Best Stray Reflections Podcasts (2025)

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Freed from prison in Belarus, exiled opposition leader’s husband accused of battling her instead of Lukashenko

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Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. October 22, 2025 Six months ago, after serving five years behind bars, Belarusian opposition figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski walked free. He emerged from the fervor of 2020 — when he was a popular political blogger preparing a run for the presidency — into the f…

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Unpacking the paradoxes of Poland’s migration debate

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With roughly a million Ukrainian refugees now residing in Poland and fears about hybrid war and border security unabated, discussions about migration have become entangled with a range of domestic and foreign policy issues, from a rise in hate crimes to gaps in the labor market and support for Ukraine. Polish officials, meanwhile, are sticking to t…

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E.U. blacklisting over ‘money laundering and terrorist financing’ pushes Russia further into pariah status

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The European Union plans to add Russia to its list of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing, Politico reported this week. Once official, the decision will exacerbate Russia’s international pariah status, jeopardizing investment and trade flows that emerged in response to Western sanctions against Moscow after the fu…

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Belgian-Russian dual citizen charged with treason after trying to visit father in St. Petersburg following a heart attack

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A 48-year-old man with dual Russian and Belgian citizenship has been charged with treason in Russia following an attempt to visit his father, who recently suffered a heart attack. Mikhail Loshchinin’s family is scattered across Europe. He has lived in Germany for the past several years, working as a database administrator in Luxembourg. His mother …

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Russia blocks Snapchat, along with Roblox and FaceTime

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Russia’s federal censor, Roskomnadzor, announced on Thursday that it has blocked the mobile application Snapchat. The agency explained the ban by saying that, according to law enforcement, the service “is used to organize and carry out terrorist activities, to recruit their perpetrators, and to commit fraudulent and other crimes against Russian cit…

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Russian initiative turns stray dogs into WiFi hotspots to keep people online during blackouts

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A team of artists in Yekaterinburg has found a novel solution to Russia’s mobile Internet blackouts — outfitting stray dogs with WiFi routers and letting them wander the city as walking hotspots. The idea, they say, has two benefits: free Internet for residents and much-needed attention for the dogs, who are available for adoption. Animal welfare w…

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Russia bans Roblox over child safety fears

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Russia’s federal media censor, Roskomnadzor, announced on Wednesday that it had blocked the popular children’s video game Roblox. Statements and reports from government agencies indicate that the Russian authorities have been preparing for this move since the start of the year. Roskomnadzor justified the ban by accusing the game of disseminating ma…

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‘What’s the problem?’: Russia’s human rights chairman on censorship, blocked apps, and musician arrests

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In a new interview with RBC, Russian Human Rights Council Chairman Valery Fadeyev weighed in on censorship, wartime restrictions, returning offenders from the front, and more. Meduza shares several of his most notable remarks, translated into English. On blocking messengers What’s the problem? Yes, some people invested in their Telegram channels an…

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As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on, global weapons profits keep rising, new report finds

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The world’s 100 largest arms manufacturers saw their combined revenue rise by 5.9 percent in 2024, reaching a record $679 billion, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI links the surge in revenue to heightened demand driven by the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and broader geopolit…

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Kremlin talks stretch past midnight as U.S. envoys and Putin again fail to bridge peace-plan gap on Ukraine war

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Russian and U.S. negotiators met at the Kremlin for nearly five hours on Tuesday, concluding talks roughly 30 minutes after midnight, the newspaper Kommersant reported. The Russian delegation included Vladimir Putin, advisor Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The United States wa…

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Four quotes from Vladimir Putin explaining how Russia is winning the war in Ukraine, which is not really a war, and Russia didn’t start it even if it were, but it should have even sooner

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Kostyantynivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, November 28, 2025 July 2022: Russia has not yet begun to fight (addressing the State Duma) We hear today that they want to defeat us on the battlefield… Well, what’s there to say? Let them try. But everyone should realize that we haven’t even really gotten started yet. October 2023: We didn’t start the w…

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Veteran cosmonaut pulled from joint Russian–U.S. mission after allegedly photographing sensitive SpaceX hardware

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Oleg Artemyev, 2018 Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev has been removed from the Crew-12 mission, a Roscosmos flight to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX and scheduled for the first half of 2026, according to Roscosmos’s press service. His spot will be taken by Andrey Fedyaev, who now appears on the mission’s crew roster on the Yuri G…

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‘Europe’s demands are not acceptable to Russia,’ Putin says, ahead of meeting with Trump’s envoys in Moscow

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Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Steve Witkoffin April 2025 An American delegation has arrived in Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin on a potential peace deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Shortly after 2:00 p.m. Moscow time, the plane carrying Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, landed in Moscow, according to I…

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Damage to the Baikonur launchpad has left Russia unable to send people into space. Why doesn’t Roscosmos have a backup plan?

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The launch of Soyuz MS-28 on November 27, 2025 On November 27, the Soyuz MS-28 carrying a crew of cosmonauts lifted off from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which Russia operates in Kazakhstan, on its way to the International Space Station. After the launch, scorched metal structures were discovered in the flame pit beneath the pad. It soon bec…

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As Russia conceals HIV data, report finds rising infection rates among pregnant women

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December 1 is World AIDS Day. Last week, the project To Be Precise published two reports about how HIV is transmitted in contemporary Russia and what living with the illness looks like. Meduza summarizes the group’s findings. The exact number of people living with HIV in Russia is unknown. Data on HIV-related deaths is no longer published. Two gove…

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Ukrainian war-tracking project DeepState accuses crypto prediction platform Polymarket of using its battlefield data for real-time gambling

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The Ukrainian open-source intelligence initiative DeepState, which created and maintains an interactive map of Russia’s invasion, has slammed the team behind a separate mapping tool, Polyglobe, accusing them of improperly using DeepState data to fuel bets on the war. The online prediction platform Polymarket allows users to gamble on a wide array o…

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Expanding the war at sea, Ukraine attacks two Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tankers off the Turkish coast

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The aftermath of an attack on a oil tanker off the Turkish coast on November 28, 2025 Moscow has accused Ukraine of “violating Turkish sovereignty” after recent attacks on tankers carrying Russian oil. Naval drones reportedly struck the two ships almost simultaneously on November 28. At the time of the attacks, the Kairos was 28 nautical miles from…

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Would a ‘drone wall’ solve the E.U.’s Russian incursion problem? German military expert Frank Sauer is skeptical.

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Exercises in detecting, tracking, and neutralizing drones in southeastern Poland. November 18, 2025. Europe is stepping up its preparations for a possible war with Russia. Debates over how to strengthen the continent’s defenses intensified starting in mid-September, when roughly 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Then, in the two months tha…

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Ukrainian political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko explains what Yermak’s resignation means for Zelensky and the peace process

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On November 28, Ukrainian authorities searched the home of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and the country’s chief negotiator in the peace process, as part of a corruption investigation into alleged embezzlement at Energoatom. That evening, Yermak submitted his resignation. Meduza spoke with Ukrainian political analyst V…

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Andriy Yermak resigns as head of Ukrainian president’s office

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Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and the country’s lead negotiator in peace talks, has resigned, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday. “Russia very much wants Ukraine to make mistakes. We will not make any,” Zelensky said in his daily address. “Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on. We have no right to ease up, no…

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Ukrainian anti-corruption agents search home of Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak

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Update: Andriy Yermak has resigned from his post as the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday. Officers from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) searched the home of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office a…

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Former Kremlin deputy chief of staff reportedly wrote Putin letter condemning war in Ukraine before his resignation in September

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Former Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning Moscow’s war against Ukraine shortly before his resignation in September, Agentstvo Media reports. Kozak, who previously served as Russia’s deputy prime minister, became Putin’s deputy chief of staff in January 2020. According to a Meduza…

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Putin’s new national policy strategy targets ‘foreign meddling’ and aims to have 95 percent of citizens share a ‘Russian civic identity’

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out Russia’s new “national policy strategy” through 2036. The document describes the current state of interethnic relations in Russia as “stable.” It says that for 92 percent of Russians, their main sense of identity is a “shared Russian civic identity” (rather than, for example, religiou…

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‘We will achieve this by military means.’ Putin calls Trump’s peace plan a ‘basis’ for future talks — and then demands Ukraine surrender territory.

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The Trump administration has laid out a possible “basis” for a peace deal with Ukraine, but signing an agreement with the current leadership in Kyiv is “legally impossible” in Russia’s view, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Speaking in Bishkek after a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit, Putin repeated many of the Kremli…

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Russia just declared the late Alexey Navalny’s nonprofit a ‘terrorist organization.’ This was their response.

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On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court declared the global branch of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) a “terrorist organization,” banning the activities of the New York-based nonprofit founded by the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny to support his activism in Russia. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, which petitioned for the designatio…

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‘Run and hide all you want’: The online group harassing and threatening LGBTQ Russians in the E.U.

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In 2025, the Telegram channels of multiple Russian LGBTQ+ organizations came under coordinated cyberattacks. Tens of thousands of bot accounts were deployed as artificial followers in an apparent effort to get these groups blocked. Sex educator and LGBTQ+ activist Sasha Kazantseva experienced the bot invasion on her own channel, Washed Hands. She a…

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‘Georgians will not accept autocracy’: Former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze reflects on Georgia’s year-long political crisis

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Protesters march through the streets of Tbilisi, blocking traffic to demand new elections and the release of political prisoners. November 17, 2025. Protesters in Georgia have been taking to the streets for 364 straight days. On October 26, thousands joined an anti-government march in central Tbilisi marking the anniversary of the country’s dispute…

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U.S. delegation to come to Moscow next week to discuss peace plan, Putin says

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A U.S. delegation is set to travel to Moscow next week for talks on President Donald Trump’s “peace plan,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. “We’re expecting them in the first half of the week,” Putin told reporters. Speaking about the plan, Putin noted that the negotiations have not produced an actual draft peace agreement. “There…

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What do the Witkoff–Ushakov and Ushakov–Dmitriev transcripts reveal about U.S.–Russian negotiations? Who leaked them — and why?

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Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, August 2025 On November 25, Bloomberg published an explosive report containing transcripts of two phone calls: one between top Kremlin advisers Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, and another between Ushakov and U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff. The leak revealed that Witkoff coached Ushakov on how to co…

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Russian neurotechnology company says it can steer pigeon flocks with implanted brain chips

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The Russian neurotechnology company Neiry claims to have begun field testing a flock of pigeons with chips implanted in their brains, allowing researchers to steer the birds from the laboratory into the wild and back. According to reporting by Forbes Russia, Neiry says its operators can upload flight patterns to pigeons by stimulating specific area…

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Unleashed - Episode 85 Vaccines, Myths & Must-Knows: Dr. Dawn Filos Sets the Record Straight 38:15

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In this episode of Unleashed, host Cheryl Kaye welcomes back Dr. Dawn Filos, veterinarian and author of Tales of a Pet Vet, for an eye-opening discussion about the vaccines every dog and cat needs — and how often they should get them. Dr. Dawn explains the difference between one-year and three-year vaccines, why leptospirosis is now considered a co…

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Navigating China’s Bull Market 56:38

2M ago56:38

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Kaiwen Wang from Clocktower Group provides a clear framework for reading China’s tape—policy signals, investor flows, and what comes next.By Jawad Mian

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The Confidence Game: AI, Trump, and the S&P 500 45:04

2M ago45:04

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A conversation with Peter Atwater on how shifts in confidence explain today’s AI boom, tariff talk, Trump’s influence, and the S&P 500’s path.By Jawad Mian

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Rain Sounds 15:15

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This episode contains stray thoughts about rain sounds, alarms, and ways to wake up. You can also read this episode online and see any associated images by going to damianrobb.com/straythoughts. Also, if you’d like to purchase any of my books and in so doing also buy my eternal love, you can do so by going to damianrobb.com/books. Finally, if you l…

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China decoded with Andrew Polk 51:43

3M ago51:43

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From property slumps to AI ambitions, a clear-eyed look at China’s next chapter with Trivium China’s Andrew Polk.By Jawad Mian

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Wisdom from Morgan Housel 56:11

3M ago56:11

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By Jawad Mian

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Nonviolent communication with Danny Cohen 1:19:07

4M ago1:19:07

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How to speak in a way that heals—ourselves, our relationships, and the world.By Jawad Mian

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Clear Thinking with Shane Parrish 51:20

4M ago51:20

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By Jawad Mian

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Unleashed - Episode 84 Detour Ahead: The Dark Side of Roadside Zoos 16:33

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This week on Unleashed, Cheryl Kaye welcomes Meghan Tiemann, Captive Wildlife Specialist with the PETA Foundation, to uncover the harsh truths behind America’s roadside animal “attractions.” As families gear up for summer road trips, Meghan explains why some so-called “rescues” and “sanctuaries” are anything but. From tiger cub selfies to rundown p…

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The price of acceptance 3:14

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By Jawad Mian

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Snippets 27:05

5M ago27:05

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This episode contains stray thoughts about some snippets of small experiences I’ve had or observed over the last month. You can also read this episode online and see any associated images by going to damianrobb.com/straythoughts. Also, if you’d like to purchase any of my books and in so doing also buy my eternal love, you can do so by going to dami…

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Love and repair with Terry Real 53:17

5M ago53:17

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What most of us were never taught about love, marriage, and emotional growth.By Jawad Mian

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Raising ourselves, not just children 14:43

6M ago14:43

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Insights from Philippa Perry’s book, The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read.By Jawad Mian

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Conscious Living with Diana Chapman 56:21

6M ago56:21

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By Jawad Mian

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Build, baby, build 1:06:25

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A conversation with Daniel Dreyfus (CIO, Bornite Capital) on the buildout of American power—what’s driving it, what could derail it, and where investors should be paying attention.By Jawad Mian

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Sitting with Steve Cohen: markets, mindset, meaning 18:19

7M ago18:19

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A rare conversation with Steve Cohen (Point 72) that moved beyond markets.By Jawad Mian

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Giving Gifts 27:13

7M ago27:13

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This episode contains stray thoughts about giving gifts and a recent day out. You can also read this episode online and see any associated images by going to damianrobb.com/straythoughts. Also, if you’d like to purchase any of my books and in so doing also buy my eternal love, you can do so by going to damianrobb.com/books. Finally, if you like thi…

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Unleashed - Episode 83 Why Can’t My Brother Be More Like My Cat? 25:44

7M ago25:44

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This week on Unleashed, Cheryl Kaye welcomes the wonderfully witty Allia Zobel Nolan, author of the delightful new children’s book Why Can’t My Brother Be More Like My Cat?! Allia brings her signature sparkle as she shares hilarious tales of life with her cat—who just might have more charm (and claws!) than her brother. From laugh-out-loud comparis…

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The Industrialization of Intelligence 37:42

7M ago37:42

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A conversation with Sean Maher, founder of Entext, to make sense of macro and technology trends. This exchange will challenge your assumptions, broaden your thinking, and offer a fresh lens on how the future might unfold.By Jawad Mian

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Unleashed - Episode 82 Dog Park Drama: What Garret Wing Wants You to Know 33:54

8M ago33:54

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This week on Unleashed, Cheryl Kaye welcomes top dog trainer and viral sensation Garret Wing, who shares why you should never take your puppy—or even your adult dog—to a dog park. A former law enforcement K9 handler and founder of DIYK9, Garret breaks down the hidden dangers of dog parks, from unsafe dog interactions to exposure to disease, and exp…