Jeremy Zakis reports irregular weather is driving venomous snakes into unusual residential locations, with a Victorianwoman startled by a copperhead wrapping around her leg while Queensland's Whitsunday Islands face a python epidemic leading to tourist warnings about painful defensive bites. 3

Jeremy Zakis describes Dallas, an eleven-year-old dog, patrolling to protect his property from aggressive cockatoos that previously dismantled a neighbor's roof, with a gang of up to seven birds conducting reconnaissance from a nearby pine tree while targeting solar panels. 2

Jeremy Zakis reports irregular weather is driving venomous snakes into unusual residential locations, with a Victorianwoman startled by a copperhead wrapping around her leg while Queensland's Whitsunday Islands face a python epidemic leading to tourist warnings about painful defensive bites. 2

Jeremy Zakis notes the Australian T20 cricket team was eliminated early from their tournament following a catastrophic loss to Zimbabwe and a rained-out match, observing that T20 has evolved from a sideshow into a highly popular format rivaling traditional five-day test matches. 41898

4. Stevenson-Yang 4: Post-Pandemic Deflation and the Surveillance State. Severe COVID-19 lockdowns shattered public trust, leaving China facing local government debt crises and deflation while Xi Jinping prioritizes national surveillance over traditional capitalist recovery. Guest: Anne Stevenson-Yang.

3. Stevenson-Yang 3: Ghost Cities and the Infrastructure Credit Boom. Massive cash injections fueled construction of empty "ghost cities" and emulated Western landmarks, leading to a monumental credit expansion that eventually dwarfed the American system. Guest: Anne Stevenson-Yang.

2. Stevenson-Yang 2: The Rise of Red Capitalists and Princelings. Following the Tiananmen tragedy, China attracted capital by empowering "princelings" to manage state assets, creating a unique system where political connections were essential for business. Guest: Anne Stevenson-Yang.e

1. Stevenson-Yang 1: The Evolution of China’s Economic Transformation. Anne Stevenson-Yang recounts her 1994 Xi’an visit, contrasting tattered manufacturing exhibits with the impoverished, stagnant office culture she witnessed during her 1985 arrival. Guest: Anne Stevenson-Yang.

8. Bunker 8: Political Corruption and the Path to War. As Truman faced sinking approval ratings and corruption scandals, Margaret Chase Smith bravely challenged McCarthyism shortly before the North Korean sneak attack changed the world. Guest: Nick Bunker.

7. Bunker 7: NSC-68 and the Massive Military Buildup. In response to the Soviet atomic test, Paul Nitze authored NSC-68, a top-secret document advocating for a massive tripling of the United States’ defense budget. Guest: Nick Bunker.

6. Bunker 6: Stalin’s Green Light for the Korean Invasion. Stalin authorized Kim Il-sung’s invasion of the South after perceiving American weakness and ambiguity in Secretary Acheson’s defensive perimeter speech at the National Press Club. Guest: Nick Bunker.

5. Bunker 5: The Hiss Conviction and McCarthy’s Senate Rise. Alger Hiss’s perjury conviction empowered Senator McCarthy to launch an aggressive five-hour speech, fundamentally altering the political landscape by alleging widespread communist subversion in Washington. Guest: Nick Bunker.

4. Bunker 4: Labor Unrest and the Cold Winter Strike. The 1950 coal strike led by John L. Lewis paralyzed the nation, posing a major domestic challenge for Truman during the early Cold War tensions. Guest: Nick Bunker.v

3. Bunker 3: The Republican Insurgency and Robert Taft’s Vision. Robert Taft championed an "Asia First" foreign policy while Joe McCarthy began hijacking the Republican agenda, transforming domestic political debates into a fierce anti-communist crusade. Guest: Nick Bunker.

2. Bunker 2: Stalin, Mao, and the Communist Asian Strategy. Joseph Stalin cautiously hosted Mao Zedong in Moscow, eventually providing industrial support and military aid while seeking to secure Soviet borders through strategic Asian expansion. Guest: Nick Bunker.

1. Bunker 1: Truman’s Fair Deal and Internal Party Strife. In late 1949, President Truman struggled to implement his liberal Fair Deal reforms while facing a budget-draining recession and fierce opposition from fiscally conservative Democrats. Guest: Nick Bunker.

Gregory Zuckerman concludes by crediting American finance for enabling these scientific breakthroughs and expressing optimism that mRNA technology will soon tackle cancer and other illnesses. 8

Gregory Zuckerman describes the climactic moment vaccine results arrived, with Pfizer and Moderna reporting high efficacy, while Novavax and AstraZeneca faced unique logistical and reputational challenges. 7

Gregory Zuckerman examines the global race between Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and J&J, emphasizing the different scientific approaches and the logistical advantages of one-shot vaccines. 6

Gregory Zuckerman highlights Moderna's desperate struggle for funding and manufacturing equipment, which was finally resolved by a massive Wall Street investment during the pandemic's peak. 5

Gregory Zuckerman details Gail Smith's insect-based vaccine technology at Novavax and discusses how major pharmaceutical giants like Merck initially hesitated to join the pandemic race. 4

Gregory Zuckerman introduces the brilliant, driven scientists pursuing vaccines for AIDS, cancer, and malaria, who pivoted their controversial methodologies to confront the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic. 3

Gregory Zuckerman profiles Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and the pivotal mRNA research by Kariko and Weissman, noting the company's difficult transition from drug therapies to vaccines. 2

Gregory Zuckerman recounts the dramatic mapping and sharing of the COVID-19 genetic sequence, which launched global efforts to develop messenger RNA and adenovirus-based vaccines against the pandemic. 1

Mary Roach describes the process of tissue donation, focusing on corneal transplants and the meticulous, respectful recovery of bone and skin to benefit many patients awaiting procedures. 4

Mary Roach details xenotransplantation and chimeras for organ replacement, while also recounting historical nasal reconstructions and the use of the Fibonacci sequence in modern plastic surgery techniques. 3

Mary Roach explores the future of 3D-printed organs, explaining how researchers use specialized ink and support gels to recreate complex structures like heart muscles for transplantation. 2

Mary Roach discusses skin reconstruction for severe burn victims, highlighting Diana's recovery and the use of temporary biological dressings like cadaver or Icelandic cod skin to promote healing. 1

1.Jeff Bliss reports a deadly avalanche in Lake Tahoe claimed nine lives due to dry uncompacted snow, severe storms are causing heavy snowfall at Donner Pass and flooding the Los Angeles River, while Las Vegas faces declining foot traffic and Los Angeles battles rampant copper wire theft. 12.Jeff Bliss covers California's upcoming gubernatorial jungle primary with Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Steve Hilton as early frontrunners, Spencer Pratt challenging Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles, and Governor Gavin Newsom positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run on an anti-Trump platform. 23.Gene Marks reports that despite a disappointing fourth-quarter GDP growth rate of 1.4 percent and sluggishness in shipping and chemical sectors, small businesses remain surprisingly resilient with optimism above average and continued hiring plans even as AI integration remains limited. 34.Gene Marks discusses the Supreme Court ruling the administration's April 2025 emergency tariffs unconstitutional, leaving billions in collected funds in limbo, though the administration will likely utilize the Trade Acts of 1962 and 1974 to continue imposing targeted tariffs without congressional approval. 45.Jim McTague reports Lancaster County reflects the national 1.4 percent GDP slowdown with flat retail, consumer price fatigue, and plummeting restaurant traffic due to rising costs and weight-loss drugs, while Washington DC lobbying and local health and construction sectors remain strong. 56.Lorenzo Fiori reports the Milan Winter Olympics are proceeding successfully amidst beautiful snow with rumors of a Donald Trump visit for the hockey finals, while extreme weather has caused dangerous Alpine avalanches and the tragic collapse of the historic Lover's Arch on the Adriatic coast. 67.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black reports NASA successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis IImission targeting a March 6th launch, while a NASA report classified Boeing's Starliner failure as a severe Type A emergency prompting tighter control as SpaceX competition thrives. 78.Bob Zimmerman reports Japanese private space startup ispace is struggling with severe engine development problems for its lunar landers, while archival images from New Horizons reveal Pluto's bizarre splotched surface and floating ice mountains, and a newly discovered dim galaxy hints at dark matter's vastness. 89.Sir Max Hastings details the daring glider assault to capture the Orne River bridge, where Major John Howard'stroops achieved total surprise, securing a vital link for British airborne and seaborne forces on D-Day itself. 910.Sir Max Hastings discusses General Montgomery's expanded vision for D-Day and the initial chaos of the airborne landings, noting that despite the shambles at Merville battery, paratroopers' bravery confused German defenders and secured the mission's early vital stages. 1011.Sir Max Hastings highlights Major General Richard Gale's calm leadership during the chaotic airborne drops, with success relying on British deception plans and Rommel's absence preventing early German counterattacks against the beaches on D-Day. 1112.Sir Max Hastings describes specialized armored funnies that supported British landings on Sword Beach, noting that while technically successful, heavy traffic and Montgomery's overly ambitious objectives prevented the Allies from capturing Caen on D-Day. 1213.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center critiques the inconsistency of threatening war against Iran over its nuclear program while simultaneously considering a deal to allow Saudi Arabia uranium enrichment capabilities under less stringent international oversight. 1314.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center explains how bipartisan spending on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare drives national debt, arguing that American consumers, not foreign nations, primarily bear the economic burden of tariffs. 1415.Professor Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution analyzes constitutional limits of presidential authority to fire independent agency officials, discussing historical precedents like Humphrey's Executor and critiquing legal reasoning behind maintaining quasi-judicial independence within the executive branch. 1516.Professor Richard Epstein predicts the Supreme Court may strike down tariffs, arguing that trade deficits do not constitute legal emergencies, while also discussing the potential for the Court to preserve the Federal Reserve'sindependence from executive control. 16

Professor Richard Epstein predicts the Supreme Court may strike down tariffs, arguing that trade deficits do not constitute legal emergencies, while also discussing the potential for the Court to preserve the Federal Reserve'sindependence from executive control. 161911 SCOTUS

Professor Richard Epstein of the CIVITAS INSTITUTE analyzes constitutional limits of presidential authority to fire independent agency officials, discussing historical precedents like Humphrey's Executor and critiquing legal reasoning behind maintaining quasi-judicial independence within the executive branch. 151910 SCOTUS

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center explains how bipartisan spending on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare drives national debt, arguing that American consumers, not foreign nations, primarily bear the economic burden of tariffs. 141908 NYSE

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center critiques the inconsistency of threatening war against Iran over its nuclear program while simultaneously considering a deal to allow Saudi Arabia uranium enrichment capabilities under less stringent international oversight. 131945 TRINITY TEST

Sir Max Hastings describes specialized armored funnies that supported British landings on Sword Beach, noting that while technically successful, heavy traffic and Montgomery's overly ambitious objectives prevented the Allies from capturing Caen on D-Day. 121944 Sir Max Hastings describes specialized armored funnies that supported British landings on Sword Beach, noting that while technically successful, heavy traffic and Montgomery's overly ambitious objectives prevented the Allies from capturing Caen on D-Day. 121944 SWORD BEACH

Sir Max Hastings highlights Major General Richard Gale's calm leadership during the chaotic airborne drops, with success relying on British deception plans and Rommel's absence preventing early German counterattacks against the beaches on D-Day. 111944 SWORD BEACH

Sir Max Hastings discusses General Montgomery's expanded vision for D-Day and the initial chaos of the airborne landings, noting that despite the shambles at Merville battery, paratroopers' bravery confused German defenders and secured the mission's early vital stages. 101944 SWORD BEACH

Sir Max Hastings details the daring glider assault to capture the Orne River bridge, where Major John Howard'stroops achieved total surprise, securing a vital link for British airborne and seaborne forces on D-Day itself. 91944 SWORD BEACH

Bob Zimmerman reports Japanese private space startup ispace is struggling with severe engine development problems for its lunar landers, while archival images from New Horizons reveal Pluto's bizarre splotched surface and floating ice mountains, and a newly discovered dim galaxy hints at dark matter's vastness. 8

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black reports NASA successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis IImission targeting a March 6th launch, while a NASA report classified Boeing's Starliner failure as a severe Type A emergency prompting tighter control as SpaceX competition thrives. 7

Lorenzo Fiori reports the Milan Winter Olympics are proceeding successfully amidst beautiful snow with rumors of a Donald Trump visit for the hockey finals, while extreme weather has caused dangerous Alpine avalanches and the tragic collapse of the historic Lover's Arch on the Adriatic coast. 6

Jim McTague reports Lancaster County reflects the national 1.4 percent GDP slowdown with flat retail, consumer price fatigue, and plummeting restaurant traffic due to rising costs and weight-loss drugs, while Washington DC lobbying and local health and construction sectors remain strong. 51879 GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

Gene Marks discusses the Supreme Court ruling the administration's April 2025 emergency tariffs unconstitutional, leaving billions in collected funds in limbo, though the administration will likely utilize the Trade Acts of 1962 and 1974 to continue imposing targeted tariffs without congressional approval. 41885 NYSE

Gene Marks reports that despite a disappointing fourth-quarter GDP growth rate of 1.4 percent and sluggishness in shipping and chemical sectors, small businesses remain surprisingly resilient with optimism above average and continued hiring plans even as AI integration remains limited. 31949 STORK CLUB

Jeff Bliss covers California's upcoming gubernatorial jungle primary with Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Steve Hilton as early frontrunners, Spencer Pratt challenging Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles, and Governor Gavin Newsom positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run on an anti-Trump platform. 21900 PASEDENA

Jeff Bliss reports a deadly avalanche in Lake Tahoe claimed nine lives due to dry uncompacted snow, severe storms are causing heavy snowfall at Donner Pass and flooding the Los Angeles River, while Las Vegas faces declining foot traffic and Los Angeles battles rampant copper wire theft. 11910 DONNER LAKE

Preview for later today. Historian Sir Max Hastings discusses the highly arrogant yet beloved Lord Lovat, an aristocratic Scottish clan chief leading British commandos onto Sword Beach during D-Day.1944  QUEEN RED, SWORD BEACH

Preview for later today. Sir Max Hastings details how Winston Churchill viewed General Montgomery as an unmitigated cad, despite his undeniably crucial leadership of the British forces at Normandy.1944 MONTGOMERY NEAR CAEN

Preview for later today. Gene Marks explains that despite administration claims, the rising costs of tariffs currently fall directly onto the shoulders of American consumers and frustrated small businesses.1910

Preview for later today. Jim McTague observes that Washington foot traffic and influence peddling are vividly rebounding, indicating a strong resurgence of corporate lobbying activity within the nation's capital.1890 ERIE RAILROAD

Preview for later today. Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center questions the alarming hypocrisy of America providing Saudi Arabia with advanced nuclear enrichment technology while simultaneously bombing Iran for possessing similar capabilities.1956

Preview for later today. Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black details a serious NASA investigation revealing that terrifying thruster failures on Boeing's Starliner capsule placed the entire astronaut crew in life-threatening critical danger.1941

2-19-261970 IRAN The European Left and the Ukraine Conflict. John Batchelor and Anatol Lieven discuss the European left's evolving stance on the Ukraine war. Facing economic strain, radical leftist parties are prioritizing peace and domestic issues over punishing Russia, driven by historical anti-NATO sentiments and deep skepticism toward European military expansion and the United States. #1 Negotiated Settlements and Expanding Security States. Anatol Lieven explains the European left's growing concerns about the Ukraine war fueling authoritarian security and surveillance measures. While a negotiated settlement requiring Ukraine to surrender the Donbas seems impossible in Kyiv, the conflict risks becoming a prolonged war of attrition dictated by modern drone warfare. #2 Truman, the Fed, and the 1951 Accord. Professor John Cochrane explores the 1951 Treasury-Fed Accordduring the Korean War. Fearing another World War II-style crisis, President Harry Truman pressured FedChairman Thomas McCabe to keep interest rates low. Instead, the Fed fought for its independence to combat inflation, establishing modern monetary policy precedents. #3 Modern Lessons from the Fed-Treasury Accord. Drawing parallels between 1951 and today, John Cochraneexamines the tension between presidential administrations and the Federal Reserve during crises. He emphasizes that the Fed must maintain its independence, warning against perpetually funding government spending and urging a strict focus on inflation control over politically motivated easy money. #4 Peru's Political Crisis and Chinese Influence. Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's chronic political instability following the appointment of its eighth president in eight years. Amidst endemic corruption and a fragmented Congress, the nation is deeply intertwined with Chinese investments, particularly in telecommunications, mining, and the strategically vital, Chinese-controlled deep-water port of Chancay. #5 Cuba's Severe Energy and Economic Collapse. Evan Ellis describes the catastrophic collapse of Cuba'seconomy. Cut off from Venezuelan and Mexican oil, the island faces severe rationing, blackouts, halted public services, and completely collapsed tourism. With millions fleeing the dire conditions, the communist regime's survival is heavily strained as basic resources fail. #6 Border Drone Threats, USMCA, and Venezuela. Evan Ellis discusses the closure of El Paso's airspace due to sophisticated cartel drones. He also highlights the critical necessity of renegotiating the USMCA to preserve Mexico's economy and cooperative security posture. Finally, he notes a surprising US military delegation visit to negotiate with Venezuela's Maduro regime. #7 Guyana's Massive Oil Boom. Evan Ellis highlights the profound economic transformation of Guyana following the discovery of billions of barrels of light, sweet crude oil. Driven by massive investments from ExxonMobil and Chevron, the South American nation serves as a prime example of effective management and foreign partnerships generating transformative national wealth. #8 Israel's Initial Response to the October 7 Atrocities. Following the horrific October 7 attacks by Hamas, Israelileaders reacted with understandable outrage and mobilized forcefully to neutralize the threat. While Hamas is currently severely degraded militarily and controls less territory, the group remains armed and continues to pose an ongoing security challenge fueled by Iranian backing. #9Defining Israel's Deep Political and Demographic Divides. Peter Berkowitz clarifies crucial definitions in Israelipolitics, explaining why a one-state solution would destroy Israel's democratic and Jewish character. He outlines how traditional left-right divisions have morphed into pro- or anti-Netanyahu factions, heavily influenced by religious demographics and the ultra-Orthodox community's contentious role in military service. #10Trump's Middle East Legacy and Israel's Judicial Crisis. Examining the Trump administration's lasting diplomatic legacy, Peter Berkowitz praises the embassy move to Jerusalem, the withdrawal from the flawed Iran deal, and the strategic Abraham Accords. He also analyzes Israel's internal turmoil over its overly activist Supreme Court, which sparked mass protests prior to the ongoing war. #11Confronting the Ignorance Fueling Anti-Israel Protests. Dismantling the arguments of global anti-Israel protesters, Peter Berkowitz highlights their culpable ignorance regarding Israel's defensive sovereignty. He refutes false accusations of colonialism, exposing how Hamas deliberately uses Palestinian civilians as human shields and actively seeks to destroy both the Jewish state and broader Western democratic civilization. #12Viktor Orban's Dangerous Alliances with Russia and China. Facing domestic electoral pressures, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban manipulatively courts the Trump administration while deepening dangerous alliances with Russia and China. Ivana Stradner explains that Orban leverages these relationships to project global relevance and maintain power, falsely claiming that Hungary is a victim of unavoidable Russian energy dependence. #13Bangladesh's Political Turmoil and Rising Islamist Influence. Following the violent ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh faces severe political and economic instability under Tariq Rahman. Sadanand Dhume warns of a concerning Islamic revival, highlighting the growing parliamentary power of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami movement and the critical need to pragmatically repair fractured diplomatic relations with India. #14Justice Scalia and the Unitary Executive Theory. Reflecting on Justice Antonin Scalia's legacy, Professor John Yoodetails the concept of the unitary executive. Scalia powerfully argued that the Constitution vests all executive power directly in the president, warning that independent agencies fragment federal authority, diminish democratic accountability, and disrupt the essential separation of powers. #15The Supreme Court's Threat to Independent Agencies. Analyzing upcoming Supreme Court cases, John Yoopredicts the potential overturning of the historic Humphrey's Executor precedent. Such a ruling would fundamentally dismantle the protections shielding independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission from direct presidential control, sparking a massive structural revolution within the federal government's executive branch. #16

The Supreme Court's Threat to Independent Agencies. Analyzing upcoming Supreme Court cases, John Yoopredicts the potential overturning of the historic Humphrey's Executor precedent. Such a ruling would fundamentally dismantle the protections shielding independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission from direct presidential control, sparking a massive structural revolution within the federal government's executive branch. #161930 ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR

Justice Scalia and the Unitary Executive Theory. Reflecting on Justice Antonin Scalia's legacy, Professor John Yoodetails the concept of the unitary executive. Scalia powerfully argued that the Constitution vests all executive power directly in the president, warning that independent agencies fragment federal authority, diminish democratic accountability, and disrupt the essential separation of powers. #151910 BOOK OF MINES

Bangladesh's Political Turmoil and Rising Islamist Influence. Following the violent ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh faces severe political and economic instability under Tariq Rahman. Sadanand Dhume warns of a concerning Islamic revival, highlighting the growing parliamentary power of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami movement and the critical need to pragmatically repair fractured diplomatic relations with India. #141910 IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE EMPIRE

Viktor Orban's Dangerous Alliances with Russia and China. Facing domestic electoral pressures, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban manipulatively courts the Trump administration while deepening dangerous alliances with Russia and China. Ivana Stradner explains that Orban leverages these relationships to project global relevance and maintain power, falsely claiming that Hungary is a victim of unavoidable Russian energy dependence. #131906 INDEPENDENCE FORESTERS

Confronting the Ignorance Fueling Anti-Israel Protests. Dismantling the arguments of global anti-Israel protesters, Peter Berkowitz highlights their culpable ignorance regarding Israel's defensive sovereignty. He refutes false accusations of colonialism, exposing how Hamas deliberately uses Palestinian civilians as human shields and actively seeks to destroy both the Jewish state and broader Western democratic civilization. #12196 ROCK ISLAND QUEBEC0

Trump's Middle East Legacy and Israel's Judicial Crisis. Examining the Trump administration's lasting diplomatic legacy, Peter Berkowitz praises the embassy move to Jerusalem, the withdrawal from the flawed Iran deal, and the strategic Abraham Accords. He also analyzes Israel's internal turmoil over its overly activist Supreme Court, which sparked mass protests prior to the ongoing war. #111903 SAINT LAWRENCE

Defining Israel's Deep Political and Demographic Divides. Peter Berkowitz clarifies crucial definitions in Israelipolitics, explaining why a one-state solution would destroy Israel's democratic and Jewish character. He outlines how traditional left-right divisions have morphed into pro- or anti-Netanyahu factions, heavily influenced by religious demographics and the ultra-Orthodox community's contentious role in military service. #101900 SAINT LAWRENCE

Israel's Initial Response to the October 7 Atrocities. Following the horrific October 7 attacks by Hamas, Israelileaders reacted with understandable outrage and mobilized forcefully to neutralize the threat. While Hamas is currently severely degraded militarily and controls less territory, the group remains armed and continues to pose an ongoing security challenge fueled by Iranian backing. #91900 ONTARIO

Guyana's Massive Oil Boom. Evan Ellis highlights the profound economic transformation of Guyana following the discovery of billions of barrels of light, sweet crude oil. Driven by massive investments from ExxonMobil and Chevron, the South American nation serves as a prime example of effective management and foreign partnerships generating transformative national wealth. #81925 GUYANA

Border Drone Threats, USMCA, and Venezuela. Evan Ellis discusses the closure of El Paso's airspace due to sophisticated cartel drones. He also highlights the critical necessity of renegotiating the USMCA to preserve Mexico'seconomy and cooperative security posture. Finally, he notes a surprising US military delegation visit to negotiate with Venezuela's Maduro regime. #71918 BELLEAU WOOD

Cuba's Severe Energy and Economic Collapse. Evan Ellis describes the catastrophic collapse of Cuba's economy. Cut off from Venezuelan and Mexican oil, the island faces severe rationing, blackouts, halted public services, and completely collapsed tourism. With millions fleeing the dire conditions, the communist regime's survival is heavily strained as basic resources fail. #61918 MT LEBANON

Peru's Political Crisis and Chinese Influence. Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's chronic political instability following the appointment of its eighth president in eight years. Amidst endemic corruption and a fragmented Congress, the nation is deeply intertwined with Chinese investments, particularly in telecommunications, mining, and the strategically vital, Chinese-controlled deep-water port of Chancay. #51918 SPANISH FLU

Modern Lessons from the Fed-Treasury Accord. Drawing parallels between 1951 and today, John Cochrane examines the tension between presidential administrations and the Federal Reserve during crises. He emphasizes that the Fed must maintain its independence, warning against perpetually funding government spending and urging a strict focus on inflation control over politically motivated easy money. #41918 VERDUN

Truman, the Fed, and the 1951 Accord. Professor John Cochrane explores the 1951 Treasury-Fed Accord during the Korean War. Fearing another World War II-style crisis, President Harry Truman pressured Fed Chairman Thomas McCabe to keep interest rates low. Instead, the Fed fought for its independence to combat inflation, establishing modern monetary policy precedents. #31918 AMERICANS IN LONDON

Negotiated Settlements and Expanding Security States. Anatol Lieven explains the European left's growing concerns about the Ukraine war fueling authoritarian security and surveillance measures. While a negotiated settlement requiring Ukraine to surrender the Donbas seems impossible in Kyiv, the conflict risks becoming a prolonged war of attrition dictated by modern drone warfare. #21918 4TH LIGHT HORSE IN THE JUDEAN HILLS

The European Left and the Ukraine Conflict. John Batchelor and Anatol Lieven discuss the European left's evolving stance on the Ukraine war. Facing economic strain, radical leftist parties are prioritizing peace and domestic issues over punishing Russia, driven by historical anti-NATO sentiments and deep skepticism toward European military expansion and the United States. #11918 LABOUR LONDON

Preview for later today. Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution praises the former president for properly recognizing political realities by moving the embassy to Jerusalem and supporting Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.1920 MASADA

Preview for later today. Professor Evan Ellis examines Guyana's remarkable economic transformation driven by massive oil discoveries, suggesting its successful wealth management offers a valuable lesson for neighboring Venezuelaas it rebuilds.1930 GEORGETOWN GUYANA

Preview for later today. Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law explores Justice Scalia's legacy, emphasizing his defense of the unitary executive and belief that clear, predictable laws should govern independent federal agencies.1889 SCOTUS

File: P-DHUME-2-19.mp3 Headline: Turmoil and Radicalization in Bangladesh Guest Name: Sadinand Dum 25 Word Summary: Following recent riots and the prime minister's flight to India, Bangladesh faces severe political turmoil as radical Islamist group Jamaat Islami gains significant parliamentary power.1860 India

File: P-LIEVEN-2-18.mp3 Headline: The European Left's Stance on Ukraine and Expansion Guest Name: Anatol Leven 25 Word Summary: The European left supports defending Europe but strongly opposes further NATO and EU expansion, viewing the European Union as a fundamentally obstructive, anti-socialist capitalist organization1854 ODESSA

File: P-STRADNER-2-19.mp3 Headline: Viktor Orban's Continued Reliance on Russian Energy Guest Name: Stradner 25 Word Summary: Hungarian leader Viktor Orban falsely claims a lack of alternatives to Russian gas, prioritizing his grip on power and ties to Moscow over Hungary's interests.1870 BUCHAREST

IRAN 1971113 Bayrock, Franchising, and Financial Rescue Craig Unger details how Bayrock, a firm of Soviet immigrants with mob ties located in Trump Tower, rescued a bankrupt Trump. They introduced a risk-free franchising model, allowing Trump to profit from licensing his name while Russian intelligence and mafia figures utilized his properties for money laundering operations. Guest Author: Craig Unger14 Epstein, Real Estate Flips, and Russian Ties The conversation shifts to Jeffrey Epstein’s mysterious links to Russian intelligence and his real estate dealings with Trump. Unger highlights a suspicious transaction where Trump bought a property and quickly flipped it to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev for a massive profit despite making no improvements. Guest Author: Craig Unger15 Czech Security and the Ukrainian Mob Unger discusses how Czech intelligence monitored Ivana Trump and explores Trump's negotiations with Pavel Fuks, a Ukrainian developer described as "pure Russian mob". Fuks, who boasted of FSB ties, negotiated for a Trump Tower in Moscow and later paid significant sums to attend Trump’s inauguration. Guest Author: Craig Unger16 FBI Failures and the Mueller Limitations Unger argues the FBI failed to investigate Trump’s Russian ties, noting that former directors later worked for Russian mobsters. He claims the Mueller investigation was limited to criminal acts rather than counterintelligence, allowing Trump to avoid consequences for "willful blindness" regarding money laundering through his properties. Guest Author: Craig Unger

16  FBI Failures and the Mueller Limitations Unger argues the FBI failed to investigate Trump’s Russian ties, noting that former directors later worked for Russian mobsters. He claims the Mueller investigation was limited to criminal acts rather than counterintelligence, allowing Trump to avoid consequences for "willful blindness" regarding money laundering through his properties. Guest Author: Craig Unger1907 NYSE

15 Czech Security and the Ukrainian Mob Unger discusses how Czech intelligence monitored Ivana Trump and explores Trump's negotiations with Pavel Fuks, a Ukrainian developer described as "pure Russian mob". Fuks, who boasted of FSB ties, negotiated for a Trump Tower in Moscow and later paid significant sums to attend Trump’s inauguration. Guest Author: Craig Unger1868 PUBLISHING ROW

14 Epstein, Real Estate Flips, and Russian Ties The conversation shifts to Jeffrey Epstein’s mysterious links to Russian intelligence and his real estate dealings with Trump. Unger highlights a suspicious transaction where Trump bought a property and quickly flipped it to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev for a massive profit despite making no improvements. Guest Author: Craig Unger1829 FIVE POINTS NYC

13 Bayrock, Franchising, and Financial Rescue Craig Unger details how Bayrock, a firm of Soviet immigrants with mob ties located in Trump Tower, rescued a bankrupt Trump. They introduced a risk-free franchising model, allowing Trump to profit from licensing his name while Russian intelligence and mafia figures utilized his properties for money laundering operations. Guest Author: Craig Unger1913 NYC PUBLIC LIBRARY

12. Using Starship to Chase Interstellar Comets Scientists propose a 2035 Starship mission to intercept an interstellar comet using a solar slingshot maneuver. Guest: Bob Zimmerman1905 ADMIRAL KORNILOV

11. FAA Approves SpaceX Starship Launch Increase SpaceX secures approval for more launches while NASA's SLS rocket faces delays during wet dress rehearsal tests. Guest: Bob Zimmerman1904

0. Strained US-Canada Relations Under Trump Prime Minister Carney gains approval by standing up to Trump, signaling a shift in Canadian trade sovereignty despite costs. Guest: David Hebert1904 RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR

9. The Collapse of the US-Canada Friendship The historically strong US-Canada bond fractures under trade disputes and rhetoric, threatening long-term diplomatic and economic relationships. Guest: David Hebert1904 PORT ARTHUR

RTHUR8. Internal Power Struggles Within Iran's Military Tensions rise between the IRGC and the regular army as the regime faces increasing US prORT essure. Guest: Kamran Bokhari, Gordon Chang1904  PORT ARTHUR

7. China's Advanced Drone Warfare and Tech Theft Beijing develops intelligent drone swarms and advanced fighters using stolen technology to challenge US military dominance. Guest: Bill Gertz, Gordon Chang1900 TROOPS DEPARTLING FOR BOXER REBELLION

6. The Ethical Cost of Cobalt for Batteries The demand for cobalt in EVs and phones drives prices up while highlighting ethical issues in the Congo. Guest: Simon Constable1898 DEWEY

5. Severe Flooding in France and Commodity Shifts Severe storms inundate France while gold and silver prices fluctuate due to shifting global economic policies. Guest: Simon Constable1888 NAVAL GUN

4. China's Critical Support for Iran and Russia Experts analyze how Beijing sustains Russia and Iran through technology transfers and sanctions evasion, complicating US strategy. Guest: Steve Yates, Gordon Chang1897 FARRAGUT'S FLAGSHIP

3. Japan Stands Firm Against Chinese Aggression Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi vows to defend Taiwan, drawing ire from Beijing, while Europe slowly recognizes the Chinese threat. Guest: Steve Yates, Gordon Chang1910 USS MASSACHUCETTS

2. South Korea's Shift Toward China Under Lee President Lee Jae-myung pursues socialist policies and anti-US sentiment, raising concerns about South Korea's alignment with China. Guest: Tara O, Gordon Chang1890 USS NAHUNT

1. US Naval Buildup Amidst Iran Negotiation Stalls Washington increases naval pressure as Iranian negotiators stall and China continues backing the regime amidst nuclear concerns. Guest: Victoria Coates, Gordon Chang1918 SEVASTAPOL

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAYHEADLINE: Breaking US Dependency on Chinese Rare Earths25 WORD SUMMARY: Victoria Coates discusses the strategic shift from the Biden administration's climate focus to a new effort to stockpile rare earth minerals and reduce reliance on China.GUEST: Victoria Coates, The Heritage Foundation1945 SHANGHAI CELEBRATING JAPAN SURRENDER

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAYHEADLINE: Keir Starmer Facing Severe Political Headwinds25 WORD SUMMARY: Simon Constable reports on the intense media barrage and internal party dissent facing Keir Starmer, which threatens to derail his ability to govern effectively.GUEST: Simon Constable, Commentator1889 MANCHESTER

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAYHEADLINE: Beijing’s Global Strategy to Weaken America25 WORD SUMMARY: Bill Gertz warns that China is covertly arming Russia and supporting US enemies as part of a broader strategy to displace and destroy the United States.GUEST: Bill Gertz, The Washington TimesAPRIL 1953 MIG-15

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAYHEADLINE: Canada Pushes Back Against US Trade Pressure25 WORD SUMMARY: David Heert explains how Prime Minister Mark Carney is gaining political support by standing up to President Trump’s rhetoric, despite the potential economic costs to Canadians.GUEST: David Heert, Civitas Institute1908 OTTAWA

REVIEW FOR LATER TODAYHEADLINE: The Defense of Western Civilization in Europe25 WORD SUMMARY: Steve Yates analyzes the reception of American defense of Western values in Europe, noting a clash with entrenched ideologies at the Munich Conference.GUEST: Steve Yates, The Heritage Foundation1900 BRUSSELS

HEADLINE: A Mission to Catch an Interstellar Comet25 WORD SUMMARY: Bob Zimmerman outlines an ambitious scientific proposal to launch a Starship in 2035 that would sling-shot around the sun to intercept a distant comet.GUEST: Bob Zimmerman, Science WriterOCTOBER 1957

1917 EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS. MARS1.Liz Peek discusses the market's current drift and the continued dominance of Artificial Intelligence, arguing AI is not a bubble but a rapidly adopted technology transforming productivity, with companies underhiring as they assess impact and investors needing exposure to this dominant sector.2.Liz Peek critiques California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, citing California'sstruggles with homelessness, illegal immigration, and a wealth tax driving residents away, characterizing him as a catastrophe whose record undermines his viability.3.Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Mart dismiss Poland's reparation demands from Russia as political jostling, criticize Senator Rubio's visit to Hungary for bolstering Viktor Orbán, and note the Wagner Group's reported return to Europe as destabilizing.4.Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Mart identify a leadership void in Europe, noting weakness in Macron and Starmer, arguing Europe possesses treaty tools for defense but lacks political will, often blaming Donald Trump rather than addressing internal paralysis.5.Mary Kissel praises Secretary Rubio's Munich speech for emphasizing Western defense but notes he was softer on China than expected, arguing Europe only strengthens military commitments when shamed by the US or facing immediate threats.6.Mary Kissel analyzes the massive US naval deployment near Iran as a credible threat to force regime compliance, dismissing Iran's military drills in the Straits of Hormuz as feeble, suggesting the administration will use force if Tehran refuses dismantlement.7.Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies analyzes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's disingenuous peace efforts, discusses US demands for Iran's total nuclear dismantlement, and highlights strategic confusion regarding the Board of Peace and Hamas supporters' involvement.8.Jonathan Schanzer describes Syria as effectively a Turkish proxy state viewed with danger by the region, discussing President Trump's announcement of five billion dollars from the Board of Peace for Gaza while expressing skepticism about Turkey and Qatar's reconstruction roles.9.Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journal discusses European leaders finally addressing the continent's economic dysfunction compared to the US, noting proposals for a twenty-eighth regime to simplify business laws while politicians like Meloni and Merz face challenges balancing welfare states with growth reforms.10.Joseph Sternberg analyzes Prime Minister Keir Starmer's crash and burn scenario despite a large parliamentary majority, weakened by scandals and party infighting, with survival relying on the lack of compelling alternatives while constant policy reversals leave his government unable to foster growth.11.Alejandro Peña Esclusa details his transition from businessman to Venezuela's first political prisoner as Hugo Chávez, aided by the São Paulo Forum, dismantled democracy, recounting cacerolazo pot-banging protests and how the regime systematically destroyed the economy and persecuted dissenters.12.Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro, described as a Cuban asset and drug cartel leader, noting Venezuelans are cautiously celebrating with open protests while threats remain from radical groups and international friction regarding the transition.13.Gregory Copley of Defense & Foreign Affairs discusses the US deployment of one hundred troops to Nigeria to counter ISIS and Boko Haram, arguing stability requires addressing economic disenfranchisement from damming the River Niger rather than treating symptoms with military advisors.14.Gregory Copley reports Nigerian President Tinubu advocates for an African credit rating agency to reduce reliance on external assessments from firms like Moody's, reflecting growing desire for statistical independence and better quantification of local economies to attract investment.15.Gregory Copley argues Europe suffers from a leadership vacuum caused by post-WWII dependency on the US and bureaucratic corrosion within the EU, with economic recovery requiring slashing regulations as current welfare models become unsustainable amidst geopolitical threats.16.Gregory Copley notes that despite scandals surrounding Prince Andrew, the Royal Family remains essential glue holding the UK and Commonwealth together, with the King and working royals performing vital diplomatic functions while spares struggle without defined roles.

Gregory Copley notes that despite scandals surrounding Prince Andrew, the Royal Family remains essential glue holding the UK and Commonwealth together, with the King and working royals performing vital diplomatic functions while spares struggle without defined roles.1900 BRUSSELS

Gregory Copley argues Europe suffers from a leadership vacuum caused by post-WWII dependency on the US and bureaucratic corrosion within the EU, with economic recovery requiring slashing regulations as current welfare models become unsustainable amidst geopolitical threats.1900 BRUSSELS PLACE OF MARTYS

Gregory Copley reports Nigerian President Tinubu advocates for an African credit rating agency to reduce reliance on external assessments from firms like Moody's, reflecting growing desire for statistical independence and better quantification of local economies to attract investment.1910 BRUSSELS CATHEDRAL

Gregory Copley of Defense & Foreign Affairs discusses the US deployment of one hundred troops to Nigeria to counter ISIS and Boko Haram, arguing stability requires addressing economic disenfranchisement from damming the River Niger rather than treating symptoms with military advisors.1910 BRUSSELS

Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro, described as a Cuban asset and drug cartel leader, noting Venezuelans are cautiously celebrating with open protests while threats remain from radical groups and international friction regarding the transition.1900 PRESIDENT CIPRIANO CASTRO AND CABINET

Alejandro Peña Esclusa details his transition from businessman to Venezuela's first political prisoner as Hugo Chávez, aided by the São Paulo Forum, dismantled democracy, recounting cacerolazo pot-banging protests and how the regime systematically destroyed the economy and persecuted dissenters.1870 CARACAS

Joseph Sternberg analyzes Prime Minister Keir Starmer's crash and burn scenario despite a large parliamentary majority, weakened by scandals and party infighting, with survival relying on the lack of compelling alternatives while constant policy reversals leave his government unable to foster growth.1900 NETHERLANDS

Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journal discusses European leaders finally addressing the continent's economic dysfunction compared to the US, noting proposals for a twenty-eighth regime to simplify business laws while politicians like Meloni and Merz face challenges balancing welfare states with growth reforms.1900 BRUSSELS

Jonathan Schanzer describes Syria as effectively a Turkish proxy state viewed with danger by the region, discussing President Trump's announcement of five billion dollars from the Board of Peace for Gaza while expressing skepticism about Turkey and Qatar's reconstruction roles.1900 BRUSSELS

Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies analyzes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's disingenuous peace efforts, discusses US demands for Iran's total nuclear dismantlement, and highlights strategic confusion regarding the Board of Peace and Hamas supporters' involvement.1900 BRUSSELS

Mary Kissel analyzes the massive US naval deployment near Iran as a credible threat to force regime compliance, dismissing Iran's military drills in the Straits of Hormuz as feeble, suggesting the administration will use force if Tehran refuses dismantlement.1900 BRUSSELS

Mary Kissel praises Secretary Rubio's Munich speech for emphasizing Western defense but notes he was softer on China than expected, arguing Europe only strengthens military commitments when shamed by the US or facing immediate threats.1900 BRUSSELS BOTANICAL GARDEN

Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus Mart identify a leadership void in Europe, noting weakness in Macron and Starmer, arguing Europe possesses treaty tools for defense but lacks political will, often blaming Donald Trump rather than addressing internal paralysis.1900 BRUSSELS

Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus McCotter dismiss Poland's reparation demands from Russia as political jostling, criticize Senator Rubio's visit to Hungary for bolstering Viktor Orbán, and note the Wagner Group's reported return to Europe as destabilizing.1900  BRUSSELS

Liz Peek critiques California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, citing California'sstruggles with homelessness, illegal immigration, and a wealth tax driving residents away, characterizing him as a catastrophe whose record undermines his viability.1900 BRUSSELS, PRINCE OF WALES ATTACKED

Liz Peek discusses the market's current drift and the continued dominance of Artificial Intelligence, arguing AI is not a bubble but a rapidly adopted technology transforming productivity, with companies underhiring as they assess impact and investors needing exposure to this dominant sector.1900 BRUSSELS

EUROPEAN REGULATORY REFORM PREVIEW FOR LATER: Joseph Sternberg discusses how unlikely political coalitions in Europe, such as Merz and Meloni, are aligning to push for less EU regulation to boost economic competitiveness. Guest: Joseph Sternberg1910 BRUSSELS

UBIO’S MUNICH SPEECH PREVIEW FOR LATER: Judy Dempsey reports that Marco Rubio's Munich speech was poorly received, described as vapid and lacking reassurance regarding the US commitment to European allies. Guest: Judy Dempsey1810

THE CHINA TRADE PARADOX PREVIEW FOR LATER: Mary Kissel explains the paradox of the West continuing trade with China despite its support for Russia's war, unlike the severed commercial ties with Moscow. Guest: Mary Kissel1650

BIG OIL’S STRATEGIC PIVOT PREVIEW FOR LATER: Liz Peek details how big oil companies are pivoting back to fossil fuels from renewables, recognizing the indefinite global demand for oil and new resources. Guest: Liz Peek SAN DIEGO1940

VENEZUELA’S ANTI-AMERICAN TURN PREVIEW FOR LATER: Alejandro Peña Esclusa describes how Hugo Chávez, under Castro's orders, turned prosperous Venezuela into an anti-American state allied with China, Russia, and Iran. Guest: Alejandro Peña Esclusa1883 CARACAS

REGIONAL ANXIETY OVER SYRIA PREVIEW FOR LATER: Jonathan Schanzer analyzes regional fears regarding Syria, where neighbors worry about a potential al-Qaeda regime or a proxy government controlled by Turkey's Erdogan. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer1879

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. This segment introduces the "Jesse Scouts," a Union special forces unit formed by John Frémont and named after his wife. Led by figures like John Charles Carpenter, these men wore Confederate disguises to infiltrate enemy lines. Despite their effectiveness as commandos, their lack of discipline led to friction with the regular Army. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Richard Blazer leads the "Legion of Honor," a hunter-killer team using Jesse Scout tradecraft to fight Confederate partisans in West Virginia. Blazer employs detective work to track down the ruthless Thurman brothers, who attack Union supply lines in the rugged terrain of the Appalachians. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. A failed Union raid on Richmond carrying orders to kill Jefferson Davis prompts the Confederacy to escalate irregular warfare and political influence operations. As the Confederate Secret Service aids the Copperhead movement, author Herman Melville embeds with Union cavalry to witness the hunt for the elusive John Mosby. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Confederate General Jubal Early threatens Washington, D.C., where Lincolnwitnesses the battle at Fort Stevens. Meanwhile, partisan leader John Mosby operates independently, capturing Union forces at Mount Zion Church. O'Donnell notes that better coordination between Early and Mosby could have endangered the capital. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Grant orders total war in the Shenandoah Valley to crush Mosby's Rangers. Although Richard Blazer's scouts initially have success with Spencer carbines, they are eventually lured into a trap and annihilated by Mosby's men at Kabletown, where Blazer is captured by Ranger Lewis Powell. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Lewis Powell, the Ranger who captured Blazer, is revealed to be a Confederate Secret Service operative working with John Wilkes Booth. Powell returns to Baltimore to aid in a plot to kidnap Lincoln, while Mosby deploys troops to secure a potential escape route for the conspirators. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Harry Harrison Young takes command of the Jesse Scouts, serving as Sheridan'sstrategic eyes in Confederate uniforms. These daring scouts deceive enemy forces and carry messages through enemy lines, enabling Sheridan to move his army effectively to join Grant and trap Lee. Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Robert E. Lee rejects the option of guerrilla warfare at Appomattox, choosing surrender to preserve the nation. Years later, former partisan John Singleton Mosby becomes close friends with U.S. Grant and joins the Republican Party, earning the enmity of many Southerners but symbolizing reconciliation. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. At Appomattox, Grant offers generous terms allowing Confederates to keep horses and sidearms. However, Lincoln does not immediately declare the war over; in his final speech, he focuses on the complex path to peace and suffrage, viewing the surrender as a step rather than a conclusion. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Following Lincoln's assassination, General Sherman negotiates a surrender with Confederate General Johnston at Bennett Place. Sherman attempts to secure a comprehensive peace including civil matters, but officials in Washington, seeking stricter retribution, reject the terms as too generous, forcing a second, purely military surrender. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. While the Grand Review celebrates victory in Washington, General Sheridan is sent to the Texas border with 50,000 troops to counter French imperial ambitions in Mexico and suppress remaining Confederate resistance. Meanwhile, Confederate General Kirby Smith flees to Mexico rather than surrender his western forces. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. The government utilizes military tribunals to try Lincoln's assassins and Andersonville commandant Henry Wirz, arguing the war is ongoing. Prosecutors hope to pressure Wirz into implicating Jefferson Davis in prisoner atrocities to justify hanging the Confederate president, but Wirz refuses and is executed alone. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Vorenberg discusses Richard Henry Dana's "Grasp of War" speech, which argued the war could not end until the victor secured guarantees against future conflict. This philosophy, demanding the enemy be held down, contrasted sharply with Lincoln's "let 'em up easy" wrestling metaphor, fueling Congressional debates over reconstruction. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Vorenberg explains how President Johnson's racism and desire for a hasty peace alienated Congress. Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights and Freedman's Bureau Acts, arguing the war was over. Republicans, however, insisted war powers remained necessary to protect freedmen, leading them to override Johnson and unite against him. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. To undercut radicals, Johnson followed Seward's advice to declare the insurrection ended by executive proclamation in 1866. Vorenberg notes this "official" peace ignored realities like the New Orleans massacre. Simultaneously, Senator Doolittle was misled by General Carlton regarding the mistreatment of the Navajo at Bosque Redondo during his peace commission tour. Guest: Michael Vorenberg. General Grant found himself caught between a hostile President Johnson and Secretary Stanton. Vorenberg describes the disastrous "swing around the circle" tour, where Johnson used Grant'spopularity as a shield while making embarrassing speeches. Witnessing Johnson's behavior, Grant ultimately sided with Stanton, realizing the President was unworthy of his loyalty.

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. General Grant found himself caught between a hostile President Johnson and Secretary Stanton. Vorenberg describes the disastrous "swing around the circle" tour, where Johnson used Grant's popularity as a shield while making embarrassing speeches. Witnessing Johnson's behavior, Grant ultimately sided with Stanton, realizing the President was unworthy of his loyalty.1910 GAR ARLINGTON

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. To undercut radicals, Johnson followed Seward's advice to declare the insurrection ended by executive proclamation in 1866. Vorenberg notes this "official" peace ignored realities like the New Orleans massacre. Simultaneously, Senator Doolittle was misled by General Carlton regarding the mistreatment of the Navajo at Bosque Redondo during his peace commission tour.1880 GAR BUILDING

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Vorenberg explains how President Johnson's racism and desire for a hasty peace alienated Congress. Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights and Freedman's Bureau Acts, arguing the war was over. Republicans, however, insisted war powers remained necessary to protect freedmen, leading them to override Johnson and unite against him.1888 GAR Columbus Ohio

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Vorenberg discusses Richard Henry Dana's "Grasp of War" speech, which argued the war could not end until the victor secured guarantees against future conflict. This philosophy, demanding the enemy be held down, contrasted sharply with Lincoln's "let 'em up easy" wrestling metaphor, fueling Congressional debates over reconstruction.1888 GAR MERRIMAC FLOAT

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. The government utilizes military tribunals to try Lincoln's assassins and Andersonvillecommandant Henry Wirz, arguing the war is ongoing. Prosecutors hope to pressure Wirz into implicating Jefferson Davis in prisoner atrocities to justify hanging the Confederate president, but Wirz refuses and is executed alone.2018 GARWASHINGTON DC.

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. While the Grand Review celebrates victory in Washington, General Sheridan is sent to the Texas border with 50,000 troops to counter French imperial ambitions in Mexico and suppress remaining Confederate resistance. Meanwhile, Confederate General Kirby Smith flees to Mexico rather than surrender his western forces.1948. GAR LAST POSTING

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Following Lincoln's assassination, General Sherman negotiates a surrender with Confederate General Johnston at Bennett Place. Sherman attempts to secure a comprehensive peace including civil matters, but officials in Washington, seeking stricter retribution, reject the terms as too generous, forcing a second, purely military surrender.1925 GAR NEW BEDFOR POST

Guest: Michael Vorenberg. At Appomattox, Grant offers generous terms allowing Confederates to keep horses and sidearms. However, Lincoln does not immediately declare the war over; in his final speech, he focuses on the complex path to peace and suffrage, viewing the surrender as a step rather than a conclusion.1920 MORGAN POST MINNESOTA

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Robert E. Lee rejects the option of guerrilla warfare at Appomattox, choosing surrender to preserve the nation. Years later, former partisan John Singleton Mosby becomes close friends with U.S. Grant and joins the Republican Party, earning the enmity of many Southerners but symbolizing reconciliation.1914 GAR DETROIT

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Harry Harrison Young takes command of the Jesse Scouts, serving as Sheridan'sstrategic eyes in Confederate uniforms. These daring scouts deceive enemy forces and carry messages through enemy lines, enabling Sheridan to move his army effectively to join Grant and trap Lee.1914 GAR PARADE DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Lewis Powell, the Ranger who captured Blazer, is revealed to be a Confederate Secret Service operative working with John Wilkes Booth. Powell returns to Baltimore to aid in a plot to kidnap Lincoln, while Mosby deploys troops to secure a potential escape route for the conspirators.1910 GAR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Grant orders total war in the Shenandoah Valley to crush Mosby's Rangers. Although Richard Blazer's scouts initially have success with Spencer carbines, they are eventually lured into a trap and annihilated by Mosby's men at Kabletown, where Blazer is captured by Ranger Lewis Powell.1910 GAR NEW ORLEANS

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Confederate General Jubal Early threatens Washington, D.C., where Lincoln witnesses the battle at Fort Stevens. Meanwhile, partisan leader John Mosby operates independently, capturing Union forces at Mount Zion Church. O'Donnell notes that better coordination between Early and Mosby could have endangered the capital.1908 GAR TOLEDO OHIO

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. A failed Union raid on Richmond carrying orders to kill Jefferson Davis prompts the Confederacy to escalate irregular warfare and political influence operations. As the Confederate Secret Service aids the Copperhead movement, author Herman Melville embeds with Union cavalry to witness the hunt for the elusive John Mosby1880 GAR PICNIC MN

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. Richard Blazer leads the "Legion of Honor," a hunter-killer team using Jesse Scouttradecraft to fight Confederate partisans in West Virginia. Blazer employs detective work to track down the ruthless Thurman brothers, who attack Union supply lines in the rugged terrain of the Appalachians.1880 GAR MN

Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. This segment introduces the "Jesse Scouts," a Union special forces unit formed by John Frémont and named after his wife. Led by figures like John Charles Carpenter, these men wore Confederate disguises to infiltrate enemy lines. Despite their effectiveness as commandos, their lack of discipline led to friction with the regular Army.1879 GAR IN HARPER'S

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Michael Vorenberg. Vorenberg discusses how President Johnson'sobstructionism inadvertently unified Republicans, enabling the passage of the Reconstruction Acts and the 14th and 15th Amendments.1865 INAUGURATION OF ANDREW JOHNSON FOLLOWING LINCOL'S DEATH.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Patrick O'Donnell. O'Donnell details the Confederate Secret Service'soriginal, failed plot to kidnap President Lincoln and whisk him to Richmond using a network of safe houses.1865 SURATT JURY

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Patrick K. O'Donnell. O'Donnell explains how General Sheridan utilized "special forces" scouts to identify Confederate weak points at Five Forks, leading to Lee's evacuation and surrender.1865 FIVE FORKS

TARIFFS:  Guest: Richard Epstein. Epstein discusses President Trump's reported plan to roll back aluminum tariffs, a reaction to rising consumer costs and the president's falling poll numbers.1907 WIRE MILL, ALLENTOWN, PA

SCOTUS:: Guest: Richard Epstein. Epstein analyzes the legal implications of President Trumpfiring Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, debating the limits of the unitary executive power.1889 SCOTUS

3.Michael Vlahos as Germanicus explores with Gaius the seventeenth-century practice of dynastic marriage as a superior geopolitical tool compared to modern warfare's impulse toward total destruction. Gaius highlights the unions connecting the Hapsburg, Bourbon, and Stuart empires, observing that the magic of resolving conflict through marriage has been lost entirely. Germanicus explains that these networks of bloodlines created a unified European sensibility and stability that limited war's severity because monarchs were cousins bound by family obligation and shared aristocratic culture. Wars remained limited affairs rather than existential struggles for national survival. Germanicus attributes the loss of this restraint to the French Revolution, which replaced aristocratic connections with religious nationalism and a Darwinianstruggle for survival, culminating in the total wars of the twentieth century that devastated entire civilizations. While true dynastic geopolitics has vanished from international relations, Germanicus observes a strange egalitarian counterpart emerging in the American overclass through the nepo baby phenomenon. He argues that elite families in Hollywood and politics now pass down wealth and status across generations, mimicking aristocratic patterns without the intergenerational stability, diplomatic utility, or civilizational responsibility characteristic of Roman senatorial families or royal Europeanhouses.

2.Michael Vlahos as Germanicus joins Gaius in examining the elite obsession with Jeffrey Epstein through a historical lens of witchcraft and sorcery accusations. Gaius introduces an analogy involving Louis XIII using accusations of witchcraft to explain political assassinations, applying this framework to the modern overclass fascination with Epstein. He suggests elites cast Epstein as a sorcerer figure to absolve themselves of complicity in his crimes and their own participation in corruption. Germanicus agrees, arguing that the atheistic ruling class deploys Epstein as a fallen angel archetype, framing him as an unstoppable supernatural force of seduction so they can claim victimhood rather than confronting systemic corruption. Germanicus illustrates this dynamic with a story from The Howling about monks imprisoning the devil to prevent war, symbolizing humanity's desire to externalize evil rather than confront personal sin. The sheer volume of released Epstein files acts as contracts for sold souls, reinforcing the narrative that an external devil bears responsibility. Germanicus concludes these elites are cynical materialists who, unable to comprehend spiritual dynamics or acknowledge their own guilt, retreat to ancient superstitions to explain their entrapment and exonerate themselves from the corrupt world they lead.3.Michael Vlahos as Germanicus explores with Gaius the seventeenth-century practice of dynastic marriage as a superior geopolitical tool compared to modern warfare's impulse toward total destruction. Gaius highlights the unions connecting the Hapsburg, Bourbon, and Stuart empires, observing that the magic of resolving conflict through marriage has been lost entirely. Germanicus explains that these networks of bloodlines created a unified European sensibility and stability that limited war's severity because monarchs were cousins bound by family obligation and shared aristocratic culture. Wars remained limited affairs rather than existential struggles for national survival. Germanicus attributes the loss of this restraint to the French Revolution, which replaced aristocratic connections with religious nationalism and a Darwinian struggle for survival, culminating in the total wars of the twentieth century that devastated entire civilizations. While true dynastic geopolitics has vanished from international relations, Germanicus observes a strange egalitarian counterpart emerging in the American overclass through the nepo baby phenomenon. He argues that elite families in Hollywood and politics now pass down wealth and status across generations, mimicking aristocratic patterns without the intergenerational stability, diplomatic utility, or civilizational responsibility characteristic of Roman senatorial families or royal European houses.

1.Michael Vlahos as Germanicus debates Gaius in Londinium on parallels between FDR's strategic pivoting in 1941 and the modern United States facing a two-front confrontation against Russia and China. While FDR successfully managed a global vision across separate theaters in Europe and the Pacific, Germanicus argues the contemporary US faces a far more dire reality. Unlike 1941 when American industrial capacity was ascending and capable of outproducing all adversaries, today's United States lacks the manufacturing base to fight simultaneously on two fronts. Germanicus notes that China possesses two hundred times the shipbuilding capability of the US and that American naval vessels are currently covered in rust from neglect. While Gaius observes that FDR prepared Americans for initial losses and questions whether Russia and China constitute a unified axis similar to the Tripartite Pact, Germanicus contends modern America is too divided domestically to absorb military reverses. He argues that Russia and China effectively operate as a single Eurasian entity playing a long game, while the US is losing its proxy war in Ukraine and lacks both military discipline and industrial might to confront Putin and Xi Jinping's strategic patience.

8.  Guest: Hampton Sides. Retreating to Hawaii's Kealakekua Bay during a festival, Cook is welcomed as the god Lono. However, a broken mast forces an unwelcome return during a season of war. Tensions rise over a stolen boat, leading Cook to attempt kidnapping the king. This error in judgment results in Cook's violent death.1815

7.  Guest: Hampton Sides. Cook maps the North American coast, stopping at Nootka Sound for repairs before charting Alaska. Searching for the Northwest Passage, they enter the Bering Sea. There, they encounter the "Ice Blink" and an impenetrable ice wall, disproving theories of an open polar sea and forcing a dangerous retreat.

6..  Guest: Hampton Sides. Cook unexpectedly discovers the Hawaiian Islands, landing at Kauai. He is amazed by the sophisticated agriculture and aqueducts but stays briefly, rushing toward the Arctic. This first contact is mutual puzzlement; locals view the British as "volcano people" due to their smoking, while Cook worries about transmitting disease.

5.  Guest: Hampton Sides. At Moorea, a stolen goat triggers a terrifying rage in Cook, who burns houses and canoes in retribution, shocking his officers. Sides reveals that after being left behind, Mai used British weapons in local conflicts but died young of disease. Cook's scorched-earth reaction highlights his deteriorating patience and mental state.

4.  Guest: Hampton Sides. Arriving in the Society Islands, the crew enjoys Tahiti while Cook focuses on settling Mai. Cook attempts to secure Mai's future, but Mai refuses an arranged marriage. Red feathers become valuable currency. Ultimately, Cook leaves Mai at Huahine, sharing a tearful, final goodbye with the man he viewed as a son.

3.  an open sailing path.Guest: Hampton Sides. Cook displays uncharacteristic recklessness and a darkening temper as they sail south with the Polynesian Mai. They make peaceful contact with Tasmania's Palawa people before visiting New Zealand. There, Cook acts as a detective, investigating a previous incident where his crew members were killed and eaten by Maoriwarriors.

2.  Guest: Hampton Sides. Sides introduces the officers of the Resolution and Discovery, including the tubercular Captain Charles Clerke and the skilled but insufferable William Bligh. The mission is fueled by Daines Barrington'sscientifically flawed theory that seawater cannot freeze, leading the Admiralty to believe the Arctic offered an open sailing path.

1.  Guest: Hampton Sides. In February 1776, Captain James Cook is enjoying a comfortable retirement at Greenwich Hospital. Dining with Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, Cook learns of a proposed third voyage to find the fabled Northwest Passage. Despite having retired, Cook is tempted by the challenge and dramatically accepts the command.

4.  Guest: Richard Snow. Snow details the controversial legal aftermath, where Captain Mackenzie faced a court-martial for the executions. Despite political pressure and a tarnished reputation, Mackenzie was legally cleared, leaving the true nature of the "mutiny" a mystery.

3.  Guest: Richard Snow. Snow recounts how Spencer's "pirate plot" joke spiraled into hysteria. Captain Mackenzie, gripped by paranoia aboard the tiny ship, arrested three men and convened an irregular council of officers that recommended their immediate execution.

2.  Guest: Richard Snow. Snow describes the Somers setting sail with a crew of inexperienced teenagers. He details how Spencer, ostracized by fellow officers, violated protocol by befriending the crew with gifts, setting the stage for the alleged mutiny.

1.  Guest: Richard Snow. Snow introduces the key figures of the Somers mutiny: Philip Spencer, the rebellious son of a cabinet member, and Captain Mackenzie, a disciplinarian author. Their conflict unfolds aboard a crowded, experimental naval school ship.

4.  Guest: David Rooney. Rooney concludes the saga with Alcock and Brown's successful landing in Ireland and the subsequent celebration. Winston Churchill awarded the prize money, marking a pivotal moment where former rivals celebrated opening the future of aviation.

2. Guest: David Rooney. Rooney profiles the diverse aviators competing for the prize, including the fearless Australian Harry Hawker and the aristocratic Admiral Mark Kerr. The narrative highlights the intense rivalry and class distinctions among the teams gathering in Newfoundland.

3.  Guest: David Rooney. Rooney describes the treacherous conditions in Newfoundland that grounded teams for weeks. He details the dramatic takeoff of Harry Hawker, who disappeared into the ocean mist, followed by the successful launch of Alcock and Brown.

1.  Guest: David Rooney. Rooney recounts the origins of the 1919 transatlantic flight challenge funded by newspaper mogul Lord Northcliffe. He introduces war veterans Alcock and Brown, who teamed up with Vickers to attempt the dangerous crossing.

4.  Guest: Matthew Lockwood. Lockwood highlights overlooked figures like David Dorr, an enslaved traveler, and the professional African guides who aided Stanley. He concludes that curiosity and the desire to see the unknown drive all human migration and exploration.

3.  Europe and its customs.Guest: Matthew Lockwood. Lockwood illustrates how local guides and knowledge exchange shaped history. He details how Lady Mary Wortley Montagu brought smallpox inoculation to England and how Indigenous guides like Tupaiaand Carlos del Pino aided famous expeditions.

2.  Guest: Matthew Lockwood. Lockwood reframes discovery by highlighting Indigenous explorers who traveled to Europe, such as Taino ambassadors and the Aboriginal Australian Bennelong. These figures actively sought to understand the "new world" of Europe and its customs.

Guest: Matthew Lockwood. Lockwood examines the history of exploration from non-European perspectives, including Carthaginian sailors and Chinese fleets. He explains how early accounts, like those of the Norse in Vinland, were often dismissed as myths.

4  Guest: Arthur Herman. Herman argues that World War II victory resulted from the government setting goals while private industry determined execution. He suggests this historical partnership offers vital lessons for restoring America'slagging defense industrial base today.

3.  Guest: Arthur Herman. Herman details the chaotic development of the B-29 Superfortress. Despite technical failures and immense complexity, Bill Knudsen pushed production forward, delivering the high-altitude bomber necessary for air supremacy and victory in the Pacific.

2.  Guest: Arthur Herman. Herman profiles Henry Kaiser, a construction magnate who applied his rapid building techniques to shipbuilding. Kaiser's "Liberty Ships" became essential for maintaining the Allied supply lifeline against German U-boats during the war.

1.  Guest: Arthur Herman. Herman discusses how FDR recruited industrialist Bill Knudsen in 1940 to mobilize Americafor war. Knudsen applied his expertise in flexible mass production, honed at Ford and GM, to prepare the nation's defenses.

Jeremy Zakis reports on the Australian T20 cricket team's dismal start and unexpected loss to Zimbabwe, with selectors worried the inexperienced squad may fail to reach the World Cup finals without immediate improvement.

Jeremy Zakis discusses dangerous wildlife encounters, including a Tasmanian tiger snake found in a child's car seat and a Victorian farmer who sustained injuries while fighting a kangaroo to save his drowning dog.

Jeremy Zakis details Australia's chaotic weather, featuring severe flooding in Queensland and a tropical cyclone in Western Australia, characterizing the current summer as highly unusual, encompassing all four seasons within one season.

.Jeremy Zakis describes an aggressive flock of over one hundred cockatoos targeting his home and neighborhood, with the destructive birds stripping trees and performing low fly-bys, prompting fears of further property damage.

Dante Lauretta recounts the anxiety-inducing sample return where the drogue parachute failed to deploy before the main chute saved the mission, with the spacecraft now continuing as OSIRIS-APEX under former student Dani DellaGiustinaat the University of Arizona.

Dante Lauretta describes how upon reaching asteroid Bennu the team found a hazardous rocky surface instead of expected sand, detailing the difficulty selecting the Nightingale landing site where the spacecraft sank into fluid-like material, collecting so much the container began leaking.R

Dante Lauretta explains how after a 2007 rejection he refined the science objectives, coining the name OSIRIS-REx, then assumed leadership after Mike Drake's passing and guided the team through a critical 2014 confirmation review to secure NASA approval.

Professor Dante Lauretta discusses his book The Asteroid Hunter and his early career at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, recalling how mentor Mike Drake and Lockheed Martin recruited him in 2004 for a daring asteroid sample return mission despite early rejections.

James Shapiro reflects on the sad later lives of Flanagan and Dies, and debunks a legend involving Orson Welles and a critic of Voodoo Macbeth.

James Shapiro describes how the Dies Committee targets Director Hallie Flanagan using dubious testimony from Hazel Huffman to brand the Federal Theatre Project's plays as communist propaganda.

James Shapiro details how Congressman Martin Dies used the House Un-American Activities Committee to attack the Federal Theatre Project to gain political power and media fame.

James Shapiro discusses Federal Theatre Project plays like One-Third of a Nation, which critiqued housing inequality, and Liberty Deferred, a never-produced play about lynching in America.

James Shapiro recounts how the Federal Theater simultaneously staged Sinclair Lewis's anti-fascist play It Can't Happen Here across American cities after Hollywood studios rejected the film adaptation.

James Shapiro details Welles's innovative Voodoo Macbeth, its anti-fascist themes, the racial condescension of white critics, and the production's massive success and subsequent national tour across America.

James Shapiro explains how Rose McClendon and John Houseman established the Negro Unit, hiring a young Orson Welles to direct the revolutionary Macbeth production in Harlem.

James Shapiro discusses the historic 1936 Harlem premiere of Macbeth, the Federal Theater Project's creation under Harry Hopkins and Hallie Flanagan, and its significance for democracy during the Depression era.

Matthew Shindell outlines the history of robotic exploration, from Mariner to Ingenuity, while noting the political and technical hurdles facing future human missions to Mars.

Matthew Shindell discusses the Scientific Revolution, nineteenth-century theories about Martian canals by Schiaparelli and Lowell, and H.G. Wells using Mars to satirize British imperialism.

Matthew Shindell contrasts Islamic scientific advancements with European views, highlighting how Dante Alighierireinterpreted Mars in the Divine Comedy as a symbol of fortitude and martyrdom.

Matthew Shindell explores how ancient Mayan, Chinese, and Mesopotamian civilizations interpreted Mars through mythology, omens, and early scientific observation to understand their relationship with the cosmos.

Guest: John Tamny. Tamny views the crypto market crash as a sign of maturity, predicting private money is the future and that

Guest: John Tamny. Tamny contends that true inflation is currency devaluation rather than price increases caused by lockdowns, citing historical economic collapses in China and Germany as evidence.

Guest: John Tamny. Using Elon Musk's ventures, Tamny illustrates that credit naturally seeks talent and innovation, arguing that Federal Reserve interest rates do not impact high-risk startups.

Guest: John Tamny. Tamny explains Adam Smith's division of labor using the iPhone as an example, arguing that money exists solely to circulate goods and requires stability.

Guest: David Davenport. Davenport describes Reagan's return to limited government to foster opportunity, contrasting this approach with the modern, ambiguous shift toward "equity" rather than equality.

Guest: David Davenport. Davenport discusses FDR and LBJ, who argued government must actively create opportunity through programs like the New Deal and Great Society to ensure fair results.

Guest: David Davenport. Davenport details how Wilson and Progressives believed government must actively intervene to ensure opportunity, arguing the closed frontier no longer provided natural equality.

Guest: David Davenport. Davenport explains the Founders' view of equality as a natural right opposing Europeanclass systems, later expanded by Lincoln to address slavery's inequality.

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-13-20261909 BENGAL1.Jeff Bliss discusses Governor Newsom's mixed popularity in California, highlighting failures in housing affordability, rising homelessness, and the costly, delayed high-speed rail project undermining his national ambitions.2.Jeff Bliss reports on Las Vegas's growth as Californians relocate there, the continued success of In-N-Out Burger, and the irony of California's beautiful weather amidst persistent economic troubles.3.Jeff Bliss and Brandon Weichert debate the AI boom, predicting a market correction followed by a second wave where robotics and AI integration fundamentally transform the global economy.4.Conrad Black reflects on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative achievements and analyzes current leader Pierre Poilievre's similar but more comprehensive vision to rescue Canada's stagnating economy.5.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center analyzes tensions between the President and the Federal Reserve, warning against fiscal dominance where political pressure regarding debt forces the Fed to lower rates.6.Jim McTague describes Lancaster County's freezing tundra weather, inflation impacting Valentine's Day sales, and a significant financial windfall for local government from a new data center.7.Michael Munger reviews George Selgin's book False Dawn, arguing that regime uncertainty from FDR's arbitrary New Deal policies hindered investment and actually prolonged the Great Depression.8.Michael Munger explains how post-WWII economic recovery defied Keynesian predictions of doom due to the removal of government controls and a massive release of pent-up consumer demand.9.Josh Rogin discusses the trade conflict between the US and India, noting that tariffs were used as leverage regarding Russian oil and Modi's diplomatic de-risking from Washington.10.Josh Rogin analyzes the reopening of trade between Washington and Delhi, suggesting India is returning to a non-aligned strategy despite improved relations and adjusted tariff rates.11.Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss of the Long War Journal discuss a sophisticated Islamic State drone attack on an airfield in Niger, highlighting security failures by the Russian Africa Corps that replaced US forces.12.Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss provide updates on Somalia including relative success against Al-Shabaab leadership, while reports confirm Russian deceptive recruitment of Africans for the war in Ukraine.13.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center analyzes the crumbling Non-Proliferation Treaty, citing Iran's inspection violations and China's nuclear expansion as critical challenges for the upcoming international review conference.14.Henry Sokolski critiques the chaotic government response to a balloon over El Paso, arguing the incident exposes dangerous coordination flaws in America's homeland security apparatus and interagency communication.15.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black contrasts SpaceX's routine success with ULA's technical struggles, attributing the booming private space sector and massive investments to a shift toward capitalist models.16.Bob Zimmerman covers ESA's fast-tracked Apophis asteroid mission, a commercial attempt to resÅcue a NASAtelescope, and the contrasting regulatory environments of the UK and New Zealand for space launches.Å

Bob Zimmerman covers ESA's fast-tracked Apophis asteroid mission, a commercial attempt to rescue a NASAtelescope, and the contrasting regulatory environments of the UK and New Zealand for space launches.1951

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black contrasts SpaceX's routine success with ULA's technical struggles, attributing the booming private space sector and massive investments to a shift toward capitalist models.1955

Henry Sokolski critiques the chaotic government response to a balloon over El Paso, arguing the incident exposes dangerous coordination flaws in America's homeland security apparatus and interagency communication.MAY 19, 1953

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center analyzes the crumbling Non-Proliferation Treaty, citing Iran's inspection violations and China's nuclear expansion as critical challenges for the upcoming international review conference.1953

Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss provide updates on Somalia including relative success against Al-Shabaab leadership, while reports confirm Russian deceptive recruitment of Africans for the war in Ukraine.2020 SOMALIA

Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss of the Long War Journal discuss a sophisticated Islamic State drone attack on an airfield in Niger, highlighting security failures by the Russian Africa Corps that replaced US forces.1949 NIGERIA

Josh Rogin analyzes the reopening of trade between Washington and Delhi, suggesting India is returning to a non-aligned strategy despite improved relations and adjusted tariff rates.1862 INDIA

Josh Rogin discusses the trade conflict between the US and India, noting that tariffs were used as leverage regarding Russian oil and Modi's diplomatic de-risking from Washington.1860 INDIA

Michael Munger explains how post-WWII economic recovery defied Keynesian predictions of doom due to the removal of government controls and a massive release of pent-up consumer demand.1945 TRUMAN

Michael Munger reviews George Selgin's book False Dawn, arguing that regime uncertainty from FDR's arbitrary New Deal policies hindered investment and actually prolonged the Great Depression.1945 DOJ

Jim McTague describes Lancaster County's freezing tundra weather, inflation impacting Valentine's Day sales, and a significant financial windfall for local government from a new data center.1950 ALLENTOWN

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center analyzes tensions between the President and the Federal Reserve, warning against fiscal dominance where political pressure regarding debt forces the Fed to lower rates.1930 FDR AND SARA

Conrad Black reflects on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative achievements and analyzes current leader Pierre Poilievre's similar but more comprehensive vision to rescue Canada's stagnating economy.1924 MANITOBA

Jeff Bliss and Brandon Weichert debate the AI boom, predicting a market correction followed by a second wave where robotics and AI integration fundamentally transform the global economy.1919 PACIFIC PALISADES AND HOLLYWOOD SETS

Jeff Bliss reports on Las Vegas's growth as Californians relocate there, the continued success of In-N-Out Burger, and the irony of California's beautiful weather amidst persistent economic troubles.1903 SANTA BARBARA

Jeff Bliss discusses Governor Newsom's mixed popularity in California, highlighting failures in housing affordability, rising homelessness, and the costly, delayed high-speed rail project undermining his national ambitions.1901 NEVADA

Conrad Black critiques Canada's economic stagnation under Trudeau, citing fiscal indiscipline and failure to match UScorporate tax cuts, which drove investment away from Canada to its southern neighbor.1900 OTTAWA ROWING CLUB

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center discusses Kevin Warsh's potential Fed chairmanship, highlighting his focus on price stability and a proposed accord to reduce Treasury pressure on the central bank.1903

Jim McTague reports on a Lancaster County data center windfall, providing millions in fees and taxes to help bail out local budgets and school overspending in Pennsylvania Dutch country.1689 CHARLES II AND WILLIAM PENN

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns the upcoming non-proliferation review must address Iran's safeguards violations while managing Russian and Chinese demands regarding United States nuclear deployments overseas.1945 NM

Brandon Weichert predicts the next major shift involves pairing reliable AI with accurate robotics to replicate human hands, lowering costs but potentially displacing American workers across manufacturing sectors.1958

Caleb Weiss of the Long War Journal details the deceptive recruitment of African men from Kenya and Uganda to fight for Russia in Ukraine, sparking controversy and diplomatic tension.1936 KENYA

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-13-20261900 SWITZERLAND Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven discusses the EU's identity crisis, internal disagreements regarding leadership, expansion challenges, and the rising influence of right-wing nationalist parties across the continent. Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven explains EU hesitation and anti-Russian sentiment regarding Ukraine aid, highlighting the reliance on U.S. support and the perception that Germany must lead Europe. Guests: Chris Riegel and Jim McTague. Riegel and McTague discuss economic warning signs as high costs and consumer debt cause significant slowdowns and reduced foot traffic in the fast-food industry. Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam details Russia's faltering war economy, citing declining oil production, a shrinking civilian sector, and reliance on gold sales to offset budget deficits. Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady criticizes Brazilian Justice de Moraes for arbitrary rulings on free speech and transgender laws, alongside corruption allegations involving his wife and a bank. Guest: Jack Burnham. Burnham reports on a secret 2020 Chinese nuclear test, their expanding nuclear triad, and Beijing's refusal to engage in arms control negotiations with Washington. Guests: Alan Tonelson and Jim McTague. The guests analyze a Morgan Stanley report on AI, debating whether increased productivity will cause job losses or create new industries for creative workers. Guests: Alan Tonelson and Jim McTague. They discuss how AI like Anthropic's Claude threatens traditional software investments by automating coding, potentially hurting private equity while enabling a new class of programmers. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis describes Guatemala's security crisis involving gang control of prisons, President Arévalo's governance struggles, and continued cooperation with the U.S. on migration enforcement. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis analyzes the growing threat of Mexican cartel drones at the border and Mexico's economic reliance on USMCA trade negotiations amidst security concerns. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis reports on Venezuela's regime arresting opposition figures while simultaneously navigating oil deals and appearing to cooperate with the U.S. to maintain power. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis discusses Chinese control of Peru's Chancay port, Mia Mottley's victory in Barbados, and Cuba's desperate energy crisis forcing potential concessions to the U.S. Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher discusses China's recent Long March 10A test, a reusable rocket for lunar missions, and outlines their evolving moon architecture compared to U.S. efforts. Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher details China's ambitious "Tiangong Kaiu" 100-year plan to establish solar system hegemony, exploiting Moon and Mars resources to secure economic and military dominance. Guest: Cleo Paskal. Paskal analyzes the U.S. State Department's designation of corrupt officials in Palau and the Marshall Islands, a significant move countering Chinese influence in Oceania. Guest: Cleo Paskal. Paskal contrasts U.S. actions in Palau with worsening corruption in the Northern Marianasand new Chinese infrastructure in Yap, highlighting vulnerabilities in Pacific defense.

Guest: Cleo Paskal. Paskal contrasts U.S. actions in Palau with worsening corruption in the Northern Marianasand new Chinese infrastructure in Yap, highlighting vulnerabilities in Pacific defense.1939 BRITISH SOLOMONS

Guest: Cleo Paskal. Paskal analyzes the U.S. State Department's designation of corrupt officials in Palau and the Marshall Islands, a significant move countering Chinese influence in Oceania.1900 NORTHERN MARIANNAS

Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher details China's ambitious "Tiangong Kaiu" 100-year plan to establish solar system hegemony, exploiting Moon and Mars resources to secure economic and military dominance.1960

Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher discusses China's recent Long March 10A test, a reusable rocket for lunar missions, and outlines their evolving moon architecture compared to U.S. efforts.JANUARY 1961

Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis discusses Chinese control of Peru's Chancay port, Mia Mottley's victory in Barbados, and Cuba's desperate energy crisis forcing potential concessions to the U.S.1935

Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis reports on Venezuela's regime arresting opposition figures while simultaneously navigating oil deals and appearing to cooperate with the U.S. to maintain power.1950 CARACAS

Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis analyzes the growing threat of Mexican cartel drones at the border and Mexico'seconomic reliance on USMCA trade negotiations amidst security concerns.1647

Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis describes Guatemala's security crisis involving gang control of prisons, President Arévalo's governance struggles, and continued cooperation with the U.S. on migration enforcement.1895 PUERTO RICO

Guests: Alan Tonelson and Jim McTague. The guests analyze a Morgan Stanley report on AI, debating whether increased productivity will cause job losses or create new industries for creative workers.

Guests: Alan Tonelson and Jim McTague. The guests analyze a Morgan Stanley report on AI, debating whether increased productivity will cause job losses or create new industries for creative workers.

Guest: Jack Burnham. Burnham reports on a secret 2020 Chinese nuclear test, their expanding nuclear triad, and Beijing's refusal to engage in arms control negotiations with Washington.

Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady criticizes Brazilian Justice de Moraes for arbitrary rulings on free speech and transgender laws, alongside corruption allegations involving his wife and a bank.

Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam details Russia's faltering war economy, citing declining oil production, a shrinking civilian sector, and reliance on gold sales to offset budget deficits.

Guests: Chris Riegel and Jim McTague. Riegel and McTague discuss economic warning signs as high costs and consumer debt cause significant slowdowns and reduced foot traffic in the fast-food industry.

Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven explains EU hesitation and anti-Russian sentiment regarding Ukraine aid, highlighting the reliance on U.S. support and the perception that Germany must lead Europe.

Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven discusses the EU's identity crisis, internal disagreements regarding leadership, expansion challenges, and the rising influence of right-wing nationalist parties across the continent.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Michael Bernstam. India continues purchasing Russian oil through intermediaries like Egypt to secure deep discounts, while China absorbs any reduced Indian export volumes.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Jack Burnham. Beijing displays confidence in its maturing nuclear arsenal, publicly showcasing a full triad and investing in land silos and tactical weapons. 1962

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Rick Fisher. China advances a hundred-year space plan, developing heavy launchers and a lunar gateway to establish a permanent, profitable presence on the moon.1940

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. Brazil's Supreme Court faces allegations of unchecked power as a justice's wife is implicated in a bank fraud scandal involving millions.1910 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF BRAZIL

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Cleo Paskal. The U.S. sanctions politicians in the Marshall Islands and Palaufor Chinese-linked corruption, restricting their travel and access to American services.1883 MARSHALLS

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Chris Riegel. Quick service restaurants see franchise shrinkage from rising costs and lower traffic, suggesting economic hardship for consumers reliant on fast food.1900 AUSTRALASIAS WOMEN'S SOCIETY

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-11-2026NEVSKY PROSPECT Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford details the sentencing of British citizen Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, arguing China is using the case to signal it will crush any dissent regardless of international prestige. Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford condemns UK PM Starmer for failing to demand Jimmy Lai's release during his China visit, accusing the leader of prioritizing trade over the safety of British citizens. Guest: Ivana Stradner. Russia employs "TV BRICS" and information warfare to control narratives in the Global South, aiming to undermine Western influence and establish a multipolar world order without using kinetic force. Guest: Simon Constable. As Storm Nills approaches France, Constable reports on rising copper prices and volatile gold, while noting UK PM Starmer faces severe political pressure from opposition parties. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Persistent hydrogen leaks delay the Artemis 2 mission; Zimmerman questions Administrator Isaacman's move to reduce reliance on private contractors, fearing it may stifle efficiency and innovation. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Musk announces SpaceX will prioritize the Moon before Mars; regulatory approvals for Starship launches are pending, while Voyager Space secures a management contract for ISS operations. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Starfish Space wins Pentagon contracts for satellite servicing; a new constellation, Logos, enters the market, while India plans an ambitious lunar sample return mission. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Scientists link Enceladus to Saturn's aurora; radar data suggests a lava tube exists on Venus, and archives reveal Pluto retains an atmosphere despite its distance from the sun. Guest: Captain James Fanell (Ret.). With carrier groups near Iran and Venezuela, Fanell discusses the threat of anti-ship missiles in choke points and the necessity of naval power to deter adversaries. Guest: Charles Ortel. Ortel highlights strong private sector growth in Malaysia and Indonesia, contrasting it with China's economic struggles and the state's "national team" intervening to prop up markets. Guest: Charles Burton. A mass shooting shocks British Columbia; tensions rise over the Gordie Howe Bridgeownership as Canada seeks to diversify trade away from the U.S. amid protectionist threats. Guest: Charles Burton. Canada lowers tariffs on Chinese EVs to court Beijing; Burton warns this "strategic partnership" ignores security risks regarding data collection and Chinese influence operations. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger explains how Trump's 1980 Commodore Hotel deal involved purchasing TVs from a KGB front. This transaction reportedly initiated contact with Russian intelligence, who identified Trump's vanity and greed as ideal traits for recruitment. Guest: Craig Unger. Trump's 1987 Moscow trip, arranged by the KGB, was followed by newspaper ads criticizing U.S. alliances. Unger claims these ads, echoing Soviet talking points, combined with real estate dangles to seal the recruitment deal. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger highlights two women with Russian intelligence ties who worked for Jeffrey Epstein. He suggests Epstein's operation gathered "kompromat" on elites and questions why the FBI failed to investigate these foreign intelligence connections. Guest: Craig Unger. An interview by a Russian diplomat's daughter released post-election served as a reminder of Trump's recruitment. Unger discusses missing Epstein tapes, potential disinformation, and Putin's continued influence over Trump's foreign policy decisions.

Guest: Craig Unger. An interview by a Russian diplomat's daughter released post-election served as a reminder of Trump's recruitment. Unger discusses missing Epstein tapes, potential disinformation, and Putin's continued influence over Trump's foreign policy decisions.1961 BERLIN

Guest: Craig Unger. Unger highlights two women with Russian intelligence ties who worked for Jeffrey Epstein. He suggests Epstein's operation gathered "kompromat" on elites and questions why the FBI failed to investigate these foreign intelligence connections.1930 MOTT STREET

Guest: Craig Unger. Trump's 1987 Moscow trip, arranged by the KGB, was followed by newspaper ads criticizing U.S.alliances. Unger claims these ads, echoing Soviet talking points, combined with real estate dangles to seal the recruitment deal.1936 BROOME STREET

Guest: Craig Unger. Unger explains how Trump's 1980 Commodore Hotel deal involved purchasing TVs from a KGBfront. This transaction reportedly initiated contact with Russian intelligence, who identified Trump's vanity and greed as ideal traits for recruitment.1936 HERALD SQUARE

Guest: Charles Burton. Canada lowers tariffs on Chinese EVs to court Beijing; Burton warns this "strategic partnership" ignores security risks regarding data collection and Chinese influence operations.GREENLAND.

Guest: Charles Burton. A mass shooting shocks British Columbia; tensions rise over the Gordie Howe Bridgeownership as Canada seeks to diversify trade away from the U.S. amid protectionist threats.1880 OTTAWA

Guest: Charles Ortel. Ortel highlights strong private sector growth in Malaysia and Indonesia, contrasting it with China's economic struggles and the state's "national team" intervening to prop up markets.1889 BOUGAINVILLE

Guest: Captain James Fanell (Ret.). With carrier groups near Iran and Venezuela, Fanell discusses the threat of anti-ship missiles in choke points and the necessity of naval power to deter adversaries.1746

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Scientists link Enceladus to Saturn's aurora; radar data suggests a lava tube exists on Venus, and archives reveal Pluto retains an atmosphere despite its distance from the sun.1951

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Starfish Space wins Pentagon contracts for satellite servicing; a new constellation, Logos, enters the market, while India plans an ambitious lunar sample return mission.1931

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Musk announces SpaceX will prioritize the Moon before Mars; regulatory approvals for Starship launches are pending, while Voyager Space secures a management contract for ISS operations.1906. WELLS. MARTIAN

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Persistent hydrogen leaks delay the Artemis 2 mission; Zimmerman questions Administrator Isaacman's move to reduce reliance on private contractors, fearing it may stifle efficiency and innovation.1940. GODDARD. ROSWELL.

Guest: Simon Constable. As Storm Nills approaches France, Constable reports on rising copper prices and volatile gold, while noting UK PM Starmer faces severe political pressure from opposition parties.MONET

Guest: Ivana Stradner. Russia employs "TV BRICS" and information warfare to control narratives in the Global South, aiming to undermine Western influence and establish a multipolar world order without using kinetic force.1865 KOLKATA

Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford condemns UK PM Starmer for failing to demand Jimmy Lai's release during his Chinavisit, accusing the leader of prioritizing trade over the safety of British citizens.1793 CHINA

Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford details the sentencing of British citizen Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, arguing Chinais using the case to signal it will crush any dissent regardless of international prestige.1904 SHANGHAI

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Captain James Fanell. Fanell discusses whether Iran or Venezuela possess "carrier killer" missiles and the potential threat hypersonic weapons pose to U.S. Navy vessels in the region.1954

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Ivana Stradner. Stradner argues that while the U.S. understands information warfare, Washington currently lacks the necessary risk tolerance to effectively counter Russia's control of the narrative.1932

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Craig Unger. Unger explains the rift between Trump and Epstein, citing a real estate deal involving a Russian buyer as the primary cause for their falling out.1953

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman explains the mechanism behind Saturn'sauroras, describing how material from the moon Enceladus travels along magnetic field lines to the planet's poles.1618

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Mark Clifford. Clifford discusses Jimmy Lai's imprisonment and argues that China's crackdown in Hong Kong foreshadows its aggressive bullying tactics against Taiwan, Japan, and the West.1793

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman details Starfish's $154 million Pentagoncontract using space tugs to service and de-orbit satellites, highlighting the growing commercialization of low Earthorbit.1957

Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek discusses Kevin Warsh's nomination as Fed Chair, the market's enthusiasm for AI, Elon Musk's visionary ventures, and economic concerns regarding housing shortages and inflation. Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek critiques potential 2028 Democratic candidates, arguing Gavin Newsom's California record and Kamala Harris's past campaign failures make them weak contenders for the presidency. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddius Mart. The guests analyze global economic anxiety, Macron's push for EU strategic autonomy, and rising US-EU tensions regarding digital regulation, hate speech, and technological competition. Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddius Mart. They examine German concerns over US political influence, the rise of the AfD party, and the fracturing transatlantic relationship amidst widespread economic uncertainty and unpredictability. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg assesses potential Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, highlighting his "realist" approach to monetary policy and desire to reduce the Federal Reserve's balance sheet. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg explains how the Peter Mandelson scandal is fueling internal Labor Party conflict, allowing the left wing to purge Blairites while Starmer remains in power. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Schanzer analyzes Iran's stalling tactics in negotiations via Oman, noting the pressure from a US armada while questioning Oman's neutrality as a mediator. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Schanzer warns that Turkey is positioned to fill the power vacuum if Iran falls, complicating regional dynamics as Erdogan confronts his own mortality and succession. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel condemns the brutal sentencing of Jimmy Lai, illustrating Hong Kong's total loss of freedom and the failure of Western powers to hold Beijing accountable. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel attributes Prime Minister Starmer's declining popularity to economic failures and the scandal involving Peter Mandelson, which has boosted the populist Reform party's standing. Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham analyzes Prime Minister Takichi's landslide victory in Japan, noting her hawkish defense stance and economic plans significantly strengthen the US-Japan security alliance. Guest: Conrad Black. Black criticizes Mark Carney's anti-American rhetoric, arguing that Canada's economy relies on the US, while domestic issues like housing shortages remain unaddressed. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley highlights Australia's booming AI and space sectors under AUKUS, contrasting this success with the political instability and bureaucratic malaise of the Albanese government. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley evaluates the "forever fleets" pressuring Iran and Venezuela, questioning if current pressure tactics will yield long-term resolutions or merely prolong regional instability. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Nile dam dispute, criticizing Egypt's historical entitlement to water and suggesting US cooperation with Ethiopia could better stabilize the Red Sea region. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley details the scandal linking Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson to Epstein, arguing the monarchy remains a crucial stabilizing force during Britain's political turmoil.

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Nile dam dispute, criticizing Egypt's historical entitlement to water and suggesting US cooperation with Ethiopia could better stabilize the Red Sea region.1772 LONDON

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Nile dam dispute, criticizing Egypt's historical entitlement to water and suggesting US cooperation with Ethiopia could better stabilize the Red Sea region.1907

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley evaluates the "forever fleets" pressuring Iran and Venezuela, questioning if current pressure tactics will yield long-term resolutions or merely prolong regional instability.1746

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley highlights Australia's booming AI and space sectors under AUKUS, contrasting this success with the political instability and bureaucratic malaise of the Albanese government.1842

Guest: Conrad Black. Black criticizes Mark Carney's anti-American rhetoric, arguing that Canada's economy relies on the US, while domestic issues like housing shortages remain unaddressed.1904 GREENLAND

Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham analyzes Prime Minister Takichi's landslide victory in Japan, noting her hawkish defense stance and economic plans significantly strengthen the US-Japan security alliance.1930

Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel attributes Prime Minister Starmer's declining popularity to economic failures and the scandal involving Peter Mandelson, which has boosted the populist Reform party's standing.1670 CHARLES II

Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel condemns the brutal sentencing of Jimmy Lai, illustrating Hong Kong's total loss of freedom and the failure of Western powers to hold Beijing accountable.1793

Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Schanzer warns that Turkey is positioned to fill the power vacuum if Iran falls, complicating regional dynamics as Erdogan confronts his own mortality and succession.1920 TURKEY

Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Schanzer analyzes Iran's stalling tactics in negotiations via Oman, noting the pressure from a US armada while questioning Oman's neutrality as a mediator.1560 PERSIA

Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg explains how the Peter Mandelson scandal is fueling internal Labor Party conflict, allowing the left wing to purge Blairites while Starmer remains in power.1870 BUCKINGHAM

Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg assesses potential Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, highlighting his "realist" approach to monetary policy and desire to reduce the Federal Reserve's balance sheet.1880 TREASURY

Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus McCotter. They examine German concerns over US political influence, the rise of the AfD party, and the fracturing transatlantic relationship amidst widespread economic uncertainty and unpredictability.1933 COLOGNE

Guests: Judy Dempsey and Thaddius Mart. The guests analyze global economic anxiety, Macron's push for EU strategic autonomy, and rising US-EU tensions regarding digital regulation, hate speech, and technological competition.1849 BRUSSSELS

Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek critiques potential 2028 Democratic candidates, arguing Gavin Newsom's California record and Kamala Harris's past campaign failures make them weak contenders for the presidency.NORMA SHEARER

Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek discusses Kevin Warsh's nomination as Fed Chair, the market's enthusiasm for AI, Elon Musk's visionary ventures, and economic concerns regarding housing shortages and inflation.1829 FIVE POINTS

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Conrad Black. Black dismisses Mark Carney's plan for middle powers to counter superpowers, citing Canada's heavy economic dependence on the U.S. and the reality of U.S. dominance.1925 GREENLAND

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey highlights Europe's helplessness regarding U.S.political shifts, noting a lack of strategic leadership to navigate the changing geopolitical landscape driven by the U.S.1890 BRUSSELS

REVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel discusses the jailing of pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, condemning Beijing's totalitarian regime for erasing history and crushing dissent in Hong Kong.1903

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Colonel Grant Newsham. Newsham details Sanae Takaichi's landslide victory, attributing it to her clear leadership, economic plans, and commitment to strengthening Japan's defense and U.S.ties.1930 TOKYO

REVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek identifies the housing shortage in America as a primary driver of inflation, creating the widespread perception of a punishing high cost of living.1936 BANK RUN EAST SIDE NYC

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Jonathan Schanzer. Schanzer outlines the urgency of the Israel-U.S.alignment on Iran, noting the high cost of U.S. deployment and the risks of delaying action.1936 ABOLITION OF THE VEIL IN PERSIA

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-9-20261828 BANK OF ENF\GLAND Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate and establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria, unlike the more isolated ISIS. Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and Europeanleaders against socialism. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Schanzer. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections. Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents. Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem. Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Tumi. The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts. Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainianenergy infrastructure. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists. Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions. Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.E

Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.1885 NYSE

Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty.1780 TRENTON

Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions.1890 TEHRAN

Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability.1836 DESERT MARCH

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists.1917 MOSCOW

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy.1900 NICHOLAS II AT ST. PETERSBURG

Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.1917 odessa

Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey.  The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts.1969 yemen

Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem.1963

Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents.1954

Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections.15th century

Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonatyn Sayeh. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions.1870

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election.1922 CARACAS

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and European leaders against socialism.1810 BRUSSELS

Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas.1924 ALEPPO

Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has expanded significantly since 9/11, establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria while maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate, unlike rival ISIS.1870 PESHAWAR

PREVIEW: John Batchelor speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies regarding the ongoing tragedy in Iran. Fitton-Brown, a former UK ambassador to Yemen, discusses the regime's brutality and reports of hundreds of thousands dead or missing. The conversation critiques the US administration's approach, noting that while the president encouraged protesters with promises of support, that "rescue has been fatally delayed."1955

PREVIEW: Peter Huessy joins the show to discuss the end of the New START treaty and the modernization of nuclear arsenals since 2011. Huessy highlights the disparity in battlefield nuclear capabilities, noting that while the US assumes its systems work without testing, Russia and China are actively testing to develop "battlefield nukes." He warns that in military war games, once nuclear weapons are introduced, "nothing holds," and conventional US superiority becomes irrelevant.1958

PREVIEW: Bill Roggio provides a grim assessment of Al-Qaeda's status looking ahead to 2026, contradicting official narratives that the group has been "decimated" or "defeated." He explains that Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, now effectively controlling two countries: Afghanistan in conjunction with the Taliban and parts of Syria. Roggio describes these areas as safe havens with training camps and weapons depots, noting that Somalia is also largely under Al-Qaeda control via Al-Shabaab.1836 BEIRUT

PREVIEW: Bridget Toomey discusses the resilience of the Houthis in Yemen following the end of active campaigns in Gaza. She explains that the Houthis are difficult to target due to their mountainous geography and their status as both an Iranian proxy and an indigenous movement. While Israeli strikes successfully targeted some political leadership, Toomey notes that the group has largely recovered and replaced those figures, though they have become significantly more paranoid and repressive internally as a result.1800 YEMEN

PREVIEW: Journalist Craig Unger presents allegations from his books regarding Donald Trump's relationship with the KGB in the 1980s. Unger cites Yuri Shvets, a former KGB major, who claims Trump was cultivated as an asset by Soviet state security. The discussion covers a timeline from 1980 to 1987, detailing how a trip to Moscow allegedly led to Trump publishing a full-page ad in the New York Times that echoed KGB talking points.1870 CASTLE GARDEN

PREVIEW: Brandon Weichert of The National Interest critiques NASA's plans for the Artemis 2 mission and the Space Launch System. Weichert argues that the SLS is likely to fail to meet expectations and suggests that NASA may ultimately be forced to rely on Elon Musk's SpaceX and the Starship program to reach the moon, rather than continuing with the government's expensive, single-use rocket.

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus compares the fall of the Roman Republic to modern American corruption, arguing that while Augustus and even Putin could contain oligarchic excess, American oligarchs possess unchecked power several orders of magnitude greater, with lawfare transforming crime into legal immunity in ways more dangerous than historical precedents.1900 CARTHAGE

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus analyzes Polish Premier Donald Tusk's invocation of Jeffrey Epstein as a Russianintelligence asset, interpreting this as geopolitical warfare positioning Poland as Europe's bastion against Russia, potentially forming a central European bloc while ironically creating a symbiotic arrangement dividing Ukraine between Polish and Russian spheres. 1918 UKRAINE

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus argues the Russo-Ukrainian war has transcended material goals to become a mythic struggle like the Iliad, with Ukraine cast as Troy creating heroic sacrifice narratives while Russia achieves false transcendence through a phoenix-like resurrection story, as the United States fails to grasp the existential dimensions that transformed both societies.1940

HEADLINE: Exotic Theories and the Ongoing Quest. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: The conversation explores anomalies like dark-matter-free galaxies and alternatives like primordial black holes, highlighting the enduring mystery of the universe's composition. 1952

HEADLINE: Hunting Particles Underground and in Space. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling discusses Cosmic Microwave Background evidence and direct detection efforts, including underground xenon tanks and antimatter searches on the International Space Station.1956

HEADLINE: The Rise of Dark Energy. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: After ruling out MACHOs, astronomers discovered the universe's expansion is accelerating, revealing that mysterious Dark Energy dominates the cosmos alongside dark matter. 1959

HEADLINE: Challenging Gravity: MOND vs. Matter. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Modified Newtonian Dynamics is discussed as a rival theory, though gravitational lensing and the Bullet Cluster strongly support dark matter's physical existence.

HEADLINE: Cold Dark Matter and WIMPs. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Neutrinos are ruled out for Cold Dark Matter as Schilling describes the WIMP search at CERN and how computer simulations validate the model.

HEADLINE: From Big Bang to Radio Astronomy. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling explains dark matter's essential role in cosmic structure formation and highlights Albert Bosma's radio astronomy work confirming galactic rotation anomalies.2023

HEADLINE: Spinning Galaxies and Stable Halos. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Ostriker's theory of galactic halos and Rubin and Ford's observations of flat rotation curves solidified the case for unseen matter stabilizing galaxies. 2023

HEADLINE: Early Hints of the Invisible. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling introduces pioneers Kapteyn, Oort, and Zwicky, whose early 20th-century observations of stellar motions and galaxy clusters first hinted at dark matter's existence. ESA EUCLID, 2020

HEADLINE: The Return: "There is a Santa Claus." GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: After a successful engine burn to leave lunar orbit, the crew navigates home using stars and a sextant, splashing down safely to conclude the mission. 1968 SFRIVING YORKTOWN

HEADLINE: Earthrise and the Genesis Message. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: The crew captures the iconic Earthrise photo and, struggling to find words for the moment, reads from Genesis to the world on Christmas Eve.1968

HEADLINE: Space Race in the Shadow of the Cold War. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: Amidst the political turmoil and violence of 1968, NASA's civilian mission offers a positive contrast to the Cold War, striving to demonstrate American excellence.1968

HEADLINE: Arrival: Entering Lunar Orbit and the Grey World. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:Apollo 8 successfully enters lunar orbit using the SPS engine, allowing the crew to witness the moon's desolate, cratered surface and confirm its impact origins.

HEADLINE: The Bold Gamble: NASA's Decision to Go. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: Facing Soviet competition from Zond missions, NASA managers make the aggressive decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon early without the lunar module. 1968

HEADLINE: Leaving Earth: The Historic Launch of Apollo 8. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:The Saturn 5 launches successfully, and for the first time, humans leave Earth's orbit, watching their home planet shrink while navigating with primitive computers.

HEADLINE: Meeting the Crew: Borman, Lovell, and Anders. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:Profiles of the Apollo 8 astronauts reveal a mix of duty-driven command and exploration zeal, all supported by their resilient families amidst intense media scrutiny. 1968 CREW AND BACKUP CREW

HEADLINE: Tragedy and Rebirth: The Apollo 1 Fire. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: A tragic launchpad fire kills three astronauts, forcing NASA to admit carelessness, overhaul safety protocols, and redesign the capsule before the moon race continues. 1938

HEADLINE: The Wuhan Lab and General Chen Wei. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert links Wuhan Institute of Virology security failures to PLA Major General Chen Wei, alleging military control over research and a political cover-up of the lab leak theory. 1903

HEADLINE: Protecting US Data and Seeking Damages. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert urges stricter tech transfer laws and stronger investment screening through CFIUS, arguing the US must hold China financially accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic's global damage. 1915

HEADLINE: Charles Lieber and the CRISPR Threat. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert highlights Charles Lieber's conviction and He Jiankui's unethical gene experiments, illustrating how China exploits dual-use biotechnology to advance military goals and defeat Western rivals.PEKING 1904

HEADLINE: China's "Field of Dreams" Espionage Strategy. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert details China's strategy to build innovation hubs that attract Western scientists, using the "Thousand Talents" program to lure researchers and students, facilitating the transfer of proprietary technology to China for military dominance. Q956 UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OPENING

HEADLINE: The Extended Mind, Tools, and Placebos. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark discusses the "extended mind" using tools, orangutans reducing uncertainty, the placebo effect's power over pain, and the brain's innate drive to forage for information. 1932

HEADLINE: Sentience, Emotions, and Bodily Consciousness. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: The conversation covers the body's role in perception, emotions as prediction error markers, animal sentience, and the "taste of honey" concept explaining consciousness. 1952

HEADLINE: Autism, PTSD, and Depression via Prediction. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark interprets autism as sensory overweighting, views PTSD as reacting to unexpected negatives, and describes depression as disordered internal bodily predictions regarding energy budgeting. 1941

HEADLINE: The Predictive Brain and Auditory Hallucinations. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark explains how brains predict reality, using "White Christmas" auditory hallucination experiments and a deer-spotting anecdote to illustrate that expectation strongly shapes perception. 1917

2-5-261900 SINGAPORESHOW SCHEDULE2-5-2026SINGAPORE 19401Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.2.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.3.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.4.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.5.Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.6.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.7.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.8.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.9.Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.10.Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.11.Professor Eve McDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.12.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.13.Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.14.Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.15.Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.16.Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. Six cockatoos are scouting Zakis's roof and solar panels, behaving similarly to when they destroyed a neighbor's house. His dog Dallas cannot see them from the veranda to scare them off. Zakis considers using a drone to deter the birds since harming them is illegal, but fears expensive repairs are inevitable.

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Guest: Jeremy Zakis. A juvenile brown snake surprised commuters at Riverston station, causing a cyclist to flee in panic. However, a man wearing shorts and lacking safety gear calmly picked up the venomous snake and moved it, displaying professional handling skills despite his casual appearance. Zakis notes that brown snakes are currently very active and dangerous when coiled.

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. While New England freezes, Sydney enjoys mild 70°F temperatures and rain following a heatwave. Conversely, Western Australia faces Tropical Cyclone Mitchell, a Category 3 storm threatening Karrathawith high winds and storm surges. Locals prepared extensively, likely minimizing damage, though the system remains dangerous as it moves south toward Exmouth.

Thomas Halliday concludes with the climate-driven Ordovician mass extinction, the Cambrian explosion of modern animal body plans in China featuring predators like Omnidens, and the Ediacaran era's strange soft-bodied organisms preceding complex life.

Thomas Halliday describes the Devonian when plants and fungi formed symbiotic root systems to colonize land alongside the giant lichen Prototaxites, then visits Silurian deep-sea hydrothermal vents where life may have originated.

Thomas Halliday recounts the Permian in Niger with mega-monsoons and desert reptiles like Bunostegos preyed upon by Gorgonops, explaining how Carboniferous swamp forests formed coal reserves and discussing the mysterious Tully Monster.

Thomas Halliday describes the Jurassic period in Europe featuring a massive sponge reef system and floating logs colonized by sea lilies, then visits the Triassic Madygen Formation in Kyrgyzstan preserving the gliding reptile Sharovipteryx.

Thomas Halliday explores the Early Cretaceous of China where volcanic ash preserved feathered dinosaurs like Sinosauropteryx, explaining how fossilized pigment sacs reveal camouflage patterns and ancient lacewings evolved wing spots mimicking dinosaur eyes.

Thomas Halliday describes the warm Eocene when Antarctica hosted temperate rainforests before glaciation, including the massive whale Basilosaurus, then details the Paleocene recovery at Hell Creek where small burrowing mammals survived the asteroid cataclysm.

Thomas Halliday recounts the Miocene dry Mediterranean basin refilling through the massive Zanclean flood, detailing Gargano Island's unique fauna, then explores Oligocene South America where monkeys arrived from Africaby rafting across the Atlantic.

Thomas Halliday describes the Pleistocene Mammoth Steppe, a vast grassland ecosystem stretching from Europe to Alaska inhabited by megafauna like Arctodus, then explores the Pliocene in East Africa where mosaic environments supported early human ancestors like Australopithecus.

H.W. Brands concludes that Pearl Harbor unites the wars, with FDR blocking Lindbergh's military commission, yet Lindbergh contributes by flying unauthorized combat missions in the Pacific as a civilian consultant.

H.W. Brands explains FDR declares a national emergency while Lindbergh's reputation collapses after a Des Moinesspeech blaming the British, Jews, and the Roosevelt administration for dragging America into war.

H.W. Brands recounts Lindbergh testifying to Congress, arguing air power strengthens hemispheric defense, contradicting FDR's view that technology makes America vulnerable, while continuing his popular anti-war rallies.

H.W. Brands discusses Congress passing Lend-Lease aligning US interests with Britain, while covert Britishpropaganda operates in America and FDR uses questionable intelligence to sway public opinion against Germany.

H.W. Brands notes amidst the Battle of Britain, FDR maneuvers for a controversial third term while Lindberghbecomes the star speaker for the newly formed America First Committee, drawing massive crowds.

H.W. Brands explains that as Germany advances, FDR modifies neutrality laws while Lindbergh fears creeping intervention, with Churchill appealing for aid leading to the destroyers-for-bases deal intensifying domestic debate.

H.W. Brands describes how following Poland's invasion, Lindbergh utilizes his fame to broadcast radio speeches opposing intervention, influenced by his father's WWI persecution and skepticism of British imperial motives.

H.W. Brands recounts Lindbergh returning to America in 1939 as a global celebrity, meeting FDR who tries to recruit him, but Lindbergh, valuing independence, refuses the administration's offer.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. Highlighting Phelan and Collender's billiard empire, Anbinder concludes by emphasizing the surprising upward mobility and resilience of Famine immigrants in American society

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. The author recounts how immigrants moved west for opportunity, such as the Lynch family farming in Minnesota and Edmund Butler fighting in the Indian Wars.

uest: Tyler Anbinder. Anbinder describes Hubert Glynn's record-keeping at Castle Garden and the political challenges posed by the nativist Know-Nothing Party seeking to disenfranchise Irish Catholic immigrants.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. The discussion turns to the Civil War, focusing on the Irish Brigade's heroism and Captain James Cavanagh's leadership at Antietam and Fredericksburg to preserve the Union.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. This segment profiles George Fox, a tailor who attained wealth through self-promotion to elites, exemplifying the ambitious, entrepreneurial spirit of many Irish Famine immigrants.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. Anbinder details the deadly "coffin ships," the squalid "Old Brewery" tenement, and how immigrants like Bartholomew O'Donnell survived through backbreaking construction labor in New York.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. The author explains the potato blight's origins, the devastation on estates like Lansdowne's, and the economic reasons landlords paid to ship tenants to America.

Guest: Tyler Anbinder. Anbinder introduces Plentiful Country, using bank records to reveal stories like Kate Murphy's emotional visit to the Irish Palace and the famine's lasting psychological scars.

1910 CARTHAGE1.Jeff Bliss reports on allegations that Mayor Bass altered an after-action report regarding the Pacific Palisades fire to hide resource deployment failures during the disaster response in Los Angeles.2.Jeff Bliss notes Governor Newsom promotes high-speed rail despite a nearby fire and no track laid, while facing skepticism about his presidential potential and California's ongoing infrastructure struggles.3.Gene Marks discusses high small business confidence, the resilience of plumbing trades, and how new AI agents from Anthropic are rendering traditional software coding obsolete in the tech industry.4.Gene Marks warns administrative roles face AI threats while employers prioritize AI literacy, advising businesses to update Google profiles to avoid losing significant annual revenue from outdated listings.5.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns of heightened risks as the New START treaty expires without replacement, citing unchecked Russian and Chinese weapons and debates over resuming nuclear testing.6.Henry Sokolski notes amidst expired treaties, the US reintroduces extended deterrence language and recommits to the NPT, though non-proliferation enforcement remains inconsistent and challenging against determined adversaries.7.Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution argues the proposed retroactive billionaire wealth tax is unconstitutional, economically damaging, and likely to drive wealth out of California despite strong union support.8.Richard Epstein suggests intense political polarization explains why scandals like the Epstein files or Trump'scontroversies deepen divides rather than ending careers, normalizing political deviance across the spectrum.9.Professor Eve McDonald explains how Hannibal, emulating the myth of Hercules, daringly marched elephants and troops across the treacherous Alps to surprise Rome with an invasion of Italy.10.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hannibal utilizes superior cavalry and terrain to encircle and annihilate a larger Roman force at Cannae, though he lacks the manpower to subsequently take Rome.11.Professor Eve McDonald recounts how young Scipio Africanus adopts Hannibal's tactics, conquering Spain and invading Africa to force Hannibal's return and final defeat at the Battle of Zama.12.Professor Eve McDonald concludes that after a brutal siege and total destruction in 146 BC, Carthage is eventually refounded by Augustus, becoming a vital Roman city and Christian center.13.Lorenzo Fiori reports on the opening ceremony excitement, improved snow conditions in the Alps, and Prime Minister Meloni's strong leadership presence at the Milan Winter Olympics.14.Jim McTague notes steady but quiet business activity in Lancaster, describes local approval for a new data center, and reports on overlooked global cod shortages affecting seafood markets.15.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black discusses Axiom's upcoming ISS missions, various European startups, and critiques crony capitalism regarding government subsidies for Starlink's rural internet access.16.Bob Zimmerman details findings of water and organics on an interstellar comet, discusses the unknowns of space reproduction, and dismisses sensationalism regarding Jupiter's diameter measurements in recent headlines.

Bob Zimmerman details findings of water and organics on an interstellar comet, discusses the unknowns of space reproduction, and dismisses sensationalism regarding Jupiter's diameter measurements in recent headlines.1951

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black discusses Axiom's upcoming ISS missions, various European startups, and critiques crony capitalism regarding government subsidies for Starlink's rural internet access.1958

Jim McTague notes steady but quiet business activity in Lancaster, describes local approval for a new data center, and reports on overlooked global cod shortages affecting seafood markets.1910 SCRANTON

Lorenzo Fiori reports on the opening ceremony excitement, improved snow conditions in the Alps, and Prime Minister Meloni's strong leadership presence at the Milan Winter Olympics.1914 DOLOMITE ALPS

Professor Eve McDonald concludes that after a brutal siege and total destruction in 146 BC, Carthage is eventually refounded by Augustus, becoming a vital Roman city and Christian center.1900 CARTHAGE THEATER

Professor Eve McDonald recounts how young Scipio Africanus adopts Hannibal's tactics, conquering Spain and invading Africa to force Hannibal's return and final defeat at the Battle of Zama.1900 CARTHAGE

Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hannibal utilizes superior cavalry and terrain to encircle and annihilate a larger Roman force at Cannae, though he lacks the manpower to subsequently take Rome.1899 CARTHAGE

Professor Eve McDonald explains how Hannibal, emulating the myth of Hercules, daringly marched elephants and troops across the treacherous Alps to surprise Rome with an invasion of Italy.1899 CARTHAGE

Richard Epstein suggests intense political polarization explains why scandals like the Epstein files or Trump'scontroversies deepen divides rather than ending careers, normalizing political deviance across the spectrum.1921 67TH CONGRESS SWEARING IN

Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution argues the proposed retroactive billionaire wealth tax is unconstitutional, economically damaging, and likely to drive wealth out of California despite strong union support.1885 SAN DIEGO

Henry Sokolski notes amidst expired treaties, the US reintroduces extended deterrence language and recommits to the NPT, though non-proliferation enforcement remains inconsistent and challenging against determined adversaries.DECEMBER 1956

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns of heightened risks as the New START treaty expires without replacement, citing unchecked Russian and Chinese weapons and debates over resuming nuclear testing.MARCH 1958

Gene Marks warns administrative roles face AI threats while employers prioritize AI literacy, advising businesses to update Google profiles to avoid losing significant annual revenue from outdated listings.OCTOBER 1954

Gene Marks discusses high small business confidence, the resilience of plumbing trades, and how new AI agents from Anthropic are rendering traditional software coding obsolete in the tech industry.JANUARY 1941

Jeff Bliss notes Governor Newsom promotes high-speed rail despite a nearby fire and no track laid, while facing skepticism about his presidential potential and California's ongoing infrastructure struggles.1908 TULARE COUNTY

Jeff Bliss reports on allegations that Mayor Bass altered an after-action report regarding the Pacific Palisades fire to hide resource deployment failures during the disaster response in Los Angeles.1904 LA

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black highlights the shift toward private weather forecasting, featuring an Israeli startup launching satellite constellations to provide better meteorological data independent of government agencies.1932

Eve McDonald discusses the heartbreaking Third Punic War, where Rome demanded Carthage's total disarmament and the surrender of children before ordering the citizens to abandon their ancestral city forever.1614 TROY BURNS

Gene Marks explains that employers now prioritize AI literacy, seeking staff who can leverage technology to increase productivity and perform the work of multiple people efficiently in the modern workplace.1952

Jim McTague reveals a mysterious worldwide shortage of cod discovered at a Lancaster Costco, noting skyrocketing prices and a puzzling lack of coverage by major newspapers investigating the supply disruption.1942 ARMISTICE DAY, LANCASTER PA

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns of unregulated weaponry following the New START treaty's expiration, including Russian intermediate missiles and orbital threats complicating future arms control negotiations.JULY 1945

Jeff Bliss reports that while Governor Newsom courts national attention for 2028, California suffers from job losses, failing education, and stalled infrastructure projects, frustrating local voters who see neglect.1900 UCLA

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-5-261Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.2.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.3.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.4.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.5.Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.6.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.7.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.8.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.9.Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.10.Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.11.Professor Eve McDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.12.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.13.Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.14.Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.15.Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.16.Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations.

Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations.1903

Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.1820 JEFFERSON AND FRANKLIN

Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.1917 KREMLIN

Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.1920 Trotsky

Professor Eve MacDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.Syracuse

Professor Eve MacDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.Syracuse

Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.1908 Carthage

Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.1880 carthage excavation

Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.JANUARY 1931

Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.1857 SAN MATEO CHURCH, CARACAS

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.1859 FIVE POINTS

Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.1866 PANAMA

Peter Berkowitz analyzes the administration's aggressive Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, arguing Americanforeign policy must respect individual freedom despite superpower rhetoric and hemispheric dominance claims.1955

Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution critiques Steven Miller's might makes right assertion regarding the Madurooperation, contrasting this worldview with American founding principles of liberty and rights.1963

Andrea Stricker evaluates the stressed Non-Proliferation Treaty ahead of a review conference, noting Middle Eastproliferation risks and the challenge of deterring near-peer adversaries in an evolving threat environment.1940

Andrea Stricker analyzes the New START treaty's expiration, the absence of verification for Russian arsenals, and the rising threat of China's expanding nuclear capabilities challenging strategic stability frameworks.1953

Andrea Stricker argues the Non-Proliferation Treaty remains historically effective in limiting nuclear states, despite current stresses and the outlier of North Korea which escaped the regime's constraints.1952

Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panamanian Supreme Court's decision to invite China out of the country, rendering concerns about Chinese influence there moot.PANAMA 1910

Anatol Lieven criticizes the shifting narrative regarding the Monroe Doctrine, highlighting the hypocrisy of the US now openly embracing a sphere of influence after decades of denying imperial ambitions.1954

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues tariffs act as taxes on Americans, criticizing the administration's erratic implementation for creating damaging business uncertainty that undermines economic planning.1955

Josh Birenbaum asserts Venezuela must address corruption and narcotics to stabilize democracy and attract the professional diaspora needed for economic rebuilding after years of socialist mismanagement.1863 VENEZUELA

Eric Berger details NASA's choice between expensive legacy contracts and cheaper commercial alternatives like Blue Origin for a necessary Mars communication satellite, weighing cost efficiency against institutional inertia.1917

Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham discusses the PLA purge of leadership, analyzing the implications of Xi Jinping'sremoval of top military officials and what it signals about internal instability within China's armed forces. Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham critiques the weaknesses of national security studies that expect Chinese attack only at Taiwan, arguing this narrow focus leaves the U.S. vulnerable to broader PRC strategic threats. Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane analyzes the inadequacy of tariffs as an economic tool, explaining why they fail to achieve their intended goals and often harm domestic consumers and businesses. Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane discusses the demand for foreign investment, examining how capital flows impact the U.S. economy and the complexities of managing trade imbalances. Guest: Rebecca Grant. Grant compares U.S. carrier capabilities into the future against China's naval expansion plans, assessing the shifting balance of power in the Pacific. Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher details China's century-long plan for space supremacy, warning that Beijing's strategic investments in space technology pose a significant threat to American dominance. Guest: Steve Yates. Yates examines how allies Australia, Canada, and the UK are seeking favorable trade deals with China, raising concerns about alliance cohesion amid PRC economic pressure. Guest: Steve Yates. Yates discusses strategies for dealing with the PRC as an adversary seeking supremacy, emphasizing the need for coordinated Western responses to Chinese ambitions. Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi analyzes Erdogan succession prospects in Turkey, examining potential successors and the implications for Turkish domestic and foreign policy. Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi assesses the possibility of democracy in Turkey, discussing the structural obstacles and political dynamics that shape the country's democratic trajectory. Guest: Sadanand Dhume. Dhume reports on the India-EU trade deal after 21 years of negotiation, analyzing the significance of this agreement for both economies and regional geopolitics. Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam examines Russia's budget gap widening with the sinking price of oil, detailing the fiscal pressures facing Moscow as energy revenues decline. Guest: Simon Constable. Constable reports from France with a resident European pine marten, offering observations on rural life and wildlife in the French countryside. Guest: Simon Constable. Constable discusses the Labour scandal with the Epstein revelations, analyzing the political fallout affecting Britain's governing party. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman reports on Artemis plans for a launch in March, detailing NASA's progress toward returning American astronauts to the Moon. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman analyzes the failing Roscosmos, describing Russia's declining space program and its inability to compete with American and Chinese advancements.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam explains the fragile Russian economy sinking with the price Russia gets for oil, detailing how declining energy revenues threaten Moscow's fiscal stability. 1941 MOSCOW

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi comments on the succession question with Erdoganshowing mortality, examining potential successors and the future of Turkish political leadership.1959 ANKARA

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Sadanand Dhume. Dhume reports on the India-EU trade deal after 21 years of negotiations, especially the provisions allowing Indian nationals to work in the EU.1865 CALCUTTA

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher explains that China aims for outer space supremacy, detailing Beijing's long-term strategic investments to dominate the space domain over the coming decades.1951

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Rebecca Grant. Grant analyzes the future of U.S. super carriers as well as China's plans for carrier development, comparing the two nations' naval strategies and capabilities.1942 ENTERPRISE

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham explains that China runs like a mob family with Xi Jinping as the fretful boss, analyzing the internal dynamics and paranoia that characterize CCP leadership.1793

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman analyzes the failing Roscosmos, describing Russia's declining space program and its inability to compete with American and Chinese advancements.1957

Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman reports on Artemis plans for a launch in March, detailing NASA's progress toward returning American astronauts to the Moon.1960

Guest: Simon Constable. Constable discusses the Labour scandal with the Epstein revelations, analyzing the political fallout affecting Britain's governing party.1828 BANK OF ENGLAND

Guest: Simon Constable. Constable reports from France with a resident European pine marten, offering observations on rural life and wildlife in the French countryside.2870 SIEGE OF PARIS

Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam examines Russia's budget gap widening with the sinking price of oil, detailing the fiscal pressures facing Moscow as energy revenues decline.1919 ESTONIA

Guest: Sadanand Dhume. Dhume reports on the India-EU trade deal after 21 years of negotiation, analyzing the significance of this agreement for both economies and regional geopolitics.1930 MUMBAI

Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi assesses the possibility of democracy in Turkey, discussing the structural obstacles and political dynamics that shape the country's democratic trajectory.1900 TURKEY

Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi analyzes Erdogan succession prospects in Turkey, examining potential successors and the implications for Turkish domestic and foreign policy.1900 POST OFFICE ISTANBUL

Guest: Steve Yates. Yates discusses strategies for dealing with the PRC as an adversary seeking supremacy, emphasizing the need for coordinated Western responses to Chinese ambitions.1935 US CONSOLATE SHANGHAI

Guest: Steve Yates. Yates examines how allies Australia, Canada, and the UK are seeking favorable trade deals with China, raising concerns about alliance cohesion amid PRC economic pressure.1793

Guest: Rick Fisher. Fisher details China's century-long plan for space supremacy, warning that Beijing's strategic investments in space technology pose a significant threat to American dominance.1955

Guest: Rebecca Grant. Grant compares U.S. carrier capabilities into the future against China's naval expansion plans, assessing the shifting balance of power in the Pacific.1936 CV2, CV3, CV4

Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane discusses the demand for foreign investment, examining how capital flows impact the U.S. economy and the complexities of managing trade imbalances.1925 DUTCH MARINES IN SHANGHAI

Guest: John Cochrane. Cochrane analyzes the inadequacy of tariffs as an economic tool, explaining why they fail to achieve their intended goals and often harm domestic consumers and businesses1965 SHANGHAI

Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham critiques the weaknesses of national security studies that expect Chinese attack only at Taiwan, arguing this narrow focus leaves the U.S. vulnerable to broader PRC strategic threats.1793

Guest: Grant Newsham. Newsham discusses the PLA purge of leadership, analyzing the implications of Xi Jinping'sremoval of top military officials and what it signals about internal instability within China's armed forces.1903

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-3-20261882 CONSTANTINOPLE Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek discusses Trump's nomination of hawk Kevin Warsh for Federal ReserveChairman, noting the immediate drop in precious metals and potential monetary policy shifts. Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek predicts Democrats will take the House in midterms, forcing Trump to rely on executive actions and non-traditional voter turnout to maintain his agenda. Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey analyzes the stalemated Ukraine conflict, noting European refusal to accept Russian victory, while discussing rising tensions and internal political divisions within Iran. Guest: Judy Dempsey. Amidst the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, Dempsey explains how economic struggles and Brexit regrets are driving the Labour Party to consider re-engaging with the European Union. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg details Starmer's unpopularity and lack of economic agenda, noting potential leadership challenges within the Labour Party from rivals like Burnham and Streeting. Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg warns that revelations linking Peter Mandelson to Epstein reinforce narratives of elitism, damaging Starmer's already unpopular Labour government among working-class voters. Guest: David Shedd. Shedd discusses the conviction of a Google engineer for stealing AI secrets, illustrating corporate naivety regarding China's state-mandated espionage and intelligence gathering operations. Guest: David Shedd. Shedd warns against selling advanced chips to China, describing Beijing's "capture, cage, and kill" economic strategy and criticizing the U.S. administration's transactional approach. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel argues U.S. talks with Iran are dangerous, as Tehran uses negotiations to stall while maintaining brutality and nuclear ambitions amidst regional military buildup. Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel discusses the futility of appeasing Putin regarding Ukrainian territory and the need for security plans to support Venezuela's opposition against the Maduro regime. Guest: David Albright. Albright warns of "loose nukes" and dangerous materials in Iran, urging planning for a "day after" scenario to secure nuclear assets during potential regime instability. Guest: David Albright. Albright emphasizes the need for a coalition-led inspection and removal regime to secure Iranian nuclear materials and protect scientists if the government collapses. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley analyzes new talks involving Turkey and the UAE, noting U.S. reluctance to support Iranian civil society leaves the clerical regime breathing room despite weakness. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley observes Russia targeting Ukrainian infrastructure to pressure the public, noting that despite Western support, Moscow retains the upper hand while demanding territorial concessions. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley details a civil war within the CCP as Xi Jinping purges military leaders, risking regime collapse while Western leaders ignore China's economic hollowing. Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Epstein scandal involving Lord Mandelson and Prince Andrew, suggesting King Charles is distancing the monarchy from these revelations to protect the institution.

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley discusses the Epstein scandal involving Lord Mandelson and Prince Andrew, suggesting King Charles is distancing the monarchy from these revelations to protect the institution.1901 COMMONS

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley details a civil war within the CCP as Xi Jinping purges military leaders, risking regime collapse while Western leaders ignore China's economic hollowing.1903

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley observes Russia targeting Ukrainian infrastructure to pressure the public, noting that despite Western support, Moscow retains the upper hand while demanding territorial concessions.1941 UKRAINE

Guest: Gregory Copley. Copley analyzes new talks involving Turkey and the UAE, noting U.S. reluctance to support Iranian civil society leaves the clerical regime breathing room despite weakness.1890 ALEPPO

Guest: David Albright. Albright emphasizes the need for a coalition-led inspection and removal regime to secure Iranian nuclear materials and protect scientists if the government collapses.1951 LAS VEGAS

Guest: David Albright. Albright warns of "loose nukes" and dangerous materials in Iran, urging planning for a "day after" scenario to secure nuclear assets during potential regime instability.1957 NUKE AIR TO AIR GENIE ROCKET TEST

Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel discusses the futility of appeasing Putin regarding Ukrainian territory and the need for security plans to support Venezuela's opposition against the Maduro regime.1936 VENEZUELA

Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel argues U.S. talks with Iran are dangerous, as Tehran uses negotiations to stall while maintaining brutality and nuclear ambitions amidst regional military buildup.1400

Guest: David Shedd. Shedd warns against selling advanced chips to China, describing Beijing's "capture, cage, and kill" economic strategy and criticizing the U.S. administration's transactional approach. With Thaddeus MCCotter co-host.1955

Guest: David Shedd. Shedd discusses the conviction of a Google engineer for stealing AI secrets, illustrating corporate naivety regarding China's state-mandated espionage and intelligence gathering operations. With Thaddeus McCotter co-host.1963

Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg warns that revelations linking Peter Mandelson to Epstein reinforce narratives of elitism, damaging Starmer's already unpopular Labour government among working-class voters.1859 CHARLES II

Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg details Starmer's unpopularity and lack of economic agenda, noting potential leadership challenges within the Labour Party from rivals like Burnham and Streeting.1808 GREST HSLL BSNK OF ENGLAND

Guest: Judy Dempsey. Amidst the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, Dempsey explains how economic struggles and Brexitregrets are driving the Labour Party to consider re-engaging with the European Union.1810 BRUSSELS

Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey analyzes the stalemated Ukraine conflict, noting European refusal to accept Russianvictory, while discussing rising tensions and internal political divisions within Iran.1895 KRAKOW

Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek comments on the history based prediction that Democrats will take the House in midterms, forcing Trump to rely on executive actions and non-traditional voter turnout to maintain his agenda.1806 TRIPOLI

Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek discusses Trump's nomination of hawk Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve Chairman, noting the immediate drop in precious metals and potential monetary policy shifts.1905 BUTTE MONTANA

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: David Albright. Albright warns that a post-strike Iran could see fleeing technicians transferring "loose nukes" or chemical weapons to terrorists, requiring urgent international containment strategies.1953

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Judy Dempsey. Dempsey discusses growing voices within Britain's Labour Party considering rejoining the European Union, acknowledging Brexit caused severe economic damage requiring a fundamental relationship reset.1900 ENGLISH CROFTERS

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Mary Kissel. Kissel argues against engaging Iran, citing active fatwas on U.S.officials and drone sales to Russia, insisting only severe ultimatums will curb regime aggression.SEPTEMBER 1940. LONDON UNDER THE BLITZ

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Elizabeth Peek. Peek analyzes lingering inflation, noting consumer resistance to price hikes and hope that AI productivity will help companies improve margins without increasing costs further.JANUARY 1931

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: David Shedd. Shedd criticizes allowing Nvidia chip sales to China, warning Beijing will reverse engineer this technology to enhance military and cyber capabilities against Western allies.FEBRUARY 1930

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Joseph Sternberg. Sternberg reports on allegations linking Lord Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting Britain faces a convulsive investigation to uncover the truth behind the released documents.1793 TRIAL OF THE BANK FORGERS

SHOW SCHEDULE2-2-20261719 ROME1.Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal and Husain Haqqani discuss imminent potential US air strikes on Iran, expressing skepticism that air power alone can achieve regime change or lasting results without ground forces or sustained commitment.2.Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani analyze Russia's offer to mediate between the US and Iran, concluding Moscow is not a credible partner and aims to distract Washington while protecting its strategic interests in Tehran.3.Alejandro Peña Esclusa reports that Cuban personnel are fleeing Venezuela as oil payments cease, signaling a crisis for Havana following Maduro's detention and the collapse of the socialist alliance that sustained both regimes.4.Alejandro Peña Esclusa explains that while Europeans criticize Maduro's capture, Venezuelans support it, hoping for the release of remaining political prisoners under a new amnesty law restoring democratic governance.5.James Holmes of the Naval War College and Gordon Chang discuss Alfred Thayer Mahan's nineteenth-century view of Hawaii as strategic opportunity, drawing parallels to modern Chinese expansionism and current interest in Greenland.6.James Holmes and Gordon Chang argue Greenland is vital for Arctic defense and mineral access, suggesting the USseeks military bases there to deny access to Russia and China in polar competition.7.Fraser Howie and Gordon Chang assert Xi Jinping's goal of making the renminbi a global reserve currency is impossible without lifting capital controls and accepting trade deficits that Beijing refuses to tolerate.8.Conrad Black criticizes the Prime Minister for labeling Canada a middle power, urging increased defense spending to secure the Northwest Passage and Arctic sovereignty against encroaching rivals.9.Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio warn that US-Iran talks ignore the mass killings of protesters, while characterizing Maliki's potential return in Iraq as a hostile act against Western interests and regional stability.10.Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio argue Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow airspace use for strikes on Iran is theatrical to avoid Iranian retaliation, noting Riyadh privately remains a dependable US partner.11.David Daoud and Bill Roggio explain Hezbollah is downplaying Gaza ties to avoid dragging Lebanon into war, prioritizing the rehabilitation of its image among the economically weary Shiite population in Lebanon.12.David Daoud and Bill Roggio note Hezbollah is refilling ranks after Israeli strikes, suggesting new leader Naim Qassem's quiet demeanor may help the group lay low and regenerate its capabilities.13.John Hardie and Bill Roggio report Russia is recruiting gamers and specialists for a new military branch, the Unmanned Systems Forces, aiming for 210,000 troops by 2030 to expand drone warfare capabilities.14.John Hardie and Bill Roggio state negotiations are deadlocked as Russia demands territory and a veto on security guarantees, while Putin ultimately seeks domination over Ukraine's geopolitical orientation and sovereignty.15.Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio describe the war as a slow boil, noting Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire is stalling because Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender heavy weapons to Israel.16.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report a fragile deal where the SDF integrates into the Syrian state to avoid destruction, though tensions remain regarding Turkey and the fate of ISIS prisoners in the northeast.

Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report a fragile deal where the SDF integrates into the Syrian state to avoid destruction, though tensions remain regarding Turkey and the fate of ISIS prisoners in the northeast.1920 ALEPPO ORPHANAGE

Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio describe the war as a slow boil, noting Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire is stalling because Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender heavy weapons to Israel.1898 GAZA

John Hardie and Bill Roggio state negotiations are deadlocked as Russia demands territory and a veto on security guarantees, while Putin ultimately seeks domination over Ukraine's geopolitical orientation and sovereignty.1916 ODESSA

John Hardie and Bill Roggio report Russia is recruiting gamers and specialists for a new military branch, the Unmanned Systems Forces, aiming for 210,000 troops by 2030 to expand drone warfare capabilities.1854 ODESSA

David Daoud and Bill Roggio note Hezbollah is refilling ranks after Israeli strikes, suggesting new leader Naim Qassem's quiet demeanor may help the group lay low and regenerate its capabilities.1850 BEIRUT

David Daoud and Bill Roggio explain Hezbollah is downplaying Gaza ties to avoid dragging Lebanon into war, prioritizing the rehabilitation of its image among the economically weary Shiite population in Lebanon.1836 BEIRUT

Edmund Fitton Brown and Bill Roggio argue Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow airspace use for strikes on Iran is theatrical to avoid Iranian retaliation, noting Riyadh privately remains a dependable US partner.1890 TEHRAN

Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio warn that US-Iran talks ignore the mass killings of protesters, while characterizing Maliki's potential return in Iraq as a hostile act against Western interests and regional stability.1932 BAGHDAD

Conrad Black criticizes the Prime Minister for labeling Canada a middle power, urging increased defense spending to secure the Northwest Passage and Arctic sovereignty against encroaching rivals.1886 NW TERRITORY

Fraser Howie and Gordon Chang assert Xi Jinping's goal of making the renminbi a global reserve currency is impossible without lifting capital controls and accepting trade deficits that Beijing refuses to tolerate.1966 RED GUARDS

James Holmes and Gordon Chang argue Greenland is vital for Arctic defense and mineral access, suggesting the USseeks military bases there to deny access to Russia and China in polar competition.1940 GREENLAND

James Holmes of the Naval War College and Gordon Chang discuss Alfred Thayer Mahan's nineteenth-century view of Hawaii as strategic opportunity, drawing parallels to modern Chinese expansionism and current interest in Greenland.1870 HAWAII, COOK MONUMENT

Alejandro Peña Esclusa explains that while Europeans criticize Maduro's capture, Venezuelans support it, hoping for the release of remaining political prisoners under a new amnesty law restoring democratic governance.1890 CASTRO CABNET, CARACAS

Alejandro Peña Esclusa reports that Cuban personnel are fleeing Venezuela as oil payments cease, signaling a crisis for Havana following Maduro's detention and the collapse of the socialist alliance that sustained both regimes.1940 VENEZUELA

Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani analyze Russia's offer to mediate between the US and Iran, concluding Moscow is not a credible partner and aims to distract Washington while protecting its strategic interests in Tehran.1896 TEHRAN BLACKSMITH

Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal and Husain Haqqani discuss imminent potential US air strikes on Iran, expressing skepticism that air power alone can achieve regime change or lasting results without ground forces or sustained commitment.1870 TEHRAN

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Conrad Black. Black argues Mark Carney's plan to bolster Canada's Arcticdefenses is a political win, asserting sovereignty for the Western Alliance over the opening Northwest Passage.1906. Greenland

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brown explains Saudi Arabia denies airspace to U.S. forces to offer Iran a "fig leaf," signaling neutrality to maintain a fragile ceasefire with the Houthis.1890 caravan

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Jim Holmes. Holmes contends China gains the most commercially from the Northwest Passage, cutting shipping times to Europe by 30% through its partnership with Russia.1910 Greenland coal

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Fraser Howie. Howe argues Xi Jinping's push for the renminbi as a global reserve currency will fail unless China abandons strict capital controls preventing capital flight.1793 tradesman

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Ahmed Sharawi. Sharawi warns the third ceasefire between the Syriangovernment and U.S.-allied Kurdish forces is fragile and likely to fail, risking renewed hostilities soon.1960 NASSER IN DAMASCUS

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Joe Truzman. Truzman predicts the Gaza ceasefire's second phase will fail because Hamas refuses to disarm, creating an insurmountable obstacle despite the completion of hostage recovery.1657 PALESTINE

Gaius and Germanicus settle over wine to analyze the aftermath of World War II, citing Averell Harriman's 1945 fear that Soviet victory represented a barbarian invasion opening Europe to Asian influence and threatening Westerncivilization's foundations. Germanicus suggests a modern inversion has occurred whereby Europe now experiences reverse colonization by former imperial subjects from Africa and Asia who seek cultural and demographic dominance rather than assimilation into existing European societies. They examine American exceptionalism, noting that while the United States officially denies being an empire, its history of continental expansion, indigenous displacement, and ethnic cleansing mirrors classical imperial behavior under different rhetorical guises. The speakers conclude that contemporary elites remain comfortably insulated from the consequences of these demographic and political shifts in gated communities and exclusive enclaves, while common citizens bear the daily burden of fractured social cohesion and competing identities.1942. CHURCHILL, HARRIMAN, STALIN, MOLOTOV IN MOSCOW.

Gaius and Germanicus turn their debate to American migration patterns, with Gaius arguing that modern elites exploit immigrants as property for cheap labor and political votes, echoing historical patterns of indentured servitude that built colonial economies. Germanicus draws comparisons to Rome, noting that the empire successfully assimilated diverse races through genuine upward mobility and citizenship pathways that created loyalty across ethnic lines. However, he warns that the Western Empire eventually collapsed when Germanic tribes entered not as individuals seeking assimilation but as unassimilated national groups maintaining separate identities and allegiances. Germanicus cautions that current policies encouraging migrants to remain culturally separate rather than integrating into the host society dangerously resemble the dynamics that fractured Rome. The pair concludes that immigration has been a neuralgic obsession throughout American history, with elites consistently exploiting immigrant labor while simultaneously fearing political insurrection from unassimilated populations.1863 DRAFT RIOTS NYC

Gaius and Germanicus gather in freezing Londinium during the winter of 92 AD to discuss Paul Thomas Chamberlain's Scorched Earth, which reinterprets World War II not as a purely ideological conflict but as a racial struggle for colonial supremacy among white Christian nations. Gaius observes that academic journals in the early twentieth century explicitly validated these racial hierarchies, lending intellectual legitimacy to imperial competition. Germanicus contrasts this modern framework with the Roman Empire, which lacked rigid color barriers and successfully integrated diverse peoples across its vast territories. He argues that modern racism stems not from Roman Catholic or imperial traditions but from Calvinist predestination theology that divided humanity into elect and damned. The pair further explores how Western powers historically viewed Russia as mongrelized and inferior due to its Asianinfluences, revealing the deep racial anxieties underlying European geopolitics and the competition for global dominance.1550 MARK ANTONY SENDS SOLDIERS TO BRING CICERO TO THE SENATE.

Joe Pappalardo traces the post-service lives of Company F leaders: Scott builds railroads in Mexico while Brooksbecomes a South Texas judge battling alcoholism, establishing the stoic, disciplined template defining the modern Texas Ranger identity and legacy.1904 TEXAS RANGERS

Joe Pappalardo recounts Sergeant J.A. Brooks facing legal peril in Fort Smith after a shootout defending an Indianagent results in murder charges, tried before Hanging Judge Parker and imprisoned near outlaw Belle Starr before receiving a presidential pardon from Cleveland.1885 WACO TEXAS RANGERS

Joe Pappalardo profiles Captain Will Scott, a stoic tactician who utilized undercover operations and deliberate force, contextualizing the Rangers as agents of political change during 1886-87 enforcing barbed wire boundaries against open-range traditions amidst economic shifts and severe weather.DALLAS 1920

Joe Pappalardo details the 1887 shootout between Texas Ranger Company F and the Connor clan in Sabine County'sdense pine forests, where skilled backwoodsmen fighting an ambiguous legal battle represented an existential threat requiring Rangers to impose modern governance.1900 CAPTAIN BILL MACDONALD, TEXAS RANGER

Jessica Pierce and Mark Bekoff discuss whether dogs will see themselves as apex predators or ecosystem participants, noting pack behavior may mirror wolves if hunting large prey while dogs retain their distinct genetic history, concluding that this experiment teaches humans to view dogs as individuals.1900 ENGLISH SPRINGERS, HUNTING

Jessica Pierce and Mark Bekoff explain that without humans, dogs will likely adopt communal parenting strategies and reduced reproductive cycles to maximize survival, noting dogs already possess latent social skills for conflict resolution with lifespans stabilizing around eight years like wild wolves.1861 DUNDRUM HOUSE. LORD HAWARDEN AND SPRINGER

Jessica Pierce and Mark Bekoff focus on physical evolution, predicting short-snouted dogs will disappear while longer snouts prevail for better breathing, smaller dogs may survive better due to lower caloric demands, and coat colors will adapt toward reddish camouflage hues.1658 FOUR SPRINGERS HUNTING

Jessica Pierce and Mark Bekoff discuss a thought experiment regarding dogs in a post-human world, suggesting dogs will not physically revert to wolves but will adopt wolf-like social structures and pack behaviors depending on available prey, viewing themselves as fluid ecosystem participants.1828 ENGLISH SPRINGERS

Guest: Dan Flores. Aristocratic "safari" hunters massacred wildlife for sport, while early conservation efforts by figures like Roosevelt often focused on preserving game populations specifically for future hunting.1911 ALASKA

Guest: Dan Flores. Flores critiques 19th-century explorers, noting how Lewis and Clark needlessly slaughtered grizzlies and how Audubon, though later regretful, killed birds to capture their likenesses.1873 VULTURE BISON

Guest: Dan Flores. As capitalism commodified wildlife like beavers, naturalists like Thoreau lamented the loss, while Linnaeus's system helped classify species even as market forces decimated them.1859 JJ AUDOBON. WILD TURKEY

Guest: Dan Flores. European colonizers, shocked by America's abundance, introduced a "herding culture" mindset that demonized predators and enforced a philosophy of human exceptionalism regarding animal souls.1838 COMMORANTS. AUDOBON

Guest: Dan Flores. For 10,000 years, indigenous hunter-gatherers maintained ecological balance through low populations and spiritual kinship with animals, viewing species like Coyote and Raven as deities.1908 ZOO

Guest: Dan Flores. Flores details the Clovis culture's rapid expansion and efficient hunting, arguing human predation and genomic meltdown drove the "American extinction" of large mammals like mammoths.1908

Guest: Dan Flores. Flores introduces his book Wild New World, discussing North America's deep evolutionary history, the arrival of carnivorous humans, and the resulting interactions with ancient fauna.1860 GRIZZLY BE HUNTER

Guest: Danielle Clode. They discuss rising risks from climate change, dangers at the urban-bushland interface, and differences between U.S. fire suppression and Australian preventative burning policies.1885 SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Guest: Danielle Clode. Clode details protecting homes from ember attacks, the critical "stay or go" decision during fire bans, and last-resort survival tactics involving woolen blankets in vehicles.1952 QUEENSLAND

Guest: Danielle Clode. The conversation explores eucalyptus regeneration, the complexity of arson, specific vegetation flammability, and the origins of Australia's volunteer fire brigades in insurance companies.1930 AUSTRALIA

Guest: Danielle Clode. Clode discusses Captain Cook's early observations, the contrast between indigenous "fire stick farming" and settler clearing, and the history of massive wildfires like Black Thursday.1907 ADELAIDE.SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. Zakis describes how his dog Dallas watches birds from air-conditioned safety, tolerating magpies but acting like a "lawman" toward unwelcome, vandalistic cockatoos drinking water.

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. Zakis details the English cricket team's scandals, specifically how Harry Brook and teammates lied about a nightclub fight following their humiliating Ashes defeat.1885 CRICKET NSW

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. Zakis reports on Australia's oppressive, humid heatwave reaching 122°F, which traps residents indoors and keeps a stubbornly stationary tropical depression from becoming a cyclone.

Guest: Jeremy Zakis. Zakis reports on Australia's oppressive, humid heatwave reaching 122°F, which traps residents indoors and keeps a stubbornly stationary tropical depression from becoming a cyclone.1873

Sean McMeekin explains how the Allies abandoned anti-communist forces like Mihailovic in Yugoslavia and Chiang Kai-shek in China, while Stalin armed Mao Zedong with Japanese weapons, concluding that massive US Lend-Leaseaid enabled communism's expansion into Europe and Asia.1945

Sean McMeekin describes how the Soviets utilized Lend-Lease to acquire industrial secrets and nuclear materials, often facilitated by Harry Hopkins whom McMeekin views as a devoted Soviet agent of influence, while Stalin delayed Operation Bagration to let Western Allies absorb German strength.1945 RED ARMY

Sean McMeekin argues FDR announced unconditional surrender at Casablanca to appease Stalin, highlighting the Allied cover-up of the Katyn Massacre where Stalin used his own crime to break relations with the Polish government-in-exile and consolidate control.2943 TEHRAN

Sean McMeekin describes how Stalin exploited Lend-Lease beyond military necessity, using the program to acquire industrial equipment, raw materials, and nuclear-related supplies while manipulating Western generosity to strengthen Soviet postwar capabilities and strategic position.1941 ROSTOV

Sean McMeekin challenges the myth of Stalin's nervous breakdown during the 1941 German invasion, arguing both sides were mobilizing for war and that becoming a victim created a public relations miracle facilitating Western aid while Stalin withheld intelligence about Japan from the US.1939 WINTER WAR

Sean McMeekin discusses Molotov's 1940 Berlin visit, noting Stalin's brazen demands for influence in Bulgaria and Turkey caused talks to collapse, prompting Hitler to plan Operation Barbarossa, while Roosevelt began lifting moral embargoes anticipating a German-Soviet clash.1931 STALIN AND BERIA

Sean McMeekin details how Stalin replaced Litvinov with Molotov to signal realignment with Hitler, leading to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, arguing Stalin was an opportunist seeking territorial expansion in Poland, Romania, and the Baltics while Western powers failed to intervene.1900 THE RUSSIA BEAR, "RECKLESS DEFIANCE" OF THE ENGLISH TOMMIES

Sean McMeekin introduces Stalin as a bandit and intellectual who adopted Lenin's theory of revolutionary defeatism, explaining how Stalin built Soviet industry by exploiting Western technology and capital during the Depression, often funding this through looted artwork and espionage.1881 GANGING THE STUDENT REVOLUTIONARIES

Peter Stansky attributes the pessimism in 1984 to Orwell's belief that leaders prioritize power over revolutionary goals, though he remained optimistic about the English people, noting the novel's enduring relevance regarding modern technology, political disinformation, and its historical use as a Cold War cultural document.1899 LITTLE RUSSIA

Peter Stansky attributes the pessimism in 1984 to Orwell's belief that leaders prioritize power over revolutionary goals, though he remained optimistic about the English people, noting the novel's enduring relevance regarding modern technology and political disinformation.1951

Peter Stansky discusses Orwell's wartime work for the BBC and The Lion and the Unicorn advocating Englishsocialism, arguing that Animal Farm was not anti-socialist but a critique of revolutionary leaders corrupted by absolute power who inevitably betray their ideals.1951

Peter Stansky explains that George Orwell's time as a colonial police officer in Burma fueled his growing anti-imperialism and decision to become a writer, while fighting in the Spanish Civil War solidified his identity as a democratic socialist and staunch anti-communist after witnessing Soviet betrayals.

Geoffrey Roberts concludes that Stalin admired American industrialism and constitutional structure while editing Soviet history, defining him as a fanatical Bolshevik intellectual driven by Marxist dogma.1896 TSAR NICHOLAS

Geoffrey Roberts details Stalin's admiration for historian Robert Vipper and Ivan the Terrible, whom Stalinrehabilitated as a state-builder to justify his own ruthless governance and terror.1945

Geoffrey Roberts notes Stalin studied Bismarck as a modernizer but learned power politics from Lenin, not Machiavelli, viewing Tsars as strong state builders despite their capitalism.1942

Geoffrey Roberts discusses the library's 1988 rediscovery, its 1956 dispersal following Khrushchev's de-Stalinization, and analysis of Stalin's marginalia revealing his deep emotional engagement with texts he studied.1942