Podcast

Latest Episode

Global Briefing: China and Greece ramp up militaries, gunfire sparks U.S. Embassy alert in Haiti, Riyadh hosts WWE, UK climate startup targets home retrofits, Texas A&M drops gender studies, and the Philly region shivers through an offshore nor’easter—with Nimitz reminding leaders to listen down the chain

China’s military modernization, powered in part by post-Soviet Russian exports

China moved closer to top-tier armed forces by buying Russian hardware when Moscow needed cash and industrial oxygen, and Beijing wanted a shortcut. Key transfers included Flanker-family fighters that shaped the J-11, Su-30 variants that boosted multirole know-how, and the later, more symbolic Su-35 buy. One of the biggest impacts was propulsion, where Russian engine tech helped China narrow stubborn performance gaps.

WWE Royal Rumble held in Riyadh

WWE’s 39th Royal Rumble took place Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Liv Morgan and Roman Reigns landing major wins as the event helped set the WrestleMania 42 picture. Sports, spectacle, and geopolitics continue their weird little throuple.

Nimitz on leadership, humility and listening down the chain

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is cited for a leadership lesson that remains scandalously uncommon, good advice often comes from junior officers and enlisted personnel. The recap notes his early Naval Academy start, a court-martial after grounding the USS Decatur, a sailor rescue act of bravery, and his post Pearl Harbor prominence under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Philadelphia region stays cold as a nor’easter passes offshore

AccuWeather says cold conditions persist into early February around Philadelphia. Sunday brings wind as a nor’easter passes well offshore, and temperatures drift back toward near-freezing by Monday.

Gunfire near U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince prompts security alert

Heavy gunfire near the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince triggered a security alert and temporarily halted U.S. government personnel movements. Americans were advised to avoid areas north and south of the embassy and in Croix-de-Bouquets, while the embassy said it remains open for emergency services. The incident comes just before a Trump executive order set to take effect Feb. 3, 2026, ending Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians in the U.S., leaving those who remain eligible for deportation.

Greece accelerates fighter modernization amid rivalry with Turkey

Greece is building its air force around F-35A stealth fighters, upgraded F-16 Block 70/72 Vipers, and Rafale F3R jets, targeting roughly 200 fighters by 2030. The push is driven by long-running tensions with Turkey over Aegean airspace, island defense, and Cyprus, with Ankara’s removal from the F-35 program shaping the regional balance.

Texas A&M ends women’s and gender studies degree program

Texas A&M University in College Station has ended its women’s and gender studies degree program, as the campus remains a focal point in broader political fights over gender and sexuality. Another day, another bureaucratic bonfire dressed up as “policy.”

UK climate tech startup Furbnow aims to simplify home retrofits

Former lightweight rower Becky Lane founded Furbnow after working in energy and retrofit, aiming to make Britain’s home-upgrade system less of a maze. The company provides end-to-end support from assessment and design to installation, using an AI planning tool and vetted installers. After raising more than £3.5 million and growing to 18 staff, it has upgraded 750 plus UK homes in about three and a half years and plans 500 more this year, with a goal of 100,000 homes by 2030.

About

This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.

Subscribe

Spotify / Apple / Amazon / iHeart / Pandora / Pocket Casts / Deezer / Google / Podcast Index / RSS