufo-s-and-strange-creatures--6759967/support.Enter the world of Haunted UK Podcast, where we explore ghosts, poltergeists, UFOs, strange creatures, and the unexplained from across the UK and beyond.Website:https://hauntedukpodcast.comFollow Haunted UK Podcast:Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/hauntedukpodcast/X — https://x.com/HauntedUKPodYouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@HauntedUKPodcast1974Support the show:Patreon — https://www.patreon.com/cw/HauntedUKPodcastKo-fi — https://ko-fi.com/hauntedukpodcastListen on:Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/haunted-uk-podcast-ghosts-poltergeists-ufos-and/id1571182283Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/4nzMpgYfGo7B8RUaMr8Hzm?si=0e5902c52e70480aContact:contactus@hauntedukpodcast.com

This is a rebroadcast of a conversation first aired live on KAZI 88.7 FM in April 2016, featuring Bernice L. McFadden, author of the 2016 award-winning novel, THE BOOK OF HARLAN. The interview—conducted by Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay with the assistance of contributor Evelyn Martin‑Anderson—was later shared on the podcast in July 2019. DVBR is revisiting the discussion now to celebrate Akashic Books' release of a special 10th anniversary edition of the novel, which remains one of my personal favorites. In this wide‑ranging discussion, McFadden talks about the lyrical language that shapes her work, her deep engagement with family history, and the hidden histories she uncovers through fiction. She reflects on The Book of Harlan as a sweeping saga that moves from the American South to Harlem, Paris, and World War II–era Europe, exploring friendship, legacy, and the power of storytelling to “breathe life back into memory.”Bernice McFadden is the author of several novels, including Glorious and Gathering of Waters. A MacArthur Fellow, her work is widely praised for its historical depth, poetic prose, and exploration of African American life across generations.Follow Diverse Voices Book Review on Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Bluesky - @diversevoicesbooks.bsky.social

"When it comes to World War II, be on the lookout for the Allies." Tony has his Top 5 storylines heading into the NBA Playoffs, and he has the balls to ask the question that nobody is asking: Can the Thunder go back-to-back? Kyle Van Noy responded to our Lamar Jackson discourse from yesterday, and Zaslow wants to know what happened to 140 characters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Hosts of The Warrior Next Door Podcast, Ryan Fairfield and Tony Lupo, join me as we discuss the Top 5 technological improvements or discoveries of WWII.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, FEATURING LANCE GATLING, JIM MCTAGUE, ANATOL LIEVEN, 4-9-20161945 TOKYO STATION FIRED MARCH 1945The provided transcript features a broadcast of The John Bachelor Show, where the host and several experts analyze the global economic and geopolitical fallout of a crisis in the Straits of Hormuz. The discussion highlights how the constricted oil supply has spiked fuel prices differently across the globe, comparing high costs in Japan and Europe to relatively lower prices in the United States. Panelists examine the strategic responses of various nations, noting that Japan has tapped its national petroleum reserves while Russiabenefits financially from the elevated market prices. The conversation further explores the shifting diplomatic landscape, questioning whether NATO or China will play a primary role in the eventual reconstruction of Iran. Additionally, the participants debate the long-term stability of the post-World War II global order under the influence of current American domestic politics. The segment concludes by touching on a more positive outlook for Latin American diplomacy and energy production in Venezuela. (1)

In 1984, loggerhead sea turtle Jorge became trapped in fishing nets and was moved to an aquarium in Mendoza. He was kept in captivity for more than 40 years until legal action and a campaign led to the closure of the aquarium and his release in 2025. But, where is he now?Megan Jones asks marine biologist Alejandro Saubidet, who was in charge of his rehabilitation.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Jorge. Credit: Andres Larrovere/via Getty)

A cornerstone of modern globalization, the World Trade Organization (WTO), is collapsing. Following the Cold War, the post-WWII system needed a legal system to enforce trade rules, so the WTO was born. Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Full Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4vaKeoS

During World War II, Hitler recognized the power that Hollywood held as a tool for propaganda. So much so that he sent Nazi agents to L.A. to infiltrate the studios. In his new book, Hollywood vs. Nazis: How the Movie Studios Took on Nazis Infiltrating Los Angeles, author Michael Benson, tells the story of how one entertainment lawyer spearheaded the defense against Hitler’s pro-Nazi propaganda in Hollywood. Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with Benson about his book and this interesting intersection in movie history. “The American Cinematheque Podcast” releases weekly on Thursdays in both video and audio formats, on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. The first two episodes are out now featuring filmmakers Edgar Wright and Mary Bronstein.

On 9 April 1990, people gathered at Khula Manch, an open stage in Kathmandu. They were celebrating the end of Nepal's party-less Panchayat system and the beginning of multi-party democracy.Among the crowd was Durga Thapa, who had spent weeks organising and coordinating the protests.A photo of her in a sea of men, leaping up and giving the peace sign, her hands covered in red paint, came to mark the movement.She speaks to Ribika Moktan about that day and her role in Nepal's 1990 democracy movement.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Durga Thapa celebrating in Khula Manch on the 9th of April 1990. Credit: Min Ratna Bajracharya)

From its earliest days, the United States saw itself as a nation with intense purpose — not a static country, not a museum of inherited customs, but a project. Alexander Hamilton envisioned a commercial republic that would rival the great powers of Europe. The doctrine of manifest destiny pushed that ambition across a continent. After World War II, the same impulse extended outward into global leadership. America, in other words, has always kept its eyes on the horizon. Support me and this channel by subscribing to BlazeTV Today and Get $20 off your annual subscription: https://blazetv.com/Auron Follow on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148af Substack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyre Gab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyre YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyre Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:f Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in a London bomb shelter to WWII refugees, young Gerald Springer grows up steeped in liberal politics. After taking his talents to Cincinnati City Council, Springer wins over a base of support in a traditionally conservative town. But personal scandal threatens to drive him from the city that's grown to love him.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Go to https://zbiotics.com/BEAST and use BEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee. Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as Donald Trump escalates his most dangerous bluff yet, threatening destruction on a scale not seen since World War II while cornered by a war he promised never to start. The threats grow louder as the options shrink: Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, global oil jitters mount, and the “no forever wars” president finds himself trapped by the war he started. Wolff argues the chaos is compounded by a shrinking circle of loyalists stripped of agency, a jittery JD Vance being quietly positioned to absorb blame, and a MAGA world already bracing for the political fallout. Wolff suggests this is most likely the beginning of his end: A president escalating because he's cornered and a split base calling for mutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump holds the world hostage with his sloppy Iran War, and JD Vance campaigns for Orban, the Kremlin's weapon in Hungary, Gaslit Nation returns to a shared family history of resistance. Andrea is joined this week by the brilliant artist Maya Hayuk to break down the story behind Andrea's new graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Born from a decade of research into the Holodomor, Stalin's genocide famine in Ukraine, Mrs. Orwell is a monument to an unsung heroine of literature and the truth the Kremlin tried to bury. We also cover the horrifying reality of the current front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where the UNESCO heritage site of L'viv's ancient city center was bombed by Russia while the U.S. sleepwalks through yet another "war of choice." While we share the intense rage of seeing Ukrainians having to bailout Trump and Vance in Iran, we remain focused on the agency of the people. The oligarch mafia model, which relies on apathy, despair, and nihilism, is being challenged by a culture of defiance.  We end with a miraculous artifact: a 1947 Ukrainian translation of Animal Farm discovered in both Andrea and Maya's families. This book, distributed in post-WWII refugee camps, is a sign that the spirit of rebellion cannot be extinguished. We refuse to be "useful idiots" for the transnational crime network; we have each other, and we are going to build a better world from the ashes.  For our bonus episode out later this week, we take a closer look at JD and Usha Vance's trip to Hungary to serve the Kremlin, and the latest hellscape headlines. To listen, subscribe to our Patreon at the Truth-Teller level ($5/month) or higher. For more on the Ukrainian refugee camp Animal Farm, read Andrea's book Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm, which Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller ($10/month) and up level get for free.  Your support gives us the freedom to tell the truth–thank you for making Gaslit Nation possible! Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: Maya Hayuk's artwork: https://www.instagram.com/mayahayuk/ Join our April 13 book launch and live-taping to celebrate Mrs. Orwell. Patreon supporters get in free!  https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/ Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm https://www.amazon.com/Orwell-Refugees-Untold-Story-Animal-ebook/dp/B007JNKF5G EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult. Join on Patreon Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on Patreon Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join on Patreon Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join on Patreon Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community  

Join us in Vegas for Podjam 3! My conversation with Dave starts at about 38 minutes in to today's show after headlines and clips Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls   subscribe to Dave Substack Dave Aronberg served three terms as the elected State Attorney for Palm Beach County from 2012 to 2024, where he led a team of 115 prosecutors and 180 professional staff in five offices throughout Palm Beach County. He is also a former Assistant Attorney General, White House Fellow and Florida Senator. In 2016, Aronberg created a Sober Homes Task Force that made more than 120 arrests for patient brokering and insurance fraud in the rehab industry, and has led to several new Florida laws and regulations that have become the model for other states. Aronberg's efforts also convinced Google to restrict advertisements and improve screening for addiction treatment. The crackdown in rogue sober homes and corrupted drug treatment centers contributed to a dramatic decrease in opioid-caused deaths in Palm Beach County. Dave Aronberg was born in Miami. He attended public schools before going on to graduate with honors from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After graduation, he worked in the litigation department of a large South Florida law firm while also working closely with Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson to investigate European insurance companies that refused to honor World War II-era policies sold to victims of the Holocaust. In 2000, Aronberg was selected to be one of 15 White House Fellows from across the country. In this nonpartisan position, he served in two presidential administrations as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury Department for international money laundering, including the laundering of terrorist assets. Dave Aronberg was elected to the State Senate in 2002 as its youngest member and served until 2010. In 2010, Aronberg returned to the Florida Attorney General's Office as a Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking. In his role as the Attorney General's "Drug Czar," Aronberg led an anti-pill mill initiative that helped clean up the pain clinic industry and reduced the record number of people dying each day from oxycodone abuse. Aronberg is a trial skills instructor at Harvard Law School, and frequently appears on cable television as a legal commentator. He is the managing partner of Dave Aronberg Law, P.A., and a strategic partner with Capital City Consulting in West Palm Beach. Read about Dave's book         Listen rate and review on Apple Podcasts Listen rate and review on Spotify Pete On Instagram Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on Twitter Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll  Buy Ava's Art  Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack

Headlines for April 07, 2026; Report from Tehran: “Hormuz Is Not a Tool to End the War But How Iran Wins the Aftermath”; Juan González: “Latinx Freedom” Conference Will Be Landmark Gathering in NYC April 9-10; “A Moral Obscenity”: White House Demands $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget, Largest Increase Since WWII

In this season of Past Gas, we're exploring the origins of Japan's Golden Era of Cars. How did Japan bounce back from the devastation of WWII? What made their economy so strong? And when did their sports cars become the icons we know today? All will be explained in this 12 part series, stay tuned!