Who Started the War? & Gen. CQ Brown's Firing | EYES ON PODCAST

Today we discuss Russia disinformation that's made its way into Trump administration talking points, ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine, the mineral deal and the firing of General CQ Brown. New merch, patches, and stickers! ⬇️ https://theteamhouse-shop.fourthwall.com Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Find Andy Milburn here: ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 https://amilburn.substack.com/ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations https://bsky.app/profile/andy-milburn.bsky.social https://open.substack.com/pub/amilburn/p/journal-of-a-plague-year?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=emo6q&utm_medium=ios Find Mick Mulroy here: ⬇️ https://fogbow.com/ https://www.loboinstitute.org/ https://x.com/MickMulroy?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/ https://bsky.app/profile/mickmulroy.bsky.social Find Jason Lyons here: ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-lyons-666873316?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app https://bsky.app/profile/bgsilverback73.bsky.soci Music by - Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:30Speaker 01

  Russia is our, not only our enemy, they are one of our most significant adversaries and probably the most dangerous. And treating them in any other way is naive and essentially will come back to bite us big time. We need to maintain the policy that every president, left, right, and center, Democrat or Republican, has had for as long as I can remember, that Russia's not to be trusted. And we are the leader of the free world, which means we actually have to lead it and be a part of it.

• 1:11Speaker 02

  Hey, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Eyes On. Full crew here today. Mick Mulroy, Jason Lyons, Andy Milburn, and me. Wild week. Big change in our foreign policy, I guess. I guess we think now that the, that Ukraine started the war, which was news to me. Ongoing peace negotiations are what, I mean, if you can call them that, glorified peace negotiations. You guys, yeah, we haven't had a, had a show. We didn't talk about like the, the meeting between the US and, and Russia in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine or EU input. A lot cooking. Let's just kick it off. I mean, you guys are on top of it. Mick, you go first. What do you, what do you got? What are you thinking?

• 1:58Speaker 01

  Sure, and I'm sure there's a lot more to follow on this, but I guess we could start with, you know, everybody's entitled to their own opinion about their own facts, right? So Putin's a brutal dictator, he would probably tell you that. And he started the war largely because he would like to see the reconstitution of the Soviet Union, right? Not because of the expansion of NATO. We saw NATO expand because he invaded Ukraine with the Finland and Sweden, and he said basically he didn't care. So let's start there. If you back up a little bit, though, if you look at the, I think it's called the Budapest Agreement or Memorandum back in the mid 90s, when Ukraine, the fall of Soviet Union, the

• 2:40Speaker 01

  US, the UK, of course Russia guaranteed Ukraine's security if they would relinquish their nuclear weapons back to Russia. It wasn't legally binding, but it was an agreement by the United States. So it's important to point out that this goes way back. They've been asking to be in NATO ever since then, and we have not allowed them. So where are we now? We're at a position right now where the US wants to enter into a ceasefire agreement. I think that is a good thing. I think General Kellogg, Special Envoy Kellogg's plan is, as he put it out there, fair, freezing

• 3:18Speaker 01

  the conflict, not requiring Ukraine to concede territory, bringing in NATO forces or European forces, and the UK and France have already proposed, I think it's around 30,000, coming in into heavily populated areas, which is very good for Ukraine. And then freezing the conflict so the Ukrainians can essentially rebuild and rearm and refit and get ready if this, if Russia again violates their own agreement, and that's something we should keep in mind when it comes to actually how this agreement would go.

• 3:55Speaker 01

  The pressure, I think, I think the fair points of criticism on the Biden administration are that we essentially slow rolled major weapons approvals, almost as if we weren't really wanting them to win. I don't think they would say that, but just not lose, right? And I think a fair criticism would be, you could have done this all in once, Rupes, that if you invade, we're going to prove everything that they requires them to win, and then not have this debate publicly and just drag it out. The other thing, and I think it's a fair point, is Europe has been providing their security assistance as a

• 4:37Speaker 01

  loan, right? So not just providing it complete like we have. So the idea that there should be some kind of agreement that does deal with these rare earth elements, which according to the CSIS or CSIS study, is trillions, like 10 trillion of dollars potentially. It's going to cost a lot of money to extract from the ground and use. But perhaps going forward, the US, not for what we already provided, going forward, could come up with some, some kind of agreement to defray the cost, or the, the, basically invest in Ukraine.

• 5:16Speaker 01

  And if I was advising President Zelensky, I would say, well, if you gave the US some rights to the rare earth minerals that are currently under where Russia is occupying Ukraine, you're going to get the biggest country on earth that now has a vested interest in getting them off, right? So off that terrain. So I think that's a fair point for the Trump administration to try to be balanced in at this. But to your point, Dee, last point, Russia is our, not only our enemy, they are one of our most significant adversaries and probably the most dangerous. And treating them in any other way is naive and essentially

• 5:56Speaker 01

  will come back to Biden's big time. We need to maintain the policy that every president, left, right, and center, Democrat, Republican, has had for as long as I can remember, that Russia's not to be trusted, and we are the leader of the free world, which means we actually have to lead it and be a part of it.

• 6:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, well said. Andy, what are you thinking? I know.

• 6:21Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, I, you know, rather than simply echo mixed words, which I think were right on target. I would just add a couple of things, you know, and so take my full support for what what Mick just said. The um. And let's look at the peace agreement itself, right? So. The problem with this is only Russia and Ukraine can maintain that peace. You can't put a European peacekeeping force in there and expect them to keep the peace. All right, not even certainly not enforce the peace and and but not it. They are going to be helpless in the face of violations of the ceasefire.

• 7:05Speaker 03

  And and I'll explain why. You're talking about the two most powerful. Militaries in Europe, both of which now have three years of modern war experience facing each other. Across a thousand over a thousand kilometers of front. And you're talking about tens of thousands of relatively inexperienced European troops in the middle there. They don't know the terrain. They don't know the rules. They don't they they haven't experienced anything like what both Russian and and Ukrainian soldiers have experienced. In the last two to three years, if either side decides that they're going to violate this agreement, and it doesn't even have to be a conscious decision.

• 7:50Speaker 03

  You know, it'll whether it's at small unit level all the way up to core commander.

• 7:56Speaker 03

  There is absolutely nothing that a that a paltry force as like the one that is suggested can be put in there. Russians alone have been losing.

• 8:07Speaker 03

  Thirty thousand people, thirty thousand dead a month, okay, at the, at the height of the war, thirty thousand dead. The entire German army is sixty eight thousand. That's two months worth of casualties at that rate, okay? The entire German army would be, that's, I'm just using that as an example to show how pitifully inadequate this peacekeeping force is going to be, all right? So again, we're having to trust the Russians, all right, and the Ukrainians. Yes, of course, but we're gonna, but I share a mixed concern. I, I don't, I don't for a moment think you can trust the Russians to keep the peace. So there has to be some other kind of sanction.

• 8:48Speaker 03

  There has to be, I, you know, they, we talked about, hey, if the Russians violate the security, the ceasefire, then it's all on, right? It's all on NATO. It opens the floodgates on weapons, opens the floodgates on letting Ukraine, you know, a pathway for Ukraine to join NATO. You have to, you have to stipulate that because you're not, you can't rely on.

• 9:14Speaker 04

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• 9:57Speaker 04

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• 10:15Speaker 05

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• 10:45Speaker 03

  The peacekeeping force, literally to enforce the peace here. The peace is only going to come from Putin. It's only going to come when he is so afraid of the consequences of violating that ceasefire that he will adhere to it. And anyone who doesn't realize that is hopelessly naive. Good point. That is all on that topic. But I will say one other thing. I'll ask you a question for the open audience unrelated. How many federal workers at the average federal worker wage would you have to fire to make up for one aircraft carrier? 160 million. I just, I did the math.

• 11:29Speaker 03

  160 million, all right? That's how many. Touche. Okay. That's my whole point. Yeah. That's my whole point. We're going off to the wrong things here if we want to cut the budget. But that's, I digress. Go ahead.

• 11:43Speaker 02

  No. Very well said. I mean, are there, isn't there like 2 million federal workers? Like total workforce? You know what I mean? Like a little short there in terms of cutting, cutting head, you know, cutting scalps, basically.

• 12:01Speaker 02

  Um, one thing that came out today, uh, Zelensky was at a press conference and he made a statement saying that, uh, he would happily step down because of the talk about him being a dictator and all this stuff, uh, because Ukraine is under martial law because of the war. Um, that he would happily step down if Ukraine could join NATO. And I think, you know, what are you guys' thoughts on that? Um, because that's a big talking point about, uh, from the others, from the right, uh, about Zelensky being a dictator and hasn't been elected in a while.

• 12:39Speaker 06

  I mean, I think it's a, uh, an altruistic, um, statement. And of course it's one that, you know, put up or shut up. You know, it's great to say it. It's heroic to, and noble to say it. Um, but are you really going to do it? But, um, I, I believe that not knowing the man myself, just, uh, you know, what I've seen, I, I believe that he would do it if it meant peace and that his country could not just have a, uh, short-term peace, but a long-term, you know, peace as well. So, um, I think that he would do it. I just don't know that, um, there are enough, there's enough support on the right, you know, that he would do it and then something else would come up.

• 13:21Speaker 06

  You know, it would be something else that he's done wrong. And then two, and I'm ignorant on this, so I'm asking the question, who would be a good candidate to take his place? I have no idea. Like, I, I don't know anything about his cabinet or anything like that.

• 13:36Speaker 03

  Yeah, I, I mean, I think this is a red herring because it's only, it's only the United States and Russia that have accused him of being a dictator. I mean, you know, Zelensky's criticized within his own country, but he's not criticized for being a dictator. He is criticized for a few things. Uh, and by the way, I, I preface this by saying I admire Zelensky. I think he is an extraordinary, has been, regardless of whatever his flaws prior to the war, he has shown himself to be an extraordinary war leader. You know, and he is, he, he has had, um, the gravitas, the charisma and the courage, uh, to, uh, in, in, to be almost iconic and, and represent in, in a, and again, almost Churchillian way,

• 14:20Speaker 03

  um, Ukraine in determination to defeat Russia. So, so good on him and no easy task when you think what he's had to deal with.

• 14:29Speaker 03

  But I I don't, you you know, who who's going to, how is this gonna hasten a a peace agreement? I mean, I I don't, I I think the Russians may put something in there about Zelensky leaving. Um, I don't see why the United States would, and you know, again, within Ukraine, when he has been criticized, it's for lack of preparation for the war, for kind of uh for, you know, and this is largely from the army um has has criticized him for not listening to their concerns that the Russians were indeed going to invade, which led to a a lot of tactical crew operational errors such

• 15:12Speaker 03

  as failing to really fortify Mariupol, um, you know, you you name it. Um, and and so resulted in unnecessary casualties at the beginning of war. That's the criticism of him prior to the war, the criticism and criticism of him focused on the fact that he hadn't done uh what he said he was gonna do against corruption. But you know, as a war leader, he's fired plenty of people, he's had to, he's shown, he's shown significant courage and uh has really, um, you know, as soon as something pops up and is brought to his attention about corruption, uh, he's made it public, which has taken, which takes a lot of courage in a nation at war, and uh and has fired those responsible, to

• 15:53Speaker 03

  include, uh, I believe in two ca- in two cases, you know, the the head of his intelligence, uh, the head of the Ukrainian intelligence, um, in one case for corruption and the other for uh suspected, according to Zelensky, complicity with the Russians. So, you know, he's he's shown leadership and to your point, Jason, I can't, you know, I'm not very au fait with Ukrainian politics now, but I that I don't, I can't think of anyone who's gonna step into issues at this point.

• 16:26Speaker 01

  So Churchillian is a good way to, I think, describe President Zelensky, right? Yeah, sure, he has his flaws, just like Churchill did. But he also stepped into, you know, his time in history, you know, the finest hour in Churchill's sense, you know, when he said, "I don't need a ride, I need more ammunition." At the time he said that, most people thought he was done, right? That this wouldn't last three weeks, let alone three years, which I think tomorrow is the three-year anniversary, right? So he is, under the Constitution, they don't hold elections during a time when they've been invaded by a foreign country. So it's not him not holding elections.

• 17:09Speaker 01

  If he were to step down, and I do think that would be a noble altruistic view, just like Jay, I guess somebody would just have to step into his shoes that was, you know, that was a part of his cabinet, right? Because they're not going to hold elections. I mean, how do you hold elections when, you know, 20% of your country's occupied and any given minute, you're going to get incoming, right? So I think it's a red herring. I think Andy's right about that. I don't know why it's, there's so much angst against Zelensky. Potentially, it's the whole issues with investigating the Bidens or what have you. But it's not about, I think, his leadership in this time of conflict with Russia.

• 17:53Speaker 01

  I think is, everybody will view that as what it is, Churchillian, and he's the one they elected. And by the way, his polling is not 4%, I think it's more like 57%. Yeah. Everybody Googled it as soon as that was said. So it's higher than, you know, most. But I think we need to focus on the strategic implications here, which is ceasefire, yes, good thing. General Kellogg, Special Honorable Kellogg's plan deserves a lot of attention, and hopefully we can get it to a point where both sides agree, so we can start this ceasefire.

• 18:35Jack Murphy?

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• 19:14Jack Murphy?

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• 20:10Speaker 03

  The only viable alternate as leader I can think of might be Valery Solushny, right? The former chief of the army, who was very popular within the army and in Ukrainian society, and well-regarded by foreign leaders too. So, I mean, he, you know, that's, but I haven't seen him. And there was talk of him actually, as being a post-war leader, but I haven't, I don't think he's entered into this discussion.

• 20:45Speaker 02

  Um, just, I want to debunk a little bit more of that disinformation. I mean, Mick hit it on the head a little bit with the 4%. It's actually 57 in terms of Zelensky's approval. The narrative that 350 billion.

• 21:01Speaker 03

  Any US president would be quite happy with that.

• 21:03Speaker 02

  Yeah. Oh, yeah. Forget it. Yeah.

• 21:07Speaker 03

  No matter what point of his term he was in.

• 21:10Speaker 02

  Yeah. And the other big one that uh big narrative was that we gave them 350 billion dollars. Half of it's missing. I mean, you guys know more. I mean, it's obviously not true. It's not close to that, really. It's, you know. Just you get. It's been 100, 170 billion total.

• 21:30Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think, I mean, a, a dollar transactional approach to this just loses the whole point. You know, the point is this that, that NATO has, is the strongest that it has probably been, no, not, not probably the strongest that it the more united than it has been uh since, you know, the end of the Second World War. We've got Sweden and Finland joining both, both countries said they would never do that. Um, you've got Poland stepping up as a, as a leader on, on the eastern flank. I mean, extraordinary, you know, 4% of its GDP on defense. And uh, and, and the Russian army has been atrophied beyond imagination over the last three years. The Russians have been

• 22:12Speaker 03

  absolutely shellacked. Uh, now, you, you know, on the other hand, they have developed um extraordinary capability in the areas, areas such as, I mean, they, they tested capability now, uh, you know, leveler, not just drones, but glide from everything from glide bombs um through to EW. So, you know, although their army's been destroyed, they, they've had a chance to, to test a lot of other, other, their, their systems. Um, that, that are, you know, proving quite formidable. But the point is that Russians um have, have been brought to their knees by this war. Uh, the, the economy's not doing well. The, the army, hey, you know, we talked about the casualties they've been taking.

• 22:56Speaker 03

  And at the cost of what? Not a single NATO soldier. Not one. All right, now that may seem quite cold-blooded, the Ukrainians have certainly suffered. But my point is, and when we talk about dollar cost, that is nothing. How much did we spend on Afghanistan, plus, plus all the blood, right? Plus, you know, thousands of, Afghanistan and Iraq, thousands of British troops. But you didn't hear people bellyaching about that. No one complained about the money. And now it's a big issue. But the point is that all these things have been achieved without losing a single NATO soldier. That's quite something.

• 23:35Speaker 01

  And this is their largely weapon systems made in the United States, right? And every dime that we spend, it depletes Russia. I mean, I heard somebody say today, it's about the Ukrainians killed about four times as many Russians as been killed in Ukraine. Their, their military is being decimated. I mean, completely decimated.

• 23:58Speaker 06

  I read something that said.

• 23:59Speaker 01

  Our strike is relative to them.

• 24:01Speaker 06

  I don't know how true it is, but I read something that said that Russia's lost about 1% of their male population, entire male population in this war. It's crazy.

• 24:11Speaker 03

  And that, yeah, and maybe, yeah, in the war itself. And then who knows what percentage have escaped overseas? I know the figures are out on Google, but millions of Russian males of military age. You just have to visit Dubai or Yerevan or, you know, many other countries to see what has, what has happened there. So, yeah, I, I mean, I just don't, I, I don't get this fixation on how much money we have spent. You know, even if you don't care about our values, all right? Even if you think the United States doesn't stand for any values. Uh, you know, it goes back to Mick's point that Russia is our adversary.

• 24:52Speaker 03

  And, uh, and we've, we've seen our adversary being bled dry over the last three years, uh, with, with very little cost to us.

• 25:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, and another bit that was swirling around yesterday was during the negotiations, I guess, for the mineral deal.

• 25:12Speaker 02

  It was floated that they would cut off Starlink internet access to Ukraine if they didn't sign the deal and it's like, I'm an editorialized guy, so, trigger warning.

• 25:24Speaker 02

  I don't know how the fuck you use that as a bargaining chip during a war, to sign some mineral deal that'll pay us back 5X, like it's some deal, where there's a body count, people are fucking dying every day. And like to use that as a bargaining chip or tactic is just, kind of fucking disgusting.

• 25:48Speaker 02

  Gonna be honest.

• 25:49Speaker 01

  It's extortion.

• 25:53Speaker 01

  Use Starlink in the future.

• 25:56Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, Musk already limited the, you know, the full capabilities of Starlink, right? Less than a year into the, into the war. I mean, it's no doubt about, of course, Ukrainians use it and are quite dependent on it for their communication systems, but, yeah, I mean, all of this just seems quite dystopian to me. It really does.

• 26:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, so I mean, hopefully it works out, I mean, where it benefits the Ukrainians, like I don't want to see, Ukraine get stripped, you know, like, you know, completely fucking stripped, just, and, and it's for past support, it's not even for like, the next year or two of more support from the US, it's just like what we've done for them in the last few years.

• 26:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't know how you're Zelensky and you sign that deal, especially when you have Europe stepping up too, like Europe's not, Europe's spent more money, and given more support than the US by, you know, a couple 10 billion.

• 26:55Speaker 02

  So it's not like they're totally alone without the US, obviously that's a huge help, US, you know, firepower and stuff, and intelligence support too, because I could see that being the next thing that goes.

• 27:08Speaker 02

  So I don't know. I don't know how they signed that deal. I really don't.

• 27:13Speaker 01

  I think it has to be for future support, right? I mean, it's just normal contractual type agreements. It's too bad we're to a point where we're not actually the leader of the free world. This is basically just us looking out for financial interests in the United States. I understand why that could be a component of it, but now that's become the entirety of it. That's it's just like we're trying to make money. This was our partner. We had actually, we collectively, the US government, and if we don't honor

• 27:39Speaker 04

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• 29:08Speaker 01

  Past agreements, then essentially, why would anybody enter to agree with the United States in the future, ever? Right? So we agreed, we didn't do it, and we supported them to our own interest. And now we're at a point where we are actually instead of being the big brother of Ukraine and and pushing Russia, we don't even have any idea whether Russia will agree to any of this stuff. We didn't, we haven't asked them anything yet. They might get to the table and say, yeah, we're not interested in any of these plans. You've you've bullied Ukraine into taking that. That's a very real possibility.

• 29:41Speaker 06

  I'm hearing that they pushed back. I'm hearing that they pushed back on the European troops.

• 29:48Speaker 06

  Being acting as that the peacekeeping force that I don't know how true that is, but they I'd heard that that was already a a big sticking point with them.

• 29:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's a good point. And it was in our plan.

• 30:00Speaker 03

  Say again, Andy. No, I was joking. So what's the North Korean peacekeeping force?

• 30:07Speaker 03

  I mean, yeah, I mean, it gets back to the fact, yeah, you you need to put in an incentive for Russia to adhere. And by that, I mean a massive disincentive, which is, yeah, we we roll in on providing Ukraine with weapons if you, you know, and NATO membership, by the way. And and, you know, honestly, think what a asset Ukraine would be to NATO membership. You've got the most powerful, the most experienced army in Europe. And pulling it into NATO's fold with, I mean, it's, that's, that would be an unbeatable team. But Ukraine and Poland side by side, there's going to be no more infringement on NATO or threats to infringe on NATO territory.

• 30:52Speaker 03

  The Estonians are all in too. I mean, yes, they have small militaries, but they've got, you know, high end capability. And by the way, the Estonians are are organizing, have been over the last year, kind of a European

• 31:10Speaker 03

  coalition is the wrong word, but it's like kind of an industrial manufacturing agreement to to produce mass produce one five five rounds to keep pace with Ukrainian needs because the US has fallen far short. And and so, you know, all these countries are stepping up to the plate. And I, and, you know, I know the Estonians and and the Poles would love to have Ukraine as part of NATO. And it's only kind of the weaker wine drinking countries, you know, Italy and. And France and Germany's beer drinking, but they mentally, they're kind of wine drinkers.

• 31:51Speaker 03

  All those countries that are that are having second doubts.

• 31:57Speaker 01

  I mean, if you want to look at the hat glass half full, to Andy's point, we could end up with Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, and a much stronger NATO with countries exceeding the 2%, which would give us the ability to do more against the Chinese in the Indo-Pacific, right? Because now we have this stronger alliance, which is good for the United States. Everybody should remember, I probably probably heard it, but we've only used Article Five once, and it was at our request to fight alongside of in thousand, over a thousand NATO forces died in Afghanistan for us. So it's in our interest and we could get there, we could get there. It's a bumpy road to get there, but we could get to a point where this has been a complete disaster for Russia.

• 32:41Speaker 01

  It already is, I think, but certainly we could put the nail in the coffin when it came to this being a disastrous strategic decision by Russia.

• 32:51Speaker 02

  I read something in the study for.

• 32:54Speaker 03

  You know, Russia, Russia's, you know, Putin's Putin's threatened escalation and, you know, to mixed comments about the Biden administration that terrified the Biden administration into drip feeding all these weapon systems. You know, MLRS and attack ends, I mean, you name it, which gave the Russians time to adapt and adjust.

• 33:18Speaker 03

  But yeah, if you if you bring, if you even threat bring Ukraine into the NATO fold, what what is Russia going to do? Not, I mean, nothing. They're going to be powerless. All right. I mean, it's almost as though it's not that we're afraid of escalation, we're we're afraid of hurting their feelings.

• 33:39Speaker 02

  I read this thing on the Institute of Study of War.

• 33:45Speaker 02

  About Putin's worried about a peace deal because he's worried about Russian vets coming back home and starting, you know, obviously being traumatized from the events and being upset about what went down and like that being a bit of a, you know, threat to his regime, his power, you know, because you'll have a bunch of like military aged guys who are really pissed about what went down and they're back home and they don't have jobs. You know, and that could threaten his security, regime security, anyway.

• 34:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's probably a real, real concern because it's a real threat.

• 34:24Speaker 03

  I mean, they're gonna have to leave a significant army there. And they're already dealing with social problems from rotating, from veterans coming back, you know, and mainly because they emptied their prisons to feed the war in Ukraine and now, and, and they gave these guys like lifetime pardons and, and made them heroes. I mean, you can, you know, this is in the, the Western media too, and they come back and start murdering and stealing and raping. And no one can do anything about it. You know, there's a, there's significant social problem. I don't know honestly if it's feasible that Putin is worried about them joining together and staging a coup or anything. I mean,

• 35:05Speaker 03

  you know, the, the Wagner Group is one thing, but, um, uh, you know, because they were already a coherent unit. But, uh, but I'm not sure I buy the, the fear of all these yahoos coming back from the Ukrainian war and overthrew Putin.

• 35:23Speaker 03

  But nevertheless, it's going to be a problem. It is a problem now. They've got a significant problem. They've got, you know, as I've said, I forget how many military aged males overseas who now face prison sentences if they return, but that's a significant part of the labor force. And a lot of their most educated, uh, you know, and, and most, and, and highly qualified,

• 35:47Speaker 03

  middle-class, uh, escaped. Now you just have to look around Tampa, see massive Russian community there. So yeah, there's, I mean.

• 36:00Speaker 03

  He, that's, and that's, but the thing is Putin's gonna have to, I mean, that's, that's how he brings the country together, and that's how he shuts down opposition by manufacturing crises. And so the war in Ukraine did that for him.

• 36:15Speaker 01

  Surely did.

• 36:17Speaker 02

  Um, anything else on the Ukraine and the peace, the ceasefire deal?

• 36:24Speaker 03

  You know, sometimes I think, to make this point when he's, and they were, both of us have talked about American values, and America being, you know, a world leader, and that's just kind of, that's, I mean, that's the United States we grew up with, and in my case admired, and it's one of the reasons why I came to the US, but also because I broke my leg and I couldn't get in the British Army. But, you, you know, the, the point, I, I wonder sometimes whether the great unwashed, you know, the, the, the American public really cares about all this stuff.

• 36:59Speaker 01

  We certainly say it a lot, leader of the free world, you know, um, shiny city on the hill, I mean, that's, that was President Reagan, right? That was Republican Party, that was Republican Party that, I still think there's a substantial, uh, part of the Republican Party that believes that. You're seeing it from senators on the hill. I mean, Senator Wicker was pretty clear. He's a war criminal, he should be in prison for the rest of his life or executed. I mean, that doesn't leave, uh, that is far from, um, uh, the other rhetoric that we're hearing. So I think that's also gonna come through with traditional Republicans, uh, to include Senator Lindsey Graham, who are very much cognizant of what Russia is and isn't,

• 37:41Speaker 01

  and they sure the hell aren't our friends. Uh, and we do have a moral obligations to our partner and allies. I mean, that's, that's why people form alliances, uh, ultimately, and that's why people trust our word when we say we'll provide them security. I mean, they're asking for that now, right, with this ceasefire agreement, when they might point to the Budapest memorandum and say, well, is it even worth the paperwork you're written on? So there has to be some significant assurances that are guaranteed, I think, for the Ukrainians to feel comfortable.

• 38:14Speaker 03

  I mean, I agree. I agree with you 100% Mick, and I think, yes, certainly. I mean, you would hope then GOP that there are still certainly in the Senate of those who believe in that, because, I mean, that was a very Reagan-esque view of the world too, right? I mean, it's coming from there. But but I'm wondering about just the American public. I mean, you know, I don't we we've all been national security professionals, with the exception of Dee, so maybe I should, you know, question him, but Dee's tied into kind of our community too. He's like minded, but I'm wondering whether the average American even cares about it anymore. And

• 38:57Speaker 03

  I mean, part of it is lack of education. Part of it is just the way that the media is right now, you know, you you get your news from an echo chamber and and a lot of it is just kind of it's it's that very kind of blinkered view of the world that it's what affects my pocketbook is everything, and I don't really care if what we do. Let me think back to the fall of Afghanistan, right? That was a traumatic event for I, you know, if I can speak for us collectively, anyone who'd served in Afghanistan, certainly for me, it was a hugely traumatic event because it wasn't just about losing a war. It was about the way it had happened. It was about betrayal of our allies. It was

• 39:42Speaker 03

  you know, all of this stuff. And and yet, the American public just didn't seem to care at all. Am I right?

• 39:51Speaker 06

  I agree. Yeah, and for me, it's I'm kind of blunt like Dee on a lot of things and whatever people think as far as Russia is concerned, and I guess this is my blunt way of making the point, the point that both of you made. There's that saying that people love to throw around, um, facts don't care about your feelings. You can feel however you want. The fact of the matter is, is that the Russian government, I'm not saying the Russian people, the Russian government and military does not view the United States as an enemy and will act accordingly. So it doesn't matter. You can say all you want all day long, you know, um, I think I sent you guys a, uh, something that someone had tweeted the other day or put on X

• 40:34Speaker 06

  saying that the US and Russia would be great allies, make great allies or something like that. Um, that to me, that's just not going to happen. And as long as people keep those blinders on, Russia's going to keep doing what they're doing, knowing that they have at least that piece of the American population in their corner, you know, and, um, you know, and you talked about blinders and I agree. And I think those blinders on either side of it have media on one side and the other blinder says, uh, what my political party tells me to think. And the, the Russians don't care about that. At the end of the day, they're like, they see us as our enemy, as their enemy. And I believe that we should view them as the same, plain and simple.

• 41:16Speaker 03

  Yeah, you know, I, I go, I, I have good friends who are civilians, believe it or not. And, uh, you know, and, and it's dangerous to, to judge a whole country by my small circle of friends. But nevertheless, you know, even among this group of friends, I hear apologies for Russia. Well, you know, we really pushed them into this, right? Encouragement of NATO, go back to, you know, the nineties and all of this. I'm like, wow. You know, yeah, there, there was a reason why we did the things that we did in the nineties. Yes, some of it was probably a little ethically suspect, but it was, it, it was with a view to our own national interests.

• 41:57Speaker 03

  And it was with a view to the fact that we knew that unless Russia was contained as it collapsed, uh, and then that bad things would happen.

• 42:07Speaker 01

  Yep, and both, both sides of the political spectrum in the US have gotten Russia wrong, right? Big red reset buttons and, you know, that's the policy from the eighties and now this version, right? So, and Russia the whole time, at least one thing you gotta give them is they're consistent. They essentially want to do whatever they can to be in opposition to us wherever they can, right? They, they are very consistent and Putin's, you know, he would say, and he said many times, the biggest tragedy of our generation, of his generation, was the fall of the Soviet Union.

• 42:44Speaker 02

  All of the war.

• 42:44Speaker 01

  He wants to try to get it, and Ukraine was a breadbasket. Ukraine had a great deal of their intellectual capability, they being the Soviet Union. He wanted Ukraine back, wasn't because of encroachment. He knows that, you know, NATO isn't going to start a war with Russia. I mean, think about that economically, why they would ever even consider it, right? So, he wanted to recreate the Soviet Union. Ukraine was there, he invaded it, we have to make it the biggest mistake of his life.

• 43:17Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, he looked like he was like kind of legacy shopping, I would say, you know, getting up there in age and stuff like that. And he's like, what can I do before this, you know, the lights turn off? Um, let's try and reestablish the USSR.

• 43:33Speaker 02

  I mean, it hasn't worked great. I mean, it's not great that he does have the American president on side now. Uh, gonna be completely real with you guys.

• 43:42Speaker 01

  Maybe this turns around. Let's, let's.

• 43:44Speaker 03

  I mean.

• 43:46Speaker 03

  Eight, eight, sadly, the USSR that he wants to revert to is kind of the Stalinist USSR. It's not the Latter Day USSR because, you know, I'm not an apologist for Soviet Russia, but the fact is that, you know, at least in the last decade or so, uh, you know, I mean, there were, there were, there were positive things about Soviet society that the, the collapse starkly emphasized the fact that, you know.

• 44:15Speaker 03

  That everyone did have a job, right? I mean, it was their jobs weren't great. They weren't paid well, but everyone had a job. Everyone had security. Their lives were unbearably monotonous. There are a hundred things wrong with it, but at the same time, they had that basis of security. And there were, you know, I get it. You know, I've read the Gulag Appellago. I, I understand everything that went on under Stalin and Khrushchev. But in the latter years, you, as a dissident, you weren't likely to suffer the same fate as you are now as a dissident in Putin's Russia, which is consignment to another archipelago and likely death.

• 44:54Speaker 02

  All right. Yeah. Lot can be said about this. Obviously, stay tuned to Eyes On because we're the best geopolitical podcast maybe ever.

• 45:03Speaker 03

  What are we getting our own T-shirts?

• 45:05Speaker 02

  They're coming soon. We do have our own T-shirts. You can grab them at the link in the description.

• 45:09Speaker 03

  Looking for one that fits me across the chest, but.

• 45:12Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 45:13Speaker 03

  We haven't made that one yet.

• 45:14Speaker 02

  We're getting yours specially made, custom made. It's like a $4,000 T-shirt.

• 45:18Speaker 03

  Make sure you have this little, little more room in the, in the biceps.

• 45:22Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's what I told him first and foremost, like the, he's too swole. Those biceps won't fit in anything. We try and give him. Um, other bit of news, a little bit of like a semi purge at the DOD, CQ Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was fired yesterday. Um, a lot, lot of rhetoric going on about that when he was visiting the southern border while it, it could happen probably two or three hours later. So I don't know if he was really expecting it.

• 45:54Speaker 02

  I think another group of people also got fired when he got fired as well. Mick, what, what are you, what are you thinking on this?

• 46:02Speaker 01

  Yeah, and apparently more today. I mean, I'll start with, you know, obviously the president gets to choose his own people. Um, and I do think if, if the incoming team wants to look at, you know, diversity, equity, inclusion policy, whether, and if we do, I don't know, but certainly out there about quotas on

• 46:25Speaker 01

  folks, then that's one discussion. But I'd like to start with pointing out that this idea of calling in and out, full disclosure, I know CQ Brown, General Brown, he was the deputy commander at. Central Command, I was at the Pentagon, a great individual. But I like to really point out that he was a perfect example of meritocracy. So to refer to him as a D I hire is not only counterfactual, it's insulting and it's quite frankly disgraceful to a person who spends so much time in service to his country. I mean, fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, deputy at CENTCOM.

• 47:09Speaker 01

  He was in charge of all air force activity in the Pacific. He was chief of staff of the air force chosen by the first Trump administration. Which to me indicates, and it should to anybody, that they believed he could be the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff. You don't put somebody in charge of the air force, and I think the Space Force, right? Also, if you don't think he's qualified to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And so then to turn, turn around and fire him abruptly and say, D I, it's just, it's, uh, it's not right. It's not right. And I'll start with that. I don't know the Admiral, and I think somebody can make the same case for her. If you disagree with the policy, two things, if you disagree, have the discussion.

• 47:52Speaker 01

  I've heard it on both sides. I could certainly see that in many cases, gone too far. The other part of that is, um, there's civilian leadership at the Pentagon, right? So even the most senior military person, the chairman, is an advisor. They don't set policy. So you then, you then basically punish them, if you will, for the policy of your previous administration, right? They carry out policy. They advise and then they carry out policy. So we don't even know where, you know, in this case, T Q stood on this stuff. But it is clear that he was a great American and he deserved much better than this, um, you know,

• 48:34Speaker 01

  peanut gallery, basically questioning his qualifications to serve in a place where this exact administration appointed him in the last administration, essentially.

• 48:47Speaker 01

  So I had to, I had to, I'll get off my soapbox, but uh.

• 48:50Speaker 03

  No, that you made, you made the, you made the key point, which is, you know, we, military leaders enforce policy given to them by their civilian leadership. That's in, and so to punish a military commander for enforcing what he's been told by.

• 49:09Speaker 04

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• 49:51Speaker 04

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• 50:40Speaker 03

  You know, the Secretary of Defense of the President is quite frankly absurd, number one. And number two, yeah, I echo, you know, a couple of thoughts about, you know, about CQ is that, you know, I didn't get to call him that, but I did brief him regularly when I was at SAW sent. And I'll say this, he was highly respected within the Air Force. Very highly respected. I never heard anyone say anything negative about him. You know, to include among, I mean, his peers. That's number one. Number two, he was a great guy to brief. Because unlike several other generals over there at CENTCOM or anywhere, he wasn't dismissive of briefers. He knew their names. He would ask them really good questions.

• 51:24Speaker 03

  Just the way he treated subordinates, I thought was an except was exceptional. And it was indicative of his character. And, you know, I mean, he'll, he'll be okay. And, you know, I'm sure there's, there's part of him that's may also be relieved, almost be relieved. Because there was all this chatter about him going to be fired from even before the administration came in. And so, you know, a guy like that, who, who is very highly talented will rise to the top wherever he is. And that we just, you know, this country is fortunate that he was, that he was chairman for that, that period that he was.

• 52:08Speaker 06

  Yeah, yeah. And I'm, I'm just, you, you gents have had interactions with him personally, professionally. I have not, but for me, point blank, as soon as someone throws out the term DEI hire as a, as an insult, I just turn them off mentally anyway. So none of that means any shit to me. Like if you, even if you can show me in someone's record, which I've never understood, when someone calls someone a DEI hire, is that in their service record somewhere? Is that in their professional record where it's stamped DEI hire? If you can't show me that, I'm gonna, sorry to borrow a term from you, Dee, but fuck off. That means nothing to me. So as soon as I hear that, I just dismiss them, that argument outright.

• 52:54Speaker 02

  I mean, a guy like that cannot rate go to the level of a chief of uh chief of staff of the Air Force and then joint chief uh chairman of the Joint Staff by like just because he's a black guy like what the fuck are we talking about? You know what I mean?

• 53:07Speaker 06

  That's how I got on this panel, but whatever, whatever works, right?

• 53:13Speaker 02

  I mean, at some point, though, like it just people need to be fucking serious at some point and understand like things logically and rationally, right? Like if we're talking about America, like please.

• 53:25Speaker 03

  It's a dangerous precedent. It's a dangerous precedent regardless of which political party does it to fire a senior member of the military for reasons other than competence.

• 53:37Speaker 02

  Right.

• 53:38Speaker 03

  To or or uh you know, behavior to to fire him simply because you disagree with with uh policies that he has enforced on the behest of his civilian leadership. It's a dreadful policy and and what it does and then to bring in someone because they are because you you know, I I'm not saying necessarily this is what's happening, but bringing someone in because politically they're you're more they're more allied with you uh undermines the you know, the the fact that the military, one of its strengths in this country is that it is supposed to be apolitical.

• 54:13Speaker 03

  I mean, Marshall, right? Marshall took it to the point where he didn't even vote. Um, you know, which is, I mean, it's successive. Of course, military members have the right to vote. They have the right to have political views. Of course they do, but they but they they've also taught that you don't combine the two. You don't combine your duties with your political views ever. And there's no quicker way to be kicked out of the military than you know, than to do that. It's why we can't, you know, speak out politically in uniform. Um, indeed, when we're on active duty, there's pretty tightly tight constraints on what we can say uh about um, you know, either our support or or uh or opposition to any political party.

• 55:01Speaker 03

  Make you sound like you were. And for those who don't understand that, who don't understand why, think about it, do you want, do you want Department of Defense that represents, I mean, it's the largest department, obviously, military.

• 55:17Speaker 03

  The, you know, two, two million trained killers with all the weapons and everything they have, do you want them to side with, with a particular party or their leadership to side with a political party? And we've just finished what, talking about what's been happening in South Korea, right? And it's, you know, it's not too far fetched.

• 55:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's what George Washington warned about, right? Um, you know, our first president and our first general. No, it's clear that the, not only the military, but the IC and the law enforcement community, federal specifically, needs to stay out of politics entirely. Um, and it's, it's, it's an issue that I think people should be concerned about if that's the way we're going, that people are being chosen not for their merit, right? This is supposed to be about meritocracy. And you can look at the backgrounds of every chairman that we've ever had, and you can match them up. And guess who's gonna, gonna stand right there with the credentials that most have? CQ Brown. Guess who's not? Um, and I don't know him, but the individual that

• 56:21Speaker 01

  they picked, right? He, he hasn't commanded its service. He hasn't commanded a command and command. He hasn't been a four star and he was retired. So if this is about meritocracy, um, and obviously, you know, the very few people are actually qualified to be the chairman. Um, but CQ Brown had the qualifications to be the chairman. And I think we can all say that, um, the individual that was appointed, uh, who of course has to get through confirmation, uh, it does not have historically the same qualifications. And according to President Trump, one of the reasons he chose him is he told him he loved him and that he would kill for him. So, I mean, if that's true, and I, you know, what do I know? But I doubt

• 57:05Speaker 01

  it is. I can't see any military officer saying that. Um, if it's true, he's disqualified. If it's not true, he's gonna, that's gonna be the first question he gets at his confirmation. Did you say that? Right? You, you don't kill for a person. You don't kill, right? You defend, you, you follow lawful orders and you defend your country.

• 57:24Speaker 03

  Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be a test of the Senate, you know, a lot of this is, I mean, particularly the GOP senators on what do they love most their country or a particular individual.

• 57:36Speaker 02

  I mean, guys, we've seen what the Senate's been doing for the last few confirmations, right? Like Cash Patel has just confirmed on Thursday, like, let's, he's qualified, Hex says qualified, come on. What are we talking about? Make me the, make, I'll, I'll take the job, head of the FBI. What are we talking, it's a joke. Like, we could be honest, or at least I'll be honest.

• 57:59Speaker 02

  I don't know.

• 57:59Speaker 03

  Well, the checks and balances are not working as anticipated, right? You know, I mean, the, you, you've got the courts, but they, the court's ability to, to really provide a check that are dependent on the process, which is inherent with delays, right? And so, so that's why you have the legislature that is supposed to provide a check and particularly the Senate.

• 58:29Speaker 03

  But it remains to be seen whether the Senate will, will do that.

• 58:36Speaker 01

  God. That, and on also the, the Russian ceasefire negotiations. I think we're seeing a lot of senators that are willing to step out and and push back.

• 58:48Speaker 02

  I hope more join them. Left or right, doesn't matter, like.

• 58:52Speaker 03

  It takes courage, but on the other hand. You know, that's why, that's why you're in that position.

• 59:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, and ultimately, I mean, I think we'd all be better off if the party Reagan resurfaced, so you can see where I am in this. And, you know, not that anybody's asking me, but if you don't get reelected, who gives a damn, you know?

• 59:15Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 59:16Speaker 01

  Just, I mean, go down with integrity and then go get a job. You know, I mean, it's okay for all these federal workers that are getting fired right now for no apparent reason. So, you know, go down with your integrity and if you, if you get unelected because you've stuck up to what you believed, should be proud of it. And just move on.

• 59:36Speaker 02

  I wish people were that, I wish people did that, to be honest.

• 59:43Speaker 02

  God, we always end on a great note.

• 59:48Speaker 02

  I want to thank you guys. Go ahead.

• 59:50Speaker 03

  Personal ambition, excessive personal ambition can be extremely insidious. You know, we see that in our military careers. Fortunately, quite rarely, I have to say. But, but you know, everyone knows that officer who will do anything to get promoted, right? And, um, and I'm sure those people, you know, it's, it's common knowledge that there are congressmen like that who would do anything to get reelected. But you kind of hope, think that the senate is, is kind of the, you know, the, the senior chamber, the more mature chamber. Um, you're going to find a great, deeper wells of moral courage.

• 1:00:34Speaker 01

  I mean, going all the way back to Roman senate, right? Which I think somebody actually told me is a Latin word for old men, right? Um, nobody remembers the ones that just gave herumps. Nobody remembers the ones that just agreed. It's, it's not even, it's not even a thing. Ultimately, you're forgotten in history. If you're just the person who just nods to get elected, nobody cares. Except for maybe you. So, I mean, this is going to be an issue that, uh, you know, are we going to have three branches of government? Are we going to have a balance of powers? This is all the, the basic part of our system that, um, I think a lot of Americans left, right and center are looking at, uh, making sure it continues that way.

• 1:01:13Speaker 02

  Right on. All right, guys. Any and all links for the guys. McMulroy, Fogbo, Longbow, doing great work. The link is in the description. Andy Milburn, follow him on X, Blue Sky, wherever else. His book, When the Tempest Gathers, incredible memoir. Jason Lyons, all his links are in the description as well. If you want an Eyes on t-shirt or an Eyes on mug, that link is in the description as well. Feel free to go and buy that, uh, and support the show. Also, you can support the show at patreon.com slash the team house. Thank you, guys. Thanks, everybody.

• 1:01:47Speaker 06

  Thanks, guys. Bye, man.

• 1:01:49Speaker 04

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• 1:02:34Speaker 04

  inflammation in the nose, flu or flulike symptoms, joint pain or sore throat may occur. Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extenture. Learn more at extenture.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 1:02:49Speaker 05

  Cash flow crunch? OnDeck's small-business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds up to $200,000 right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory, or tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and control over repayment, get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today at ondeck.com. Funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.

• 1:03:26Speaker 04

  Sponsored by GSK, the makers of Extenture, Depamocumab ULAA. If your asthma keeps interrupting, it may be time to try something else. Extenture is an ultra-long-acting prescription-maintenance treatment for severe asthma, eosinophilic type, ages 12 and older. It isn't for sudden breathing problems. Extenture is the first and only add-on treatment that can help deliver protection from asthma attacks with two doses a year. Just one dose every six months. That's a lot of time for everything in between. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. Don't change or stop medicines, including steroids, unless told by your doctor. Report if you have a parasitic infection.

• 1:04:09Speaker 04

  Common cold, sinus infection, inflammation in the nose, flu or fluke-like symptoms, joint pain or sore throat may occur. Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extenture. Learn more at extenture.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 1:04:26Speaker 05

  OnDeck is built to back small businesses like yours. Whether you're buying equipment, expanding your team, or bridging cash flow gaps, OnDeck's loans up to $400,000 help make it happen fast. Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and earning thousands of 5-star TrustPilot reviews, OnDeck delivers funding you can count on. Apply in minutes at ondeck.com. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.

• 1:05:03Speaker 04

  Sponsored by GSK, the makers of Extenture. Depamocumab ULAA. If your asthma keeps interrupting, it may be time to try something else. Extenture is an ultra-long-acting prescription maintenance treatment for severe asthma, eosinophilic type, ages 12 and older. It isn't for sudden breathing problems. Extenture is the first and only add-on treatment that can help deliver protection from asthma attacks with two doses a year. Just one dose every six months. That's a lot of time for everything in between. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. Don't change or stop medicines, including steroids, unless told by your doctor. Report if you have a parasitic infection.

• 1:05:46Speaker 04

  Common cold, sinus infection, inflammation in the nose, flu or fluke-like symptoms, joint pain or sore throat may occur. Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extensure. Learn more at Extensure.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 1:06:03Speaker 05

  OnDeck is built to back small businesses like yours. Whether you're buying equipment, expanding your team, or bridging cash flow gaps, OnDeck's loans up to $400,000 help make it happen fast. Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and earning thousands of five-star TrustPilot reviews, OnDeck delivers funding you can count on. Apply in minutes at OnDeck.com. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.

• 1:06:40Speaker 04

  Sponsored by GSK, the makers of Extensure, Depamocumab ULAA. If your asthma keeps interrupting,

• 1:06:48Speaker 04

  it may be time to try something else. Extensure is an ultra-long-acting prescription maintenance treatment for severe asthma, eosinophilic type, ages 12 and older. It isn't for sudden breathing problems. Extensure is the first and only add-on treatment that can help deliver protection from asthma attacks with two doses a year. Just one dose every six months. That's a lot of time for everything in between. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. Don't change or stop medicines, including steroids, unless told by your doctor. Report if you have a parasitic infection, common cold, sinus infection, inflammation in the nose, flu or flulike symptoms, joint pain or sore throat may occur.

• 1:07:30Speaker 04

  Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extensure. Learn more at Extensure.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 1:07:40Speaker 05

  Cash flow crunch? OnDeck's small business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds up to $200,000 right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory, or tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and control over repayment, get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today at OnDeck.com. Funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.

• 1:08:11Speaker 04

  Sponsored by GSK, the makers of Extensure, Depamocumab ULAA. If your asthma keeps interrupting, It may be time to try something else. Extensure is an ultra-long-acting prescription-maintenance treatment for severe asthma, eosinophilic type, ages 12 and older. It isn't for sudden breathing problems. Extensure is the first and only add-on treatment that can help deliver protection from asthma attacks with two doses a year. Just one dose every six months. That's a lot of time for everything in between. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. Don't change or stop medicines, including steroids, unless told by your doctor. Report if you have a parasitic infection.

• 1:08:54Speaker 04

  Common cold, sinus infection, inflammation in the nose, flu or flu-like symptoms, joint pain or sore throat may occur. Carry on with fewer attacks and ask your doctor about Extensure. Learn more at Extensure.com or call 1-833-393-3678.

• 1:09:11Speaker 08

  Games on a break? Instead of doom-scrolling, try rips on Underdog. Rip real player cards worth real money right there in the app. It's instant cash in the palm of your hand. Buy a digital pack, rip it open on your phone, and reveal a real, physical card. Football, basketball, Pokemon, yes, Pokemon, and more. The best part? Packs start at just $5. And if you pull something you don't want to let go of just yet, have it shipped straight to your door. Want the cash? Sell it back instantly at 100% of its fair-market value. No listing, no negotiating, no stranger asking if you'll trade it for a used jet ski, even though jet skis are super sick. Best part? There are some serious grails in the mix, with maximum card values reaching up to $125,000,

• 1:09:56Speaker 08

  depending on your pack tier. You can also check the live odds and see what you could pull before you rip, and what other cards are being pulled by fans. Download Underdog and get in on the chase. Get five free rips packs when you deposit $5. Real rips, real cards, real cash. Only on Underdog. Unleash your dog. 18+, terms apply. Top grails are extremely rare.

• 1:10:17Speaker 05

  Cash Flow Crunch. OnDeck's small-business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds up to $200,000, right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory, or tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and control over repayment, get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today at ondeck.com. Funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.