The AI in Business Podcast is for non-technical business leaders who need to find AI opportunities, align AI capabilities with strategy, and deliver ROI.

Each week, Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research CEO Daniel Faggella interviews top AI executives from Fortune 500 firms and unicorn startups - to uncover trends, use-cases, and best practices for practical AI adoption.

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Workforce Solutions for Field Services with AI - with Rommel Ong of Belimed

The AI in Business Podcast

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Staffing Shortages as the Primary Field Service Challenge: The biggest challenge facing field service leaders is finding qualified candidates willing to work at offered compensation levels. The industry faces a shortage of skilled technicians, compounded by the fact that technology constantly evolves, requiring workers to continuously relearn systems. This creates frustration when technicians become comfortable with equipment only to face entirely new technology shortly after.

Shift Toward Hiring for Soft Skills Over Technical Expertise: The hiring philosophy has evolved to a 50-50 split between customer service/soft skills and technical skills. Technicians can be excellent at fixing equipment, but if they can't communicate effectively with customers—particularly in high-pressure hospital environments where patient care is paramount—they won't succeed. The ability to remain calm under pressure and articulate problems clearly has become as important as mechanical aptitude.

Paperwork and Documentation Burdens: Technicians face increasing documentation requirements in an increasingly litigious society where everything must be tracked and recorded. This creates tension because technicians prefer hands-on work ("wrenching") and interacting with people rather than administrative tasks. Service calls come in waves, making it difficult for technicians to keep paperwork current, and they often struggle to remember details when documentation falls behind.

Client Workforce Challenges Mirror Service Provider Issues: Healthcare facilities themselves face similar staffing problems, with recent graduates cycling through different positions and sites while learning esoteric systems. When inexperienced client staff encounter unfamiliar equipment and meet with potentially overloaded technicians, tensions can arise. This parallel challenge across both sides of the service relationship requires patience and strong interpersonal skills.

Capturing Tribal Knowledge Through Chat Systems: Using platforms like Microsoft Teams chat creates searchable repositories of problem-solving discussions. When a technician encounters an error code, they can search the chat history to find how colleagues across the country resolved similar issues months earlier. This approach captures institutional knowledge, accelerates troubleshooting, and provides psychological support by showing technicians they're not alone in facing specific problems.

Net Promoter Score for Customer Sentiment Tracking: Bellamed uses survey-based net promoter scores to gather both positive and negative feedback from customers. Technicians are encouraged to inform customers about upcoming surveys and ask if anything else can be done before leaving the site. This system helps capture feedback beyond just complaints, providing a more balanced view of service quality than traditional reactive feedback mechanisms.

Remote Monitoring Enabling Proactive Service: The company is implementing systems that connect virtually with equipment to monitor errors and issues remotely. This capability allows teams to determine whether problems are technician-related, machine-related, facility-related, or operator errors before dispatching a technician. Over the next few years, this approach is expected to dramatically reduce unnecessary on-site visits and enable technicians to focus on more complex mechanical breakdowns.

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Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage.Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls.&nbsp;And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business Wars and Tides of History comes American Scandal, where we take you deep into the heart of America’s dark side to look at what drives someone to break the rules and what happens when they’re caught.&nbsp;Hosted by Lindsay Graham.Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or visit <a href="http://wondery.app.link/IM5aogASNNb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wondery.app.link/IM5aogASNNb</a> now.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lehman Brothers | The Gorilla of Wall Street | 1

American Scandal

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Dick Fuld's Rise at Lehman Brothers: Dick Fuld began as a summer intern at Lehman Brothers in 1966, earning the nickname "the Gorilla" for his aggressive trading style and intense personality. Through relentless hard work and fierce loyalty to the firm, he climbed the corporate ladder over nearly three decades, eventually becoming CEO in 1994 when few believed the struggling company could survive independently after being spun off from American Express.

Post-9/11 Transformation and Aggressive Expansion: After the September 11 attacks destroyed Lehman's headquarters near Ground Zero, Fuld demonstrated resilience by quickly relocating operations and purchasing a new $700 million tower in Midtown Manhattan. He used this moment to dramatically expand Lehman's business model, moving aggressively into mortgage underwriting, mortgage-backed securities, and leveraged lending—far riskier ventures than the firm's traditional operations.

The Mortgage-Backed Securities Boom: Lehman became the world's largest underwriter of subprime mortgage-backed securities, profiting enormously from the housing bubble. These complex financial instruments bundled risky mortgages together, with credit rating agencies like Moody's giving them AAA ratings despite their underlying weakness. This created an interconnected web of risk throughout the financial system rather than truly diluting danger as banks claimed.

Ignored Warning Signs from Mike Gelband: Mike Gelband, Lehman's global head of fixed income, repeatedly warned Fuld and other executives about the unsustainable housing bubble and dangerous leverage ratios. Despite earning $20 million, Gelband became so frustrated by leadership's refusal to heed his warnings that he resigned in May 2007, telling executives that "greed is going to drive this company into the ground."

Reckless Leverage and Risk Management: Under Fuld's leadership, Lehman's leverage ratio reached 32 to 1—meaning for every dollar of capital, the firm owed $32 to outside investors. This was higher than any major competitor. By late 2007, Lehman held $111 billion in real estate-related assets, more than double the previous year, despite mounting evidence of market instability.

Hank Paulson's Concerns as Treasury Secretary: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson became Treasury Secretary in 2006 and immediately recognized the danger of the housing bubble. He warned President Bush at Camp David about potential "contagion" and advocated for regulatory authority to wind down failing investment banks, but the Bush administration's free-market ideology prevented decisive preventive action.

The Bear Stearns Wake-Up Call: In early 2008, while Fuld was on a business trip in India, Paulson called to inform him that Bear Stearns—one of the top five investment banks—would either be sold or go bankrupt by Monday morning. This shocking news forced Fuld to recognize that Lehman Brothers, with its massive exposure to toxic mortgage assets, could be next in line to collapse as the financial crisis accelerated.

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Big Ideas explored through Little Pictures. It's certainly not a self-help podcast, but you might take something away that helps you notice or even enjoy the world around you a little more.Explaining the world, one sketch at a time. This is an explainer podcast for the curious-minded. Topics covered include science, behavioural economics, wellbeing, nature, psychology frameworks, business models, cognitive biases, and even domestic life-hacks.&nbsp; A podcast to accompany the popular series of simple explanations of stuff through a weekly sketch at <a href="https://open.acast.com/shows/63dbe0223c0b1d0011855397/www.Sketchplanations.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sketchplanations.com</a>. Sketchplanations illustrator and author Jono Hey joins lifelong friends Tom Pellereau (2011 Apprentice Winner) and Rob Bell (Engineer &amp; Broadcaster) to share ideas and stories catalysed by each week's sketch. The 3 of us have been friends for over 20 years and have always enjoyed delving into all sorts of conversation topics - usually with some silliness along the way. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Tsundoku: Do you buy books faster than you can read them? 📚🤔

Sketchplanations - The Podcast

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Tsundoku: The Japanese Art of Collecting Unread Books: Tsundoku is a Japanese word from the 1880s that describes the act of acquiring books and letting them pile up without reading them. The term combines Japanese words meaning "to pile up" and "to read," and originally emerged as playful slang mocking academics who collected large numbers of books.

Universal Book Collecting Habits Across the Hosts: All three hosts confess to practicing Tsundoku in different ways. Tom has five books beside his bed that he's started, often buying both physical books and audiobooks of the same titles. Jono comes from a household where books pile everywhere—on bedside tables several feet high, on stair landings, and filling multiple bookshelves. Rob admits to not being a big reader but still collects books he genuinely wants to read.

Tsundoku as Aspiration Rather Than Guilt: The hosts reframe Tsundoku as a positive, aspirational behavior rather than something to feel guilty about. Buying books represents genuine curiosity and a love of learning in the moment, even if you never get around to reading them. The excitement and emotion felt when purchasing a book has value in itself.

The Asymmetry Between Buying and Reading: There's a significant time imbalance between acquiring books and consuming them—it takes moments to buy a book but hours or months to read it. This asymmetry makes it incredibly easy to accumulate unread books faster than you can possibly read them, especially during gift-giving seasons like Christmas.

Tsundoku Beyond Books: The concept extends to other media and hobbies including audiobooks, magazines, browser tabs with unread articles, musical instruments hanging on walls, and music production plugins. The pattern is the same: acquiring things that represent aspirations and interests faster than you can actually use them.

Books as Valuable and Tactile Objects: Books offer exceptional value for money, containing hours of someone's concentrated work and knowledge for typically £8-25. They're satisfying tactile objects, especially hardcovers, though the internet has arguably diminished their unique value as information sources. Tom shares how "Rocket Fuel" by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters changed his business approach completely.

The Challenge of Reading with Young Children: Finding solitude to read becomes nearly impossible with young children, as they inevitably find you within minutes and demand attention. However, audiobooks in the car can provide a shared family reading experience that works around this challenge.

Seasonal Patterns and Gift-Giving: Winter months seem to encourage more Tsundoku behavior, as the idea of settling in with a book feels more appealing. Books make popular gifts, but represent an unusual commitment—unlike chocolate that takes minutes to consume, a book might require months of dedicated time to finish.

Carl Sagan's Reflection on Books as Magic: Jono closes with a beautiful quote from astronomer Carl Sagan describing books as magical inventions—flat objects made from trees with "funny dark squiggles" that allow you to enter another person's mind across thousands of years, calling writing "perhaps the greatest of human inventions" that breaks "the shackles of time."

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Discussions about the science of nutrition, dietetics and health. The podcast that educates through nuanced conversations, exploring evidence and cultivating critical thinking. Hosted by Danny Lennon.

#590: Is the Nutrient Density of Crops Declining? – Edward Joy, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

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Defining Nutrient Density and Its Determinants: Nutrient density refers to the concentration of micronutrients in crops, specifically the mass of micronutrients divided by the mass of the yield. The main determinants include the genetics of the plant (crop species and varieties), the environment in which it's grown, the specific tissue being consumed (grain vs. leaf), and agricultural management practices. Soil health and fertility also play important roles, though their impact varies significantly by location and context.

The Rothamsted Long-Term Wheat Experiment Reveals Critical Decline: One of the most important pieces of empirical evidence comes from wheat samples archived since the 1840s at Rothamsted Research in the UK. Analysis of these samples showed that micronutrient concentrations remained stable from the 1840s until the late 1960s/early 1970s, after which there was a steep decline across all mineral micronutrients. Modern wheat contains approximately 40% less zinc and iron compared to pre-1970s levels, with this decline occurring across all fertilizer treatments, indicating the cause was genetic rather than soil-related.

The Green Revolution's Unintended Nutritional Trade-Off: The decline in micronutrient density coincided with the introduction of semi-dwarf, high-yielding wheat varieties during the Green Revolution. These new varieties were bred to maximize grain yield and respond well to nitrogen fertilization, but inadvertently resulted in significantly lower micronutrient concentrations. This breeding prioritized agronomic traits like yield and disease resistance while neglecting nutritional quality, creating a trade-off that went unrecognized at the time.

Limited Evidence for Other Crops: While the wheat data is robust due to the archived samples, evidence for declining nutrients in vegetables and other crops is much patchier. Some measurements from different time periods suggest declines may have occurred, but these lack consistency in variety, growing conditions, measurement techniques, and yield data, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about whether similar declines have occurred across all crop types.

Soil Nutrient Availability Varies by Geography: In the UK wheat experiment, plant-available zinc in the soil remained stable over time, confirming the decline was driven by crop genetics rather than soil depletion. However, this finding is specific to relatively young, temperate UK soils. In contrast, older, more weathered tropical soils can have genuinely low levels of plant-available micronutrients like zinc, where adding organic matter and minerals through fertilizers can meaningfully increase crop micronutrient content.

Climate Change and CO2 Enrichment Effects: Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations may further reduce crop nutrient density through two mechanisms: First, increased CO2 acts as a nutrient for plants, increasing yield and biomass (particularly carbohydrates) but potentially diluting micronutrient concentrations. Second, higher CO2 allows plants to close their stomata more often, reducing evapotranspiration and thus mineral uptake. Field experiments suggest this could lead to 5-10% declines in important mineral concentrations.

Breeding for Nutritional Quality Offers Solutions: Since the decline in micronutrient density was inadvertently caused by breeding priorities, there's potential to reverse it by incorporating nutritional traits into breeding programs. This needs to happen far upstream in breeding pipelines so that later agronomic traits farmers need (yield, disease resistance) can still be selected without compromising nutritional quality. CRISPR and gene editing technologies offer targeted approaches to enhance specific metabolic pathways related to micronutrient accumulation.

Soil Management and Biofortification Strategies: Managing soils to increase organic matter and adding micronutrients to fertilizers can boost crop micronutrient content, particularly in regions with genuinely depleted soils. Research in Malawi showed that adding slightly more zinc than currently recommended in fertilizers produced both yield benefits (which farmers value) and meaningful quality improvements, suggesting win-win interventions are possible.

Finland's Selenium Success Story: Finland provides a compelling example of agricultural intervention improving population nutrition. Since the mid-1980s, they've added just 10 grams per hectare of selenium to fertilizers as national policy, which successfully corrected selenium deficiency across the entire population. While selenium is somewhat unique in its responsiveness, it demonstrates how getting micronutrients into staple foods can provide equitable, cost-effective public health benefits.

Translating Crop Changes to Human Health Outcomes Is Complex: Multiple challenges exist in connecting crop nutrient density to human health: quantifying the degree of change, understanding how this affects the final consumed food, and determining impact on total nutrient status given diverse dietary patterns. In localized food systems (like Malawi), crop composition directly reflects local soil conditions and significantly affects population biomarkers. In globalized systems (like the UK), aggregation and distribution of crops means effects are harder to trace.

Vulnerable Subpopulations Face Greater Risk: While population-level impacts are difficult to quantify, certain groups are more vulnerable to declining crop nutrient density: people choosing plant-based diets (especially growing adolescents with higher requirements), those affected by the cost of living crisis with limited dietary choices, and users of appetite-suppressing weight loss drugs. For these already at-risk groups, even small reductions in micronutrient density of staple foods could be particularly problematic.

Current Research Gaps and Future Directions: Major challenges remain in integrating diverse data sources to create meaningful baselines of what's actually reaching populations and predicting intervention impacts. Researchers are developing methods to better quantify potential public health benefits of interventions like adjusted fertilizer recommendations, considering both nutritional outcomes and economic feasibility. The field needs more robust data linking agricultural changes to measurable human health endpoints across different contexts.

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An early look at the stories that will drive tomorrow's conversation.

DOJ probe into Federal Reserve Chair Powell

The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle

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DOJ Criminal Investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell: The Trump administration's Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell focusing on renovations of the Fed's Washington headquarters. This represents an unprecedented attack on the Fed's independence, with Powell releasing a rare direct-to-camera video defending the institution. While Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis pushed back—with Tillis vowing to oppose any Fed nominee until the matter is resolved—the investigation appears designed more to intimidate than to actually secure an indictment, sending a clear message to Powell's successor about the consequences of defying Trump's wishes on interest rates.

Breaking News: Mass Resignations at DOJ Civil Rights Division: At least four senior leaders in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division resigned in protest after DOJ declined to investigate the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Goode in Minneapolis. These resignations represent an extraordinary rebuke of the administration's actions and echo similar mass departures that occurred earlier when prosecutors refused to dismiss investigations at Trump's direction, such as the Eric Adams case.

Minnesota Lawsuit Against Federal Government Over ICE Presence: The state of Minnesota, along with Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed suit against the Trump administration over the massive surge of federal agents deployed to the Twin Cities. The administration sent hundreds of ICE agents, Border Patrol officers, and Federal Bureau of Prison personnel following the shooting of Renee Goode, with the operation characterized as going door-to-door with unprecedented racial profiling rather than following normal ICE procedures requiring probable cause.

Trump Administration's Dehumanizing Rhetoric Around Renee Goode: The White House significantly escalated its verbal attacks on Renee Goode, with Press Secretary Caroline Levitt calling her a "lunatic" and Trump citing her "disrespect" toward law enforcement as justification for the shooting. The administration declared the officer's actions "completely justified" without waiting for any independent investigation, representing a stark departure from how previous administrations handled such incidents. This language mirrors authoritarian rhetoric rather than democratic norms around protest rights.

Contradiction Between Domestic and Foreign Protest Response: Trump is simultaneously threatening military strikes on Iran to defend protesters there while demonizing American protesters in Minneapolis and sending armed federal agents against them. This glaring double standard reveals that Trump's support for protest rights depends entirely on whether protesters oppose him—those in Iran are heroes while American citizens exercising First Amendment rights are characterized as "domestic terrorists" who deserve violent responses if they're "disrespectful."

Concerns About Qualified Immunity for ICE Agents: The administration's rhetoric that ICE agents have "absolute immunity" for actions taken during their duties raises serious concerns about accountability and potential future violence. Members of Congress, including Senator Chris Murphy and Representative Eric Swalwell, are pushing to address qualified immunity specifically for immigration enforcement officers, as it may be appropriate for criminal law enforcement but not civil enforcement operations.

Fed Independence Under Unprecedented Threat: Every living former Federal Reserve chair issued a joint statement condemning the investigation as "an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine the central bank's independence." Despite this threat to a fundamental institution of American economic stability, stock markets reached all-time highs, with analysts suggesting investors believe Trump will back down when he faces sufficient blowback, as he has with tariffs—though this represents a risky bet.

Political Motivations Behind Fed Attack: The investigation appears timed to influence both Powell's remaining months as chair and intimidate his successor, with Trump desperately wanting lower interest rates before the midterm elections. However, experts note that presidential control over interest rates historically leads to higher inflation—ironically worsening Trump's primary political problem. Powell's term as chair ends in May, but he could remain on the Board of Governors until January 2028.

Weak Legal Basis for Powell Investigation: Former prosecutors note there's insufficient factual basis to investigate Powell for allegedly lying to Congress about renovation costs, especially when the changes involve legitimate expenses like asbestos and lead removal. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has already been rejected by grand juries in at least eight cases, leading to the observation that "a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich, but not if Jeanine Pirro is the chef."

Massive Protests in Iran Amid Economic Collapse: Iran faces what experts call one of the gravest challenges to authorities since the Islamic Revolution nearly five decades ago, driven by economic collapse that left citizens unable to feed their families. Despite a near-complete internet blackout, reports and videos show Iranian security forces have killed at least 500 protesters, with families lining up outside hospitals trying to identify bodies in body bags—representing a grassroots uprising rather than foreign-orchestrated plot.

Trump Weighing Military Strikes on Iran: The Wall Street Journal reports Trump is leaning toward military strikes on Iran, though Vice President Vance is among those pushing for diplomatic negotiations instead. The State Department ordered U.S. citizens to leave Iran immediately. However, the administration's goals remain unclear—whether prioritizing Iranian human rights and democracy, ending the nuclear program, or some combination, with concerns about potentially cutting a deal that keeps the regime in power as happened in Venezuela.

America First Hypocrisy: A president who campaigned on "America First" and avoiding foreign wars is now using military force in Venezuela and threatening strikes in Iran, while simultaneously deploying what amounts to a federal police force domestically against American citizens in Minneapolis. This represents a dramatic departure from campaign promises and raises questions about what actually drives Trump's foreign and domestic policy decisions beyond personal grievances and political calculation.

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PM covers stories across Australia and the world, explaining and analysing the most important events and issues of the day.

Vic and Qld dealing with fires and floods

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Victorian Bushfire Devastation: Twelve major fires are still burning across Victoria, with approximately 45 properties destroyed in the Harcourt region alone. Overall, more than 500 structures including almost 180 homes have been lost or damaged statewide, and one person has died. Residents are being prevented from returning to affected areas due to safety concerns about falling blackened trees and damaged power infrastructure. The fires have particularly impacted the Harcourt region, known for apple growing and vineyards.

Community Support and Relief Efforts: Relief centers have been established in towns like Castlemaine to support displaced residents, many of whom have lost everything. Organizations like BlazeAid are coordinating volunteer efforts, particularly to help with rebuilding fences for those without insurance. Some residents stayed to defend properties and helped save neighbors' homes by clearing flammable materials from yards.

Queensland Flooding Crisis: Ex-tropical cyclone Koji has caused extensive flooding across Queensland, stretching from Mackay to Cloncurry and north to Townsville and Cairns. The death toll among cattle has reached 51,000 and is expected to rise, with livestock stranded on small islands threatened by crocodiles. Clermont experienced its highest rainfall in more than a century, and concerns are growing about further rain potentially causing repeat flooding events.

Infrastructure and Warning System Failures: Graziers and councils have complained that rain gauges and monitoring equipment weren't working properly during the floods, with Premier David Crisafulli criticizing the lack of federal investment in warning systems. He stated that communities are "flying blind" due to insufficient investment in rain gauges and radar systems to warn of impending danger.

Kevin Rudd's Early Departure as US Ambassador: Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is stepping down as Australia's ambassador to the United States a year earlier than scheduled. During his tenure, he managed the Aukus submarine deal review, multiple rounds of US tariffs, and the first Trump-Albanese meeting. Despite earlier controversy over his past critical comments about Donald Trump, experts suggest his tenure proved such baggage doesn't necessarily matter if you work hard in the role.

Search for Rudd's Successor: Speculation is growing about who will replace Rudd, with former Labor ministers Stephen Conroy and Joel Fitzgibbon reported as potential frontrunners. Some experts believe the next ambassador should be a neutral figure from the public service rather than a former political leader, to avoid political baggage and scrutiny from the Trump administration. The key challenges will include managing relations with Trump and keeping the Aukus alliance on track.

Adelaide Writers Week Cancelled: Next month's Adelaide Writers Week has been completely cancelled after more than 180 authors boycotted the event in protest. The controversy began when Palestinian Australian author Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah was removed from the lineup after pressure from Jewish groups. The festival board, Writers Week chair Louise Adler, and the entire festival board have all resigned following the debacle.

Free Speech Debate in Cultural Events: The cancellation highlights broader concerns about censorship in Australian cultural institutions. Louise Adler cited a pattern of pro-Israel lobbyists stifling criticism, pointing to similar incidents including cancelled performances at Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the Bendigo Writers Festival. The Zionist Federation of Australia defended community groups' right to voice concerns about what they characterize as hate speech.

AI Revolution in Travel Planning: Nearly 30% of Australians surveyed have used AI tools for travel planning, with younger generations adopting the technology more readily than baby boomers. While AI tools like ChatGPT can help verify itineraries and replicate travel guide information, users report limitations including failure to indicate when major attractions require advance booking and potential inaccuracies depending on how questions are framed.

Future of Travel Industry with AI: Industry experts predict AI will move into the booking process within 12-18 months, though concerns exist about the accuracy of AI algorithms. Traditional travel agents are expected to remain relevant, particularly for larger international trips where significant money is involved and trusted expertise is valued, even as AI challenges airline and hotel booking websites for simpler domestic travel.
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A daily show for everyone who works a regular job and wants to start an income-earning project on the side. In each episode, listeners will hear a different story of someone who's started a side hustle—along with what went well, how that person overcame challenges, and what happened as a result. The show is written and hosted by Chris Guillebeau, the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, and other books.

Ep. 3300 - Q&A: “How many ‘wine-of-the-month’ clubs are there??”

Side Hustle School

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This is a listener Q&A episode addressing whether it's viable to start an "of-the-month" club or subscription box business given the crowded marketplace. Here are the key points:

The Question: Market Saturation for Subscription Clubs: Listener Yvette from Long Beach asks whether the abundance of "of-the-month" clubs (ranging from wine and cigars to pickles) means the market is saturated, and whether she should start her own. She also wonders about the difference between traditional monthly clubs and modern subscription boxes.

Subscription Boxes Are Modern Versions of Monthly Clubs: The traditional "of-the-month" clubs (like Book of the Month) are essentially the forerunners of what are now called subscription boxes. The advice and best practices for subscription boxes apply to monthly clubs as well, making them fundamentally the same business model.

Specificity Is Critical in a Crowded Market: Rather than creating just another generic pickle or wine club, success requires narrowing down both the product offering and target market. With so many options available, differentiation and specificity are essential to stand out.

Scale Determines Viability: The business model requires reaching a certain scale to be sustainable. Four customers per month isn't viable, 40 customers makes it better, and 400 customers can support a full-time business. Building to this sustainable level should be the primary goal.

Customer Churn Is an Ongoing Challenge: Even successful subscription businesses struggle with long-term retention. Most customers eventually tire of receiving the same type of product monthly and want to try something different, making churn a persistent challenge in this business model.

Resources Available for Launching: Cratejoy.com offers resources and services specifically designed to make starting a subscription box business easier. Previous Side Hustle School episodes on subscription boxes (searchable in the archives) provide additional guidance and case studies.

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Data scientist Hannah Ritchie and sustainability nerd Rob Stewart are climate optimists. They join forces to unpack solutions to the climate crisis, and the innovators, entrepreneurs and scientists behind them. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Charlotte Large: Can we heat homes from the London underground?

Solving for Climate

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The Climate Challenge of Heating and Cooling: Heating accounts for approximately one-third of UK emissions, primarily from gas boilers, while cooling represents about 7% of global electricity demand. Progress on decarbonizing heating has been essentially flat for four decades in the UK. As incomes rise in developing countries and global temperatures increase, demand for air conditioning is rapidly growing, making heating and cooling a critical piece of the climate puzzle.

What Heat Networks Are and How They Work: Heat networks are essentially heating systems scaled up from individual buildings to entire neighborhoods or city districts. Instead of each building having its own boiler, hot water is distributed through pipes installed in roads and streets, connecting multiple heat sources to numerous buildings. Inside homes and businesses, the system looks similar to traditional heating with radiators or other systems, but the heat generation occurs elsewhere at a larger, more efficient scale.

The Efficiency Case for District Heat Networks: The primary climate benefit of heat networks isn't just carbon reduction—it's making electrification of heat more efficient, especially in dense urban environments. Heat networks can tap into waste heat sources that would otherwise be unusable, store energy as thermal batteries in the pipes themselves, and provide more flexibility for managing electricity grid demands compared to individual building solutions like air source heat pumps.

Innovative Heat Sources Being Tapped: Heat networks can capture waste heat from diverse sources including the London Underground ventilation systems, data centers, commercial buildings that pump excess heat into the atmosphere through roof fans, and water sources like the River Thames. Water-based heat recovery is particularly efficient because water maintains more consistent temperatures than air, significantly improving heat pump performance at scale.

The Commercial vs. Residential Focus: In Westminster, 68% of emissions come from non-domestic and commercial buildings, making them the primary target for heat network connections. Commercial buildings offer easier implementation—one connection can serve the equivalent of hundreds of households, and securing large building commitments upfront helps establish the guaranteed demand needed to make heat network economics viable.

Economic Barriers in the UK: A major obstacle is that electricity in the UK is three to four times more expensive than gas, making it nearly impossible to build an economic case for heat decarbonization against gas boilers. Denmark, by contrast, taxes gas heavily while keeping electricity cheaper, creating better incentives. This pricing structure affects both heat networks and individual heat pumps equally, presenting a fundamental barrier to any electrification strategy.

The Infrastructure Challenge: Installing heat networks requires digging up roads to lay new utility infrastructure, which is particularly complex in historic urban environments like Westminster where streets are narrow. However, this external disruption can actually be less intrusive for individual buildings than installing heat pumps—buildings may only need a heat interface unit about the size of a gas boiler if their existing radiator systems can handle the incoming heat temperature.

Cooling Networks as the Flip Side: Heat networks have a cooling counterpart that's particularly relevant for warmer climates. Cooling networks are already expanding in places like India, and the UK has examples such as the Olympic Park. These systems create valuable synergies because heat extracted from cooling can be directly fed into heating networks, improving overall efficiency.

Cultural and Regulatory Barriers: Charlotte identifies cultural attitudes as perhaps the biggest obstacle—the UK has a strong individualist tradition around heating, with historical attachment to gas boilers and individual building solutions. This contrasts sharply with countries like Denmark where collective heating systems are normalized. The UK is also still developing the regulatory framework that Nordic and Baltic countries have had in place for years, with heat networks expected to become statutory utilities.

The Westminster Test Case: Westminster's heat network is particularly significant because it's highly visible and located in one of the UK's most iconic areas including the Houses of Parliament. The dense, historic urban environment makes individual heat pump solutions impractical for many buildings, creating a strong case for district heating. Success here could provide a compelling model for other UK cities, though Charlotte notes excellent work is happening across the country.

Dispelling Misconceptions: Heat networks are not new or experimental technology—millions of people globally already receive heating from district systems. In Nordic and Baltic countries, heat networks supply over 20% of heat demand, far exceeding the UK's current levels. The perception in the UK that this is risky, new, or inefficient technology needs to be challenged with evidence of successful international implementation.

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Join Josh Norris and Hayden Winks as they outline the most actionable information around the NFL. From Fantasy Football, Team Building, NFL Draft and Analytics plus game picks... it‘s all covered here.

Top 10 Takeaways from NFL Wild Card Weekend

Fantasy Football with Josh & Hayden

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Justin Herbert's Playoff Struggles Continue: Herbert's performance against the Texans was arguably one of his worst games, validating long-time criticisms about his lack of aggressiveness and clutch play. He missed multiple open receivers downfield, including Lad McConkey for what should have been an early touchdown, and frequently turned down throwing opportunities due to apparent PTSD from previous interceptions. While Greg Roman's play-calling and the offensive line had issues, Herbert's unwillingness to take chances and make throws outside the pocket were the primary reasons for the loss.

Caleb Williams' Elite Potential on Display: Williams demonstrated why he was the first overall pick with an exceptional second-half performance against the Packers. His ability to make off-platform throws, including a spectacular rolling-left deep ball, combined with elite speed on scrambles showed his top-five quarterback upside. Ben Johnson's creative play-calling, particularly on the game-winning pump-fake screen touchdown, highlighted how effective this offense can be.

Colston Loveland Emerging as Elite Tight End: The rookie tight end put on a dominant performance with 130 yards, running sophisticated wide receiver routes from the outside while also excelling as a blocker. His versatility in pass protection and the run game, combined with his receiving skills, suggests he'll replace George Kittle as a future All-Pro tight end, potentially as soon as next season.

Matt LaFleur Deserves to Keep His Job: Despite the playoff loss, firing LaFleur would be a mistake. His offense performed at an 85th percentile in EPA per play, and the loss was primarily due to execution failures from injured players, special teams breakdowns (three missed kicks), and offensive line breakdowns. The special teams coordinator should be fired instead, along with possibly the offensive line coach, but LaFleur's play-calling remains elite with a 65% career winning percentage.

Eagles Need Major Coaching Changes: Despite reaching recent success, keeping Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo would be a mistake. The offense lacks coaching advantages, runs predictable plays (running the same zone beater three times in the final series), and the vibes are terrible. Better offensive minds like Stefanski, McDaniel, or Clint Kubiak are available, and the team can't escape their current player contracts, making coaching changes the only viable path forward.

NFC West Dominance: The NFC West proved to be an elite division with the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks combining for a 40-7 record against teams outside their division. Both NFC West wild card teams won on the road, with the Rams advancing despite a mediocre Stafford performance and the 49ers winning despite numerous injuries. The division's coaching talent (McDonald, McVay, Shanahan) is considered among the best in the NFL.

Kyle Shanahan's Coaching Masterclass: The 49ers' victory over the Eagles despite having only five of their top ten players available showcased Shanahan's elite coaching abilities. The game featured creative play designs including DeMarcus Robinson and Juwan Jennings touchdowns, with Jennings (a former quarterback) throwing a touchdown pass. Robert Saleh's defense also performed excellently, shutting down the Eagles without relying on pass rush, using disciplined zone coverage instead.

Josh Allen's Dominance: Allen delivered what was essentially a perfect game against the Jaguars, described as having maybe one miss the entire game on roughly 45 offensive plays. His performance included a 10-yard tush push conversion, clutch throws under pressure, and finding Brandon Cooks for a game-winner against simulated pressure. This solidifies his position as the best player in the NFL right now, especially with no Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs.

Matt LaFleur Deserves to Stay Despite Loss: Despite the Packers' second-half collapse against the Bears, LaFleur's offense performed at an 85th percentile EPA per play. The loss was attributed more to execution failures (offensive line running wrong directions, Luke Musgrave mistakes, three missed kicks including an extra point, delay of game penalty), injuries to key players, and poor special teams rather than coaching decisions. The special teams coordinator should be fired instead.

Eagles' Coaching Staff Needs an Overhaul: Despite reaching the playoffs, Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo should be fired. The offense lacks creativity and coaching advantages, running the same predictable plays (one zone beater concept was run three times in the final drive). Better offensive coaches like Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDaniel, or Clint Kubiak are available. With unmovable contracts for A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts, changing coaches is the only realistic way to improve.

Caleb Williams' Elite Potential on Full Display: Williams showcased why he was the first overall pick with an exceptional second half performance. His ability to make throws out of structure, elite speed on the perimeter, and impressive arm strength were on full display. The game-winning play—a pump fake screen to a touchdown—demonstrated both his execution and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's creative play-calling, particularly the wrinkle of using tackle Darnell Wright as an offset tackle to create misdirection.

Colston Loveland Emerging as Elite Tight End: The rookie tight end displayed all-pro potential with 130 yards receiving and an incredibly well-rounded performance. He runs routes typically reserved for wide receivers, including pylon routes and crossing patterns from the outside. His blocking ability was also showcased, including a crucial pass protection rep where he held up one-on-one against a defensive end long enough for Kyle Menungai to convert a key checkdown.

Matt LaFleur Deserves to Keep His Job: Despite narrative-based criticism, the film shows LaFleur's offense performed at an 85th percentile EPA per play. The second-half collapse was largely due to execution failures from an injury-depleted offensive line (missing two starters), receivers running wrong routes, and special teams issues (three missed kicks). The team needs to fire the special teams coordinator and potentially the offensive line coach, but keeping LaFleur as head coach is the right move given his elite offensive play-calling.

Eagles Should Fire Coach Sirianni and OC Patullo: Despite reaching the playoffs, the Eagles' offensive coaching staff should be replaced. The offense ran predictable schemes, repeating the same plays multiple times (including three identical zone beaters in one drive), and the vibes are terrible with Sirianni yelling at A.J. Brown. Better offensive-minded coaches like Stefanski, McDaniel, or Clint Kubiak are available and would be upgrades, while the Eagles could retain defensive coordinator Fangio.

NFC West Dominance: The division proved to be historically elite, with the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks combining for a 40-7 record against all non-divisional opponents. Both NFC West wild card teams won on the road, with the Rams defeating Carolina and the 49ers upsetting Philadelphia despite missing five of their top ten players including George Kittle.

Kyle Shanahan's Coaching Masterclass: Shanahan demonstrated elite play-calling against Philadelphia despite missing key players including George Kittle. Creative schemes like a Juwan Jennings touchdown pass and a perfectly-timed Christian McCaffrey angle route showcased why he's an all-time coach. Defensive coordinator Robert Sala also deserves credit for neutralizing the Eagles' explosive offense with disciplined zone coverage despite using fifth and sixth-string linebackers.

Josh Allen's Dominant Performance: Allen established himself as the best player in the NFL right now with a near-flawless performance against Jacksonville, completing what amounted to a "shutout" with only one missed throw. His third-and-two quarterback power touchdown for 10 yards and clutch throws under pressure demonstrated why he's the clear frontrunner without Patrick Mahomes in his way.

Jacksonville's Wide Receiver Conundrum: The Jaguars now face a fantasy football dilemma with Parker Washington emerging alongside established players Jacoby Myers and Brian Thomas Jr. Parker Washington won a fan poll for which receiver to draft first in 2026 fantasy, though without a majority. This crowded receiving room, which may also include Travis Hunter splitting time between cornerback and receiver, creates uncertainty for fantasy value heading into next season.

Carolina Panthers Show Promise Despite Loss: Despite losing to the Rams, the Panthers kept the game unexpectedly close with a point spread over 10.5. Defensive backs Mike Jackson and J.C. Horn played well, especially containing Davante Adams. Jalen Coker had a monster game, and Bryce Young showed improvement late with clutch drives and a scramble touchdown, giving the franchise optimism heading into the offseason alongside young weapons like Coker and Jethro McMillan.

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Your latest update from The Transmitter, an essential resource for the neuroscience community, dedicated to helping scientists at all career stages stay current and build connections. Read more: https://www.thetransmitter.org/

Computational psychiatry needs systems neuroscience

Audio research news

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Delusions in Schizophrenia Present a Fundamental Challenge: Delusions are among the most common symptoms of schizophrenia, often persisting despite treatment that may control hallucinations. They represent a profound breakdown in belief formation and the ability to update beliefs when faced with contradictory evidence, raising fundamental questions about how someone can hold implausible beliefs with absolute certainty.

Schizophrenia as a Coordination Failure Between Parallel Neural Systems: Evidence suggests multiple neural systems process information in parallel in the brain, but these systems require tight coordination with mechanisms to allow the most reliable systems to influence behavior. Schizophrenia likely represents a constellation of disorders where these parallel neural systems lose coordination, becoming apparent during psychotic states.

Computational Psychiatry Offers a Bridge Between Symptoms and Circuits: This approach uses precise behavioral tasks to identify specific mental operations that have become suboptimal in psychiatric disorders. It aims to map computational changes onto specific brain circuits, creating connections between molecular interventions and behavioral symptoms. However, to effectively target these algorithms, computational psychiatry requires the circuit-level knowledge provided by systems neuroscience.

Cross-Species Tasks Enable Mechanistic Investigation of Cognitive Operations: By using the same task structure across humans, primates, and mice, researchers can study the same core computational problems across species. This allows experiments in animals that would be impossible in humans—such as recording from specific cell types and manipulating their activity—while maintaining relevance to human psychiatric conditions.

Traditional Animal Models and Neuroimaging Skip the Algorithmic Level: Previous psychiatric neuroscience approaches, like forced swim tests or elevated plus mazes, are too unconstrained to identify specific computational dysfunctions. Similarly, human resting-state neuroimaging can show which brain regions are active together but cannot reveal what they're actually communicating. Both approaches miss the algorithmic level where dysfunctions actually manifest.

The Thalamus Plays a Critical Role in Filtering Noise and Managing Uncertainty: Research using cognitive control tasks in mice and tree shrews revealed that the mediodorsal thalamus is essential for helping the prefrontal cortex adapt when context switches. It extracts signals from within the prefrontal cortex, identifies uncertainty in the cues it receives, and slows prefrontal decision processing appropriately—providing a natural mechanism for filtering noise in decision-making.

People with Schizophrenia Show Specific Deficits in Handling Ambiguous Information: Individuals with schizophrenia perform normally when cues are clear but fail disproportionately as uncertainty increases. This behavioral pattern mirrors what happens when the mediodorsal thalamus is optogenetically inhibited in mice performing the same task, and correlates with thalamocortical connectivity alterations in human patients, suggesting a specific computational deficit that could be targeted therapeutically.

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Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards discuss football's biggest stories.
From last-minute winners to transfer sagas, fantasy football gems, and the drama behind the scenes.
With strong opinions, brilliant chemistry, and decades of Premier League experience, The Rest Is Football serves up three episodes every week packed with insights, dressing-room stories, and proper laughs.
Whether it’s VAR controversies, title races, European nights, or England’s hopes in international tournaments, no topic is off the table. It's the essential podcast for football fans.
For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

Xabi Alonso Sacked After Barcelona Win Super Cup

The Rest Is Football

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Xabi Alonso Sacked by Real Madrid: Real Madrid made a shocking announcement, parting ways with manager Xabi Alonso after just seven months in charge, despite a relatively strong record (24 wins, 4 draws, 6 defeats in 34 matches). The decision came as a major surprise given Real Madrid's second place position in La Liga and their qualification position in the Champions League. Reports suggest the key issue was a loss of respect from players, with incidents of players walking out of video sessions and not listening to Alonso's instructions, particularly highlighted by Vinicius Jr.'s disrespectful behavior when substituted in October.

Barcelona's Dominant Super Cup Victory: Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling Clásico final in Saudi Arabia to win the Spanish Super Cup. This was Hansi Flick's eighth consecutive final victory as a manager (across Bayern Munich and Barcelona), maintaining his perfect record. The match featured spectacular goals from both sides, with Barcelona's attacking prowess on full display despite Real Madrid's defensive approach to the game.

Raphinha's Outstanding Performance: Raphinha was named MVP of the final, scoring twice and delivering a man-of-the-match performance. Since returning from injury, he has been instrumental for Barcelona and was considered by many to have deserved the Ballon d'Or last season. His continued excellence highlights Barcelona's attacking depth and quality, with some observers noting he was controversially left out of FIFA's best 11.

Vinicius Jr. Breaks Goal Drought Spectacularly: Vinicius Jr. ended a 16-game goal drought with a sensational solo effort, nutmegging Kunde and cutting inside before finishing with style. Despite this brilliant moment, he was surprisingly substituted later in the match, raising questions about his relationship with Alonso. The decision to remove him after breaking such a significant drought was viewed as particularly puzzling given his performance.

Hansi Flick's Remarkable Scoring Record: Under Flick's management across Bayern Munich and Barcelona, his teams have scored an astonishing 256 goals in just 88 games, averaging 2.99 goals per match. His high-pressing, attack-minded philosophy has Barcelona playing with joy and freedom, though his defensive tactics of maintaining high lines even without ball pressure sometimes defy conventional wisdom. This approach has resulted in Barcelona winning their last 10 matches.

Real Madrid's Tactical Approach Questioned: Xabi Alonso set up Real Madrid in an unusually defensive formation, sitting deep and allowing Barcelona to dominate possession, which is rare for Madrid and contrary to what their supporters expect. While this appeared to be a tactical ploy to exploit Barcelona's high line through counter-attacks (similar to their earlier successful match against Barcelona), it ultimately failed and contributed to criticism of Alonso's management style.

Álvaro Arbeloa Named Successor: Former Real Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa, currently managing the club's second team Castilla, was appointed as Alonso's replacement. The two managers are close friends, which adds an awkward dimension to the situation. Speculation suggests this may only be an interim appointment until the end of the season, with names like Zinedine Zidane and Jurgen Klopp being mentioned as potential permanent replacements.

Barcelona's Title Challenge Appears Unstoppable: Even Real Madrid supporters are beginning to concede La Liga this season, with Barcelona now 10 wins in a row and looking dominant. The combination of their attacking talent, tactical cohesion under Flick, and the emergence of academy players has created a formidable team. Real Madrid, by contrast, are seen as too reliant on individual moments of brilliance rather than cohesive team performance.

Marcus Rashford's Barcelona Integration: Rashford has settled well at Barcelona according to club sources, though he hasn't secured a place in the strongest starting XI, particularly with Raphinha in such excellent form. He came on late in the Super Cup final and nearly scored, demonstrating he will play a significant role through rotation and covering for the inevitable injuries that occur during a long season.

Villarreal's Impressive League Form: Villarreal capitalized on the top teams being away for the Super Cup, beating Alavés 3-1 to close within four points of Real Madrid (with a game in hand). Their front three of Alberto Molero, Georgi Mikhailidze, and Gerard Moreno have been consistently productive, with Molero (signed from relegated Las Palmas) emerging as one of the signings of the season. They've lost only to Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid this season.

La Liga's Competitive Bottom Half: The relegation battle and mid-table positions remain incredibly tight, with just four points separating 11th and 18th place. This includes various results across the weekend, with Espanyol drawing with Levante, Girona beating Osasuna to climb out of the relegation zone, and dramatic late goals in matches like Real Sociedad's 96th-minute winner against Getafe after Getafe had equalized in the 90th minute.

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For thousands of years, Kabbalists have been studying on a daily basis for their and humanity's spiritual progress. Continuing this tradition into today's globally connected world, the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute, studies daily from authentic Kabbalistic sources, with commentary by Dr. Michael Laitman. (Audio)

13 Jan 26 04:29 UTC; Preparation for the congress "Connecting in the Ten, Adhering to the Creator,"  Lesson 1: The Ten as a Requisite for Adhesion

Daily Kabbalah Lesson (Audio)

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Convention Preparation and New Study Format: Preparations are underway for an upcoming Kabbalah convention focused on "Connecting in the Ten, Adhering to the Creator." This year features a unique approach where each group of ten (called a "ten") prepares their own lesson materials independently before the convention, rather than receiving centrally prepared content. Each ten will prepare lineups for six lessons (morning lessons with 30-minute preparations and afternoon lessons with 15-minute preparations) in advance, though backup materials will be provided for groups unable to prepare together.

The Ten as a Condition for Adhesion: The main lesson topic examines how working in a group of ten people is essential for achieving spiritual adhesion with the Creator. The primary text studied emphasizes that friends should speak together about the greatness of the Creator, as this naturally causes one to annul oneself before the Creator and awakens desire to bond with Him. The article notes that even beyond what friends can appreciate, one must go "above reason" to believe the Creator is greater than anything imaginable.

Receiving Greatness from Friends Requires Specific Conditions: To receive the greatness of the Creator from friends, one must make efforts to annul oneself, appreciate the friends, and see the Creator operating behind each friend. The environment must speak about the Creator's greatness, and even if friends don't feel it initially, their efforts draw light that eventually creates genuine feeling. The key principle is that only someone who makes themselves small can receive from someone great.

Working "As If" Has Real Spiritual Power: Even if friends are not yet in a state of bestowal, when they give examples to each other as if they are, this genuinely influences others. Each friend takes the example as true and receives strength to truly work on acquiring the quality of bestowal. This demonstrates the interdependence among members of the ten and the power of mutual inspiration, even when not fully authentic initially.

Speaking About the Creator's Greatness Without Revealing Personal States: Friends should discuss the greatness of the Creator by quoting from texts and connecting to the inspiration of higher teachers, rather than revealing personal inner experiences. This allows sharing inspiration about creation, the spiritual path, and the greatness of bestowal without inappropriately opening one's heart or discussing things not yet attained.

Building Greatness Between Friends Rather Than Above Them: The greatness of the Creator is built between members of the ten through the inspiration they give each other. As friends increase the greatness of bestowal and the quality to bestow among themselves, each person can become inspired in their own vessels. The Creator placed each person in their specific ten for a reason, and recognizing this divine arrangement helps appreciate each friend's point in the heart.

Helping Friends Overcome Resistance Through Indirect Means: When friends notice someone struggling to be inspired or showing resistance during lessons, they can help indirectly by actively increasing other friends in the ten. This creates a contrast that helps the struggling friend feel their distance from inspiration and naturally draws them toward change, without directly confronting them about their state.

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The Quote of The Day Show is your daily dose of inspiration, featuring the best-of-the-best speakers and prosperity teachers. Each episode spotlights an inspiring quote and 5-10 minute motivational audio clip to help you live a life you love. Featured speakers include Bob Proctor, Lisa Nichols, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Jim Rohn, and more. Hosted by entrepreneur and money mindset expert Sean Croxton. Follow Sean on IG, Twitter, and FB at @seancroxton. Also, subscribe to his interview podcast, The Sean Croxton Sessions, on iTunes.

Pamela Jett: “What Gets Rewarded Gets Repeated.”

The Quote of the Day Show | Daily Motivational Talks

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Avoid Toxic People to Protect Your Energy: Toxic people are described as "walking black holes of misery" who try to drag others down because misery loves company. The key is not to purge them from your life entirely, but to avoid them when you have a choice. Choose to spend time with optimists, winners, and people who build you up rather than pessimists, whiners, and complainers who drag you down.

Attitudes Are Contagious: You cannot consistently cheer up toxic people or change their negative attitudes. While you might temporarily lift their mood, they'll return to negativity once you leave, and they won't believe your positivity is genuine. More importantly, being associated with toxic people can damage your professional reputation, as toxic people are not seen as promotable or as team players.

What Gets Rewarded Gets Repeated: This management principle is crucial for dealing with toxic people who seek you out. If toxic people consistently come to you with complaints and negativity, you need to examine what you're doing that rewards this behavior. Are you commiserating with them? Getting sucked into their drama? You're inadvertently training them to keep coming back.

Train People How to Treat You: Eleanor Roosevelt's wisdom teaches that it's your responsibility to train others how to treat you. When toxic people approach with negativity, respond with something like "I'm having a good day today." This simple response will eventually teach them you're not receptive to their negativity, and they'll find another victim instead of continuing to target you.

Don't Take Responsibility for Others' Happiness: Toxic people are in their comfort zone with their negativity. You don't need to be mean or rude to them, but you shouldn't take responsibility for making them happy. Just as you wouldn't want someone telling you to "cheer up" when you're having a bad day, recognize that people choose their own attitudes and will be miserable until they choose otherwise.

Inner Victories Precede Outer Victories: Success requires choosing to be happy, avoiding toxic people, and training others how to treat you. These principles work together to build your attitude and create a foundation for success. Successful people are willing to step out of their comfort zones and do things others won't do, including protecting their energy from toxic influences.
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ABC News Daily is the podcast that helps you understand the issues affecting your world. Every episode, host Samantha Hawley walks through one story with the help of an ABC colleague or expert in under 15 minutes. When you want coverage you can trust, listen to ABC News Daily.

Why Kevin Rudd quit as our man in Trump’s America

ABC News Daily

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Kevin Rudd's Early Departure as US Ambassador: Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will finish his posting as Australia's ambassador to the United States a year early, leaving at the end of March 2025 instead of serving until 2027. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Rudd's service and emphasized the decision was entirely Rudd's own, made to lead the Asia Society think tank.

Major Achievements During Rudd's Tenure: During his three years as ambassador, Rudd secured significant wins for Australia including playing a key role in locking in US support for the AUKUS defence pact, clinching a $3 billion critical minerals deal, facilitating strong investment relationships between Australian super funds and the US, and helping secure the return of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to Australia.

Controversy Over Historical Trump Criticism: Rudd's position faced tension due to past tweets where he called President Donald Trump a "village idiot," "traitor to the West," and "the most destructive president in history." He was forced to delete these posts, leading to an awkward moment at a White House meeting where Trump directly confronted Rudd, saying "I don't like you either. I don't and I probably never will."

Downplaying the Impact of Past Comments: Experts suggest Australians obsessed about Rudd's critical comments more than the Trump administration did. Mark Kenny noted that Trump's own administration includes people like Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio who had previously criticized Trump, suggesting this wasn't a disqualifying factor. Arthur Sinodinos indicated Rudd was able to clear the air by apologizing directly to Trump at a White House meeting.

Success Across Two Administrations: Rudd worked effectively under both the Biden and Trump administrations, developing strong relationships across Republican and Democratic circles in Congress. Former ambassador Sinodinos praised Rudd as a hard worker who achieved actionable outcomes and emphasized that understanding what motivates each president is key to diplomatic success.

Uncertainty Around Replacement: The Prime Minister hasn't immediately announced a replacement, suggesting Rudd's departure may have caught the government somewhat by surprise. Speculation indicates the role will likely go to a political appointee from Labor, with names like former Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, Stephen Conroy, and Joel Fitzgibbon mentioned as possibilities.

Rudd's Future Focus on US-China Relations: At the Asia Society, Rudd will continue his passion for interpreting Chinese motives and methods, having written an insightful book on Xi Jinping. His role will involve helping the US and China understand each other better to avoid miscalculation and misadventure between the two superpowers.
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Everton FC podcasts from the Liverpool ECHO, including our main Royal Blue show with Joe Thomas, Chris Beesley, Connor O'Neill, Paul Wheelock, Ian Croll and Gavin Buckland.

BONUS CLIP: The issues facing Everton's stadium atmosphere

Royal Blue: The Everton FC Podcast

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Atmosphere concerns at the new stadium: Ian Croll, Connor O'Neill, and Chris Beesley discuss whether the atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium is genuinely poor or if there are mitigating factors. They acknowledge that many fans have been complaining about flat atmospheres, but emphasize this isn't solely a new stadium issue—Goodison Park also had quiet matches in recent years.

Performance on the pitch drives atmosphere: The hosts agree that atmosphere requires something exciting to happen during matches—a strong tackle, a controversial refereeing decision, or a goal. With only 14 goals scored at home and 15 conceded in 11 games, Everton simply haven't given fans much to cheer about. Key creative players like Branthwaite and McNeil have been out injured, limiting exciting moments.

VAR's negative impact on atmosphere: Modern football factors like VAR contribute to dampened atmospheres because fans hesitate to celebrate goals, unsure if they'll be ruled out for offside or other infractions. The constant stoppages and checks make Premier League football feel boring at times, even during the busy Christmas period.

Stadium design is not the problem: The panelists strongly defend Hill Dickinson Stadium's design, arguing it's "head and shoulders" above most modern football grounds and nothing like soulless venues such as West Ham's London Stadium. They reject criticism from other fans comparing it unfavorably to other new builds.

Season ticket relocation challenges: Some longtime supporters who had prime seats at Goodison for decades have been displaced because equivalent locations at the new stadium are now hospitality areas. Fans may also be priced out of their preferred sections, forcing them to sit in cheaper areas like behind the goals, which affects the traditional supporter base distribution.

Hospitality timing affecting atmosphere: Hospitality guests returning late from half-time—sometimes five minutes into the second half—doesn't help the atmosphere, as these fans occupy what were previously vocal supporter sections at Goodison Park.

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Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news

How to sleep well in 2026

Science Weekly

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Circadian Rhythm and Chronotypes: Light is the primary driver of when we fall asleep and wake up, acting as the most significant time cue for our bodies. Individual sleep patterns (chronotypes) are largely genetically determined, though routine also plays a role. For people struggling with extremely late wake times that impact work or school, treatment with carefully prescribed melatonin and bright light therapy under specialist supervision can help adjust sleep timing.

Rising Sleep Problems and Common Conditions: Sleep issues are increasing due to greater awareness about sleep's importance, rising obesity rates, and aging populations. The two most common sleep conditions seen in clinical practice are insomnia and sleep apnea, with sleep apnea becoming more prevalent due to the obesity epidemic and demographic aging.

Sleep Disruption During Menopause: Menopause often causes significant sleep problems for women, though this has been historically under-recognized. Hot flashes frequently wake women at night, and hormonal changes increase insomnia. This life stage also brings external pressures like caring for aging relatives and children while managing demanding careers. Treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) and hormonal treatments for hot flashes, with the British Menopause Society publishing specific guidance for addressing these issues.

Managing Nighttime Awakenings: Waking briefly during the night is completely normal, as sleep cycles through light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and brief periods of wakefulness. If struggling to return to sleep, it's counterproductive to stay in bed trying to force sleep. Instead, get up for about 20 minutes, do a relaxing activity like reading or listening to music, then return to bed when feeling sleepy. This helps break the cycle of effortful, anxiety-driven attempts to sleep.

Understanding Sleep Paralysis: Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is awake but the body remains in the muscle paralysis state that's normal during REM sleep. It can be accompanied by visual or auditory hallucinations and is particularly likely after sleep deprivation or irregular sleep schedules. Occasional episodes are normal and don't require treatment, but frequent occurrences may indicate an underlying sleep disorder requiring specialist evaluation.

Sleep and Dementia Connection: Research shows a bidirectional relationship between sleep and dementia. Reduced sleep, limited sleep opportunity, and insomnia are linked to increased dementia risk, while sleep disturbances can also be early warning signs of developing dementia. The brain's glymphatic system, which clears proteins like amyloid beta associated with dementia, works much more effectively during sleep than wakefulness, suggesting inadequate sleep may allow these proteins to accumulate.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi): CBTi is the gold standard, first-line treatment for chronic insomnia lasting more than three months, recommended by all international guidelines. It addresses underlying behavioral issues that perpetuate sleep problems by prescribing specific times in and out of bed, avoiding time spent awake in bed, and gradually improving sleep quality over six to eight weeks. It's more effective long-term than sleeping pills and carries minimal risks compared to medication dependency and tolerance issues.

Sleep Tracking Technology Considerations: Modern wearable devices have improved significantly, with more expensive models reasonably accurate at distinguishing wake from sleep and potentially identifying REM sleep. However, they're best used for observing general trends rather than obsessing over daily scores. The phenomenon of "orthosomnia" describes people becoming so fixated on optimizing sleep metrics that they actually create sleep problems, since sleep doesn't respond well to control attempts unlike diet or exercise.

Daytime Habits for Better Sleep: Exercise benefits sleep, whether through simple daily steps, cardiovascular activity, or mind-body practices like yoga and Pilates (though avoid high-intensity exercise within two hours of bedtime). A healthy Mediterranean diet supports good gut health, which improves sleep. Coffee offers health benefits including better microbiome and cardiovascular health, but limit caffeinated beverages to before lunchtime since caffeine processing is genetically variable and it stays in the system for extended periods. Alcohol significantly disrupts sleep, particularly REM sleep where memory and learning consolidation occur.

Essential Sleep Advice: The most important sleep habit is maintaining a regular schedule, especially waking at the same time each morning and getting bright light exposure during the day. Sleep supplements like magnesium lack strong evidence and aren't worth the expense. Ergonomic pillows and special sleep props are generally unnecessary unless addressing specific pain issues. The focus should be on free, simple interventions like consistent timing and natural light exposure rather than expensive products or supplements.

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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.

So Long, Rodgers, Plus a Football History Deep Dive With Cousin Sal and Chuck Klosterman

The Bill Simmons Podcast

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Aaron Rodgers' Career Ends on a Sour Note: The Steelers-Texans wild-card game marked what could be the end of Aaron Rodgers' NFL career, ending with a pick-six in a 32-6 loss. Rodgers struggled throughout, managing only 4.8 yards per attempt while under constant pressure from Houston's defense. The game also extended Mike Tomlin's playoff losing streak to seven games, tying Marv Lewis for the longest such streak in NFL history.

Houston's Defense Dominates Despite Offensive Struggles: The Texans defense scored 14 points while Pittsburgh's offense managed only 6, showcasing the defense's ability to carry the team. CJ Stroud had a rough performance with multiple fumbles in the first half, poor center exchanges, and general offensive incoherence until a crucial 49-yard completion late in the game shifted momentum. The Patriots face this Houston team next week with questions about whether the defense can replicate this performance.

Patriots-Texans Preview and Injury Concerns: New England is favored by 2.5 points at home against Houston, with significant injury concerns on both sides. Nico Collins suffered a concussion and likely won't play on the short week, while Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is also in concussion protocol. The shorter turnaround from Monday night to Sunday afternoon creates additional challenges for player availability.

College Football's Structural Crisis: The NIL era and transfer portal have created an ungoverned Wild West in college sports, with players transferring mid-playoffs and boosters reluctant to continue unlimited funding after seeing mixed results. The traditional conference structure has collapsed, with teams like UCLA now traveling to Penn State, contradicting the original regional purpose of conferences. Neither a return to the old system nor full professionalization seems viable.

Football's Television Symbiosis: Klosterman argues that football and television accidentally created the perfect marriage - the sport's structure with brief bursts of action followed by pauses for analysis and discussion perfectly matches television's rhythms. The 11 minutes of actual action in a three-hour broadcast, which sounds like a flaw, is actually ideal for viewer engagement, allowing time to process plays, discuss strategy, or even switch between multiple games.

The Monoculture Dominance: Football is one of only two remaining true monoculture phenomena in America (along with Taylor Swift), with 93 of the top 100 broadcasts in 2020 being NFL games. This dominance extends beyond fans to people who don't even care about the sport, affecting their lives through cultural osmosis, water cooler conversations, and the rhythm of American social life.

Football's Future Vulnerability: Klosterman's book argues that football, despite its current dominance, will likely recede significantly within 50-100 years. The sport is becoming increasingly a spectator-only experience as fewer people play it due to injury concerns, severing the personal connection that sustained sports like baseball and horse racing in their heydays. When football declines, future generations will incorrectly explain its meaning through a modern lens, just as we do with past cultural phenomena.

The GOAT Debate and Ground Zero Greatness: Rather than judging greatness by current standards or peak performance, Klosterman proposes evaluating the "earliest incarnation of greatness that's still present in the modern version" - essentially finding "ground zero" for excellence. By this metric, Jim Thorpe is football's GOAT because he was the first truly great player when the sport's fundamental rules (11-on-11, six-point touchdowns, 10-yard first downs) were already established.

Randy Moss as the Ultimate Receiver Experience: Though Jerry Rice had the better career and was more consistently productive, Moss represented the greatest single-play threat ever seen. The term "mossing" entered the lexicon through kids who didn't even know who Randy Moss was, showing his transcendent impact. His 2007 Patriots run provided an unmatched fan experience, and his incomplete deep ball in Super Bowl XLII against the Giants remains one of the most memorable near-moments in playoff history.

Football Coaches' Unique Cultural Position: Football coaches occupy a singular space in American culture with a remarkably consistent archetype that hasn't changed despite evolving tactics. The caricature remains constant whether portrayed positively or negatively in media - someone saying their daughter is dating "a guy like a football coach" would immediately conjure a specific personality type. Unlike other professions, football coaching maintains this cultural consistency even as individual coaches' approaches diversify.

The Instant Replay Paradox: Despite improving accuracy, instant replay has made football worse according to both discussants. The requirement for "indisputable visual evidence" to overturn calls is absurd when compared to criminal justice standards, games are slowed down significantly, and the human element that created memorable controversial moments (like the 1979 Mike Renfro non-catch) has been removed, eliminating the pain and drama that gave games lasting meaning.

Weather Games as Lost Entertainment: Severe weather games, once a defining characteristic of football, seem increasingly rare and represent a unique television draw. Snow games in particular pass "the bar test" - any TV showing one immediately attracts viewers. The sport's willingness to play in extreme conditions (except lightning) sets it apart from other sports and provides compelling television that modern HD cameras make even more visually striking.

The 49ers' Electromagnetic Mystery: A recent story about the 49ers' practice facility possibly causing injuries through electromagnetic interference became a major "what the fuck" moment in sports. The team has suffered far more tendon and ligament injuries than any other team, potentially due to their facility's proximity to electromagnetic sources, though the science and causation remain unclear. George Kittle tearing his Achilles just days after the story broke added another eerie data point.

Gambling and Fantasy Football's Integration: The podcast demonstrates how gambling has become fully integrated into football consumption, with discussions of lines, parlays, and betting strategies woven throughout the analysis. FanDuel sponsorship and constant gambling talk aren't separate from the football discussion but fundamental to how modern fans engage with games, turning even blowouts into compelling viewing through betting interests.

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Join clinical psychologist and mom of three Dr. Becky Kennedy on her weekly podcast, as she takes on tough parenting questions and delivers actionable guidance—all in short episodes, because we know time is hard to find as a parent. Her breakthrough approach has enabled thousands of people to get more comfortable in discomfort, make repairs after mistakes, and always see the good inside. You'll gain the tools to embody your authority while developing a stronger parent-child connection, helping you become the parent you want to be and helping your child develop the skills necessary for life success.

When Your Kid Says “I’m Boredddd!”

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

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Reframing Boredom as a Positive Sign: When kids say "I'm bored," parents typically interpret it as a problem to solve or evidence they're failing. However, boredom should be seen as a sign you're doing something right—it means you've successfully protected unstructured time for your child. This reframe alone helps parents feel less triggered and reduces the immediate pressure to fix or entertain.

Kids Today Experience More Boredom Due to Overstimulation: Modern children are actually more bored than previous generations because their lives are filled with constant dopamine hits from screens, activities, and stimulation. This makes unstimulated moments feel more uncomfortable by comparison. Parents also have lower tolerance for their kids' whining because adults themselves rarely experience true boredom thanks to constant phone access.

The Difference Between Scaffolding and Doing the Work: Parents should act as mirrors rather than entertainers during play. Instead of directing activities or solving problems ("build the tower this way"), use wondering statements ("I wonder what might help") that create space for kids to problem-solve. This applies beyond play—for example, helping a child remember their water bottle by asking what system they might need, rather than simply handing it to them daily.

Independent Play Builds Life Skills and Resilience: Play is one of the few areas where young children have complete autonomy to make decisions, work through mistakes, and develop confidence. These skills translate directly into adult capabilities like initiative-taking, decision-making, and resilience. College students struggling with basic decisions often lacked sufficient independent play time as children.

Setting Up the Environment Without Being the Entertainer: Parents should create "play pockets"—accessible spaces with simple, open-ended materials that reflect their child's interests (not elaborate craft kits or projects). The key is removing barriers to play (like hard-to-reach art supplies) while letting kids decide what to do with the materials, rather than sitting down to direct the activity.

Connection Before and After Independent Play: When kids say they're bored, view it as a bid for connection rather than a demand for entertainment. Connect first by acknowledging the feeling, perhaps helping them recall past activities they enjoyed, then check in afterward with genuine curiosity about what they created or played. This reinforces that their play matters and you notice their ideas.

Using Kids' Screen Interests as Play Inspiration: Rather than fighting against what kids love on screens or TV, use those interests as entry points for independent play. If a child loves Paw Patrol or a video game, provide related figurines or materials that allow them to explore those themes through hands-on play, building, or drawing.

Making the Shift With Older Kids: For children already accustomed to constant entertainment or screen time, start with an honest conversation acknowledging the change will be hard. Work together to identify interests, then set up materials that lower barriers to play. Expect pushback and whining—this is normal and predictable, not a sign of failure. The parent needs conviction in the decision before implementing it.

Proximity and Co-Regulation During Transitions: When kids are learning new independent play skills, they may need to work alongside a parent initially. This co-regulation provides safety while they practice something uncomfortable. Set realistic expectations—a child might only engage for two minutes at first, and that's progress worth celebrating.

Protecting Unstructured Time With the Same Priority as Activities: Parents should schedule downtime for boredom and play with the same intentionality they use for soccer practice or enrichment activities. The cultural pressure to optimize childhood with constant activities actually deprives children of the very experiences that build independence and self-knowledge.

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A Podcast For The People About The People. The AdTechGod ® Pod celebrates the Minds Behind Adtech and offers an engaging platform where listeners can discover the stories and insights of the individuals driving the advertising technology industry. This podcast shines a spotlight on the creative and innovative minds that make adtech great, providing a unique perspective on the people behind the technology that shapes our digital advertising experiences. All guests appearing on the adtech god podcast are invited participants; they do not provide compensation to AdTechGod for their appearance. The podcast's funding is provided through preroll and midroll advertisements, which are sponsored by various companies. If you are interested in being a guest or advertising on the AdTechGod Pod (The Adtech God Podcast) please visit https://www.adtechgod.com/adtechgod-pod.

Ep. 116 Leadership Insights with Julie Van Ullen, President and CRO at iSpot

AdTechGod Pod

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Julie Van Ullen's Career Foundation at IAB: Julie credits her nine-year tenure at IAB under Randall Rothenberg as foundational to her success. This experience taught her that people and trust are the most valuable currency in the industry, and Randall remains a key mentor whom she consults regularly for career decisions and strategic guidance. His holistic view of the industry's future and emphasis on human-centered leadership has shaped her approach to leading teams.

Authenticity as a Leadership Philosophy: Julie emphasizes maintaining authenticity across all professional settings, refusing to create corporate veneers. She's transparent with potential employers that her authentic style is non-negotiable, believing that being the same person in the boardroom, at industry events, and behind closed doors builds the trust necessary for effective leadership. She acknowledges this approach doesn't work everywhere but finds it essential for long-term success.

Transparency and Trust with Teams: Julie advocates for radical transparency with teams, treating them as adults who can handle difficult truths about business changes, acquisitions, or layoffs. She believes in openly disagreeing with executives when necessary while still executing directives, and that building trust through candor is the only way to create teams willing to follow leadership through challenging times and rapid industry changes.

Evolution from Display to Television and Measurement: Julie's career progression from display advertising at OpenX to connected TV at Freewheel, then retail tech at Rakuten, and now measurement at iSpot is unified by her passion for free, ad-supported media. She seeks the "win-win-win" for advertisers, publishers, and consumers, moving from thinking about ad stacks as technical challenges to recognizing them as human experiences that impact real people.

The Value Proposition of Retail Media and Outcome-Based Models: Her time at Rakuten represented an opportunity to use cash back and CRM strategies to create authentic brand-consumer relationships while only charging brands when they actually sell something. This outcome-based approach aligns with her belief that advertising should deliver measurable value to all parties involved rather than just generating impressions.

Real-Time Measurement as the Future: Julie sees measurement evolving beyond traditional audience metrics and quarterly analysis through MTA and MMM models. At iSpot, she's focused on providing real-time, actionable data that allows brands to optimize campaigns immediately based on actual outcomes, not just reach and frequency. This shift enables brands to understand what's working for consumers and make in-flight adjustments to both creative and media investments.

Breaking Down Walled Garden Barriers: A major positive trend Julie identifies is walled gardens' increasing willingness to integrate third-party measurement data. iSpot's partnership with Roku allows real-time outcome-based data to inform media buying decisions within Roku's platform, representing a significant shift away from platforms grading their own homework and toward more agnostic measurement solutions.

Consumer-Centric Approach to Fragmentation: As media consumption fragments across traditional TV, connected TV, social platforms, and creator content, Julie emphasizes that consumers demand not seeing the same ads repeatedly and want authentic engagement appropriate to each channel. Measurement must serve as an agnostic source of truth that helps brands understand what works across this fragmented landscape.

Navigating Gender Dynamics in Tech: Julie candidly admits that early in her career, she internalized being "one of the tech bros" as a survival mechanism, which she now recognizes as anti-feminist behavior she's embarrassed about. She's learned to recognize when there's a glass ceiling that won't break and knows when it's time to find organizations that will support her growth, emphasizing the importance of seeking environments that accept and develop you.

Commitment to Mentorship and Lifting Others: Julie stresses that mentorship requires intentional time investment and work—it doesn't happen automatically. She believes world-class leaders distinguish themselves by identifying each person's unique superpowers and helping them develop those strengths, even when individuals aren't immediately easy to work with or relate to. She criticizes the difference between performative LinkedIn posts about helping others versus actually taking action to connect people with opportunities.

The Trade Desk Partnership and Incrementality: iSpot is integrated as The Trade Desk's default measurement provider for proving incrementality, reflecting shared values around agnostic measurement. This partnership demonstrates how demand-side platforms are recognizing the need for independent verification of campaign effectiveness rather than relying solely on internal metrics.
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Money Matters with Jack Mallers is an exploration of interesting intersections of finance, culture, and everyday life with the aim to help you understand the often unexplored narratives of how currency shapes our world. 

Bitcoin at the Turning Point

Money Matters with Jack Mallers

The Jack Mallers Show

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Midterm Elections and Political Pressure on Bitcoin: Trump faces significant political pressure with midterms approaching in November, where Democrats have an 80% chance of winning the House according to prediction markets. Trump himself stated he believes he'll be impeached if Republicans lose, creating urgency for aggressive economic policy actions. This political timeline is crucial because Bitcoin's price reflects future expectations of fiat currency supply and money printing, making this midterm year particularly important for Bitcoin's trajectory.

Fed Chair Powell's Hostage Video and Central Bank Independence: Jerome Powell released an unprecedented public statement claiming the Department of Justice served him with grand jury subpoenas threatening criminal indictment related to Federal Reserve building renovation spending. The hostage video-style announcement represents Trump's escalating attacks on the Federal Reserve. However, the notion of Fed independence is mathematically impossible given that US debt-to-GDP exceeds 120% and interest expense on the $38 trillion debt exceeds 100% of federal receipts, meaning the Fed effectively controls all US economic and foreign policy through rate decisions.

Industrial Policy and Government Control Over Private Business: Trump announced aggressive industrial policy initiatives including dictating how defense contractors can spend their money, prohibiting stock buybacks and dividends, and capping executive compensation. He also stated he would control credit card interest rates and take equity stakes in companies without paying for them (like his 10% Intel stake). This represents a fundamental erosion of property rights and free markets, making the US look increasingly like China's centrally-planned economy rather than a free market system.

The Impossible Choice Between Reshoring and Fiscal Discipline: The Trump administration wants to simultaneously reshore manufacturing, run massive defense budgets ($1.5 trillion proposed for 2027), and maintain fiscal discipline through Elon Musk's efficiency efforts. This is mathematically impossible - reshoring to 1940s wartime footing required 80%+ tax rates, capital controls, and consumer goods rationing. The administration must choose between printing massive amounts of money to fund reshoring or entering austerity, but cannot have both outcomes simultaneously.

Trade Deficits Narrowing and Dollar Liquidity Implications: Tariffs are successfully narrowing the US trade deficit to its smallest level since 2020, with gold exports jumping significantly. However, as the trade deficit narrows, fewer dollars are being supplied to the rest of the world, creating a dollar liquidity crunch. This explains Bitcoin's current weakness - the administration hasn't committed to printing money yet, creating confusion in markets about whether to "sell America" or "buy America."

Venezuela Intervention About Multipolar World, Not Oil: The US intervention in Venezuela wasn't about oil (the US has plenty) but about securing critical minerals and preventing China, Russia, and Iran from controlling resources in the Western Hemisphere. Marco Rubio explicitly stated the US won't allow adversaries to operate in "our hemisphere," revealing this is about securing natural resources and spheres of influence in an increasingly multipolar world order, similar to the Greenland strategy.

Trump's Direct Money Printing Through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Trump announced he would use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's $200 billion in cash to buy mortgage bonds, directly intervening to lower mortgage rates and monthly payments. This represents "Trump Easing" (TE) rather than traditional quantitative easing (QE), where the President bypasses the Federal Reserve entirely to inject liquidity into markets. This is highly inflationary and Bitcoin-positive once implemented.

Bitcoin's Current Bear Market Reflects Lack of Clarity: Bitcoin is down 27.8% from its all-time high of $126,160 (reached January 6, 2025) and currently trading around $91,070 with a $1.82 trillion market cap. The stall reflects market confusion about whether deflation or inflation comes next. Markets are split between "sell America" and "buy America" trades, with the administration wanting contradictory outcomes, creating uncertainty that keeps Bitcoin suppressed until policy direction becomes clear.

Why Bitcoin Is the Only True Property Right Remaining: Bitcoin represents the last standing form of genuine property rights as the US government increasingly violates traditional property rights through industrial policy, equity confiscation, and capital controls. Bitcoin stored as 12 memorized words cannot be physically confiscated - the only way to guarantee not getting someone's Bitcoin is to keep them alive, making it the only asset that disincentivizes violence and provides true self-sovereignty.

Strike's Bitcoin-Backed Lending Product Defense: Bitcoin-backed loans at 9-13% are not competing with credit cards but serve a fundamentally different purpose - monetizing saved wealth without selling Bitcoin. Credit cards advance money you don't have; Bitcoin loans let you spend wealth you've already saved. At 12% interest against a 50% CAGR asset, the loan is extremely cheap, especially compared to 20%+ capital gains tax. Dollars lent against Bitcoin are inherently expensive because lenders must forgo owning a 50% CAGR asset to lend at only 12%.

Strike Line of Credit Rolling Out in February: A new dynamic line of credit product launching within weeks will allow users to get paid in Bitcoin via direct deposit, automatically extend credit against their Bitcoin stack to pay bills, and avoid large lump-sum borrowing. Users can configure paychecks to partially buy Bitcoin and partially pay down interest, creating a seamless Bitcoin standard lifestyle where savings compound at 50% annually while living expenses are covered through small, manageable credit extensions.

Bitcoin Operating Companies vs Treasury Companies Debate: Regarding the Michael Saylor/Danny controversy, there are legitimate questions about whether companies can simply register, buy Bitcoin, and sell equity forever at a premium to net asset value. Most Bitcoin treasury companies trade at discounts to NAV, suggesting the model may already be saturated. Buying MSTR costs common shareholders over 1% annually in dilution compared to 0.25% for iBit or zero for physical Bitcoin, raising questions about long-term sustainability without profitable operating businesses.

21's Strategy of Cash Flow Plus Bitcoin Accumulation: 21 (Mallers' public company) maintains 43,513 Bitcoin with transparent proof of reserves and focuses on building profitable Bitcoin-related operating businesses, particularly in lending, rather than purely treasury strategies. The belief is that markets want profitable Bitcoin-focused companies at their scale, especially as traditional banks face regulatory hurdles in lending against physical Bitcoin. This differentiates them from pure treasury plays.

The Best Timeline for Builders and Freedom Fighters: Despite legitimate concerns about inflation, political dysfunction, and eroding liberties, this represents the most fascinating period in human history for those who want to build a better world. Living through the death of fiat, the creation of Bitcoin, and the rise of AI provides unprecedented opportunity for ambitious, moral people to participate in engineering fundamental change. The fate of humanity depends on building distributed technology using mathematics and cryptography to protect native human rights.

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