The Athletic's flagship hockey podcast delivers daily insights, prospect rankings, betting picks, and much more, Monday through Friday, all season long.

Are the New Jersey Devils the most disappointing team in the NHL?

The Athletic Hockey Show

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New Jersey Devils' Disastrous Loss Raises Questions About Their Season: The Devils suffered a humiliating 9-0 loss to the Islanders, with Jacob Markstrom posting the worst single-game goals saved above expected for any goalie in a full game without being pulled since 2007 (spanning 38,000 games). The team sits three points out of a wild card spot but has four teams ahead of them, and despite having most of their key players healthy, they've shown little resilience following recent poor performances.

Philadelphia Flyers Emerge as Surprising Success Story: The Flyers have defied expectations to sit third in the Metro Division despite rolling out Ersson and Valadara in goal, having Christian Dvorak as their first-line center, and sporting the second-worst power play in the league. Their success stems from strong coaching, defensive structure, and a team-wide "something to prove" mentality that gives them an edge.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race Remains Wide Open: The tight Eastern Conference standings create a complicated dynamic where multiple teams are only a few points from playoff position, but also have numerous other teams in their way. The Olympic break in February could serve as a reset for struggling teams, potentially allowing them to restart their seasons with fresh momentum.

Brad Marchand Delivers Master Class in Trolling Toronto: Marchand expertly needled the Maple Leafs by suggesting fans "ran Mitch Marner out of town" while also mentioning he was almost a Leaf himself (subtly implying possible tampering). He then patronizingly praised Toronto as a "hard team to play against," delivering what the hosts called a "little brother head pat" by saying the first-round series was tougher than expected.

World Junior Championship Scouting Report: Gavin McKenna showed elite NHL-level passing but needs to improve his battle skills and board work. Ivar Stenberg impressed as a Kucherov-esque player with extra competitiveness, potentially challenging for first overall pick consideration. Michael Hage of Michigan could step directly into Montreal's lineup as an impact player. Cole Hudson and Latvia's Albert Schmitz (projected top-10 pick) also stood out.

Dallas Stars' Struggles May Be Temporary: Despite going 0-3-3 in their last six games and being outscored 26-16, the Stars' slide may not be cause for major concern. The upcoming Olympic break provides a natural reset point, though GM Jim Nill will be nervously watching seven Dallas players (mostly Finnish stars like Heiskanen, Hintz, and Rantanen) compete in the tournament, hoping to avoid injuries.

Jim Rutherford's Loyalty to Jack Johnson Continues: The longtime defenseman retired after 19 seasons and immediately joined Vancouver as a pro scout under Rutherford, who previously signed him in Pittsburgh. Johnson is still being paid $900,000 this season by the Penguins, highlighting the ongoing financial legacy of Rutherford's affection for the former second overall pick who became a polarizing figure in analytics debates.
</answer>

AI is exploding. Every day, new intelligent tools are emerging, and they're becoming more powerful, more helpful, and more convenient to use than ever before. Artificial intelligence isn't just a handy tool for those in IT — the data science and application of AI tools spans across sectors. But how do you keep up with the latest developments? How do you make sure you don't fall behind in deep learning and automation? And where can you learn how to use these tools for productivity?
This is Superhuman AI: Decoding the Future - your source for the latest news and insights in artificial intelligence, brought to you by Zain Kahn (Superhuman.ai) and Hassan Bhatti (technology entrepreneur and investor). Each week, listen in as Zain and Hassan speak to AI industry pioneers and innovators to find out how smart technologies are  transforming business  and how you can apply these tools to enhance your productivity.
Along with interviews with some special guests, tune in for our weekly AI news show where we keep you in the loop with all the biggest stories and developments on AI ethics, AI marketing, and more. So, join Zain and Hassan as they break down machine learning, neural networks, and smart technologies to give you the tips you need to harness automation, boost your productivity, and let the AI tech do the heavy lifting for you. 

Listen in on Superhuman AI: Decoding the Future and equip yourself with the knowledge to stay ahead in the AI era. Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

For more information, visit www.superhuman.ai.

How Tibo Maker Grows 200 Subscribers a Week With AI

Superhuman AI: Decoding the Future

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Growing Newsletter Subscribers Through X Posts: Thibaut Maker consistently gains 200 new newsletter subscribers per week by teasing his upcoming newsletter content on X (Twitter). His strategy involves pinning newsletter-related tweets and creating posts that drive people to subscribe to receive the full content.

SuperX AI Tool for Content Repurposing: SuperX is an AI-powered tool that converts long-form content like newsletters, blogs, emails, and rough notes into viral X posts in under a minute. The tool can process either pasted text or direct links, automatically extracting and analyzing the content to create engaging social media posts.

AI-Powered Angle Selection Feature: When you paste content into SuperX, the AI doesn't immediately write posts. Instead, it first analyzes the content and suggests three different angles or approaches for the post, allowing users to choose the direction that best fits their goals before generating the actual content.

Personalized Writing Style Adaptation: SuperX learns from a user's existing posts to replicate their unique writing style, including specific formatting preferences like lowercase text. This ensures the AI-generated content matches the creator's authentic voice rather than producing generic-sounding posts.

Journey from Tweet Hunter to SuperX: Thibaut previously founded Tweet Hunter, one of the first major tools for Twitter audiences, which grew to $250k in monthly revenue and helped him build his audience from 1,000 to 166,000 followers. He's now leveraging that experience and audience to build SuperX, which currently generates $10k per month and has significant growth potential.

Versatile Content Sources Beyond Newsletters: The tool works with any type of content including blog posts, essays, PR announcements, and news articles. Users can either copy-paste text or simply drop links, making it useful for content creators, news-based accounts, and anyone looking to repurpose existing content for social media.
</answer>

Want to love walking into your ELA classroom each day? Excited about innovative strategies like PBL, escape rooms, hexagonal thinking, sketchnotes, one-pagers, student podcasting, genius hour, and more? Want a thriving choice reading program and a shelf full of compelling diverse texts?

You're in the right place!

Here you'll find interviews with top authors from the ELA field, workshops with strategies you can use in class immediately, and quick tips to ignite your English teacher creativity. 

Love teaching poetry? Explore blackout poems, book spine poems, I am from poems, performance poetry, lessons for contemporary poets, and more.

Excited to get started with hexagonal thinking? Find out how to build your first deck of hexagons, guide your students through their first discussion, and even expand into hexagonal one-pagers.

Into visual learning? Me too! Learn about sketchnotes, one-pagers, and the writing makerspace. 

Want to get your students podcasting? Get the top technology recs you need to make it happen, and find out what tips a podcaster would give to students starting out.

Wish your students would fall for choice reading? Explore top titles and how to fund them, learn to make your library more appealing, and find out how to be a top P.R. agent for books in your classroom. 

In it for the interviews? Fabulous! Find out about project-based-learning, innovative school design, what really helps kids learn deeply, design thinking, how to choose diverse texts, when to scaffold sketchnotes lessons, building your first writing makerspace, cultivating writer's notebooks, getting started with genius hour, and so much more, from our wonderful guests. 

Here at The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, discover you're not alone as a creative English teacher. You're part of a vast community welcoming students to their next escape room, rolling out contemporary poetry and reading aloud on First Chapter Fridays, engaging kids with social media projects and real-world ELA units. 

As your host (hi, I'm Betsy), I'm here to help you ENJOY your days at school and feel inspired by all the creative ways to teach both contemporary works and the classics your school may be pushing. I taught ELA at the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade levels both in the United States and overseas for almost a decade, and I didn't always get support for my creativity. Now I'm here to make sure YOU get the creative support you deserve, and it brings me so much joy. 

Welcome to The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, a podcast for English teachers in search of creative teaching strategies!

407: Build a Better Choice Board Project for any ELA Unit

The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA

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The Challenge of Differentiated Project Grading: Creating choice board projects for students often results in teachers having to develop multiple rubrics and manage varying requirements across different project types, making grading confusing and time-consuming. The goal is to maintain student choice while simplifying the teacher's workload.

Selecting Project Options from Existing Resources: Rather than creating entirely new projects from scratch, draw from successful past assignments and teaching strategies. The nine project options presented include one-pagers, food truck models, videos, podcasts, performances, creative writing pieces, genre adaptations, and a wild card option where students propose their own projects.

Creating One-Page Descriptors for Each Option: For a choice board project, develop simplified one-page descriptions for each project type that spell out core requirements, provide summary directions, and link to models. This approach acknowledges that differentiated projects inherently offer more freedom than heavily guided, step-by-step assignments.

Using Google Slides with Invisible Link Buttons: Organize all project descriptions within a single Google Slide deck rather than scattering multiple documents across Google Drive. Use transparent rectangles placed over images as invisible clickable buttons that link to specific slides containing project descriptions, creating a clean visual interface for students.

Peer Feedback Driven by Student Needs: Inspired by Felicia Chavez's "The Anti-Racist Writers Workshop," structure peer feedback so creators identify their own sticking points, difficulties, and questions before receiving input. This prevents peers from projecting their aesthetic opinions onto the creator's work and keeps students in the driver's seat of their own learning.

Student Self-Reflection as a Learning Tool: Include a reflection sheet where students analyze their process wins, identify where they got stuck, celebrate what they're proud of, articulate questions for the teacher, and set goals for future projects. This metacognitive exercise helps students develop self-awareness about their creative and analytical growth.

Multi-Layered Feedback Without Teacher Burden: Implement four modes of feedback—peer feedback, student reflection, compliment cards from classmates during a project gallery, and teacher assessment. This distributes the feedback load while providing students with multiple perspectives on their work.

Single Point Rubric for All Project Types: Create one simplified rubric applicable to all project options with categories including process, voice, connections, innovation, and form. This allows teachers to assess any type of project using the same criteria, whether it's a one-pager or a video podcast, avoiding the confusion of juggling multiple rubrics.

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Want to know what comes next in politics, culture, and libertarian ideas? Reason’s Nick Gillespie hosts relentlessly interesting interviews with the activists, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, newsmakers, and politicians who are defining the 21st century.

CNN's Scott Jennings: The Conservative Movement's Identity Crisis

The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

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CNN's Debate Format and Conservative Representation: Scott Jennings describes his role at CNN as participating in debates where he's often the sole conservative voice against multiple liberal panelists. He argues that CNN deserves credit for reviving political debate content and giving conservatives a platform to articulate their views without censorship, though he acknowledges being regularly outnumbered. He believes this format has made CNN more welcoming to Republican guests and viewers.

Decline of Mainstream Media Influence: Jennings argues that 2024 marked the death of the traditional political information distribution complex, with mainstream media having less influence than ever in a presidential campaign. He contrasts Trump's successful strategy of using alternative media formats with Harris's reliance on traditional outlets, noting that media narratives in October 2024 were dramatically disconnected from actual voter sentiment.

Evolution from Trump Skeptic to Supporter: Jennings candidly discusses his journey from being unfamiliar with and skeptical of Trump in 2016 to feeling closest to him in 2024. He explains that like many Republicans, he didn't know Trump as a political actor initially, but the Supreme Court vacancy and Trump's willingness to fight back against political opponents became persuasive factors. He notes that while he doesn't agree with Trump 100% of the time, 95% alignment beats 0% from the left.

Mentorship Under Mitch McConnell: Jennings credits McConnell with changing his life through a scholarship that enabled him to attend college, coming from a poor Kentucky family. He learned the importance of focus in campaigns and McConnell's philosophy of overwhelming political enemies when attacked. Interestingly, he sees similarities between McConnell and Trump in their desire to thoroughly destroy political opponents, despite their different dispositions.

The Republican Party's Fighting Spirit: Jennings argues that Trump's appeal stemmed from Republicans feeling that previous nominees like Mitt Romney simply "rolled over" to attacks from the left and media. Trump promised to fight back rather than be consumed by entities that destroyed previous Republican candidates, filling a void in the party for someone willing to aggressively defend conservative positions.

Fiscal Policy and the "One Big Beautiful Bill": Jennings discusses Elon Musk's fracture with Trump over reconciliation legislation, explaining that Musk believed no one in Washington shared his urgency about America's fiscal decline. He notes that roughly three-quarters of federal spending is non-discretionary and on autopilot, making meaningful deficit reduction extremely difficult without reforming entitlements—something Trump has promised not to do with Social Security and Medicare.

Trump's Commitment to Free Speech: Despite criticism over incidents like the Tufts deportation case and Jimmy Kimmel controversy, Jennings argues Trump is the most transparent and press-friendly president in his lifetime. He contrasts Trump's constant availability for questions with Biden's scripted, controlled interactions, defending the administration's openness even when their answers are controversial.

Immigration Enforcement and Public Opinion: Jennings defends Trump's immigration policies as simply enforcing existing laws, not creating new ones, and argues that Americans are being misled by propaganda about ICE activities. He gives Trump latitude on enforcement, noting the difficulty of removing people once they're in the country, exemplified by cases like Kilmer Abrego Garcia. He acknowledges internal divisions in Trump's coalition between hardline deportation advocates and business interests dependent on immigrant labor.

Tariffs as Trump's Deepest Conviction: Jennings extensively discusses tariffs as the area where Trump has most dramatically changed Republican orthodoxy. He explains his personal conflict between traditional Republican free-trade beliefs and understanding the appeal to constituencies hurt by manufacturing decline. Trump's belief in tariffs is his longest-held and most deeply-held conviction, viewing them not just as economic policy but as tools of diplomacy and American power projection.

DOGE's Mixed Results: While enthusiastic about the Department of Government Efficiency's mission, Jennings critiques its poor public relations and failure to involve Congress effectively. He notes DOGE achieved some IT system improvements and identified wasteful spending but only addressed discretionary spending (25% of the budget) rather than the non-discretionary entitlement programs that represent 75% of federal spending.

The Vanity Fair Controversy: Jennings praises Susie Wiles' transparency and candor in her controversial Vanity Fair interview, arguing that Washington was shocked by honesty rather than opacity. However, he strongly criticizes the magazine's "mean girl" photography choices, particularly unflattering close-ups of administration officials, arguing this behavior discourages Republican engagement with mainstream media.

Conservative Movement's Identity Crisis: Jennings addresses the growing civil war on the right, particularly around antisemitism and conspiracy theories. He strongly condemns Candace Owens for "terrorizing" Charlie Kirk's widow with conspiracy theories about his death and for trafficking in Holocaust denial and other antisemitic content. He argues the conservative movement doesn't have to absorb everyone who wants entry and can reject voices that are divisive and destructive.

Drawing Lines on Free Association: While defending free speech principles, Jennings distinguishes between government censorship and choosing who to associate with politically. He argues that refusing to platform antisemitism and conspiracy theories isn't a free speech issue but rather a question of what the conservative movement wants to represent, comparing it to rejecting someone advocating 100% tax rates.

Libertarian-Conservative Alignment: Jennings sees significant overlap between libertarian and conservative Republican visions, particularly compared to the progressive left. He identifies areas of collaboration including tech policy, free speech, and shrinking government, while acknowledging disagreements on issues like free trade. His most libertarian position is wanting to dramatically shrink the federal government, which he finds unfathomably large at $7 trillion in spending compared to $4 trillion pre-COVID.

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Learn how the smartest people in the world are using AI to think, create, and relate. Each week I interview founders, filmmakers, writers, investors, and others about how they use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney in their work and in their lives. We screen-share through their historical chats and then experiment with AI live on the show. Join us to discover how AI is changing how we think about our world—and ourselves. 

For more essays, interviews, and experiments at the forefront of AI: https://every.to/chain-of-thought?sort=newest. 

AI in 2026: Reid Hoffman’s Predictions on Agents, Work, and Creation

AI and I

AI & I

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The Future of Work is Entrepreneurial, Not 9-to-5: Reid Hoffman's 2017 prediction that the 9-to-5 work model would be extinct by 2034 is tracking well. The shift isn't about working more or less hours, but rather adopting an entrepreneurial mindset where work becomes more fluid—some weeks might be 120 hours, others might be 10. This transformation is being accelerated by AI agents running in parallel to human work, fundamentally changing how people structure their professional lives.

AI Creation is Productively Addictive: Tools like Claude Code are creating a new form of healthy addiction to building things. Unlike social media's negative dopamine hits, the satisfaction of creating and succeeding with AI tools represents positive reinforcement. This creative commitment allows people to explore their "fuller potentials" and "super agency," making AI-assisted creation genuinely empowering rather than harmful.

Public Sentiment Toward AI Will Turn More Negative in 2026: While AI's actual negative impacts have been minimal so far (electricity prices and unemployment being largely fictional scapegoats), 2026 will bring real disruption as AI begins transforming jobs and workflows. People will increasingly blame AI for various troubles, even when unwarranted. The discourse will shift from 98-99% fictional impacts to maybe 90% fictional, but the intensified visibility will fuel more backlash.

2026 is the Year Agents Break Out Beyond Coding: While 2025 was primarily about coding agents (Claude Code, Codex), 2026 will see agents applied broadly across knowledge work—legal, medical, creative, and beyond. The key innovations will be parallelization (agents working while you're away), longer workflows, and most importantly, orchestration—managing multiple agents working together. This represents moving from 10x to 100x more people experiencing truly autonomous AI assistance.

The New Programming Paradigm is Orchestration, Not Traditional Coding: A fundamental shift is emerging where "AI-native engineers" work entirely in Claude Code terminals, never looking at actual code, versus traditional programmers who use AI as an assistant. This new paradigm focuses on orchestration skills—managing multiple agents, planning workflows, and thinking about high-level architecture rather than implementation details. OpenAI may be missing this shift by focusing too much on traditional developers.

Anthropic's Opus 4.5 Succeeds by Balancing Technical Excellence with Empathy: Unlike other models that sacrifice empathy for technical capability, Opus 4.5 combines sophisticated programming abilities with genuine understanding of users' intentions and good interface design. This may stem from Anthropic's "soul document" approach—defining the AI's character and values holistically rather than just optimizing for task completion, creating a better human amplifier.

The Coding Agent Race Will Remain Neck-and-Neck: By the end of 2026, current leaders (Anthropic, OpenAI, Cursor, etc.) will still be trading positions without clear winners. However, Cursor faces the highest risk of stumbling because it's caught between two paradigms—traditional IDE-based development and the new Claude Code-style approach. The real surprise may come from an unexpected entrant focusing on creative rather than programming use cases.

Enterprise AI Adoption Will Finally Accelerate Around Meeting Intelligence: The killer enterprise application will be recording every meeting and using agents to transcribe, identify action items, notify relevant people, brief participants for follow-ups, and coordinate work. Companies not doing this by end of 2026 will be making excuses like those who dismissed early automobiles. This will be complemented by systematic deployment of agent groups for specific business problems.

AGI is Already Here, Just Unevenly Distributed: By certain definitions, we already have AGI—AI systems that exceed average human performance across many tasks. The real advancement in 2026 will be more visible parallelization, longer workflows, and orchestration that make this superintelligence more tangible. Rather than a single "press button, get software engineer" moment, progress will come through humans orchestrating teams of specialized agents.

AI Alignment Needs to Allow for Agent Disagreement: Current alignment approaches create sycophantic, people-pleasing models that may limit AI's potential for autonomy and creativity. Future systems may need agents with their own opinions and values that can disagree with humans or other agents, similar to "opponent processors" in human cognition. The key is having a trusted orchestrator managing these opinionated agents rather than requiring every agent to be perfectly aligned.

Speed of Agent Coordination May Require Accepting Less Interpretability: One AI safety "commandment" that may need revision is the requirement for full interpretability in how agents communicate. To achieve maximum coordination speed between agents, we may need to accept some "black box" communication—similar to how we accept we can't fully interpret what's happening inside neural networks. The challenge is defining safe boundaries for this trade-off.

The Real Software Development Shift is Building Everything as "Claude in a Trench Coat": Modern application development is rapidly becoming just UI wired to prompts that trigger agents with tools—no traditional code required. This creates incredibly flexible software that users can modify and that adapts to changing requirements. Every's entire development approach over the past month has shifted to this pattern, demonstrating how quickly this paradigm is taking over.

Strategic Planning and Operations Are Being Transformed by Agent Integration: Companies are now using agents for core processes like annual planning—having agents interview department leaders, ensure strategies align with company goals, identify coordination gaps, and keep strategic documents "alive" in daily decision-making. Tools like R2C2 can listen to conversations and provide real-time strategy alignment checks, fundamentally changing how organizations maintain strategic coherence.

Biology Will Be the Breakthrough Domain for Non-Language AI Models: The most undersung category for 2026 is computational biology—developing AI models that work with biological "languages" rather than human language or code. Biology sits between atoms and bits with programmable, computational characteristics. Through ventures like Manus AI, the goal is discovering breakthrough therapeutics or achieving a "move 37" moment in cancer treatment, possibly as early as 2026.

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The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators. Alex Kantrowitz, a Silicon Valley journalist who's interviewed the world's top tech CEOs — from Mark Zuckerberg to Larry Ellison — is the host.

Coreweave: AI Bubble Poster Child Or The Next Tech Giant? — With Michael Intrator and Brian Venturo

Big Technology Podcast

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CoreWeave's Rapid Growth and Business Model: CoreWeave has grown from 100 employees three years ago to 2,500 today, building eight new data centers in Q3 alone and possessing approximately 250,000 Nvidia GPUs. The company is valued at $42 billion following its IPO and provides a significant portion of global AI infrastructure. The founders describe the experience as "exhausting" but view it as a privilege to work on critical AI infrastructure.

Strategic Pivot from Crypto to AI: CoreWeave originated as an Ethereum mining operation, using revenue from crypto to build GPU infrastructure. When crypto declined, the company had the compute capacity and relationship with Nvidia needed to pivot successfully into AI infrastructure. The founders viewed compute as a valuable option without knowing exactly what it would be used for, positioning them perfectly for the AI boom.

Differentiation Through Software and Operations: CoreWeave's competitive advantage isn't in the physical plumbing of liquid-cooled data centers, which is commodity, but in proprietary software that optimizes GPU performance. With millions of components that can fail in a data center, CoreWeave has built automation, predictive analytics, and machine learning models to manage failures gracefully, minimizing impact on customer workloads. This allows them to deliver "decommoditized premium service" from commodity hardware.

Shift from Training to Inference Workloads: The company's business has evolved from primarily serving AI labs building foundational capabilities (about two-thirds training workloads six months ago) to roughly 50/50 training and inference today. This shift represents the monetization of AI investments as enterprises adopt AI capabilities to solve real business problems, which the founders view as an exciting validation of the technology's practical value.

Customer Diversification Strategy: While Microsoft was initially a major customer (previously reported as two-thirds of revenue), CoreWeave has successfully diversified so no single customer represents more than 30% of their backlog. The company signed a $14 billion contract with Meta and serves multiple hyperscalers, AI labs, and enterprises, reducing concentration risk while maintaining relationships with creditworthy partners.

Risk-Managed Debt Structure: CoreWeave uses a structured finance approach where approximately 85% of investments are backed by long-term contracts with investment-grade companies or major AI labs. They sign five-year contracts with customers, then borrow from lenders like Blackstone at favorable rates (now SOFR +250 basis points, down from SOFR +1350 initially). Revenue flows into controlled "boxes" that first pay operating expenses, then interest and principal, ensuring debt amortization within the contract term.

Data Centers as Strategic Options: The founders view data center capacity as "options" on future demand rather than speculative bets. Only about 15% of their exposure is to future capacity without existing contracts. They deliberately invest in long-lead-time infrastructure so they can respond when customers need capacity, treating this as a risk-managed approach to maintaining market relevance rather than wild speculation.

GPU Longevity and Depreciation Debate: Contrary to critics who claim GPUs burn out in 2-3 years or depreciate rapidly, CoreWeave's experience shows GPUs lasting 10+ years. Hyperscalers only recently retired Nvidia K80s from 2014, and CoreWeave just signed multi-year contracts for A100s (from 2021) and H100s at 95% of their original value. The founders argue that sophisticated buyers signing 5-6 year contracts understand depreciation better than outside critics.

Wall Street Background Informing Strategy: The founders' backgrounds in commodities and Wall Street rather than Silicon Valley shape their approach to risk management and option value thinking. They view market contractions as opportunities for acquiring distressed assets and M&A at better valuations, expressing comfort with headwinds as easier than managing explosive tailwinds.

Power and Cooling Requirements: AI chips run extremely hot, with cooling being critical to data center operations. Modern infrastructure uses liquid cooling for GPUs while still requiring air cooling for other components. The company designs custom electrical distribution and cooling systems to meet specific customer deployment needs, with differentiation coming from how they control and manage these systems rather than the physical components themselves.

Relationship with Nvidia: CoreWeave's early relationship with Nvidia, established during their crypto mining days, proved crucial for accessing GPUs during the AI boom. This partnership positioned them to be a testing ground for Nvidia's technology and gave them priority access to chips that became the foundation for AI infrastructure.

Addressing Bubble Concerns: The founders push back strongly against characterizations of CoreWeave as a bubble poster child. They point to concrete indicators like OpenAI's 800 million monthly users (1 in 10 humans globally), the shift to inference workloads showing real monetization, and sophisticated investors like Blackstone and institutional customers validating their model through multi-billion dollar commitments as evidence of sustainable demand.

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Firmsconsulting maintains a 80% success rate at placing clients within McKinsey, BCG and Bain. This is the highest in the industry and the rate is higher if we include other firms. We achieve this rate because we only use former partners from McKinsey, BCG et al to develop our clients. This makes us unique. We never use analysts, associates, engagement managers or associate principals. We also carefully select and develop clients on their communication, image, technical and case interview skills. This podcast channel describes our lessons from training our clients.
www.firmsconsulting.com
www.strategytraining.com

836: How do you gain more experience? (Case Interview & Management Consulting classics)

Case Interview Preparation & Management Consulting | Strategy | Critical Thinking

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Misunderstanding the "Get More Experience" Feedback: MBA candidates interviewing at top consulting firms like McKinsey and BCG often receive feedback that they need more experience before reapplying. Many candidates misinterpret this advice, spending 2-3 years at large Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Microsoft, or Intel, only to be disappointed when they reapply and don't succeed.

What Consulting Firms Actually Mean by "Experience": When firms say candidates need more experience, they're not asking for a longer resume or specific company names. Rather, they want candidates to develop the ability to communicate with depth and breadth about business topics, drawing on a rich context of knowledge that typically comes from work experience. The goal is to speak maturely about business concepts rather than reference a narrow set of experiences.

The Real Problem Revealed in Interviews: Consulting firms already knew candidates lacked experience when reviewing their resumes, so something must have changed during the interview itself. What firms discovered was that candidates could only draw on limited contexts when answering questions—like the Oxford graduate who only referenced his one-man consulting shop regardless of the topic being discussed.

Reading as a Shortcut to Gaining Knowledge: The critical insight is that you don't actually need 2-3 years of work experience to develop the knowledge and speaking maturity firms are looking for. Extensive reading, particularly of Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other business publications, can provide the same knowledge base without the time investment.

Personal Example of Deep Reading Habits: The speaker demonstrates how being well-read enabled conversations with C-suite executives without having direct experience in their fields. Examples include discussing relevant HBR articles with a COO transitioning from construction to energy, and explaining Samsung's investment allocation framework to a CFO at a Korean electronics company based on an Accenture article read six years prior.

Synthesizing Knowledge Rather Than Quoting Sources: The key skill isn't memorizing or quoting articles, but rather taking kernels of ideas from multiple sources—The Economist, HBR, industry publications—and weaving them together into coherent stories and insights during conversations. This demonstrates true understanding rather than rote knowledge.

Consultants Are Living Proof This Works: The consulting profession itself proves you can gain expertise without direct experience. Consultants become experts in sectors they've never worked in through research and synthesis. The speaker became a principal expert in various sectors without having operational experience in them, relying instead on being extraordinarily well-read and able to synthesize information.

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The day’s top stories from BBC News. Delivered twice a day on weekdays, daily at weekends.

US seizes two Venezuela-linked tankers

Global News Podcast

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US Seizes Two Venezuela-Linked Oil Tankers: The United States seized two oil tankers connected to Venezuela, with one empty Russian-flagged vessel (the Marinara, previously the Bela one) intercepted in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Britain after a weeks-long chase. During the pursuit, the ship changed names and adopted a Russian flag, with Russian naval support including a submarine attempting to escort it. A second vessel carrying oil and sailing under a Cameroonian flag was seized in the Caribbean. Russia warned this could lead to a crisis in US-Russia relations, viewing it as an attack on Russia.

Trump's Control Over Venezuelan Oil Resources: President Trump announced that Venezuela's interim government would turn over tens of millions of barrels of oil to his control, stating the proceeds would benefit both Americans and Venezuelans but that he would control the money raised. The seized tankers are part of efforts to interdict Venezuela's "shadow fleet" that has been transporting oil in defiance of US sanctions since early December, following the capture and removal of President Maduro.

China Condemns US Actions in Venezuela: China, the leading buyer of Venezuelan crude oil and a major investor in Venezuela, strongly denounced the US seizure of Maduro and the oil tanker operations as a blatant breach of international law and an act of bullying. Chinese officials expressed concern about reports that the Trump administration is pressuring Venezuela's interim leader to cut off oil sales to China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba in favor of the US, potentially disrupting China's influence in Latin America.

Trump's Greenland Acquisition Plans Intensify: President Trump is considering options including potential military force to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, viewing the Arctic island as vital for US security and a source of rare earth minerals needed for high-tech production. Despite European leaders issuing a joint statement supporting Denmark, the White House confirmed these discussions are ongoing, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers the administration would prefer to buy rather than invade Greenland.

European Response to Greenland Threats: Denmark's prime minister stated that Trump's threats must be taken seriously and that unilateral US action would spell the end of NATO. However, European unity is fragmented, with only six major European powers signing a joint communique supporting Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland. European leaders generally attempt to manage rather than confront Trump, particularly as they rely heavily on US support for Ukraine and for defense capabilities like air power, command and control, and intelligence.

Preserved Cancer Samples May Unlock Mystery of Rising Youth Cases: Researchers at St Mark's Hospital in London are using tens of thousands of preserved bowel cancer samples dating back to the 1960s to investigate why bowel cancer cases in people under 50 have more than doubled in recent decades. The archived specimens, stored in a basement "treasure trove," function as a time machine allowing scientists to identify what markers have increased over the decades, potentially revealing the cause of this worldwide trend that has accelerated at different rates in different countries.

UN Rights Chief Calls Israeli Treatment of Palestinians "Apartheid": For the first time, a UN human rights chief has used the term "apartheid" to describe Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Volker Turk's report describes a "systematic asphyxiation" of Palestinian rights through discriminatory laws and policies controlling every aspect of daily life. Since October 7, 2023, the report states Israel has further expanded unlawful force, arbitrary detention, and torture, while settlement expansion has reached its highest level since 2017, with 69 new settlements approved over three years.

Iranian Protests Intensify Amid Executions: At least 36 people have been killed during 10 days of protests across Iran sparked by economic crisis, with demonstrations spreading to most provinces and reaching smaller villages reminiscent of the 1979 revolution. Simultaneously, Iranian authorities executed a man accused of spying for Israel, the 12th or 13th such execution in six months. The expanding unrest, including violence between demonstrators and security forces, represents a significant challenge to the Iranian government's grip on power.

Rare Iron Age Battle Trumpet Discovered in England: Archaeologists unearthed the most complete Iron Age battle trumpet (carnix) ever found in Europe in Norfolk, England. The meter-and-a-half metal war horn with long flappy ears, along with a second trumpet and a boar's head battle standard, was discovered in the homeland of the Aykeni tribe. Dating to approximately the first century AD, it may be linked to Queen Boudicca's failed uprising against the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago.

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When it comes to making sense of the news, it helps to have an insider’s perspective. Introducing The Daily T, a brand new&nbsp;podcast&nbsp;from The Telegraph. Camilla Tominey and Kamal Ahmed share their thoughts on the day’s biggest stories, with lively debate and informed discussion, as well as agenda-setting interviews with the key people who make the headlines, all from the heart of one of Britain’s biggest newsrooms Camilla and Kamal have been journalists for more than 20 years, with access to powerful figures and decision-makers - which means they're well placed to keep you ahead of what’s happening in the world. So step inside the newsroom every weekday for a frank, fearless and witty take on today’s headlines - because if you know your own mind, you’ll like what’s on ours.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Farage attacks 'deluded' Sadiq Khan

The Daily T

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Nigel Farage unveils Laila Cunningham as Reform's 2028 London mayoral candidate: At Reform's first press conference of 2025, Farage introduced Laila Cunningham, a self-described "vigilante mum" of seven and former Tory councillor, as the party's candidate to challenge Sadiq Khan in 2028. Cunningham, who is Egyptian-born and Muslim, gained notoriety for chasing down muggers who targeted her children and pursuing private prosecutions. She presents herself as formidable and "scary," focusing heavily on a zero-tolerance approach to crime.

Reform's strategy centers on crime and challenging Khan's record: Cunningham's campaign emphasizes rising knife crime, violent crime, and phone theft statistics while criticizing Khan for allegedly blaming criticism on Islamophobia. She advocates for better police deployment rather than just increased recruitment, arguing that the issue is about priorities. The campaign also attacks ULEZ charges as unfairly burdening ordinary Londoners, particularly those in outer boroughs who need to drive for work, school runs, and caring for relatives.

The May 7th local elections as a pivotal moment: Farage views the upcoming local elections across 32 London boroughs as potentially decisive for British politics, suggesting they could determine who becomes Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader, while also affecting his own position. He predicts the Conservative Party will be "obliterated" in Scotland and cease to be a national party, while Reform could win traditionally Tory areas like Bromley and Bexley.

Reform's polling has dipped from its summer peak: The Spectator's poll of polls shows Reform down from 32% in October to 28% currently, though Farage dismissed concerns by noting recent weekly gains and explaining the summer peak followed the May election aftermath. He acknowledges the party peaked when campaigning "into a vacuum" in August while Westminster politicians were on holiday, but insists they're beginning 2025 strongly.

The challenge of winning London while running against London: A fundamental tension exists in Reform's strategy—much of the right's narrative is built around criticizing multicultural London, yet they're now trying to win there. Cunningham's rhetoric focused on how London has "gone to the dogs" since the 1980s, which raises questions about whether enough Londoners actually hate London enough to vote for Reform, especially given demographic changes that may favor Labour.

Farage's authentic communication style contrasts sharply with Starmer: While Farage speaks off-the-cuff and honestly acknowledges challenges (like admitting the party wasn't ready for local elections), Keir Starmer appears wooden and reliant on notes even for basic questions. The contrast was particularly stark during PMQs, where Starmer struggled to provide Churchillian rhetoric about Ukraine troop deployment, instead treating it like "opening a new bridge over the M1."

The Ukraine troop deployment controversy reveals Starmer's parliamentary tin ear: The Prime Minister faced criticism for committing British troops to Ukraine with France without first making a statement to Parliament, turning what should have been an easy bipartisan win on Ukraine support into a procedural row. When pressed by Kemi Badenoch, Starmer admitted he hadn't spoken to Trump yet, only to his "advisers," and couldn't explain what military resources Britain would actually deploy.

Farage provides clarity on Trump's NATO and Greenland positions: Unlike Westminster politicians, Farage clearly explained Trump's thinking—that he actually wants to strengthen NATO by forcing members to increase defense spending, which has been effective. On Greenland, Farage outlined Trump's strategic concerns about Chinese investment, climate change opening northern routes, and Russian submarine access, predicting a deal over mineral rights rather than invasion.

The Telegraph's Save Our Pubs campaign addresses a perfect storm facing publicans: Landlords face dramatically increased business rates (one example going from £21,000 to over £160,000), higher minimum wage costs, elevated energy prices, and national insurance increases. The government is also considering lowering the drink-drive limit to Scottish levels, which would criminalize rural pub-goers who have one pint before driving home—a measure Farage called "laws designed by the Islington North London bicycling classes."

Labour's puritan policies threaten rural pub culture: Beyond economic pressures, the government is pursuing policies that undermine traditional pub life—banning trail hunting, outdoor smoking restrictions, and stricter drink-drive limits. Farage argues these "hard faced, nasty puritans" don't understand or care about rural Britain, noting that current UK road safety statistics are already excellent compared to France and Germany, making further restrictions unnecessary.

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Twice a week, this podcast will take you on a smart, direct, sometimes scary, sometimes profane, sometimes hilarious tour of the inner workings of American power and of the impact of our leaders and their policies on our standing in the world. Hosted by noted author and commentator David Rothkopf and featuring regulars Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law School, Kori Schake of Stanford University and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, the program will be the lively, smart dinner table conversation on the big issues of the day that you wish you were having...without the calories. Sometimes special guests will join the conversation and always the emphasis will be on providing the unvarnished perspectives others shy away from. Deep State Radio is the insider perspective on American national security and foreign policy that you can't find anywhere else.

If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider becoming a member by visiting thedsrnetwork.com.

DSR Daily January 7: Europe Prepares for Potential US Move on Greenland

Deep State Radio

The DSR Network

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US Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker Near Venezuela: US military forces captured the oil tanker Bela 1 in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit that began when the vessel, which had been renamed and reflagged to Russia to avoid detection, attempted to evade a blockade near Venezuela. The tanker was allegedly smuggling cargo linked to Hezbollah. This operation represents an unusually brazen US foreign policy action explicitly centered on capturing oil, with the hosts noting there was little attempt to justify the intervention with narratives that people would actually believe, such as the "narco terrorist" storyline used against Maduro.

Trump Administration Freezes $10 Billion in Social Services to Democratic States: The administration froze approximately $10 billion in childcare and social services funding to five Democratic-led states, citing concerns about systemic fraud pending a federal review. The suspension affects major programs for low-income families, including TANF, childcare subsidies, and social services grants. Democratic officials and advocates view this as transparent political retaliation that will harm vulnerable families, while HHS claims it's necessary to protect taxpayer dollars—despite only targeting Democratic-led states.

European Allies Coordinate Response to Trump's Greenland Interest: France and Germany are leading European allies in coordinating a unified response to President Trump's renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, which has included mentions of potential military force. While Secretary of State Rubio has reportedly ruled out an invasion, Danish and Greenlandic officials are seeking urgent meetings and disputing US claims about Russian or Chinese naval encroachment. The situation may be raised at an upcoming NATO meeting, with both Greenland and Denmark maintaining firmly that the territory is not for sale. There are concerns that the seemingly successful Venezuela operation may embolden Trump to take similar actions elsewhere.

Trump Discusses Melania's Disapproval of His Campaign Antics: President Trump told House Republicans that First Lady Melania Trump often disapproves of his campaign behaviors, including mimicking a transgender weightlifter and dancing at rallies, which she considers "unpresidential." Trump claims Melania invokes historical presidents like Franklin Roosevelt as examples of proper presidential decorum, while he argues that modern politics reward a more animated style. The hosts express skepticism that this conversation actually occurred.

Wyoming Supreme Court Strikes Down Abortion Bans: In a 4-to-1 decision, the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down the state's near-total abortion bans, including a pioneering ban on abortion pills, ruling they violate the state constitution. The court affirmed that a woman's fundamental right to make healthcare decisions includes the choice to terminate a pregnancy. Republican Governor Mark Gordon has already called for a constitutional amendment to potentially reinstate the restrictions, though historically abortion ballot measures in even red states have tended to favor pro-choice positions.
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Once a week, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington have a conversation with a leader in clean energy, mobility, climate finance or sustainable development. Informative, inspiring and fun!

Why Is The US So Obsessed With Venezuelan Oil? Ep239: Michael Liebreich & Bryony Worthington

Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

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This season opener of Cleaning Up explores how the relationship between energy, geopolitics, and climate action is fundamentally shifting in 2026, despite—or perhaps because of—accelerating chaos in global politics.

Geopolitical Upheaval and Oil's Diminishing Power: The US capture of Venezuela's president Maduro and riots across 80 Iranian cities barely moved oil prices, which remained at $60. Despite major oil-producing nations involved in conflicts and massive geopolitical turbulence, the market's muted response suggests oil is losing its historical stranglehold on global politics. China's 5% reduction in oil demand in 2025, driven by electric vehicle adoption, signals a structural shift away from oil dependency.

The Fracturing of Climate Consensus: The Trump administration has actively dismantled international climate cooperation, walking away from COP30, destroying previously negotiated IMO maritime climate deals, and blocking $25 billion in offshore wind projects. However, this political retreat contrasts sharply with continued momentum in clean energy deployment, creating a growing disconnect between climate theater and economic reality on the ground.

Europe's Energy Malaise and Nuclear Reality Check: Europe faces a reckoning after years of pretending there was no energy trilemma—relying on cheap Russian gas while claiming climate leadership. The fantasy of avoiding trade-offs between affordable, clean, and secure energy has collapsed. Nuclear remains Europe's largest source of clean electricity, yet ideological opposition led to closures even during an energy crisis. The hydrogen bubble is also deflating, exemplified by a €100 million German hydrogen pipeline with no suppliers or customers.

The Electrotech Revolution Reaches Critical Mass: Batteries achieved breakthrough status in 2025, with costs dropping another 40% and large-scale projects moving from hundreds of megawatt-hours to tens of gigawatt-hours. Grid-connected batteries now cost only 50% more than pumped hydro storage but can be deployed anywhere, eliminating geographical constraints. This represents a fundamental system transformation that makes the "solar singularity" increasingly achievable.

India and China's Strategic Realignment: A significant rapprochement between India and China in August 2025 focused explicitly on electric vehicles and trade, signaling a potential shift in power dynamics away from Western dominance. Both nations see electrification as central to reducing oil dependency and view themselves as victims of Western trade barriers. India reduced coal consumption for the first time since COVID, demonstrating the "leapfrog" effect is becoming reality.

The Economics of Energy Asset Building: Analysis of Egypt's energy choices reveals that wind, solar, and nuclear assets produce 10-15 times more energy per dollar invested than spending the same amount on oil or gas. This simple economic reality explains why the "rest of the world"—70% of global population in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India—will inevitably choose electrification over continued fossil fuel dependence.

Data Centers, AI, and the Power Demand Narrative: While AI-driven data center electricity demand dominates headlines, with companies valued in the tens of billions pursuing gigawatt-scale power supplies, this obscures much larger demand growth from electric transport, cooling (projected to grow massively), heating, and industrial applications. The AI power bubble may be approaching peak craziness, though it has sparked broader recognition that all energy futures run through electricity.

Transport Electrification Accelerates Despite Political Headwinds: China achieved 50% electric vehicle sales in 2025, with 10% of all cars on roads now electric, contributing to the 5% oil demand reduction. Even trucks, buses, and semi-trailers are electrifying at 10-20% penetration. This is happening globally, from affordable $4,500 vehicles in Mexico to luxury Rivians in America, demonstrating electrification across all market segments regardless of political opposition.

The Hydrogen Souffle Continues to Deflate: The €240 billion earmarked for hydrogen pipelines in Europe through 2040 represents continued fantasy economics, especially as actual hydrogen projects fail to materialize. The UK's £2.4 billion hydrogen budget faces similar challenges with BP withdrawing from projects. Hydrogen has served as a refuge for those uncomfortable with the transition away from gas, but this delaying tactic is running out of road.

Security Vulnerabilities of the New Energy System: The electrotech system lacks the buffers inherent in fossil fuel systems—no coal piles, strategic petroleum reserves, or gas line pack. Combined with weather dependency and vulnerability to physical attacks on infrastructure like undersea cables, energy security requires rethinking. Hard security infrastructure and strategic overcapacity, not just batteries, will be essential for resilient clean energy systems.

Climate Metrics and Action-Oriented Targets: Temperature targets like 1.5°C or 2°C by 2100 are poor guides for organizing action. More useful metrics include watts per square meter (climate forcing), the physical manifestation of planetary heat accumulation, and the simple formula: build clean energy faster than energy demand grows. This pragmatic approach focuses on measurable progress rather than distant abstractions.

Looking Ahead: Geography, Security, and Physical Science: Future episodes will expand coverage of the "most of the world" beyond US, Europe, and China—focusing on Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America where the transition is accelerating. Deep dives into energy security infrastructure, the role of microbes in natural systems, and the physical science of climate change (beyond political narratives) will provide crucial context for understanding the transformation underway.

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The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast will bring you the top news and topics from industry experts in different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes, starting Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content.
Go to GoodMorningHospitality.com to learn more!
This podcast is a part of Hospitality.FM - The Audio Destination for Hospitality Professionals

GMH Hotels: 2026 Predictions: What’s Ahead for Hotels This Year

Good Morning Hospitality

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The Return to Analog Experiences in Hotels: Hotels and guests are craving simpler, more authentic connections after years of QR codes and digital touchpoints. This includes bringing back physical menus, creating beautiful printed maps and postcards, and focusing on in-person community building rather than screen-based interactions. Hotels that lean into this analog approach, creating spaces where people connect in real life, will see positive impacts on both guest experience and their bottom line.

AI Fatigue and the Need for Human Touch: Travel consumers are experiencing "AI fatigue" and want technology used with finesse rather than as a complete replacement for human interaction. While AI has its place, travelers are seeking genuine human connections and offline experiences. Successful AI companies will need to find ways to complement rather than replace the human element in hospitality.

Safari and Outdoor Adventure Travel: After Antarctica dominated bucket-list trips in previous years, 2026 will be "the year of safaris" for travelers seeking immersive nature experiences. This extends beyond African safaris to include American destinations like national parks and outdoor adventures in places like Moab, Utah. There's a broader trend of people wanting to disconnect and connect with nature in meaningful ways.

Hospitality Labor Force Recovery: After years of labor shortages, workers will return to hospitality jobs in 2026 as tech industry layoffs push people to seek more stable, human-centered work. The increasing number of unique, boutique properties and diverse hospitality venues means people can find niches they're passionate about, from traditional hotels to camping operations and wellness resorts.

Farm Hospitality as a Growing Segment: Farm hospitality will explode as a multibillion-dollar industry, with travelers seeking authentic agricultural experiences at working farms rather than traditional resorts. Led by properties like Blackberry Farm, this trend involves guests learning about food sources, interacting with animals, and reconnecting with pre-industrial ways of living. A major hotel brand is predicted to enter this space in 2026.

Experience-First and Intentional Travel: Travelers are prioritizing specific experiences like attending events at the Sphere, F1 races, FIFA World Cup matches, and major concerts as their primary reason for travel. This "experience-first" approach is coupled with "intentional travel" where people focus on wellness, nature, meaningful connections, and don't feel compelled to document everything on social media.

The Dry Tourism and Wellness Movement: More travelers are choosing not to drink alcohol during trips, focusing instead on wellness experiences. This connects to the broader offline upgrade trend and the desire to be fully present and feel more during travel experiences rather than being intoxicated or distracted.

Luxury Yacht Hospitality Expansion: Following Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and Aman's entry into luxury yachting, another major hotel brand will announce yacht-based hospitality experiences in 2026. These smaller, more intimate ships offer access to unique destinations that large cruise ships cannot reach, representing a growing segment of high-end travel.

Enhanced Train and Airline Experiences: Luxury train travel, particularly in Europe, will gain momentum, with potential growth in the United States despite geographic challenges. Airlines will also upgrade their in-flight experiences, with premium product improvements trickling down to economy class to make flying more pleasant for all passengers.

Personal Wellness Goals Setting the Tone: Both hosts shared ambitious personal goals (competing in a Hyrox fitness competition and opening the Baya wellness resort) that reflect broader industry trends toward wellness, outdoor experiences, and intentional living—mirroring what travelers are seeking in their hospitality experiences.

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The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

NPR News: 01-07-2026 11AM EST

NPR News Now

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U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan-Bound Oil Tanker: U.S. forces seized an oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela after a two-week chase across the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel, originally called the Bella One, attempted to evade capture by renaming itself and reflagging as a Russian ship. It may have been headed to a Russian Arctic port when boarded. The Department of Homeland Security also seized another tanker in the Caribbean. This action is part of the U.S. military pressure campaign and blockade of Venezuelan oil, with President Trump stating the U.S. plans to take billions of dollars worth of oil from Venezuela.

Trump Administration's Greenland Acquisition Plans: Following the Venezuela raid, President Trump and White House officials have become more vocal about obtaining Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers the administration plans to buy the island from Denmark, though White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated that military action remains an option. Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford argues that using military force against Greenland would violate NATO's Article 5 charter, as it would constitute an attack on Denmark, a NATO ally.

Gaza Ceasefire Stalled Over Israeli Captive: Hamas fighters have resumed searching for the body of the final Israeli captive in Gaza, which Israel says must be returned before moving to the next phase of President Trump's peace plan. Qatar, a key mediator, confirmed that talks for phase two of the ceasefire haven't started three months after it took effect. The next phase requires an international stabilization force to maintain the ceasefire and separate Palestinians from Israeli troops who still occupy more than half of Gaza, though Azerbaijan's president has ruled out his country's participation.

Large Immigration Operation Targeting Minnesota's Somali Community: The Department of Homeland Security is launching a major immigration operation in Minnesota, deploying approximately 2,000 agents. The operation reportedly targets alleged fraud involving Somali and Somali American individuals, with the Trump administration claiming without evidence that daycare centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis have committed up to $100 million in fraud.

Artists Continue Boycotting Kennedy Center: 17-time Grammy winner and virtuoso banjo player Béla Fleck has canceled his February performance with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, citing that performing there "has become charged and political." Fleck joins other prominent artists who have withdrawn, including Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, performer Rhiannon Giddens, and the national tour of Hamilton, following President Trump's takeover as chairman of the board and adding his name to the venue.

Los Angeles Wildfires Anniversary: The broadcast marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires that killed more than 30 people and destroyed over 16,000 structures, with rebuilding efforts progressing slowly.
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He’s a former Secret Service Agent, former NYPD officer, and New York Times best-selling author. Join Dan Bongino each weekday as he tackles the hottest political issues, debunking both liberal and Republican establishment rhetoric.

Fake and Lame Dems: Must-See Video Sums It All Up | Episode 198

The Dan Bongino Show

VINCE

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Venezuela Operation and China Power Play: President Trump has executed a strategic takeover of Venezuela, demanding the country expel China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba from its territory. The U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted tankers trying to evade the American blockade, and Trump has taken control of 30-50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. This move cuts off a critical energy supply for China, which had been getting 60-90% of Venezuela's heavy crude oil. Trump plans to sell the oil at market price, with proceeds benefiting both the Venezuelan people and U.S. interests, including compensating American companies whose assets were stolen by the communist regime.

The "Donroe Doctrine" in Action: Trump has rebranded the Monroe Doctrine as the "Donroe Doctrine," asserting American dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The Venezuela operation demonstrates this policy through swift military action that removed Maduro and installed interim leader Delsey Rodriguez. Trump is using Venezuela's financial vulnerability—they only have weeks before becoming insolvent—to force compliance with U.S. demands and eliminate adversary influence in America's backyard.

Democrats' January 6th Theater: Democrats held a plastic candlelight vigil on the Capitol steps to commemorate January 6th, complete with fake candles and a poorly performed rendition of "God Bless America." The entire production was compared to their attempts to recreate 9/11-style memorials, including CNN replaying old footage and having politicians like Rahm Emanuel provide commentary. The performance was characterized as melodramatic and exploitative, with Democrats trying to manufacture a national trauma to justify their previous actions.

FBI Persecution of Innocent Americans: New documents revealed by Senator Rand Paul show the FBI conducted extensive surveillance on Christine Crowder, a woman who wasn't even at the Capitol on January 6th. Based solely on an anonymous tip, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation, conducted physical surveillance of her home, added her to terrorist watch lists, tracked her travel, and subjected her to enhanced TSA screening. The investigation continued for over two years despite evidence proving she wasn't present at the Capitol.

Obstruction of Justice System Reform: Republicans in the Senate, particularly John Thune and Chuck Grassley, are maintaining the "blue slip" system that allows individual senators to veto U.S. attorney and federal judge appointments in their states. This gives Democrats like Adam Schiff in California and Tim Kaine in Virginia power to block Trump's nominees, preventing the administration from building the prosecutorial and judicial infrastructure needed to pursue accountability for government corruption.

Military Restoration Under Trump: The Venezuela operation and previous Iran strikes demonstrate the U.S. military's capabilities have been restored after years of diminished confidence due to the Afghanistan withdrawal, vaccine mandates, DEI policies, and leadership failures under Lloyd Austin. Delta Force successfully raided Maduro's residence within hours of controlling Venezuelan airspace, showing what proper leadership and clearly defined goals can accomplish.

Tim Walz Drops Out and Faces Investigation: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he won't seek reelection, likely due to poor polling and concerns about law enforcement investigations into his connections to Somali fraud schemes. Walz received campaign donations from the Somali community and defended them against fraud allegations. He held a hostile press conference where he deflected questions about whether he was pressured to drop out and attacked U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson for investigating the fraud.

$18 Billion Minnesota Fraud Scandal: U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson estimates that over half—potentially more—of $18 billion in suspicious payments from Minnesota's welfare system represents fraud. The fraud primarily involves Somali-owned daycare facilities and Medicaid providers exploiting the system. Walz allowed this to continue throughout his tenure, and experts noted that fraud is culturally normalized in Somalia, making these communities particularly susceptible to engaging in such schemes.

Nationwide Somali Fraud Operation: The Minnesota fraud scheme extends to other states including Maine and Kentucky. In Maine, three Somali American state house members defended the community against fraud allegations, with two of them having connections to Gateway Community Services, a company that bilked millions through fake documentation. The fraud involves creating false time cards and service records while expanding operations to other states with Somali populations.

Democrats' Election Rigging Patterns: The removal of Tim Walz from the gubernatorial race exemplifies Democrats' consistent pattern of rigging elections and primaries. Examples include removing Bernie Sanders from presidential primaries, preventing RFK Jr. from appearing on ballots, attempting to remove Trump from state ballots, implementing ballot harvesting, and using Minnesota's "vouching" law that allows registration without ID. Democrats also gain congressional seats and electoral votes by including illegal aliens in census counts.

California Investigation Next Target: Trump announced investigations into California Governor Gavin Newsom, suggesting the state may be "more corrupt than Minnesota." The administration is pursuing a broader strategy of investigating fraud in blue states, pausing payments to child care facilities and Medicaid recipients while conducting comprehensive audits beyond what has been publicly revealed so far.

Dan Bongino's Return to Media: After leaving his FBI position, Dan Bongino scheduled his first podcast interview with Haley Caranilla on "The Nightly Scroll," signaling his return to commentary and potentially offering insider perspectives on the FBI and current political developments.
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Begin each day with purpose and positivity with the 7 Good Minutes Daily Self-Improvement Podcast, the essential listen for mindful achievers. Tailored for those who strive for personal growth amidst their busy lives, our podcast offers daily guidance in mindfulness, gratitude, and maintaining a positive mindset. Explore a world of transformative ideas and begin your day with the inspiration you need to cultivate a life of awareness, appreciation, and optimism. Subscribe now to ensure you never miss an episode on your journey to a more mindful and positive life.

7 Good Minutes: Extra - If you realized how powerful...

7 Good Minutes

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The Power of Thoughts to Shape Reality: The episode centers on the quote "if you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought again," emphasizing that our thoughts carry significant energy and influence over our lives. This concept extends beyond simple positive thinking to understanding the fundamental power behind every thought we have.

Historical and Philosophical Roots: The idea that thoughts shape reality has deep origins spanning both ancient philosophical traditions and modern psychological research, suggesting a timeless recognition across cultures and eras of the mind's creative power.

Mindful Awareness as the Starting Point: Harnessing the power of thoughts begins with developing awareness of our thought patterns. By becoming mindful observers of our thinking, we can identify negative or unhelpful thoughts and consciously redirect them toward more positive, constructive alternatives.

Empowered Perspective Over Denial: The practice isn't about ignoring life's real challenges or difficulties, but rather about choosing perspectives that empower us to respond effectively. It's about selecting thoughts that serve us rather than diminish us.

Thoughts as Seeds Metaphor: The episode closes with the metaphor of thoughts as seeds planted in the garden of the mind, encouraging listeners to cultivate positivity intentionally and watch how this cultivation can transform their entire lives.
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A show about stocks, money, and business news. Joseph transparently shares investing strategy with a million dollar stock portfolio.

10 Super Wide-Moat Compounding Machine Stocks To Buy Now

The Joseph Carlson Show

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ASML's Monopolistic Position in Semiconductor Manufacturing: ASML stands alone as an undisputed monopoly in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment with no second or third-place competitors. The stock surged 5.66% following an analyst upgrade from Aletheia Capital (doubling their price target from $750 to $1,500) and a viral Veritasium YouTube video with 10 million views explaining the company's incredible engineering. The video helped investors understand why even a $400 million machine seems reasonably priced given the impossibility of replication, even by state-funded governments like China.

Amazon's AI-Powered Commerce Advantage: Amazon is positioned as the laggard of the Mag 7 stocks but offers significant upside potential through its AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus. Mark Mahaney's analysis suggests Rufus could boost Amazon's 2028 revenue by $31 billion (3%) and operating income by $6.8 billion (4.6%). Contrary to concerns that AI would level the playing field, generative AI and agentic shopping are expected to uniquely benefit Amazon due to its AWS infrastructure and tech talent, with customers using Rufus being 60% more likely to complete purchases.

S&P Global and Moody's Duopoly on Credit Ratings: These two companies operate as a natural monopoly in the credit rating industry, functioning as essential "toll booths" that companies must pay to issue credible debt. Both stocks surged over 4-6% on analyst upgrades predicting a massive wave of debt issuance in 2026 as companies that have been waiting on the sidelines renew their debt. The capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela also sparked optimism about potential sovereign debt issuance from a restructured Venezuelan economy.

Visa and MasterCard's Multi-Sided Network Effects: These payment processors possess multi-sided networks with exponential value creation, making them virtually impossible to replicate. Visa focuses on sheer scale with 3.4 billion debit cards and 1.5 billion credit cards, concentrating on network rails. MasterCard takes a different approach by becoming rail-agnostic and building a larger value-added services business focused on selling trust across any transaction type, including government payments and stablecoins, positioning itself for a multi-rail future.

GE Aerospace as a Monopoly Royalty on Global GDP: GE Aerospace is described as "a monopoly royalty on global GDP masquerading as a factory" rather than just an aerospace parts manufacturer. The company has government-mandated aftermarket monopolies on its plane engines and turbo engines, meaning customers must purchase replacement parts exclusively from GE. With no new competitors entering the space in 50 years due to physics-based barriers to entry, GE possesses infinite pricing power on high-margin service revenue as its install base grows.

TSMC's Evolution from Cyclical Hardware to Global Utility Monopoly: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is transforming from a cyclical semiconductor company into a global utility monopoly on compute. Despite trading at a modest 22-26 forward P/E ratio due to geopolitical concerns about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, TSMC has unmitigated pricing power on the highest-end chips because theoretical competitors like Intel and Samsung cannot match its manufacturing capabilities. The company is critically important to global GDP and is geographically diversifying beyond Taiwan.

Synopsys' Monopoly on Chip Design Software: Synopsys provides the essential software that transforms chip designs from companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Google into digital blueprints for manufacturing at facilities like TSMC. Through acquisitions over the past decade, Synopsys has become the entire operating software of the chip design process. The extreme complexity of this software creates a powerful moat, and as chip manufacturing becomes exponentially more complex at the atomic level, Synopsys' entrenchment strengthens with 15%+ revenue growth expected.

Netflix's Escape Velocity Through Subscriber Scale: With over 300 million subscribers, Netflix has achieved unmatched unit economics in streaming. For every $1 billion spent on content, Netflix pays just $3.31 per subscriber compared to Paramount Plus at $12.64 per subscriber. This scale advantage creates a self-reinforcing flywheel where the bigger Netflix gets, the more inevitable its continued growth becomes, as the value proposition improves while competitors become relatively more expensive.

Physics-Based Moats as Superior to Network Effects: A key investment thesis presented is that "physics monopolies" (ASML, GE Aerospace, TSMC, Synopsys) represent some of the strongest moats in the market, potentially superior to network effects (Facebook, Google) or mandated monopolies (S&P Global, Moody's). These companies possess structural advantages based on physical complexity that cannot be easily replicated, even with unlimited capital or government backing.

Portfolio Performance and Conviction-Based Investing: The passive income portfolio reached an all-time high of $975,000 with $401,000 in gains, up $25,600 in a single day (2.7%). The significant single-day gains came primarily from holdings in S&P Global, Moody's, and ASML, demonstrating the value of holding high-quality compounding machines through periods of waiting, as investors don't control when stocks rise but can rely on earnings and free cash flow growth over time.
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The Sharon Salzberg Metta Hour features Buddhist philosophy in a practical, common sense vernacular. Sharon’s natural wisdom, sense of humor and the ease with which she translates these teachings forge an intimate connection with the listener. From everyday experiences to pithy revelations, each podcast is a journey on the path of self-discovery. Sharon Salzberg&nbsp;is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author.She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller,&nbsp;Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work,&nbsp;Lovingkindness. Her forthcoming release,&nbsp;Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom, is set for release in April of 2023 from Flatiron Books. <a href="http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.sharonsalzberg.com</a>

Ep. 277 – Kid's Series: Richie J. Davidson

Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg

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Four Pillars of Human Flourishing in Children: Richie Davidson discusses his framework of four pillars for well-being—awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. While awareness and connection are present from birth and are part of our innate programming, insight and purpose evolve over time, with purpose typically emerging during adolescence. This framework represents the overlap between Western scientific research and Buddhist contemplative perspectives on human flourishing.

The Kindness Curriculum and Research Evidence: Davidson developed a free Kindness Curriculum (available in English and Spanish) for preschool children ages 4-6. A randomized controlled trial demonstrated that it increases prosocial behavior and self-regulation skills. The research suggests humans have an innate predisposition for kindness and cooperation, and contemplative practices help people familiarize themselves with their true nature rather than creating something entirely new.

Neuroplasticity and Lasting Change from Trauma: Even in cases of severe trauma and abuse, meaningful change is possible through contemplative interventions. Davidson's study with teenage girls in Colombia who experienced horrific abuse showed that an intensive retreat-style summer camp produced measurable changes in both behavior and biology, including epigenetic changes. This contradicts the notion that trauma creates permanent damage, emphasizing that nothing should be considered truly permanent.

Strength-Based Approaches Over Symptom Reduction: Cultivating kindness, compassion, and awareness through a strength-based approach is at least as effective as traditional treatments focused on symptom reduction. These positive interventions likely produce more enduring change than symptom-focused strategies and improve overall well-being beyond just decreasing stress and adversity symptoms.

Flourishing is Contagious: Davidson's research in Louisville, Kentucky's public school system demonstrated that when teachers received well-being training including loving-kindness practices, their students performed significantly better on standardized tests—even though students were unaware any research was occurring. Teachers practiced just five minutes daily for 28 days, showing that even small amounts of practice can create meaningful change that ripples outward.

Temporary States Versus Enduring Traits: The key to moving from temporary calm moments to lasting traits like resilience and emotional balance is consistency and repetition. When parents consistently model calm, connected, and caring demeanor, it creates enduring change in children. Small amounts of practice—as little as five minutes daily—can make significant differences over time.

Mindfulness of Thoughts for Children: Sharon's book "Kind Carl" innovatively addresses helping children learn to observe their thoughts (like putting negative thoughts in clouds and watching them float away) rather than identifying with them. Davidson notes this aspect of mindfulness—specifically mindfulness of thoughts—has been rarely addressed in children's programs, and the concrete visualization of clouds makes it accessible to younger ages than previously thought possible.

Six Emotional Styles and Brain Plasticity: Davidson's research identified six emotional styles that exist on continua, including attention capacity and sensitivity to context. Every person has all six styles but falls at different points along each continuum. Crucially, these are associated with brain networks that show plasticity and can be changed through experience and meditation training—attention being a prime example that can be strengthened through simple mindfulness exercises.

System-Wide Interventions in Education: Rather than focusing solely on students, Davidson's work in Louisville included everyone in the school system—teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and secretaries. This approach improved school climate, increased trust in administration, enhanced teacher well-being, decreased depression and stress, improved teacher retention, and ultimately improved student outcomes through a cascade of beneficial effects.

Pre-Birth Interventions and Maternal Well-Being: A mother's psychological environment during pregnancy directly affects fetal neurodevelopment for at least two years after birth. Research using MRI scans of infants shows that maternal well-being during the second trimester significantly influences brain development. This suggests contemplative interventions during pregnancy could directly influence fetal brain development, opening new horizons for early intervention.

Context Sensitivity and PTSD: One emotional style involves sensitivity to context—the ability to modulate emotional responses based on environmental circumstances. PTSD is fundamentally a disorder of context, where people respond to triggers without processing the safety of their current environment. The hippocampus, crucial for memory and context processing, shows abnormalities in PTSD but is also one of the most plastic brain regions, meaning it can be strengthened through practice.

Contemplative Neuroscience as a Field: Contemplative neuroscience represents a hybrid discipline bringing together insights from neuroscience and inner contemplative science to create a more complete understanding of what it means to be human. It involves the neuroscientific study of contemplative practices, examining how meditation and mindfulness affect the brain and behavior through rigorous scientific methodology.

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Locked On Hurricanes podcast is the daily podcast that drops the puck and keeps you ahead of the game and the first to know the latest news, analysis, and insider info for the Carolina Hurricanes and the National Hockey League. Hosted by lifelong Hurricanes fan Zach Martin, the Locked On Hurricanes podcast provides your daily Hurricanes fix with expert opinions, local analysis, and coverage of all aspects of the Hurricanes franchise. Locked On Hurricanes takes you beyond the ice for the inside scoops on the biggest stories from within the Hurricanes locker room and all over the NHL. The Locked On Hurricanes podcast is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

ALL GAS NO BRAKES! The Carolina Hurricanes DOMINATE the Dallas Stars 6-3

Locked On Hurricanes - Daily Podcast On The Carolina Hurricanes

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Dominant 6-3 Victory Over Dallas Demonstrates Team's Rising Momentum: The Carolina Hurricanes delivered an emphatic statement win against the second-ranked Dallas Stars, putting up six goals and thoroughly dominating their opponent. The performance marked Carolina's second consecutive win and showed significant improvement from their earlier struggles, with the team clicking on all cylinders at even strength and on the power play. Jake Oettinger was pulled after allowing five goals on just 15 shots in under 27 minutes.

Andrei Svechnikov's Impressive Four-Assist Performance Highlights Offensive Surge: Svechnikov recorded his first career four-assist game and second career four-point night, continuing his remarkable run of 21 points in 16 games dating back to December 7th. His recent five-game stretch has yielded eight points, demonstrating he's fully returned to his pre-ACL injury form as the dominant power forward the team has been waiting for him to become.

Seth Jarvis Makes Immediate Impact in Return from Injury: In his first game back, Jarvis recorded a multi-point night with a goal and an assist, reaching 20 goals on the season. He led the team with six shots on goal and added four hits, showing no signs of rust despite missing significant time. Rod Brind'Amour emphasized what a massive hole Jarvis's absence created and how his presence elevates the entire team's performance.

Brandon Bussi Continues Cinderella Season with Historic Pace: Bussi earned his 15th win in just 18 starts, becoming the fastest goalie to reach that milestone. The waiver claim pickup who wasn't even on the team through training camp has now accumulated 31 points for Carolina and is being considered as a potential extension candidate to pair with Pyotr Kochetkov next season.

Logan Stankoven Scores Against Former Team in Emotional Victory: Stankoven tallied a goal against Dallas, the team that drafted and traded him, while notably undressing Miko Ranson—the player he was traded for—on the play. Stankoven acknowledged the special feeling of scoring against his former team while maintaining he has no ill will toward his former teammates and friends in Dallas.

Power Play Remains Red-Hot with Extended Success Streak: Carolina's power play went 2-for-5 against Dallas, extending their remarkable run to approximately 14-16 power play goals over the last 17 games. Rod Brind'Amour credited tweaking and adjustments rather than any single major change, noting that pucks are finally going in after periods where they weren't finding the net.

Multiple Players Record Multi-Point Nights in Offensive Explosion: K'Andre Miller recorded two goals and an assist for three points, Nikolaj Ehlers contributed three assists, and several other players chipped in with multiple points. The team showed balanced scoring with four even-strength goals complementing the power play success, demonstrating the complete offensive game Carolina needs for playoff success.

Hurricanes Fans Voice Their Displeasure with Miko Ranson Throughout Game: The PNC Arena crowd maintained "Logan's better" chants and constant boos toward Ranson throughout the entire game. Rod Brind'Amour expressed surprise that fans kept it up to the final horn, noting the passionate fanbase while emphasizing he personally holds no ill will against the Dallas player.

Team Shows Resilience Despite Massive Injury Challenges This Season: Despite losing 110 man-games to injury throughout the season, the Hurricanes continue to find ways to win and maintain their position as a top-six NHL team. The team has weathered significant adversity while still holding down the Metropolitan Division, demonstrating depth and character that could serve them well in the playoffs.

Defensive Corps Steps Up with Solid Two-Way Performance: The defense was particularly effective at limiting Dallas's transition game and preventing them from creating odd-man rushes. Brind'Amour praised the defensive group for staying tight in the neutral zone and not giving the Stars room to execute their system of pulling defenders back to hit late arriving players.

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IDEO’s Creative Confidence Podcast shares candid conversations with creative leaders, changemakers, and innovators navigating today’s most pressing challenges. Through real-world stories and insights, we explore how to lead with creativity, build resilient teams, and drive innovation. Grounded in IDEO’s 40 years of expertise in design thinking and innovation, each episode offers inspiration and practical tools for audacious leaders at every stage of their careers. Hosted by Mina Seetharaman, Head of New Ventures at IDEO, the podcast brings a human-centered lens to the complexities of making more courageous futures.

Discover more at IDEOU.com.

Part 2: Honest, Realistic, and Optimistic Leadership Advice from Friends of IDEO

Creative Confidence Podcast

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Embrace Uncertainty as Possibility Rather Than Threat: Multiple leaders emphasized meeting uncertainty with curiosity and awe instead of fear. Michelle Lee describes choosing to see the unknown as something exciting to explore rather than something to avoid, which fundamentally shifts how teams approach challenges. This mindset transforms uncertainty from a paralyzing force into fuel for creativity and innovation.

Focus on Human Relationships and Connection: Jen Maer from Knitted stresses that friendship at work isn't optional—when people have solid relationships and friends at work, psychological safety improves and teams perform better. This applies even at the leadership level, where strong personal relationships among C-suite members help everyone work more effectively together. The loneliness epidemic makes this focus on human connection more critical than ever.

Ground Leadership in Values and Reflective Practice: Jennifer Riel advises leaders to anchor decisions in their core values, especially during uncertain times. She emphasizes making time for reflective practice—stepping back to think about your own thinking, examining what's working and what's not, and considering who you are and who you want to be as a leader. This reflective space is essential for learning and growth.

Take Light Actions Instead of Big Swings: Amy Bonsall introduces the concept of "light actions"—small, safe steps rather than bold leaps when facing uncertainty. She recommends asking "what assumptions are we making and could we test those?" This approach of constant, small, steady momentum with ease, lightness, and curiosity keeps organizations moving forward creatively rather than freezing in analysis paralysis.

Slow Down to Speed Up: Dabney Hailey emphasizes that leaders should observe more, listen better, seek evidence-based reasoning, and suspend judgment before solving problems. This "slow down to speed up" approach means treating thinking deeply together as action itself, not something separate from it. The bias toward action should include space for collective reflection and discovery.

Build Creative Capacity Through Regular Practice: Multiple leaders stress that creativity is a muscle requiring regular exercise. Tekashi Wickes describes how Open Studio dedicates 30 minutes weekly to play and experimentation outside their core product work, allowing brains to rest and reset. Jennifer Riel notes that creativity shouldn't be treated as a special moment but built into everyday work through regular small activities of exploration and play.

Shift from Charity to Justice Mindset: Susie Wise shares her work helping the Alameda County Community Food Bank transition from a charity model to a justice model, acknowledging systemic racism and root causes of hunger. This example demonstrates how questioning fundamental assumptions—asking "do we have to do it this way?"—and immersing in organizations already doing justice work can lead to transformative system change rather than incremental improvements.

Stay Heads Up, Not Heads Down: Grace Wang emphasizes recognizing and unlocking potential in yourself and others, maintaining inspiration by looking outward rather than burrowing inward. Sara Kalick echoes this, urging leaders to get out of their bubbles through "seeing trips" to learn what other companies and countries are doing, approaching with humility and curiosity rather than complacency.

Invest in Human Soft Skills Over AI Tools: Tekashi Wickes warns that as AI tools become more powerful, it's more important than ever to cultivate creative taste, decisiveness, craft, and critical problem solving in teams. Leaders should be discerning about when to use AI versus when to preserve space for human creativity to thrive, ensuring teams develop the soft skills that will future-proof them.

Confidence Shows Up Because You Act, Not Before: Frederik Pferdt shares his struggle with imposter syndrome despite publishing books and speaking internationally, revealing that confidence doesn't arrive before action—it builds through action. He asks himself daily "if I choose fear today, what possibility will I miss?" This reframes confidence as something earned through small daily practices rather than a prerequisite for moving forward.

Shape the Future Rather Than Wait for It: Frederik Pferdt challenges leaders to stop asking "what will the future bring?" and start asking "what future do I want to create and what can I do today to move toward it?" The future begins with your mindset—how you interpret uncertainty and how much possibility you allow yourself to see. Leadership in 2026 means influence over prediction.

Maintain Abundance Over Scarcity Mindset: Amy Bonsall describes overcoming scarcity thinking by reminding herself "I just need one"—one good contract, one good opportunity. This mindset shift creates energy of openness, creativity, and curiosity rather than fear and contraction. Looking back at how far you've come provides the creative and energetic foundation for moving forward into uncertainty.

Focus on Systematic Change, Not Just Single Solutions: YC Sun emphasizes that leaders should think beyond individual products or services to consider the fuller system context. Leadership with heart means maintaining ability to be optimistic dreamers who create new possibilities while understanding that efficiency-focused decisions involve trade-offs, especially in sectors like healthcare where both workers and people being served must be centered.

Keep Culture Human and Daily: Susie Wise urges leaders to remember their humanity and help their teams "human together" in an era obsessed with AI and still recovering from pandemic isolation. Culture isn't created only in workshops or offsites—it's created every single day. Leaders should pay attention to what edges everyone in the organization is pursuing to maintain collective creativity and evolution.

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Helping you live a better life, if times get tough or even if they don't

First Tuesday Coffee Chat with John & Nicole – Epi-3782

The Survival Podcast

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Venezuela Operation and Maduro's Capture: The discussion centers on Trump's administration capturing Venezuelan President Maduro, examining whether it's truly about drugs (as officially stated) or oil interests. The operation involved negotiations with oil companies seeking compensation for assets seized by Chavez and Maduro years ago, with global courts ruling in favor of these companies. The surprisingly smooth extraction suggests possible cooperation from military leaders who may have been incentivized by the $50 million bounty.

Legal and Constitutional Precedents for Foreign Operations: The hosts debate the constitutionality of the Venezuela operation, noting that Bush Sr. did similar actions with Noriega in Panama, and that 55 countries don't recognize Maduro as legitimate president. They discuss how Biden actually increased Trump's original bounty on Maduro from $15 million to $25 million, then Trump raised it to $50 million, highlighting the hypocrisy in selective outrage.

China's Strategic Interests in South America: China had significant involvement in Venezuela as a vassal state, with Chinese delegations present just before the operation. The loss of Venezuelan oil represents a major strategic problem for China's Belt and Road initiative, as they lack sufficient oil resources for their global ambitions. Trump's actions in South America may be more strategically sound for American interests than Middle East interventions.

Greenland Acquisition Strategy: The hosts theorize that rather than direct annexation, the U.S. will likely pressure Denmark regarding Greenland's freedom, then negotiate with Greenland to become a U.S. protectorate with military bases and resource extraction rights while maintaining sovereignty. This fits a pattern of expanding American influence in the hemisphere while pushing out Chinese interests.

Property Road Expansion Challenges: John discusses dealing with a road widening project that has been anticipated for 20 years, which is removing hills and trees that provided privacy, causing drainage issues. He's building berms and planning to plant bamboo or other vegetation as barriers, while managing the significant mudslide problems caused by the construction.

Trump's Conflict with Thomas Massie: Discussion of Trump's ongoing attacks on Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the few consistently principled libertarian-leaning members of Congress. The hosts express frustration that Trump supporters quickly turn on Massie despite him being one of the only politicians who actually follows through on limited government principles, simply because he occasionally votes against Trump-supported bills.

Economic Opportunities in Crisis: The conversation emphasizes that economic downturns create opportunities for entrepreneurs who see problems as chances to profit through solutions. Historical examples include major American brands built during the Great Depression, and the hosts encourage viewing economic troubles as potential advantages rather than just problems to complain about.

Housing Market and Wealth Protection: Trump's comments about the housing situation reveal a strategy to avoid rapid price corrections that would harm wealthy real estate holders, including himself. The proposal includes 50-year mortgages, essentially protecting existing wealth at the expense of young people trying to enter the housing market. The discussion connects this to immigration policy designed to maintain population levels and property values.

H1B Visa Controversy and Labor Markets: Analysis of Trump's H1B visa fee increase to $100,000, noting that if an employer can hire a foreign worker for $50,000+ less annually than an American over a seven-year visa period, they'll still choose the foreign worker. The policy brings money to government but doesn't effectively protect American workers' wages.

Minnesota Somali Daycare Fraud Scandal: Discussion of massive fraud in Minnesota's daycare system involving Somali immigrants, with facilities receiving payments for thousands of children daily while having few or no actual children present. The hosts note this was known for years but only recently exposed by independent journalists, with similar fraud likely existing in other states.

Property Taxes and Wealth Building: Debate about property ownership versus renting, with emphasis that landlords simply pass property taxes to renters anyway. The formula for wealth involves stacking and leveraging assets, as cash devalues over time while assets retain or increase value. North or South Dakota's failed ballot measure to eliminate property taxes demonstrates how even non-property owners vote against their own interests.

Private Membership Associations for Business Protection: Discussion of using PMA structures to create additional legal barriers for businesses, particularly for cottage food operations and homestead businesses. Alan Booker is developing legally sound PMA frameworks with Supreme Court bar attorneys, though there are considerations about legal representation limitations.

Coffee Business Strategy Refinement: Nicole shares her December experiment of adjusting marketing focus in the coffee business, resulting in the biggest sales month ever. This demonstrates the importance of refining target audiences and marketing approaches based on economic conditions and customer behavior patterns.

Alternative Proteins for Alpha-Gal Syndrome: Extended discussion about dietary options for people with Alpha-Gal (tick-borne mammalian meat allergy), including oysters, fish (especially fatty varieties like salmon and mackerel), poultry options like quail, and potentially exotic meats. Emphasis on whole foods approach and immune system strengthening rather than just dietary restrictions.

John Willis Marketing Method: Analysis of the controversial but effective marketing strategy of publicly refusing customers and turning confrontations into discount codes. This only works when backed by exceptional product quality that exceeds the attitude, creating devoted customer communities that defend the brand aggressively.

The 5AM Club Morning Routine: Strong endorsement of waking at 5 AM (or one hour earlier than current routine) to gain peaceful, productive time before the day begins. The practice involves telling yourself before sleep that you're excited to wake up early, which programs your first waking thought. This simple habit change has dramatically increased productivity and life satisfaction.

Voting Philosophy and Political Engagement: Discussion of why some hosts don't vote in presidential elections, seeing it as supporting a corrupt system regardless of which side wins. Local voting may have more impact where individual votes matter more, but federal elections are largely controlled by corporate interests like BlackRock rather than actual representatives.

Mental Health Through Thought Control: The final thought before sleep becomes the first thought upon waking, making it crucial to end the day with positive intentions rather than grievances. This background mental processing affects dreams and morning mindset, providing a simple but powerful tool for improving daily outlook and productivity.

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