For centuries, all sorts of people—generals and politicians, athletes and coaches, writers and leaders—have looked to the teachings of Stoicism to help guide their lives. Each day, author and speaker Ryan Holiday brings you a new lesson about life, inspired by the thoughts and writings of great Stoic thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca the Younger. Daily Stoic Podcast also features Q+As with listeners and interviews with notable figures from sports, academia, politics, and more. Learn more at DailyStoic.com.Listen to THE DAILY STOIC on the Wondery App or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://wondery.com/links/the-daily-stoic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://wondery.com/links/the-daily-stoic/</a>&nbsp;now.&nbsp;

Olivia Nuzzi Knows She Messed Up

The Daily Stoic

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Personal Accountability in an Age of Shamelessness: Ryan Holiday and Olivia Nuzzi explore how honor and personal standards matter even when society seems to reward shamelessness. Nuzzi explains her decision not to "write her way out" of her scandal by exposing others, instead choosing to accept responsibility for her mistakes without using anyone as a "human shield." She contrasts this with the broader cultural trend where people can dispense with honor and shame as a "hack" for surviving scandals, arguing that avoiding short-term pain through shamelessness leads to "eternal suffering."

The Gradual Nature of Moral Compromise: The conversation examines how major mistakes don't happen suddenly but result from many small compromises over time. Nuzzi reflects on suspending "certain critical faculties" and dismissing discomfort in daily life, creating conditions where an enormous mistake became possible. She compares it to the Icarus myth—not about flying too close to others' power, but misunderstanding her own power and becoming so accustomed to being right that she stopped policing her own judgments about right and wrong.

The Distortion of Reality in Trump-Era Politics: Nuzzi discusses how Trump's lawlessness "animates the whole spirit" of the spaces around him, inspiring lawlessness in others. She spent a third of her life covering Trump, starting in 2014 as a 23-24 year old with no prior Washington experience. The book explores the "phantasmagory" and "distortion of reality" of the past decade, where "anything seemed possible" became both an inspirational slogan and a threat—a world where anything could be believed because there were no boundaries, standards, or consensus reality.

The Paradox of Professional Success and Personal Chaos: Both Holiday and Nuzzi reflect on how professional success can enable personal dysfunction. Nuzzi was repeatedly rewarded for not playing by rules, for using her wits to navigate spaces where she didn't belong, creating a "feedback loop" where she developed an incorrect view that she didn't need to second-guess herself. The constant motion and "righteous feeling" of covering the Trump administration became a way to avoid looking critically at herself and her surroundings—being good at your job can become a way of avoiding dealing with your life.

Distinguishing Shame from Embarrassment: Nuzzi draws a crucial distinction between shame and embarrassment: shame is an interior experience about falling short of your own standards and is important for growth, while embarrassment is about external perception and ego. She argues that feeling shame about shameful actions is necessary and productive, but embarrassment about public perception is ultimately about ego rather than genuine self-assessment. None of her experience has been "embarrassing" to her because her value isn't derived from public perception.

The Journalist's Compartmentalization Problem: The conversation explores how journalists must compartmentalize to do their jobs effectively—talking to people with whom they have enormous differences while setting aside judgment to understand their psychology. However, Nuzzi acknowledges this skill made it easier to "focus on the human being and discount the rest" in her personal life, leading to what Holiday characterizes as having "your mind so open your brain fell out." Her professional ability to engage with controversial figures without vibrating with contempt became a liability in her personal judgment.

The Compounding Effect of Keeping Secrets: Nuzzi reflects on how keeping one secret leads to keeping many others, creating an exhausting pattern of "upkeep of lies." She connects this to growing up in a household managing her mother's mental illness and alcoholism, where much of her existence was about maintaining lies to protect her mother. She recognizes falling back into similar patterns as an adult, finding a "paradise within the privacy of a lie"—a dangerous comfort zone that ultimately proved destructive.

Choosing Restraint Over Redemption: Nuzzi deliberately wrote a restrained book, sharing only what felt like hers to tell and what was necessary context for understanding what occurred. She compares her choice to Molly Bloom, who gave up her illicit gains rather than expose others involved in her underground poker games. Holiday notes Nuzzi could have written a more "redemptive" book by revealing more about others or making herself more sympathetic, but she chose fairness and honor over potential public rehabilitation.

Trust and Its Fragility: When asked if she lost friends during her scandal, Nuzzi was shocked by the question—it hadn't occurred to her that close friends might abandon her. However, she learned that different people react differently to crisis, with some being "frightened" like people confronted with mortality, unable to come near someone going through public shame. She also grappled with the challenge of trusting her own judgment after making such significant errors, asking herself "what does my judgment count for?" when she had demonstrated serious gaps in it.

The Absence of Societal Accountability Mechanisms: The discussion explores how traditional checks on behavior—institutions, family structures, shared understanding of value, consensus reality—have collapsed. Without formal mechanisms between individual behavior and legal consequences, there's no penalty in real time for misbehavior. This creates what Holiday calls "antibiotic resistance at a cultural level," where public revelation of wrongdoing no longer has any effect, and shamelessness has become an effective strategy for survival.

The Gift of Forced Stillness: After losing her job, Nuzzi experienced forced stillness for the first time in her life—she had previously avoided it "at all costs." This unwanted pause became an opportunity for genuine self-examination and growth. She describes feeling "grateful" that "the hand of God came and swatted me off the path I was on," even though it was "like being ejected from a moving vehicle." The crisis forced her to confront what she'd been avoiding through constant busyness and professional achievement.

The Loop of Patterns and Lessons: When new chaos emerged during her book publication, Nuzzi reflected on being "back at the welcome mat" and wondered what she hadn't learned the first time. Rather than being purely devastated, she became curious about why she was repeating the pattern, asking "what do I not understand about how the ride works?" She reframed the public shaming as potentially her "new capacity for empathy" if she could avoid reacting from ego or fear—the size of the blast radius becoming the measure of her growth.
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This Podcast will discuss basketball coaching with Coach Steve Collins. Coach Collins will do this with interviews and on topic discussions. (Discussion will revolve around basketball topics such as: Offense, Defense, Motivation, Team Building, Youth Basketball, High School Basketball, college basketball and much more...) We will publish weekly shows at 6:00 am..... Please check out our site if you like our podcast. www.teachhoops.com.

Ep 2798 How Do You Improve Faster Than Your Opponents? ( Part 1)

Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

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Cross-Sport Learning and Soccer Shots Origin Story: Justin from Soccer Shots joins the podcast to share insights from youth soccer coaching that apply across all youth sports. He and his business partners discovered a niche in the late 1990s offering soccer enrichment programs at childcare centers for kids ages 2-8, eventually growing into a franchise with 160 franchisees serving close to 750,000 kids annually across three states.

Making Sports Fun and Fulfilling: The core philosophy emphasizes that youth sports must be both fun and fulfilling. While fun keeps kids engaged, the fulfilling aspect is equally intentional—ensuring children are learning, being challenged, and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Most children stop playing sports because it stops being fun, making this balance critical for retention.

The Soccer Island Concept: Soccer Shots uses imaginative play to make instruction more effective for young children. Instead of explaining boundaries technically, coaches tell 3-5 year olds they're on "Soccer Island" where sharks in the ocean eat soccer balls, motivating them to stay within bounds. Soccer balls become coconuts, cones become palm trees, and this imaginative world helps children engage behaviorally while maintaining their attention.

Age-Appropriate Coaching Techniques Across Age Groups: The imagination concept evolves with age—while younger kids respond to sharks and islands, older players benefit from memorable phrases, rhymes, and shorthand communication. Examples include "rainbows and unicorns" for pivoting moves, "blue cone zone" for trapping areas, and "ABCs of basketball" (Always Be Cutting). These sticky phrases allow coaches to communicate complex concepts quickly during games.

Understanding Developmental Differences: There's a massive difference between what a 2-year-old and 8-year-old can learn and execute. Soccer Shots invested in early childhood education experts over the past decade to create age-appropriate curriculum. For example, 2-year-olds learn "puppy passes" and sharing concepts while being stationary, whereas 8-year-olds can actually execute proper passing technique with an open ankle.

Physical Communication Strategies with Young Children: Effective coaching requires getting down to eye level with young children rather than standing tall. Counterintuitively, lowering your voice rather than raising it causes kids to mirror that behavior and lean in to listen. These subtle communication adjustments create better receptivity and help coaches maintain appropriate control of young groups.

Turning Troublemakers into Helpers: Rather than fighting against disruptive children, incorporate them as helpers—having them pick up cones, collect balls, or assist with demonstrations. Keeping these kids busy and giving them responsibility often transforms problematic behavior into positive engagement.

Starting with Basketball Fundamentals: For youth basketball coaches, the focus should be on comfort with the ball, basic defensive stance, and understanding when to play offense versus defense—concepts experienced players take for granted. Avoid teaching complex concepts like defending screens to third graders. Don't over-emphasize shooting with very young players who lack the physical strength for proper form; instead focus on ball handling and basic positioning.

The Importance of Teaching What to Teach When: Understanding the appropriate skill level and complexity for each age group prevents both coach and player frustration. Trial and error over years helps coaches learn this sequencing, but learning from experienced coaches can accelerate this process significantly and help newer coaches avoid common mistakes.

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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's largest public affairs forum. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Club produces and distributes programs featuring diverse viewpoints from thought leaders on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., since 1924 — is carried on hundreds of stations. Our website features audio and video of our programs. This podcast feed is usually updated multiple times each week.

Youth Mental Health Summit: Sparking Solutions Together

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Alarming Statistics on AAPI Youth Mental Health: The Asian American Foundation's "Beyond the Surface" study reveals that nearly 1 in 2 AAPI youth screen positive for moderate depression, 1 in 3 have planned or attempted suicide, and suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans aged 15-24. Despite these sobering statistics, AAPI youth remain largely invisible in national mental health conversations, with only 1 in 4 accessing formal care and 46% never seeing a mental health provider.

Pressure to Succeed as the Primary Stressor: The report identifies that the top stressor affecting AAPI youth mental health is pressure—both internal and external—from themselves and their families to succeed. This includes academic pressure, expectations around achievement, and the shame of not meeting those expectations. Panelists shared personal experiences of attending high-pressure schools where depression and anxiety were widespread but largely unspoken, with one noting that even after graduating as valedictorian, they felt unsuccessful due to poor mental health.

Cultural Barriers to Seeking Help: Over half of AAPI youth don't feel comfortable talking to their parents about mental health, with the primary barrier being not wanting to burden family members. This reluctance is compounded by cultural stigma, linguistic barriers, and the perception that mental health struggles are dismissed as "non-struggles" compared to the trauma and displacement many immigrant parents experienced. The report found that Southeast Asians are particularly unlikely to approach parents or caregivers for mental health support.

The Importance of Data Disaggregation: Speakers emphasized the critical need to disaggregate AAPI data to understand the unique experiences of different subgroups within the community. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth, in particular, often feel invisible in AAPI spaces and research. The "Beyond the Surface" report made intentional efforts to oversample NHPI youth and be transparent about sample sizes and limitations, recognizing that the AAPI umbrella encompasses vastly different communities with distinct needs.

Racism and Discrimination Impact: The study found that 93% of AAPI youth experienced some form of race-based discrimination in the past year, contributing significantly to mental health struggles. Panelists shared personal experiences of racism, including one speaker describing a "Human Hindu Haters Club" on their school bus and another noting how anti-Asian hate has worsened recently, creating additional stress for young people already struggling with mental health challenges.

LGBTQ AAPI Youth Face Compounded Challenges: AAPI youth who identify as LGBTQ report significantly lower rates of good or excellent mental health compared to those who don't. They face the additional burden of balancing cultural expectations, gender identity, family expectations, and sexual orientation. At Crisis Text Line, half of AANHPI texters who identify as LGBTQ report struggling to balance these competing expectations while trying to define happiness for themselves.

Family as Both Challenge and Solution: While family pressure contributes to mental health struggles, family support is also identified as the key to addressing AAPI youth mental health. Speakers emphasized that parents are more receptive to mental health conversations than youth may believe, and that intergenerational healing and communication are essential. One panelist noted that to serve youth is to serve the whole family, taking a "village approach" that considers the entire family system.

Crisis Text Line Data Reveals Community Strengths: While 8% of Crisis Text Line texters are AAPI (reflecting the general population), AAPI individuals make up 25% of the organization's trained volunteers—demonstrating the community's commitment to helping others. These volunteers report that the listening and communication skills they develop help them in their own families and communities, supporting an additional 1.6 million people through improved intergenerational conversations.

Practical Strategies for Connection: Panelists shared effective approaches for engaging youth, including: giving young people specific language to discuss mental health beyond "I'm fine," creating consistent and safe spaces for connection, using inclusive language to signal acceptance, asking questions like "what do you need?" rather than just "how are you?", and practicing deep listening without judgment or rushing to solutions. One clinician emphasized the importance of showing up consistently even when youth don't engage immediately.

Youth-Centered Solutions and Empowerment: Speakers emphasized that young people need to be at the center of creating solutions, as people support what they themselves create. Analysis of Crisis Text Line conversations revealed that youth identify connection, creativity, sports, time outdoors, and freedom to define happiness for themselves as key to their wellbeing. This underscores the importance of bringing diverse youth voices—not just high-achieving students—into conversations about mental health support.

The Power of Culturally Relevant Care: Community-based organizations like the Samoan Community Development Center demonstrate the importance of culturally grounded approaches, including providing culturally appropriate food, offering services in relevant languages, incorporating cultural practices like dancing and singing, and ensuring childcare is available so whole families can participate. This holistic approach recognizes that in collectivist cultures, individual mental health cannot be separated from family and community wellbeing.

Redefining Success Through Programs Like TALA: The Asian American Foundation launched the Thriving AANHPI Leadership Accelerator (TALA) program to help redefine and expand definitions of success beyond traditional academic and career metrics. The program supports under-resourced ANHPI college students with culturally rooted guidance, career development, mental wellbeing resources, and intergenerational community building, recognizing that holistic wellbeing is as important as economic mobility.
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POST Wrestling&#39;s John Pollock &amp; Wai Ting review WWE Raw, AEW Dynamite and discuss the latest in pro wrestling news with their network of contributors. http://www.postwrestling.com

WWE SmackDown 12/12/25 Review & SNME Preview | RASD

POST Wrestling

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John Cena "Celebration" Falls Flat: WWE heavily promoted Friday's SmackDown as an "emotional celebration" for John Cena ahead of his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event, even plastering his face across WWE.com all day. However, the actual show delivered only a brief video package featuring celebrity tributes from Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Snoop Dogg, Jelly Roll, and Jimmy Fallon. The hosts criticized this as false advertising and the bare minimum effort when WWE could have repurposed their extensive online John Cena content throughout the show.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Tommaso Ciampa Delivers: The U.S. Championship open challenge match was the clear highlight of the show, with both wrestlers delivering hard-hitting offense including rolling Germans, rapid-fire Kobashi-style chops, and intense slap exchanges. Dragunov's nose was bloodied badly during the match. DIY interference created a false finish before Dragunov retained with eight straight wins since his return. This was positioned as potentially one of the matches of the week, though it couldn't match the quality of recent AEW Dynamite and Collision bouts.

Oba Femi's Main Roster Showcase: NXT Champion Oba Femi interrupted Cody Rhodes to set up their Saturday Night's Main Event match, showing strong confidence on the microphone. He quoted John Cena's "your time is up, my time is now" line and called himself "the mountain you cannot climb or conquer." While his crowd reaction was modest, the segment effectively demonstrated Femi's presence next to a top WWE star, giving management a chance to evaluate his readiness for a potential main roster call-up, possibly around May.

Drew McIntyre Drama Through Legal Letters: Nick Aldis attempted to reinstate Drew McIntyre, but Drew has been ghosting him and instead sent a legal letter claiming an "unsafe work environment." Aldis announced he would travel to Drew's house to confront him. Cody Rhodes responded by cutting a promo stating Drew is "only half in" and that while he can't fire him, he can "whip his ass," setting up their ongoing rivalry.

Disastrous Main Event Mix Tag Match: The show closed with Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley defeating Aleister Black & Zelina Vega in what became a notably botched performance. Zelina struggled throughout with multiple blown spots, including a badly executed forward flip attempt that they had to redo, and a Code Red where she appeared to smash her face into the mat. This level of match breakdown is rarely seen on modern WWE television and felt reminiscent of the company's more primitive women's division from decades ago.

Tag Team Division Build for SNME: The show featured several segments building up the women's tag team title scene, with Nia Jax and Lash Legend confronting Rhea Ripley, while Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss also expressed interest in the belts. The hosts noted that the real main event scene in WWE's women's division has become the tag team division, with all the top female stars currently involved in that picture.

Lash Legend's Dominant Debut: Lash Legend defeated five-time women's champion Alexa Bliss in an impressive showing, looking dominant throughout despite interference from Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair. She worked over Alexa's double-jointed arm in creative ways and finished with her "lash extension" move. This was a strong introduction for Legend, though the hosts criticized her move names, joking about the upcoming "Backlash" premium live event.

SmackDown Expands to Three Hours in January: WWE announced that SmackDown will permanently move to three hours starting January 2nd, 2026, in Buffalo, New York. Michael Cole emphasized "three hours" repeatedly during the announcement, with the hosts expressing concern about the extended runtime and how it will affect the viewing experience.

Wyatt Six and Bloodline Feud Lacks Intensity: Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Six challenged Solo Sikoa's Bloodline faction, laying down their tag titles in the ring. However, the promo felt generic and lacked the personal edge that Solo had delivered the previous week. The segment was notably quiet from the crowd, and the hosts felt the Wyatt Six work better in produced vignettes than live arena promos, questioning the long-term viability of the act.

Attendance Decline Continues: The Wilkes-Barre show drew 5,388 fans according to WrestleTix, a 32% decline from their last visit to the venue in May 2024 (7,935). This continues a pattern of decreased ticket distribution, though actual revenue may differ due to potential price increases.

SNME Preview and Predictions: The hosts previewed Saturday Night's Main Event extensively, arguing that all three NXT talents (Javon Evans/Leon Slater, Sol Ruka, and Oba Femi) should defeat the main roster stars to make the show feel significant as both an end to Cena's era and a new beginning. They particularly advocated for Femi defeating Cody Rhodes to set him up as "the guy who ends careers" following Goldberg's retirement, potentially leading to a future match with Brock Lesnar.

John Cena's Final Match Booking Speculation: Regarding Cena vs. Gunther, the hosts debated whether Cena should win his final match or lose to put over the current champion. They argued that Gunther losing wouldn't hurt him, but having Gunther defeat Cena (possibly via submission) would establish him as a career-ender and elevate him heading into Royal Rumble season. They suggested this could set up a major Gunther vs. Brock Lesnar match for later in 2026, possibly at SummerSlam in Minneapolis.

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Barstool Sports Presents Bussin' With The Boys. Get on the bus with NFL players Will Compton & Taylor Lewan! The Boys let you in on their hilarious, high-energy, and often heartfelt conversations. Topics range from exclusive NFL stories to candid chats with personalities from all industries to out-of-left-field hot takes on things you and your friends only discuss behind closed doors. Sometimes they chat with a guest, sometimes it's just the two of them, but it's always a good time when you're Bussin' With The Boys.

And yes, this is the podcast where Mike Vrabel said he'd cut his piece off for a Super Bowl.
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Twitter: twitter.com/BussinWTB You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit <a href="https://barstool.link/bussinwtb">barstool.link/bussinwtb</a>

Best of the Bus: Kalen DeBoer On Taking Over From Nick Saban + Implementing His Own Culture

Bussin' With The Boys

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The Dad Hat Origin Story: The interview opens with lighthearted banter about the podcast hosts' "dad hat" merchandise, which originated when Taylor wore an all-white outfit to sign with the Titans and said "daddy's here," leading to their signature dad-themed branding for parents in their podcast community.

Transitioning from Washington to Alabama in 24 Hours: Coach DeBoer reveals he had essentially just 24 hours to decide whether to accept the Alabama head coaching position, coming immediately after a devastating national championship loss with Washington. Despite the short timeframe, he understood the urgency was necessary to retain the roster and maintain program momentum during a critical recruiting period.

Career Journey from Player to Championship Coach: DeBoer's playing career at Sioux Falls saw a dramatic transformation from a 2-8 freshman season to a 14-0 national championship his senior year, an experience that fundamentally shaped his coaching philosophy. He holds multiple receiving records at the NAIA level and played semi-pro ball while beginning his coaching career.

Washington Experience as a Career Highlight: DeBoer describes his two years at Washington as "probably the best time of our life" for him and his family, making the decision to leave for Alabama particularly difficult despite the prestige of the opportunity. His 25-3 record included back-to-back 11+ win seasons, making him the only Washington coach to achieve this feat.

First Meeting with the Alabama Team: In his initial Friday night meeting with the team, DeBoer focused on expressing excitement about joining them and asking for their patience during the transition, recognizing they had been through an emotional few days with Saban's departure and were being pulled in different directions.

Relationship with Quarterback Jalen Milroe: DeBoer praises Milroe as having "a heart of gold" who takes on quarterback responsibilities at Alabama with grace while being pulled in many directions. He notes Milroe's genuine love for the game itself, from film study to teamwork, and his desire to succeed both personally and for the program.

Succeeding Nick Saban Without Feeling Pressure: DeBoer credits his journey of always focusing on the present moment rather than climbing a ladder as helping him handle the pressure of succeeding arguably the greatest college football coach ever. He emphasizes that Saban has been "over the top respectful" in maintaining distance while wanting the program to continue succeeding.

Alabama's Unmatched School Pride: The hosts note that Alabama players exhibit more school pride than any other program they've encountered, with alumni constantly discussing championships rather than just wins. DeBoer recognizes this tradition and wants all former players and alumni to feel they remain part of the program.

Offensive Scheme Transition for the Offensive Line: While Alabama's offensive line had run primarily zone-read concepts, DeBoer's system emphasizes outside zone schemes. He notes the transition hasn't been as dramatic as perceived, with offensive line coach Eric Wolford helping players translate techniques and terminology, making them one of the most improved position groups during spring practice.

Playing Music at Practice as a Cultural Change: One notable new wrinkle DeBoer brought to Alabama is playing music during practice, something that hadn't been done previously. He uses it not just for energy and vibe, but intentionally as a distraction tool to simulate game-day noise and help players communicate better in challenging environments.

Core Values and Non-Negotiables: DeBoer emphasizes family, accountability, and toughness as his non-negotiables, while also stressing details like tucked-in shirts during workouts and practice. He frames these standards as expressions of pride in representing Alabama and believes "how you do anything is how you do everything."

Nick Sheridan as Offensive Coordinator: DeBoer discusses hiring Nick Sheridan, whom he previously worked with at Indiana in 2019, praising his patience in waiting for the right opportunity and his unselfish move from quarterbacks to tight ends. Sheridan's ability to balance detailed game planning with big-picture thinking made him the right choice to lead the offense.

Staff Depth and Succession Planning: After losing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to the Seattle Seahawks, DeBoer emphasizes the importance of staff continuity and maintaining depth with coaches who have coordinator experience. He acknowledges the need to prepare for future staff departures by having multiple coaches capable of stepping into larger roles.

Post-Game Rituals and Family Time: DeBoer reveals his post-game ritual always involves family time, regardless of whether it's a day or night game. He's excited about the proximity of staff living situations in Tuscaloosa, which will allow for more gatherings and relationship-building among the coaching staff and their families.

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NPR's weekly news quiz hosted by Peter Sagal. Have a laugh and test your knowledge with today's funniest comedians and a celebrity guest. Hate free content? Try a subscription to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!+. Your subscription supports public radio and unlocks fun bonus episodes along with sponsor-free listening. Learn more at https://plus.npr.org/waitwait

WWDTM: Lucy Dacus

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

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Netflix's $83 Billion Warner Brothers Acquisition: Netflix announced it would purchase Warner Brothers Studios for $83 billion, consolidating ownership of HBO, CNN, DC, and other major entertainment properties. Despite concerns about monopolistic practices, the panelists joked that consumers would still need to pay separate subscription fees for each streaming service, and debated whether this would mean the end of theatrical movie releases.

Self-Driving Cars Getting More Aggressive: Waymo's autonomous taxis have been reprogrammed to drive more aggressively after customers complained about trips being too slow due to overly polite driving behavior. The cars now drive around double-parked vehicles and behave more like human drivers, though the panelists joked about the cars becoming too much like aggressive New York cabbies.

The "Swag Gap" in Dating: The Wall Street Journal reported on a dating trend called the "swag gap," where one partner dresses significantly better than the other. Some daters are now vetting potential partners for fashion compatibility before getting serious about relationships.

Latvia's "Rent-a-Husband" Business: Due to Latvia having 15% more women than men, a booming business has emerged offering "husbands for an hour" who can perform household tasks like repairs and installations for about $20 an hour with a three-hour minimum.

Lucy Dacus Interview: Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus, part of the Grammy-winning supergroup boygenius, discussed how her first album was recorded illegally in one day at Reba McEntire's studio as a favor for a friend's school project. She shared stories about her early songwriting at age 7-8, working at a photo processing shop in Richmond where she wrote a song a day, and her emotional meeting with Bruce Springsteen, whose birthday her family celebrated as a holiday.

Japan's Robot Wolves: To deter bears and other animals from populated areas, Japan has deployed approximately 300 "Monster Wolf" robots featuring speakers, flashing lights, and glowing red eyes. These stationary devices can play 50 different sounds and have proven successful at scaring wildlife away.

NHL's Most Punchable Face: A survey of NHL players named Nick Cousins of the Ottawa Senators as having the most punchable face in hockey by a landslide, though players clarified they don't actually hate him and one even called him a good friend.

Three-Year-Old Chess Prodigy: Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha became the youngest person ever rated by the world's leading chess organization at just three years, seven months, and 20 days old, already beating players decades older than him.

Airbnb Sleep-Only Policy: A couple renting an Airbnb in Istanbul, Turkey discovered a sign on the bed stating it was to be used "only for sleep, no other activities," prompting jokes about overly specific house rules at vacation rentals.

Garlic as Mouthwash: A scientific paper revealed that compounds in garlic are as effective at fighting mouth microbes as commercial mouthwash, though with the obvious drawback of terrible breath.

The Pope Makes Fashion List: The New York Times named Pope Leo XIV to their Most Stylish of 2025 list, citing his ability to alter the papal image by wearing items like Chicago White Sox hats with traditional papal garments.

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Award-winning podcast of true stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, true crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained -- seven days a week! Hosted by professional voice actor Darren Marlar, named one of the “Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal.

He Drove a Truck for 50 Years — But Nothing Prepared Him for This Bigfoot Sighting

Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

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Veteran Trucker's Credible Bigfoot Encounter in East Texas: On November 18, 2025, Wayne Yarian, a truck driver with nearly 50 years of experience and background as an Eagle Scout and volunteer firefighter, spotted a large bipedal creature while driving on Texas Farm to Market Road 1253 near Garden Valley. The sighting occurred in clear, sunny conditions around 2-2:30 PM, giving him 5-10 seconds to observe the creature from approximately 200 feet away while traveling at 50-55 mph.

Detailed Physical Description of the Creature: The creature stood between 6-7 feet tall and was covered entirely in dark brownish hair. What particularly struck Wayne were the creature's unusually long arms that hung down to approximately its knees—far longer than human proportions. He also observed what appeared to be a dark brown pad on the palm of its left hand, similar to a dog's paw but scaled to hand size. The creature walked with purpose across the field toward a tree line, moving in a steady, natural gait.

Prime Bigfoot Territory with Significant Research History: The sighting occurred near Village Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River, in an area long considered one of Texas's most active regions for Bigfoot reports. East Texas contains nearly 12 million acres of forestland, including the Big Thicket biological crossroads. Panola County, just south of where the sighting occurred, has the highest number of Bigfoot sightings per capita of any Texas county, making this location particularly significant to researchers.

The Missing Dashcam Evidence: Wayne's truck was equipped with an actively recording dash camera at the time of the sighting. However, as of the initial investigation report, Wayne had not yet obtained the footage from his company's safety manager. The status of this potentially crucial video evidence remains unclear from available reports, representing a frustrating gap in documentation of what could be important visual proof.

Investigation Challenges and Property Access Issues: BFRO investigators Joel and Sheila Wade attempted to examine the sighting location but were unable to access the property, which spans approximately 900 acres as part of a larger 2,800-acre grouping of privately owned land used for cattle operations. They were limited to searching from the perimeter, checking Village Creek banks for tracks and fence lines for hair fibers, but found no physical evidence. The property lessee reported never seeing anything matching Wayne's description.

Credibility Assessment and Report Classification: Investigators were particularly impressed by Wayne's credibility, noting he didn't embellish his account despite opportunities to do so, showed consistent responses, and displayed no signs of deception. His decision to only tell his wife initially, fearing workplace ridicule, further suggested genuine concern rather than attention-seeking behavior. The BFRO upgraded the report from Class B (unclear/distant observation) to Class A (clearer observation ruling out other possibilities), their highest classification for credibility.

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Today’s biggest tech headlines in a flash from TechCrunch.

Trump’s AI executive order promises ‘one rulebook’ — startups may get legal limbo instead

TechCrunch Daily Crunch

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700 Credit Data Breach Exposes 5.6 Million Americans: Michigan-based 700 Credit, a company that provides credit checks and identity verification services for auto dealerships, suffered a data breach in October that compromised the personal information of at least 5.6 million people. The stolen data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of individuals who had interacted with dealers between May and October 2025. The company is now offering credit monitoring services to affected individuals.

Reddit Challenges Australia's Social Media Age Ban: Reddit has filed a lawsuit with Australia's high court seeking to overturn or be exempted from a new law that bans children under 16 from using social media platforms. The company argues that it doesn't fit the legal definition of a social media platform and that the legislation, which took effect December 10, restricts free political discourse by preventing children from expressing their views online. The law requires ten major services to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16.

Trump's AI Executive Order Creates Regulatory Uncertainty: President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to challenge state AI laws in favor of a single national framework, but legal experts warn it may actually prolong uncertainty for startups. The order establishes a Department of Justice task force to challenge state laws within 30 days, gives the Commerce Department 90 days to compile a list of "onerous" state AI laws, and asks regulatory agencies to explore federal standards that could preempt state rules. However, state laws remain enforceable unless courts block them, potentially leaving startups in legal limbo during an extended transition period.

1X Robotics Secures Major Deal with EQT Portfolio Companies: Humanoid robotics company 1X announced a strategic partnership to supply thousands of its Neo humanoid robots to portfolio companies of investor EQT. The deal involves shipping up to 10,000 robots between 2026 and 2030 to over 300 EQT portfolio companies, with focus on manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other industrial applications. Individual deals will be negotiated between 1X and each interested portfolio company.
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NBC's "Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist" provides sharp, conversational coverage of the day's news, along with in-depth profiles of the people and ideas shaping our culture. In his “Sunday Sitdowns,” Geist chats with some of the biggest names in news and pop culture, from actors and musicians to presidents and CEOs, about the stories behind their success. This podcast features the full, unedited versions of those conversations for an even deeper look at the names in the headlines. "Sunday TODAY" airs live on NBC from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. ET. Check your local listings.

MARVEL STARS: Angela Bassett on ‘Zero Day’ and Honoring Chadwick Boseman

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

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Zero Day: A Gripping Cyber-Attack Thriller: Angela Bassett stars as the President of the United States in Netflix's new six-part series Zero Day, opposite Robert De Niro in his first-ever series role. The show depicts a devastating simultaneous cyber attack across the United States that causes mass casualties and chaos, with Bassett's sitting president calling in De Niro's former president to lead the investigation. The series feels uncomfortably realistic given our current dependence on technology, and Bassett notes the format allows for deeper character development than a traditional film.

Working with Robert De Niro: This marks Bassett's second collaboration with De Niro, and she expresses gratitude for being able to work with the legendary actor twice in her career. She describes him as generous, warm, engaging, and curious both on and off screen. While De Niro called the six-month production like "swimming the English Channel," Bassett notes they took their time with the project, making it feel more manageable than her experience on 18-episode series.

Playing Powerful Women Throughout Her Career: Bassett has built a reputation for portraying authoritative figures including queens, CIA directors, and now the President. She explains that these roles often lack extensive backstory, but she brings depth and humanity to them so audiences feel there's more going on behind the eyes. She emphasizes the importance of projecting calm and confidence while navigating uncertainty, particularly in the role of president.

From St. Petersburg to Yale: Raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Bassett was a standout high school student involved in theater, choir, student government, and cheerleading. Her passion for acting was sparked at age 15 after seeing a production of Of Mice and Men that moved her to tears. She attended Yale for her undergraduate degree, where the theater studies program coincidentally began the day she arrived, and later earned her Master's in Fine Arts from Yale's School of Drama under the legendary director Lloyd Richards.

Early Career Struggles and Determination: After graduate school, Bassett performed in off-off-Broadway productions for little to no pay, sometimes sneaking into second acts of shows to experience theater. In 1988, she made the difficult decision to leave her $215 rent-controlled New York apartment to pursue opportunities in Hollywood. When pilot season was cancelled that year, she considered returning to New York, but her great uncle advised her to "don't get off a winning horse," leading her to stay in LA for over 30 years.

Boyz n the Hood: The First Big Break: In 1991, 19-year-old director John Singleton cast Bassett in Boyz n the Hood despite her being primarily known for television work at the time. She felt immediately maternal toward the young filmmaker, and he told her she reminded him of his mother. The film became a classic and featured an ensemble cast including Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, and Cuba Gooding Jr., marking a significant turning point in her career.

What's Love Got to Do with It: The Breakthrough Role: Playing Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic was transformative for Bassett's career. Before this role, she would mail handmade cardboard announcements to friends and family about her TV appearances. After the film's success, which earned her a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination, everything changed—people finally connected her name with her face, and the movie became a cultural phenomenon that resonated with audiences experiencing similar life challenges.

The Reality of Post-Success Hollywood: Despite the critical acclaim for What's Love Got to Do with It, Bassett's phone didn't immediately ring off the hook. During that era, few stories being told in Hollywood included roles for brown-skinned women beyond stereotypical casting. However, timing shifted as more diverse stories began to be told, including biopics about Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and the Jacksons, creating opportunities for actresses like Bassett who looked like the real women they were portraying.

Terry McMillan and Black Cinema Renaissance: Bassett benefited from the emergence of Terry McMillan's novels like Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, which led to successful film adaptations. She recalls seeing people reading these books on the New York subway and recognizing their potential. These films proved that stories about Black characters could be commercially successful and translate internationally, breaking down industry myths about limited audience appeal.

Black Panther: A Cultural Phenomenon: Bassett describes being amazed by the unprecedented fan reaction to Black Panther, with people of all ages from 4 to 94 embracing the film. Fans would cry, fall off chairs, and run into walls just watching trailers. The movie made $1.3 billion globally, definitively proving that films about Black characters could achieve massive international success and appeal across all demographics, representing a historic shift in Hollywood's understanding of audience preferences.

Remembering Chadwick Boseman: Bassett shares touching memories of working with Chadwick Boseman, describing him as a soulful, caring, wise, and grateful human being. She reveals that at the Black Panther premiere party, Boseman told her he had been her student escort when she received an honorary doctorate from Howard University years earlier, but he had waited until after filming to mention it, choosing to focus on the work first—a gesture that reminded her of her own approach when meeting her idol Cicely Tyson.

The Importance of Mentorship and Gratitude: Throughout her career, Bassett was guided by influential mentors like Yale's Lloyd Richards, who directed the first African American play on Broadway (A Raisin in the Sun), and Cicely Tyson, whom she first met on a film set. She emphasizes the importance of remembering where you came from and maintaining gratitude for every opportunity, the lessons learned, and even the missteps, believing that appreciation for one's journey allows you to value what others contribute as well.

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The FOX News Rundown is the place to find in-depth reporting on the news that impacts you. Each morning, Mike Emanuel, Dave Anthony, Lisa Brady, Jessica Rosenthal, and Chris Foster take a deep dive into the major and controversial stories of the day, tapping into the massive reporting resources of FOX News to provide a full picture of the news. 
 
Plus, every night, The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition brings you even more coverage of the day's biggest stories and on the weekend, you’ll hear everything that’s going on in the beltway with The FOX News Rundown: From Washington and special uncut, unedited interviews with The FOX News Rundown: Extra. 
 
Each day The FOX News Rundown features insight from top newsmakers, along with FOX News reporters and contributors, plus a daily commentary on a significant issue of the day. Check us out twice a day, every day.

From Washington: The Urgent Need For A Health Care Deal

The Fox News Rundown

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Affordable Care Act Tax Credits Expiration Crisis: The Affordable Care Act tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year, which will significantly impact over 20 million Americans (about 6% of the population) with substantially higher health insurance premiums. Congress left town without a deal, though Speaker Mike Johnson expects to bring a health care bill to the floor next week. The end-of-year deadline is forcing legislative action, though whether Republicans and Democrats can reach agreement remains uncertain.

Republican Strategy and Internal Divisions on Healthcare: Republicans are divided on how to address the healthcare crisis. Some GOP members appear to be downplaying the problem by emphasizing it only affects 6% of the population, while others like Don Bacon warn that voters will "hit us with a sledgehammer" on this issue. Republicans generally oppose simply extending Obamacare subsidies, instead favoring reforms like association health plans, purchasing policies across state lines, and health savings accounts to increase choice and competition.

Democratic Leverage and Shutdown Strategy: During the recent government shutdown, Senate Democrats agreed to end it in exchange for a vote (not a fix) on a three-year extension of Obamacare subsidies. While they got their vote, the proposal didn't pass, leaving the fundamental problem unresolved. Some Democrats question whether this tactic was worth it, but healthcare has become a key leverage point for their party.

Economic Impact Beyond Healthcare Costs: The expiration of subsidies will have broader economic ramifications beyond just higher healthcare premiums. When people pay more for healthcare, they spend less on other things, which affects other sectors of the economy. This comes at a time when gas prices are down but many other costs remain elevated, despite wages countering inflation relatively well.

Discharge Petitions as a Legislative Tool: Discharge petitions, which allow 218 House members to bypass the Speaker and bring bills to the floor, have become increasingly common. Several have succeeded in this Congress after decades of unsuccessful attempts. Multiple discharge petitions are being floated around for healthcare, though they require strategic timing and the House being in session when their date comes up, and healthcare companies reportedly say Congress has until about January 15th to resolve the issue.

Indiana Redistricting Defeat as Rebuke to Trump: The Republican-controlled Indiana legislature rejected a redistricting plan despite pressure from the Trump administration, including implicit threats about withholding road money and alleged intimidation tactics like doxing state legislators. This represents one of the first significant pushbacks by Republicans against President Trump's efforts, signaling that some GOP members are prioritizing their own 2026 elections over Trump's agenda since he won't be on the ballot.

Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Congressional Districts: A Supreme Court case expected to be decided in spring could potentially overturn a section of the Voting Rights Act dealing with minority-majority districts. If the Court rules against these provisions, it could eliminate 25 to 30 Democratic seats, potentially relegating Democrats to a long-term minority similar to what Republicans experienced for decades. This case may be the most important but least discussed factor in the entire redistricting effort.

Jack Smith Investigation by House Judiciary Committee: The House Judiciary Committee is investigating former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led prosecutions against President Trump. Smith is scheduled for a closed-door deposition later this month, though his legal team says he's willing to testify publicly. The committee has already deposed three of Smith's deputies and issued a criminal referral for one of them, Thomas Windom, for allegedly obstructing their investigation.

Targeting of Congressional Phone Records: Chairman Jim Jordan revealed that investigators obtained his phone records for two and a half years, including who he called, when, how long calls lasted, and his location during calls. Speaker Johnson's phone records were also obtained after he became Speaker. Jordan questions why carriers were instructed not to inform members of Congress that their phone logs were being collected, with the justification being they might be flight risks or tamper with evidence, which he calls absurd.

Minnesota COVID Fraud Investigation: The House Oversight Committee is examining a massive COVID fraud scandal in Minnesota involving estimates of a billion dollars or more in fraud. Whistleblowers tried to flag the issue for state leadership, and the investigation is examining what Governor Tim Walz and his administration knew and whether they looked the other way for political reasons. This case could reveal broader patterns of COVID-era fraud involving the trillions of dollars distributed during the pandemic.

Venezuela Boat Strikes and Military Authority: Recent Venezuela-related boat strikes targeting narco-terrorist organizations have drawn scrutiny from some Democrats who question whether Congress should authorize such military force. Jordan argues the legal justification is sound for strikes against narco-terrorist organizations bringing harmful substances into the U.S., and distinguishes these actions from larger military operations that would require congressional approval under the Constitution.

2026 Midterm Election Stakes: Republicans are working to maintain their House majority in 2026, with Jordan warning that if Democrats win control, they will pursue a third impeachment of President Trump. He notes Democrats replaced Jerry Nadler with Jamie Raskin on the Judiciary Committee specifically to prepare for potential impeachment proceedings. Jordan emphasizes President Trump's crucial role in driving turnout and helping Republicans in key districts, as demonstrated in a recent Tennessee special election.

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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.

Brandon Bussi Makes History & Joel Nystrom is Staying with the Carolina Hurricanes for Another Four Years

Locked On Hurricanes - Daily Podcast On The Carolina Hurricanes

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Brandon Bussi Makes NHL History: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi became the first goalie in NHL history to win 10 games in his first 11 career starts, accomplishing this feat in a shootout victory against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old undrafted rookie, who was claimed off waivers earlier this season, is now 10-1-0 with a 2.07 goals-against average and .910 save percentage while riding an eight-game winning streak. Despite making history, Bussi remained humble, crediting the team's strong play and maintaining his focus on being ready for the next shot.

Bussi's Remarkable Journey to the NHL: The goaltender's path to success is particularly impressive given his background as an undrafted player who signed with Boston, played 111 AHL games, then signed with Florida before being assigned to Charlotte. After being claimed by the Hurricanes to replace Pyotr Kochetkov during injury, Bussi seized his opportunity and has earned 20 points for Carolina when in net, far exceeding expectations for what was supposed to be a backup role.

Joel Nystrom Earns Four-Year Extension: The Hurricanes signed defenseman Joel Nystrom to a four-year contract extension worth $4.9 million total ($1.125 million AAV) through the 2029-30 season. The 23-year-old seventh-round pick from the 2021 draft has played only 23 NHL games after minimal North American experience (just seven AHL games total), yet has seamlessly integrated into Carolina's defensive system with four assists and a plus-two rating.

Exceptional Value in Nystrom's Contract: The deal represents outstanding value for Carolina, locking up a promising young defenseman at just over $1 million annually even as the salary cap rises. Nystrom played 221 Swedish Hockey League games before coming to North America, leading SHL defensemen in assists (21) and ranking second in points (27) last season. The contract provides four years of team control through Nystrom's prime years, potentially extending to his early 30s if he earns another extension.

Carolina's Defensive Depth Strengthens: The Nystrom signing further solidifies Carolina's blue line for the future, joining a defensive core that includes Jacob Slavin, Jaccob Slavin, Sean Walker, and Dmitry Orlov. With several contracts expiring after next season, Nystrom's deal begins at an ideal time, providing continuity and depth without significant cap implications. His seamless adjustment to NHL play, strong positioning, and effective stick work have made him virtually invisible in the best way possible for a stay-at-home defenseman.

Three-Goalie Dilemma Creates Interesting Decisions: With Bussi's historic run, Pyotr Kochetkov healthy, and Fredrik Andersen also available, Carolina faces an unusual situation of having three healthy NHL-caliber goalies. The team must carefully manage playing time heading into a back-to-back against Philadelphia, balancing the need to keep all three sharp while riding Bussi's hot hand. The decision on who starts each game of the weekend series will reveal the coaching staff's hierarchy and management strategy.

Weekend Back-to-Back Against Philadelphia Preview: The Hurricanes face the Flyers in a home-and-home series starting Saturday in Philadelphia and concluding Sunday in Carolina. Both teams enter hot, with Carolina on a two-game winning streak and Philadelphia carrying a two-game point streak despite being 16-9-4. The Metropolitan Division matchup represents an opportunity for Carolina (19-9-2) to solidify their position atop the division standings by capturing four crucial points.

Special Teams and Five-on-Five Matchup Analysis: While Philadelphia holds a slight edge on special teams (17.3% power play vs. Carolina's 15.4%, and 81.1% penalty kill vs. 78.8%), the Hurricanes dominate at five-on-five play. Carolina ranks sixth in goals-for per game (3.3) while allowing just 2.8 (11th), whereas Philadelphia sits 23rd in scoring (2.8) despite strong defense (10th in goals-against at 2.79), explaining their record built largely on one-goal games.

Key Flyers Threats to Watch: Philadelphia's offensive production centers around Travis Konecny (25 points in 29 games and a noted Carolina killer), rookie sensation Matvei Michkov, and Travis Sanheim. Goaltending will likely feature either Dan Vladar (11-5-2, 2.52 GAA, .906 save percentage) or Sam Ersson (5-3-2, 2.98 GAA, .871 save percentage), with the strategy being to attack early and make the netminder work east-west to create quality scoring chances.

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Podcast interviews with genius-level (top .1%) practitioners, scientists, researchers, clinicians and professionals in Cancer, 3D Bio Printing, CRISPR-CAS9, Ketogenic Diets, the Microbiome, Extracellular Vesicles, and more.

Subscribe today for the latest medical, health and bioscience insights from geniuses in their field(s).

Rewriting The Aging Process Bob Gilpatrick On Epigenetics, Longevity & Holistic Wellness

Finding Genius Podcast

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Epigenetics and Gene Expression Fundamentals: Epigenetics refers to the mechanisms "above the genome" that control whether genes are expressed or remain dormant. DNA is wrapped in a protective sheath that must be opened through chemical reactions, light, or other stimuli to allow genes to be transcribed. As people age, this sheath becomes increasingly resistant to stimulation, making it harder for beneficial genes to express themselves, particularly those responsible for building muscle and maintaining metabolic health.

Bob Gilpatrick's Journey into Anti-Aging Research: Following a devastating car crash at age 17 that broke his back, neck, both legs, and fractured his skull, Gilpatrick spent a year recovering and then dedicated himself to understanding human healing and regeneration. His background included working at Cornell University with world-renowned scientists, running elder care facilities as a CEO, teaching gerontology at Pace University, and eventually founding Boomers Forever Young, a nutraceutical company focused on anti-aging products.

Development of Myotrol Epigenetic Reprogrammer: Scientist Eric Kurtz spent six years identifying specific single-molecule extracts from polyphenols that could activate genes responsible for muscle building, energy production, and neurological function. The active compounds are extracted from cocoa, pagoda tree, and hops, then purified to 99.99% purity in a pharmaceutical-grade laboratory and converted from fat-soluble to water-soluble for better cellular absorption.

Four Primary Mechanisms of Myotrol: The supplement activates gene sets that enable muscle building even in very elderly people, balances the energy production system by optimizing NAD+/NADH ratios, stimulates production of the hormone Irisin (which mimics fasting's molecular profile), and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotransmitter that enhances motivation and drive to exercise and be active.

Dramatic Results in Elderly Populations: After distributing Myotrol to several thousand people over approximately one year, the company collected hundreds of testimonials showing remarkable improvements. People in their 80s and 90s who previously required nursing assistance regained independence, returned to work, and experienced significant increases in strength and energy. One woman in her 80s was able to return to working on her farm.

Personal Strength Gains and Testing: Gilpatrick himself, at age 69, doubled his strength within two months of taking the product while maintaining his normal workout routine. He experienced a pronounced increase in repetitions and progressively increased his weights multiple times. Similar results were observed in beta testers, leading to the decision to manufacture and distribute the product commercially.

Unexpected Benefits Beyond Muscle Building: Users reported improvements in multiple areas not originally targeted by the formulation, including reduced addiction to sugar, alcohol, and prescription drugs, improved cognition in people with traumatic brain injury, and significant relief from depression and lethargy common in elderly populations. The energy boost helps combat the malaise that often accompanies aging and progressive loss of physical and mental resources.

Gladiator Barley as Complementary Substrate: The company offers a second product made from ancient barley seeds sprouted and grown on pristine farms in northern Canada. This powder provides all essential amino acids, approximately 4,000 metabolic enzymes, and high amounts of superoxide dismutase. It was originally developed to help chemotherapy patients suffering from muscle wasting and is so potent that users must start with small doses to avoid overwhelming detoxification effects.

Upcoming Collagene Product for Joint Health: A second epigenetic reprogrammer called Collagene is being released to activate genes that produce agrican, hyaluronic acid, and type 2 collagen—the key components of cartilage. Beta testing showed remarkable results within 3-4 days, with people scheduled for knee replacements experiencing pain relief and cartilage regeneration, even in 90-year-olds with bone-on-bone conditions.

Novel Pain Management Mechanism: Collagene includes molecular extracts that activate genes producing peptides that block pain signals, similar to a recently FDA-approved pharmaceutical pathway but derived from plant sources. This mechanism is expected to eventually replace opioids as the pain management solution of choice and provides relief for various types of pain beyond joint issues.

Dosing Flexibility and Individual Response: The standard dose is two gel capsules containing active ingredients suspended in MCT oil, but dosing varies by individual. Some people find two capsules produce too much energy and BDNF, requiring them to reduce to one capsule, while others can take three or more without side effects. The main caution is taking it too late in the day, which can interfere with sleep due to the energy boost.

Comprehensive Customer Support System: The company maintains a U.S.-based call center staffed by trained employees who help customers optimize their use of these sophisticated products. Notably, one employee responsible for outbound wellness calls has been with the company for 10 years and will turn 90 years old on his next birthday—he remains active, writes books on nutrition, and goes fishing, attributing his vitality to these products.

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History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

CLASSIC: How the Monopoly Board Game Became a World War II Escape Kit

Ridiculous History

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Monopoly's Origins as an Anti-Capitalist Game: Monopoly was originally invented in 1904 by Elizabeth Magee as "The Landlord's Game," designed to warn people about the dangers of unbridled capitalism. Ironically, when the game was later appropriated, the gameplay was modified to actually reward unbridled capitalism, transforming the game's core message into its opposite.

Christopher Clayton Hutton's Espionage Credentials: British intelligence officer Christopher Clayton Hutton, nicknamed "Clutty," secured his position at MI9 in 1939 by referencing his failed attempts to outwit legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. His fascination with magic tricks and illusions made him perfect for designing escape gadgets like hidden compasses in buttons, boots with hollow heels containing knives, and tiny telescopes disguised as cigarette holders.

The Silk Map Innovation: Hutton approached UK manufacturer Waddington Limited because they had three crucial capabilities: they made silk maps, they printed on silk (which wouldn't deteriorate in rain, tear easily, or make noise when unfolded), and they held the license to manufacture Monopoly in the United Kingdom. This combination made them ideal partners for the secret operation.

Geneva Conventions Enabled the Scheme: Board games were allowed into German POW camps due to Geneva Convention rules and Red Cross humanitarian provisions. Germany, already criticized for poor treatment of POWs, permitted these deliveries including books, snacks, and games. Guards assumed prisoners occupied with lengthy board games would be less likely to attempt escapes.

The Escape Kit Contents: Modified Monopoly boards contained silk maps hidden within the board itself, real currency (French, Italian, and German) concealed among the Monopoly money, small compasses and files either disguised as playing pieces or hidden in shallow indentations cut into the thicker cardboard boards of the era, covered by the decorative label.

Elaborate Cover Organizations: MI9 created fake charitable organizations to donate the modified games, including the Licensed Victuallers Sports Association, Ladies Knitting Circle, Jigsaw Puzzle Club, and Prisoners Leisure Hour Fund. This protected the Red Cross from knowingly distributing escape materials and kept the true source hidden from German authorities.

The Red Dot Signal System: Modified boards reportedly contained a small red dot that served as a subtle clue to Allied prisoners that the board was special, appearing like a simple printing error to German guards. However, prisoners still needed intuition and careful examination to discover the hidden items, making it a leap of faith operation.

American Adoption of the Technique: After Pearl Harbor, Captain Robley Winfrey was trained by Hutton to create similar escape kits for American forces. The US Military Intelligence's "Ms. X" section reverse-engineered civilian Monopoly games bought from toy stores, even replicating Parker Brothers' exact glue formula to ensure the modified boards appeared authentic.

Remarkable Success Rate: While exact numbers remain uncertain, estimates suggest approximately 10,000 Allied POWs successfully used the Monopoly maps to escape. Overall, at least 740 airmen escaped using various aids created by Hutton and Winfrey, with over 35,000 Allied POWs escaping from German camps during the war.

The Only Undetected Escape Kit: When World War II ended in September 1945, Monopoly was the only escape kit method the Germans never discovered. All boards were destroyed per instructions to maintain secrecy, which is why no physical examples survive today to study or display.

Decades of Classification: The British use of modified Monopoly games remained classified until 1985, while American involvement wasn't revealed until 1990. Even Parker Brothers, the game's creator, had no knowledge of the wartime modifications, and airmen were briefed before missions to watch for escape kits hidden in Monopoly games if captured.

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Truth For Life is the Bible-teaching ministry of Alistair Begg. The ministry's mission is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted, believers will be established and local churches will be strengthened. Join us each weekday and on the weekend as Alistair helps us apply the Bible to our daily lives.

When? What? Why? (Part 1 of 3)

Truth For Life Daily Program

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This is part 1 of a 3-part series examining Galatians 4:4-5, which addresses fundamental questions about Jesus's incarnation using a journalist's framework of "when, what, and why."

The Cultural Disconnect About Jesus: Despite familiarity with nativity scenes and Christmas imagery, many people—even in countries with Christian heritage—don't understand who Jesus was, why he lived, or why he died. School children confuse Jesus with Robin Hood, highlighting how unclear the Christian message has become even to those exposed to it regularly.

The "When" Question—God's Perfect Timing: The phrase "when the time had fully come" in Galatians 4:4 indicates that Jesus's arrival was not accidental but a divine appointment determined by God's eternal decree. God, who stands outside of time, chose to intervene in human history at a specific moment, demonstrating that issues of time are under His sovereign control.

Historical Context Made Palestine Ideal: Though some might question why Jesus came to "such a backward time" and "strange land" (as expressed in Jesus Christ Superstar), Palestine was actually uniquely positioned geographically to launch a worldwide movement into Asia, Africa, and Europe. Four factors made this moment optimal: expectancy (Jews were anticipating the Messiah), security (Roman Empire's Pax Romana and road systems), clarity (Greek language facilitating cross-cultural communication), and futility (old mythological gods losing their hold on people's beliefs).

Contemporary Futility Mirrors Ancient Searching: The religious futility of the first century parallels today's culture, illustrated by Woody Allen's expressions of life's meaninglessness and Hollywood's superficiality. People continue searching for purpose and significance beyond themselves, making "fake somebodies" rather than accepting being "real nobodies."

The Law's True Purpose Misunderstood: Paul's context in Galatians 3 shows that God gave Abraham a promise, Moses the law, and then sent Jesus. The law was intended to reveal sin and lead people to Christ, but it had become a dead-end (cul-de-sac) rather than a pathway. Many religious people today remain zealous but experience no forgiveness, security, peace, or hope because they view the law as a ladder to climb rather than a mirror revealing their need for cleansing.

The "What" Question—God Sent His Son: The Greek verb used indicates Jesus was "sent out from a previous state," meaning His life did not begin in Bethlehem. Unlike every other person, Jesus existed before His birth. Without ceasing to be God, He became what He was not—man. This is the profound mystery of the incarnation that couldn't be easily explained even to Pilate when he asked Jesus, "Where did you come from?"

Salvation as Gift, Not Reward: The fundamental misunderstanding persists that salvation is a reward to be earned through religious effort rather than a gift to be received. This makes religious experience futile when it depends entirely on human endeavors to make oneself acceptable to God, leaving people feeling sad, hopeless, and despairing despite their sincere religious activities.
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"Answers aren't important, the journey is. Truth is the journey"Welcome to Prometheus Lens, the place where we use the allegory of the Prometheus Lens to re examine everything! How many times have we been told something, but later when we dig in for ourselves we find out we've been lied to? It's time for us to go on "The Hero's Journey", where we explore the vast unknown.We will reexamine everything from creation, evolution, paranormal, all the way to conspiracy theories. Welcome to the hero's journey!

The Royals; The Abominable Branch

Prometheus Lens

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The Serpent Seed Theory and Genesis Reinterpretation: Doc Brown explores an alternative reading of Genesis 3, suggesting the "forbidden fruit" was not an apple but a sexual encounter between Eve and the serpent (Nachash, meaning "shining one"). He argues that all the curses following this event relate to sexual reproduction, and that Cain was the offspring of this union—acquired by Adam rather than fathered by him—while Abel and Seth represented Adam's true lineage. This establishes the foundation of a "seed war" between two competing bloodlines.

The Garden of Eden as a Priestly Transfer: The serpent is presented as the original high priest of creation based on Ezekiel 28, which describes an anointed cherub in the Garden of Eden covered in precious stones matching the priestly ephod. Doc argues that when God provided "coverings" for Adam and Eve, these were the serpent's priestly garments—symbols of dominion and authority—representing a transfer of power from the angelic realm to humanity.

Esau's Story as Seed War Continuation: The narrative reframes Esau as a serpent seed descendant, born covered in hair (linking to hypertrichosis, a genetic condition) with the guardian angel Samael (Satan's pre-fall name). The famous trading of the birthright is recontextualized through the Book of Jasher, where Esau kills King Nimrod and steals supernatural garments from the Garden of God, then arrives exhausted and injured to trade his birthright—making his decision about survival, not stew.

The Supernatural Garments as Central MacGuffin: These garments from Eden are traced through biblical genealogy as the symbol of rightful kingship and priesthood over Earth. The Book of Jasher tracks them from Adam through Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, then stolen by Ham, passed to Cush and Nimrod, taken by Esau, and finally obtained by Jacob through his mother Rebecca's deception—representing the ongoing battle for dominion between bloodlines.

Noah's Nakedness and Ham's Rebellion: The incident of Ham "uncovering his father's nakedness" is reinterpreted through Leviticus 17 as Ham sleeping with Noah's wife in an act of rebellion to usurp authority. This explains why Canaan (the offspring of this union) was cursed rather than Ham, and why the garments were placed back on Noah by his other sons—restoring the symbol of authority to the rightful ruler.

Elite Bloodlines and the Dragon Court: Nicholas de Vere's "Dragon Legacy" is cited as providing a secular parallel to the biblical serpent seed narrative, claiming that royal bloodlines (Merovingians, De Veres) trace back to Cain and possess "divine right to rule" as descendants of the elder race—the angelic beings who believe they were unjustly displaced by humanity. These elites allegedly practice blood rituals and selective breeding to maintain their perceived supernatural heritage.

Genetic Manifestations and Giant Races: The fallen angel DNA allegedly manifested in various ways throughout history, including gigantism, elongated skulls, and hypertrichosis. Doc argues that Genesis 6 describes angelic beings breeding with humans to create Nephilim giants, a pattern that continued after the flood through various hybrid lineages that ancient peoples sought to eliminate during biblical conquests.

Elongated Skulls as Evidence of Hybrid Races: Doc presents a Paracas skull as physical evidence, noting that some elongated skulls cannot be explained by head-binding because they lack sagittal suture lines, have 25-30% larger eye orbits suggesting night vision capabilities, possess 15% greater brain volume, and have differently positioned foramen magnums—all indicating genetic rather than cultural modification.

Ancient American Migration of Giants: Following L.A. Marzulli's research, Doc theorizes that Nephilim clans fled Joshua's conquest of Canaan, becoming the Phoenicians who sailed to North America via the Great Lakes. They mined the purest copper in the world from Isle Royale, fueling the Bronze Age globally, then traveled down the Ohio River Valley—explaining the concentration of massive earthwork mounds and giant skeleton discoveries in this region.

Viracocha and South American Connections: Peruvian legends describe Viracocha as a pale-skinned, bearded creator god with an elongated head who arrived on serpents and civilized the people—characteristics completely foreign to native Peruvians. The "Path of Viracocha" traces his journey through towns where megalithic architecture and elongated skulls are consistently found, with Spanish explorers recording encounters with descendants of this divine ruling class.

Biblical Parables as Seed War Allegories: Jesus's parables are interpreted as repeatedly telling the seed war story: the parable of the tenants (angelic rebellion over Earth's dominion), the wheat and tares (two seed lines growing together until final judgment), and the prodigal son (humanity as younger brother versus angelic beings as resentful elder brother). These micro-narratives reinforce the macro-story of competing bloodlines throughout scripture.

Deuteronomy 32 and the Tower of Babel: The division of nations at Babel is explained through Deuteronomy 32:8 as God apportioning different people groups to rebellious divine beings (sons of God) while reserving Israel for Himself. Psalm 82 addresses these same divine rulers who govern "unjustly," establishing the concept that spiritual entities operate as puppet masters behind human governments and elite families.

Modern Surveillance and the Beast System: Doc draws parallels between current technology (smartphones, smart TVs, AI, blockchain currency) and Revelation's prophecies about total surveillance and economic control. He views the progression from gold standard to Federal Reserve to digital currency as incremental steps toward a system where those without "the mark" cannot buy, sell, or trade—enabled by technologies like Palantir.

Population Control Agenda and the 2020 Event: Elite bloodlines are accused of viewing humanity as "cattle" to be controlled and culled, citing Albert Pike's writings and pre-2020 TED talks about overpopulation concerns. The targeting of elderly and those with health conditions, followed by unexplained deaths among young athletes from blood clots and heart conditions, is presented as evidence of deliberate population reduction efforts by those believing resources are finite.

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Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits that might change the way we think about food, cooking and eating. An expert panel answers audience questions.

Dundee

The Kitchen Cabinet

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Frankenstein Food Combinations: The panel shares their most experimental or "frankensteined" food creations, inspired by Dundee's connection to Mary Shelley. Sarah Rankin reveals her venison spring rolls that got her eliminated from MasterChef, while Jocky Petrie explains the science of flavor pairing, including successful combinations like tomato with coconut, rose with cumin for roast chicken, and blue cheese with dark chocolate. Rachel McCormack champions the now-vanished haggis nachos that once graced Scottish pubs.

Pizza Topped with Chips Sparks Debate: An audience question about whether chips (fries) belong on pizza reveals the controversial practice has Italian roots—the Pizza Americana has been served in Naples since the 1970s. The panel enthusiastically supports the double-carb combination, with Jocky recommending adding fried eggs and rolling it like a burrito. The audience vote is closely split on the concept.

Making Haggis Kid-Friendly: For a question about introducing haggis to young Squirrel Scouts, the panel suggests mixing it 25% with regular mince in lasagna, wrapping it in burritos, battering it like other beige foods kids enjoy, or Jocky's most creative suggestion—rendering the haggis fat and mixing it into honeycomb (cinder toffee) to create a sweet-and-savory treat.

Claret as Scotland's True National Drink: Writer Billy Kay makes a compelling case that claret (red Bordeaux wine), not whisky, should be considered Scotland's national drink. Due to the ancient alliance between France and Scotland, claret was widely consumed across all social classes for centuries, with whisky only becoming popular in the Lowlands in the 18th century. The wine trade was so important it was called "the bloodstream of the old alliance."

Cooking with Wine Quality Matters: The panel debates how much wine quality matters in cooking. While Sarah suggests you shouldn't cook with wine that tastes bad on its own, Billy Kay argues basic wine works as well as fine Bordeaux once it's in a sauce. Rachel uses tears as her measurement—if she's crying over putting it in the pot, it's too expensive. Paula recommends making a red wine caramel reduction for glazing meats and fish.

Creative Uses for Red Wine in Cooking: Beyond traditional applications, the panel shares innovative red wine recipes including Paula's red wine poaching liquor for white fish, Sarah's venison Bolognese with half a bottle of wine, and Jocky's elaborate red wine cheese toasty made with a triple reduction process to intensify flavors and create a cheese spread mixed with Comté, Gruyere, and Cheddar.

Blue Food Will Never Catch On: The panel unanimously agrees that blue-colored food has no place in restaurants, as the color is associated with mold. Rachel criticizes the pretentious trend of making diners eat moss, lamenting the shift from fun molecular gastronomy to unnecessarily austere Nordic-inspired cuisine. Paula shares trauma from being marked down in culinary school for serving trout on blue aspic.

The Twee World of Scottish Shortbread: Rachel explains how shortbread has been one of Scotland's great exports for 150 years, shipped worldwide in decorative tins featuring idealized Highland scenes, tartan, and romantic imagery. The phenomenon has become so pervasive that Scots now use "shortbread tin-y" as a descriptor for overly twee, touristy events or places.

Elevated Shortbread Variations: Sarah's grandmother's recipe gets high praise from the panel. Suggested additions include flaked sea salt, dried flowers like lavender or gorse, ground almonds or coconut, and pink peppercorns. Jocky advocates for French-style sablé biscuits made with olive oil or even blue cheese for a savory version.

The Millionaire Shortbread Controversy: The panel initially expresses mixed feelings about millionaire shortbread, criticizing commercial versions with oily bases, margarine-laden caramel, and cheap chocolate. However, Jocky's homemade version—featuring olive oil sablé base, slow-cooked salted butter caramel, chocolate ganache, and gold cocoa nibs—converts even the skeptics and leaves Rachel "speechless."

What Mom Made Better: In response to a question about rice-making, panelists share dishes their mothers excelled at that they can't replicate: Rachel can't match her mother's salad, Paula misses her mom's vermouth-spiked fruit salad, Sarah can't recreate her mother's legendary Scotch broth, and Jocky fondly (and cheekily) remembers his mother's memorably bad fish pie with boiled eggs.

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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.

SPECIAL: Libs Think Christmas is Gay & Racist - Nightly Scroll with Hayley Caronia

The Dan Bongino Show

VINCE

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War on Christmas Narratives from the Left: Joy Reid shared a video claiming "Jingle Bells" has racist origins, alleging it was written by a Confederate soldier for blackface minstrel shows to mock Black people. The host rejects this attempt to cancel classic Christmas songs, arguing the lyrics are simply about riding in a one-horse open sleigh with no racial connotations. Additionally, McDonald's Netherlands created a bleak AI-generated advertisement depicting Christmas as "the most terrible time of the year," showing families struggling with holiday preparations and suggesting escape to McDonald's as the solution.

Inappropriate LGBTQ Content in North Carolina Schools: Republican State Representative Brendan Jones exposed books offered to children in Chapel Hill schools, including "Santa's Husband" which depicts Santa in a gay interracial relationship, completely rewriting traditional Christmas lore and disrespecting Mrs. Claus. Another book taught young children about genitalia in inappropriate ways. These materials were presented during testimony about whether schools were complying with North Carolina's parental rights bill similar to Florida's legislation.

Gavin Newsom's Pro-Trans Stance: California Governor Gavin Newsom declared himself "the most pro-trans governor ever" on the New York Times podcast, claiming to have a trans godson and stating he's signed more pro-trans legislation than any other governor. When GOP accounts criticized him for saying "I want to see trans kids," his press office doubled down by retweeting the criticism, shamelessly affirming their pro-trans kids position despite backlash. This contradicts his previous statement to Charlie Kirk that trans women competing against biological women in sports is unfair.

AOC's Lavish Campaign Spending in Puerto Rico: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign spent nearly $50,000 in Puerto Rico between June and September, including $15,000 on luxury hotels in San Juan, $10,500 on meals and catering, and $23,000 on a Bad Bunny concert venue rental with box seats. The spending was for business expenses rather than personal vacation, raising questions about how Puerto Rico trips help her represent Queens, New York constituents and following a pattern similar to Jasmine Crockett's Vegas spending.

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Australia became the first country to ban social media accounts for children under 16, with Communications Minister Anika Wells announcing platforms face fines up to $49.5 million for non-compliance. However, teens immediately found workarounds including using parents' accounts, fake birthdays, VPNs, aging filters, face masks purchased on Temu, and even dog photos for facial recognition. The host questions whether government should parent children instead of actual parents.

Marco Rubio Reverses Biden-Era Font Change: The Trump administration's State Department is switching back from Calibri to Times New Roman font, reversing a 2023 change made under Anthony Blinken that supposedly improved accessibility for people with disabilities. The host views the Calibri switch as unnecessary DEI pandering and humorously suggests Comic Sans and Papyrus should be banned, calling them terrible fonts.

Florida Road Named After Trump: West Palm Beach city leaders approved renaming a four-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard as "President Donald J. Trump Boulevard," running from Palm Beach International Airport to Mar-a-Lago. The naming is particularly fitting as it leads directly to Trump's residence and the "winter White House."

AI's Growing Impact on Parenting and Society: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed on Jimmy Fallon's show that he uses ChatGPT to help raise his child, asking questions like why his kid drops pizza on the floor. The host discusses the "Google Effect" - how brains no longer memorize information because Google is always available - and worries AI will further diminish human capabilities. She predicts people will become completely dependent on AI for basic tasks, comparing the future to the movie WALL-E where humans are helpless without robots.

Height Augmentation Surgery Trend: Former Navy medic Denzel Siggers underwent painful limb lengthening surgery in Turkey for $81,000, growing from 5'5" to 6'1" (eight inches total). The procedure involves breaking bones in both upper and lower legs, inserting rods, and stretching them over three months per surgery. While the host generally supports cosmetic procedures people genuinely want, she finds this extreme, though one crew member revealed he had similar surgery as a child for medical reasons to equalize uneven legs.

Marketing and Commercials Have Declined in Quality: The discussion explores how memorable, funny commercials have become rare, with most recent examples being Super Bowl ads like Sydney Sweeney's jeans commercial (memorable mainly for the backlash) and the Doritos time travel ad. The host argues companies now lazily use AI-generated content instead of hiring actual actors and videographers, pointing to McDonald's Netherlands commercial as an example of corporate cost-cutting producing inferior marketing.

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Discover the fascinating world of investing with Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and his remarkable co-hosts. Each week, we bring you compelling conversations with legendary investors, leading economists, masterful traders, and forward-thinking thought leaders. From Trend Following and Global Macro to Geo-Politics, Commodities, Quant Investing, Crypto, and Volatility, we uncover the strategies, stories, and lessons behind their success. Gain actionable insights from industry veterans as we celebrate their achievements and learn from their challenges. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of investing - tune in weekly and elevate your financial knowledge. For the latest episodes and expert insights, visit https://toptradersunplugged.com

SI378: When Prices Stop Making Sense ft. Mark Rzepczynski

Top Traders Unplugged

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Fed Decision Creates Messy Policy Signals: The Fed cut rates 25 basis points as expected, but delivered conflicting messages through dissenting votes on both sides and wide-ranging economic projections for 2026. This creates heightened uncertainty for markets, as some FOMC members project rate hikes while others see six cuts ahead. The Fed is forecasting inflation at 2.6% for 2026 while simultaneously projecting stronger GDP growth at 2.3%, suggesting they're incorporating potential productivity gains from AI.

Signal Versus Noise in Systematic Trading: When building systematic models, extracting reliable signals from noisy data becomes critical, especially during high-uncertainty periods like Fed announcements. Volatility is measurable risk, but uncertainty represents the unmeasurable component. Decisions around which prices to use during holidays, market outages (like the CME's 11-hour shutdown), or low-liquidity periods significantly impact model performance and require careful consideration of when to follow signals.

Prices Are Primal But Not the Same as Value: While prices represent the fundamental balance of supply and demand in markets, they don't necessarily reflect true value at any given moment. This distinction becomes important during bubble periods—gold at $4,000 per ounce represents a real price where supply meets demand, but may not reflect underlying value. Systematic traders use smoothing mechanisms like moving averages to extract better signals from noisy price processes.

Safe Assets and Term Premium Reconsidered: With 10-year Treasury yields around 4.1-4.2%, simple math suggests bonds may be fairly valued (2.6% inflation + 2.3% real GDP = ~4.9%), but the question of term premium has changed. US Treasuries may no longer provide the same diversification benefits as before, raising the question of what constitutes a safe asset in portfolios. This helps explain strong demand for gold from central banks seeking alternatives to traditional safe havens.

Bubble Dynamics Beyond Traditional Markers: Recent research shows bubbles often behave differently than conventional wisdom suggests. In the cocoa market bubble, large speculators were actually declining, volatility was falling, and trading volume decreased as prices rose—contradicting typical bubble indicators. Bubbles are more likely in hard-to-value assets and during perceived regime changes. Optimistic analyst expectations serve as catalysts for bubbles and increase crash likelihood.

Credit Market Cracks Signal Broader Risks: Concerning developments in credit markets, including fraud issues with First Brands and tightening spreads for AI/data center financing despite high uncertainty, suggest markets are at an extreme. When uncertain projects receive debt rather than equity financing, systemic fragility increases. These credit market issues matter for systematic traders because markets operate as complex systems where disruptions spread across asset classes through capital reallocation.

Leverage and Wealth Effects Create Fragility: US households now own approximately $40 trillion in equities, creating significant wealth effects and economic sensitivity to market moves. Rising asset prices enable more leverage through increased collateral values, while falling volatility reduces margin requirements, allowing further leveraging. This creates positive feedback loops during bull markets but increases the risk of severe reversals, particularly impacting the already K-shaped economy where stock ownership concentrates wealth effects among higher income cohorts.

Momentum Works Everywhere But Differently: Extensive research confirms momentum exists across all time periods, markets, countries, industries, and factors, though strength varies by application. Industry and factor momentum prove stronger than country or individual stock momentum. Momentum persists in assets that are harder to value, receive less analyst attention, or involve bundled characteristics. There's also momentum in news, fundamentals, and earnings surprises—each slightly different and not always correlated with price momentum.

Multiple Types of Uncertainty Affect Models: Systematic trading must grapple with numerous uncertainty types including observational, forecasting, experimental noise, transitional, inferential, model, systematic exogenous, control implementation, algorithmic noise, and goal uncertainty. Real examples include the CME market outage, divergence between London and New York copper prices due to tariffs, Powell's announcement of 60,000 per month employment data overstatement, and political polarization in consumer surveys creating vastly different confidence readings.

Total Portfolio Approach as Evolution of Asset Allocation: CalPERS' adoption of Total Portfolio Approach (TPA) represents a shift from fixed strategic asset allocation toward more nimble, adaptive positioning to achieve long-term goals within controlled risk parameters. Trend following already embodies many TPA principles by dynamically allocating across markets and adjusting to conditions. Adding a 30% trend following overlay to a 70/30 stock/bond portfolio can achieve CalPERS' target 4% tracking error while providing automatic market responsiveness.

December Trading Requires Special Consideration: As year-end approaches, declining liquidity and trading volume create noisier signals for systematic models. Holiday effects, including Thanksgiving week dynamics and month-end coinciding with typically quiet periods, require decisions about which prices to use or ignore. The period between Fed decisions and year-end typically enters "holiday mode" affecting whether traders should follow all signals as liquidity dries up.

Performance Update and Market Environment: As of December 9th, the SocGen CTA index was down 78 basis points for the month and 2.06% for the year, while the SocGen Trend index was down 62 basis points monthly and nearly flat at -0.16% annually. Recent months have shown improved trends in key markets leading to better CTA performance, though December has been relatively quiet. The dollar showed notable weakness following the Fed meeting.

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The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a weekly science podcast discussing the latest science news, critical thinking, bad science, conspiracies and controversies. -The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: Your escape to reality - Produced by SGU Productions, LLC: https://www.theskepticsguide.org

The Skeptics Guide #1066 - Dec 13 2025

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

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Rise in Early-Onset Cancer Detection: A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine examines the sharp increase in eight types of cancer among people under 50 since 1992. While incidence rates have doubled, mortality rates have remained flat, suggesting this may reflect better diagnostic capabilities rather than a true epidemic. The debate centers on whether we're over-screening and finding cancers that would never cause problems, versus genuine environmental factors like obesity, pollution, and processed foods driving increased disease.

Human Adaptation to Modern Environments: Research by evolutionary anthropologists explores whether humans have changed their habits too rapidly for biology to keep up. Since industrialization, especially post-1950s, humans have shifted from natural outdoor environments to spending 93% of time indoors in cities, surrounded by artificial materials, light, and polluted air. The study identifies concerns about reproductive function, with industrial contaminants affecting fertility, and immune system disruption from reduced microbial exposure and circadian rhythm disturbances.

Massive French Study Validates mRNA Vaccine Safety: A four-year observational study using France's national health database examined 28 million people aged 18-59, comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. The study found vaccinated people were 74% less likely to die from COVID-19 and had 25% lower all-cause mortality overall. While some of this benefit may reflect a "healthy user effect," the data shows no increased mortality risk from vaccination, contradicting anti-vaccine claims.

Cosmic Rays Force Emergency Aircraft Groundings: Approximately 6,000 Airbus A320 aircraft required emergency grounding for software updates after cosmic radiation caused a computer malfunction leading to an uncommanded pitch-down event. The incident was traced to cosmic rays creating "air showers" of secondary particles (particularly neutrons) that triggered a single-event upset—a bit flip in critical memory—affecting the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC). Most planes required only software updates, though some needed hardware replacement.

Simon Cowell's Blood "Cleansing" Claims: The television producer claims to be "aging backwards" through treatments at a wellness clinic involving removing blood, "rinsing" and "filtering" it, then returning it to his body. While legitimate apheresis procedures exist for specific medical conditions, experts argue these wellness versions likely provide no benefit and carry risks from unnecessary IV procedures. The apparent health benefits Cowell describes are more likely attributable to diet, exercise, and stress reduction he mentions alongside the treatments.

EU Creates New Category for Gene-Edited Crops: European Union negotiators reached a deal exempting gene-edited plants and animals from GMO regulations by creating a new classification called "New Genomic Techniques" (NGTs). The distinction argues that gene editing mimics natural breeding processes, unlike traditional GMOs that introduce foreign genes. While critics see this as splitting hairs, it allows EU farmers to access newer technologies like CRISPR without the onerous anti-GMO regulations, addressing competitive disadvantages.

Battle of Hastings Historical Context: Episode 1066 featured Science or Fiction items about the Norman Conquest, revealing that French became the official language of England's nobility and courts for nearly 300 years (until 1362), though common people continued speaking English. Contrary to popular belief, both sides used stirrups—the Normans simply employed them more effectively in cavalry charges. Halley's Comet did appear in 1066 and is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, interpreted as an omen by both sides.

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Fantasy football doesn't have to feel so luck-driven. The award-winning Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast is a fantasy football show that helps you win through bite-sized, analytically-driven episodes. Instead of just drafting from a list of players and crossing your fingers with the hopes that those players produce, host JJ Zachariason provides a process to help you find breakout candidates, sleepers, busts and more. The approach is logical. It's strategic. And it wins.

The Show: Kyle Pitts Tilt, Pass Funnel Defenses, and More

The Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast

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Kyle Pitts Historic Performance Dominates Week 15: Kyle Pitts delivered one of the greatest tight end performances in fantasy football history during Thursday Night Football, scoring over 45 PPR points with three touchdowns. This performance has massive implications for best ball tournaments, with JJ estimating Pitts teams will have a 50%+ advance rate in playoff pods. The historic game overshadowed other solid performances from Bijan Robinson and Mike Evans, and particularly hurt managers with Drake London, whose injury opened up more target share for Pitts.

Pass Funnel Defense Data Analysis: JJ introduced new data examining which defenses function as "pass funnels" by tracking adjusted passing yards allowed and adjusted pass rate when teams face them. Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay emerged as key pass funnel defenses that allow both more passing yards than expected and force opponents into higher pass rates, making them favorable matchups for passing game players.

Thursday Night Football Recap Beyond Pitts: The Buccaneers-Falcons game featured several notable performances including Bijan Robinson dominating touches (19 carries vs. 2 for Tyler Allgeier), Mike Evans looking healthy in his return, and A Buka posting a solid 4-64 line despite no touchdown. Kirk Cousins looked sharp, marking his best performance since Michael Penix took over, while the Buccaneers backfield showed Sean Tucker getting more goal-line work alongside Bucky Irving.

Week 15 Main Event Picks: JJ highlighted players he likes more than consensus rankings, including Jared Goff (benefits from dome environment with 24.5-point implied total against Rams), Woody Marks (projected for high volume with Nick Chubb out against Arizona's weak run defense), Stefan Diggs (revenge game against Buffalo in crucial divisional matchup), and Dalton Kincaid (New England functions as pass funnel defense favorable to tight ends).

Best Ball Tournament Strategy and "Pod Luck": The hosts explained the best ball playoff structure where Week 15 begins new randomized 12-team pods, with only top finishers advancing. JJ advanced 47 of 150 Millionaire Maker teams but only three featured Kyle Pitts, creating significant disadvantage. They discussed how one monster performance can carry weak rosters forward while strong teams without that player face elimination, emphasizing the variance inherent in tournament play.

Bold Predictions for Week 15: JJ predicted Christian Watson will score fewer than six PPR points against Denver's elite secondary that excels at limiting deep balls, and Chig Okonkwo will finish as a top-20 wide receiver after moving to the slot with Elijah Moore back, facing San Francisco's second-worst defense against slot receivers in negative game script.

Injury Updates and Lineup Implications: Key injury news includes no Marvin Harrison Jr. (benefiting Michael Wilson, who sees higher targets with Jacoby Brissett favoring his top receiver), no Tee Higgins (boosting Ja'Marr Chase and making Mike Gesicki a streaming option), CeeDee Lamb cleared to play, Nick Chubb out (massive for Woody Marks), and Philip Rivers returning at age 44 after five-year retirement to start for the Colts.

Look-Ahead Waiver Wire Targets: For Week 16 and beyond, JJ recommends streaming quarterbacks like JJ McCarthy against Dallas, Marcus Mariota in Week 17 versus Dallas, and Bryce Young against Tampa Bay. Running back handcuffs include Emanuel Wilson (Josh Jacobs knee concerns), Jalen Wright, and Bam Knight. Wide receivers to target include Josh Downs (San Francisco slot matchup), Luther Burden, and AD Mitchell.

Quad Box Game Selections: Both hosts selected Lions-Rams as the must-watch game due to the 54.5-point total and fantasy implications. Other top choices included Bills-Patriots and Vikings-Cowboys for playoff implications, plus Ravens-Bengals for the Ja'Marr Chase-without-Tee-Higgins dynamic and overall scoring potential in a divisional matchup.

Schedule and Content Updates: The show is winding down for the holidays with a reduced schedule focused on key championship advice. Listeners should sign up for the newsletter for continued content. A new Perspectives episode features Reddit's SubvertedDown discussing his modeling approach for defense and kicker streaming in his first-ever podcast appearance.

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