S8 Ep218: SHOW 12-19-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUTGAVIN NNEWSOM ON THE AMPAIGN TRAIL FOR 2028... WEST COAST WEATHER AND PORTLAND'S DECLINE Colleague Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch. Jeff Bliss reports that Nordstrom Rack is leaving downtown Portland, citing high
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12-19-25<br>
THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUTGAVIN NNEWSOM ON THE AMPAIGN TRAIL FOR 2028...<br>
LA 1900<br>
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<strong>WEST COAST WEATHER AND PORTLAND'S DECLINE</strong> Colleague <strong>Jeff Bliss</strong>, <strong>Pacific Watch</strong>. <strong>Jeff Bliss</strong> reports that <strong>Nordstrom Rack</strong> is leaving downtown <strong>Portland</strong>, citing high vacancy rates, crime, and homelessness. He also details a massive atmospheric river bringing heavy rain to the <strong>West Coast</strong> and dangerous <strong>Tule</strong> fog in <strong>California</strong>, while analyzing <strong>Gavin Newsom's</strong> presidential prospects amidst state economic struggles. NUMBER 1<br>
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<strong>CHINA'S CHIP THEFT AND AI WARFARE RISKS</strong> Colleague <strong>Brandon Weichert</strong>, <strong>The National Interest</strong>. <strong>Weichert</strong> discusses <strong>China's</strong> attempts to upgrade older <strong>ASML</strong> machines and reverse-engineer chips to bypass sanctions. They also review 2025 lessons, noting that AI in military war games tends to escalate conflicts aggressively toward nuclear options, warning that <strong>China</strong> may fuse AI with its nuclear command systems. NUMBER 2<br>
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<strong>ITALY'S ECONOMIC STABILITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS</strong> Colleague <strong>Lorenzo Fiori</strong>, <strong>Il Giornale</strong>. <strong>Lorenzo Fiori</strong> reports that <strong>Italy's</strong> economy is stabilizing, with debt under control and bond spreads narrowing close to <strong>Germany's</strong> levels. While northern <strong>Italy</strong> remains industrialized, the south suffers from depopulation and climate change. <strong>Fiori</strong> emphasizes the urgent need for government policies to boost <strong>Italy's</strong> declining birth rate. NUMBER 3<br>
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<strong>NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION AND RUSSIAN SANCTIONS</strong> Colleague <strong>Henry Sokolski</strong>, <strong>Nonproliferation Policy Education Center</strong>. <strong>Sokolski</strong> criticizes the lifting of sanctions on <strong>Russian</strong> banks for nuclear projects and highlights the dangers at the <strong>Russian</strong>-occupied <strong>Zaporizhzhia</strong> plant. He warns against potential deals allowing <strong>Saudi Arabia</strong> and <strong>South Korea</strong> to enrich uranium, arguing this brings them dangerously close to bomb-making capabilities. NUMBER 4<br>
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<strong>LANCASTER COUNTY AND A HOLIDAY SPENDING SLUMP</strong> Colleague <strong>Jim McTague</strong>, Author and Journalist. Reporting from <strong>Lancaster County</strong>, <strong>Jim McTague</strong> observes a sluggish Christmas shopping season, with consumers buying practical items like gloves rather than expensive packages. While tourist venues like <strong>Sight & Sound Theater</strong>remain busy, he predicts a mild recession in 2026 due to rising local taxes and utility costs. NUMBER 5<br>
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<strong>THE URGENCY OF SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM</strong> Colleague <strong>Veronique de Rugy</strong>, <strong>Mercatus Center</strong>. <strong>Veronique de Rugy</strong> argues <strong>Social Security</strong> must be reformed before trust funds run dry in the 2030s. She contends the system unfairly redistributes wealth from young workers to increasingly wealthy seniors and advocates for capping benefits or means-testing rather than raising taxes or allowing across-the-board cuts. NUMBER 6<br>
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<strong>NASA'S NEW LEADERSHIP AND PRIVATE SPACE</strong> Colleague <strong>Bob Zimmerman</strong>, <strong><a href="http://BehindtheBlack.com">BehindtheBlack.com</a></strong>. <strong>Bob Zimmerman</strong> discusses <strong>Jared Isaacman's</strong> confirmation as <strong>NASA</strong> administrator and an executive order prioritizing commercial space. <strong>Zimmerman</strong> predicts <strong>Isaacman</strong> might cancel the crewed <strong>Artemis II</strong> mission due to safety concerns with the <strong>Orion</strong> capsule, signaling a shift away from government-run programs like <strong>SLS</strong> toward private enterprise. NUMBER 7<br>
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<strong>SPACE BRIEFS: ROCKET LAB AND MARS RIVERS</strong> Colleague <strong>Bob Zimmerman</strong>, <strong><a href="http://BehindtheBlack.com">BehindtheBlack.com</a></strong>. <strong>Zimmerman</strong> highlights <strong>Rocket Lab's</strong> record launches and <strong>Max Space's</strong> new inflatable station module. He notes a <strong>European</strong> satellite report on sea levels omitted "global warming" references. Additionally, he describes <strong>Martian</strong> drainage features that resemble rivers and cites a study claiming AI algorithms are exposing children to harmful content. NUMBER 8<br>
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<strong>THE FALL OF THE REPUBLIC: SULLA TO CAESAR</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Edward J. Watts</strong>, <strong>University of California at San Diego</strong>. <strong>Watts</strong> traces the <strong>Republic's</strong> fall, starting with the rivalry between <strong>Marius</strong> and <strong>Sulla</strong>. <strong>Sulla's</strong>brutal proscriptions and dictatorship traumatized a young <strong>Julius Caesar</strong>. <strong>Watts</strong> explains that <strong>Caesar</strong> eventually concluded the <strong>Republic's</strong> structures were broken, leading him to seize power to enforce rights, which his assassins misinterpreted as kingship. NUMBER 9<br>
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<strong>NERO, AGRIPPINA, AND THE MATRICIDE</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Edward J. Watts</strong>, <strong>University of California at San Diego</strong>. <strong>Professor Watts</strong> details the pathology of the <strong>Roman</strong> emperorship, focusing on <strong>Agrippina's</strong> maneuvering to install her son <strong>Nero</strong>. <strong>Watts</strong> describes <strong>Nero's</strong> eventual assassination of his mother using a collapsible ship and his pivot to seeking popularity through rigged <strong>Olympic</strong> victories in <strong>Greece</strong> before losing control of <strong>Rome</strong>. NUMBER 10<br>
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<strong>THE YEAR OF FOUR EMPERORS AND FLAVIAN RULE</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Edward J. Watts</strong>, <strong>University of California at San Diego</strong>. <strong>Watts</strong> analyzes the chaos following <strong>Nero's</strong> death, where <strong>Vespasian</strong> seized power after a brutal civil war that burned <strong>Capitoline Hill</strong>. The segment covers the <strong>Flavian</strong> dynasty, <strong>Titus's</strong> destruction of <strong>Jerusalem</strong>, and <strong>Domitian's</strong> vilification, concluding with <strong>Nerva's</strong> coup and the adoption of <strong>Trajan</strong> to stabilize the succession. NUMBER 11<br>
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<strong>THE BARRACKS EMPERORS AND THE ANTONINE PLAGUE</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Edward J. Watts</strong>, <strong>University of California at San Diego</strong>. The discussion turns to the "barracks emperors," highlighting <strong>Trajan's</strong> expansion into <strong>Dacia</strong> and <strong>Hadrian's</strong> infrastructure focus. <strong>Watts</strong> describes <strong>Marcus Aurelius's</strong> <strong>Stoic</strong> governance during constant warfare and a devastating smallpox pandemic, which forced <strong>Rome</strong> to settle <strong>German</strong> immigrants to repopulate the empire. NUMBER 12<br>
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<strong>SUPREME COURT CHALLENGES TO TARIFF POWERS</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Richard Epstein</strong>, <strong>Hoover Institution</strong>. <strong>Professor Epstein</strong> analyzes potential <strong>Supreme Court</strong> rulings on the President's use of emergency powers for broad tariffs. He predicts the <strong>Court</strong> may find the interpretation unconstitutional, creating a logistical nightmare regarding the refund of billions in collected revenues and addressing the complexity of overturning <strong>Article I</strong> court precedents. NUMBER 13<br>
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<strong>EXECUTIVE POWER AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES</strong> Colleague <strong>Professor Richard Epstein</strong>, <strong>Hoover Institution</strong>. <strong>Epstein</strong> discusses a <strong>Supreme Court</strong> case regarding the President's power to fire members of independent boards like the <strong>FTC</strong>. He fears <strong>Chief Justice Roberts</strong> will side with executive power, a move <strong>Epstein</strong> views as an "unmitigated disaster" that undermines the necessary independence of agencies like the <strong>Federal Reserve</strong>. NUMBER 14<br>
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<strong>ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AND CONSUMER SPENDING</strong> Colleague <strong>Gene Marks</strong>, <strong>The Guardian</strong>. <strong>Gene Marks</strong>reports on a <strong>US</strong> economic slowdown, citing contracting architectural billings and falling hotel occupancy. He notes that while the wealthy continue spending, the middle class is cutting back on dining out. <strong>Marks</strong> attributes inflation to government money circulation and discusses proposals for mandated retirement contributions. NUMBER 15<br>
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<strong>AI ADOPTION IN BUSINESS AND CONSTRUCTION</strong> Colleague <strong>Gene Marks</strong>, <strong>The Guardian</strong>. <strong>Marks</strong> argues that AI is enhancing productivity rather than replacing humans, despite accuracy issues. He highlights AI adoption in construction, including drones and augmented reality for safety. <strong>Marks</strong> notes that small businesses are eager for these technologies to improve efficiency, while displaced tech workers find roles in smaller firms. NUMBER 16<br>
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