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General David Petraeus on the Counterinsurgency, the Paradox of Nation Building & a Military Commander's Worst Enemy...Yes Men Jan 15, 2018

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General David Petraeus talks about implementing the successful "Surge" strategy in Iraq, and some of the unique complexities he encountered when translating that plan to the war in Afghanistan. He discusses the fundamentals of counterinsurgency, his personal disdain for yes men, the paradox of nation building, and how a grad school dissertation on the Vietnam War helped shape his world view. Plus General Petraeus weighs in on President Trump and the return of large geopolitical rivalries. Today's episode was sponsored by LinkedIn Jobs and The Art of Charm podcast.

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Nightline's Dan Harris Becomes My Meditation Guru Jan 11, 2018

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ABC Nightline's Dan Harris has become a self-professed meditation evangelist ever since his infamous on-air panic attack in 2004 and today he tries to win over the ultimate skeptic...ME. He reveals how daily meditation has improved life at home and at work, he dispels some of the myths surrounding meditation, and he discusses the science behind the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of meditation. He gives a crash course in how you can begin meditating with as little as one minute of free time, and he tells stories from his 23 state meditation bus tour including encounters with some surprising meditation fans like an Ohio Congressman and the cadets and professors of VMI.

Order Dan's book MEDITATION FOR FIDGETY SKEPTICS on Amazon or download the audio book on Audible. Subscribe to Dan's 10% Happier Podcast and download the 10% Happier App. Follow him on twitter at @danbharris and at www.10percenthappier.com. Watch him weeknights on ABC’s Nightline and on the weekend edition of Good Morning America. Today's episode was sponsored by Squarespace and The Post. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Daniel Ellsberg Reveals America's Secret Nuclear War Plan Jan 08, 2018

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Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower behind the Pentagon Papers, reveals how helped design America's top secret nuclear war plan and why he has since dedicated his life to dismantling it. He explains why the movie Dr. Strangelove is not far from the truth, discloses that the President isn’t the only one with his finger on the nuclear button, and explains just how far down the chain of command that authority may reverberate. He reveals the potentially staggering human cost of America’s first strike strategy, the logic behind the Joint Chiefs’ apparent peace with that risk, and their calculated willingness to obliterate US allies in the process. Plus Daniel Ellsberg weighs in on the nuclear game of chicken between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, he lends some credence to the idea that’s there’s a so called “deep state” operating beyond the President’s authority, and America’s most famous whistleblower shatters the myth that all secrets in Washington eventually get leaked.

Order Daniel Ellsberg's book The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner on Amazon or download the audio book at Audible.com. Daniel Ellsberg is on Twitter at @Daniel Ellsberg, and you can keep up with him and view lots of supplementary documents about the Pentagon Papers and America’s nuclear war plan at www.ellsberg.net. Today's episode was sponsored by The Art of Charm podcast. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Mike Duncan Answers "Is America Rome?" Jan 04, 2018

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Mike Duncan, host of The History of Rome podcast and Revolutions, constantly gets asked "Is America doomed to the same fate as the Roman Empire?" Today he points to some startling parallels to US current events including populist demagoguery, economic inequality, the erosion of societal norms, and debate over who deserves to be a citizen. He also offers ideas on how the American Republic can avoid the same fate as the Roman Republic before it's too late.

Order Mike Duncan's book The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic on Amazon or download the audio book at Audible.com. Subscribe to Revolutions and The History of Rome wherever you listen to podcasts or visit www.revolutionspodcast.com and www.thehistoryofrome.typepad.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDuncan. Today's episode is sponsored by Tripping.com. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Dilbert Creator Scott Adams on Persuasion in the Age of Trump Jan 01, 2018

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Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoons, talks about his new book Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter. He reveals why facts and ideology no longer matter, why Donald Trump makes what he says are intentional misstatements, and how Trump uses what he calls “linguistic kill shots” to flatten his opponents. He also weighs in why Trump’s "persuasion skills" haven’t been very effective on Congress and whether or not Trump supporters should be insulted at being manipulated by their President. Plus, how to hypnotize anyone, how Scott’s endorsement of Trump impacted his Dilbert readership, and an early prediction for 2020.

Order Scott's book Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Visit Scott’s website at www.blog.dilbert.com and follow him on Twitter at @ScottAdamsSays. Today's episode is sponsored by Credit Karma. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Ridley Scott & Charlie Plummer Talk About Saving Their Film on the Getty Kidnapping Dec 28, 2017

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Academy Award-nominated director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, The Martian) joins me on the podcast to discuss how he saved his movie ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD from the Kevin Spacey scandal by making the unprecedented decision to recast the role with the legendary Christopher Plummer and reshoot much of the film just 6 weeks before it hits theaters. He talks about the late billionaire J. Paul Getty, why the richest man in the world refused to pay his own grandsons’ ransom, and what the oil magnate’s heirs have had to say about the film. Then actor Charlie Plummer (Boardwalk Empire, The Dinner), who plays Getty's kidnapped grandson talks about the unimaginable wealth and privilege that came with being a Getty and what it was like to re-enact the gruesome moment when the real-life John Paul Getty III got his ear chopped off.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD opens in theatres on Christmas day 12/25. To find out more visit www.allthemoney-movie.com. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Father Greg Boyle with a Holiday Message of Hope & Compassion Dec 25, 2017

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Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world. He reveals what inspired him to start Homeboy Industries, how he fosters kinship between the most unlikely of friends - rival gang members, and how more often then not it’s just a matter of getting two people in the same room. He shares how law enforcement leaders are getting involved, what he’s learned from testifying in 50 death penalty trials, and how the church can do more to reach out to “the people in the margins.”

Order Father Greg's book Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. To donate or find out more about Homeboy Industries, visit www.homeboyindustries.com. Follow them on twitter at @HomeBoyInd and follow Father Greg at @FrGregBoyle. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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David Hallberg, the First American in the Bolshoi Ballet Dec 21, 2017

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David Hallberg is a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and the first American ever to be admitted into Russia's legendary Bolshoi Ballet. David talks about the discipline and dedication needed to make to the top as a dancer, the unique chemistry of partnering with the right ballerina, and the behind the scenes coaches who have passed down ballet’s greatest roles since the very beginning. He recalls his tough adjustment to life in Moscow, some of the charming age-old traditions at the Bolshoi Ballet, and the unbelievable 2013 acid attack on his former boss Bolshoi director Sergei Fillin. Plus David opens up about the debilitating injury that required him to completely relearn how to dance and his hard-won comeback to the ballet stage.

Order his book A Body of Work: Dancing to the Edge and Back on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Visit David’s website at www.DavidHallberg.com and follow him on Twitter at @DavidHallberg. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper and Orbi. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Brian Kilmeade on Andrew Jackson & America's Second Revolutionary War Dec 18, 2017

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Brian Kilmeade, co-host of Fox & Friends, talks about his new book Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny. He describes a confrontation with a British officer that became a defining moment for a young Andrew Jackson, how Jackson lead an army with a bullet wound to his shoulder and dysentery, and how Jackson never deserted his men and threatened to shoot any man who deserted him! Brian reveals why New Orleans was so strategically important, how Jackson’s army was able to defeat the British in a mere 45 minutes, and what the consequences might have been if Jackson had lost. Plus Brian Kilmeade talks about the comparisons between Jackson and Trump and weighs in on recent calls to reavaluate Jackson’s place in the history books.

Order Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny on Amazon or download the audio book on Audible. Catch Brian Kilmeade every weekday on Fox and Friends and his radio show The Brian Kilmeade Show. For more information visit www.briankilmeade.com and follow him on twitter at @Kilmeade. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper and Orbi. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Corey Lewandowski & David Bossie Say "Let Trump Be Trump" Dec 14, 2017

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Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie served as campaign manager and deputy campaign for Donald Trump's successful Presidential campaign and they write about that wild ride in their new book Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency. Today they talk about the man they still call "the boss," his seemingly limitless energy, and his obsession with leaks and loyalty. They discuss some of tense moments on the campaign from Trump's attack on Senator John McCain’s military service which Corey thought might end Trump’s candidacy to the make-or-break meeting of the campaign inner circle following the release of the Access Hollywood tape. Corey talks frankly about his falling out with the Trump kids and his opinion of Paul Manafort, and they settle whether George Papadopoulus was really a campaign insider or a glorified coffee boy.

Order Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie's new book Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Follow them on twitter at @CLewandowski and @David_Bossie. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper and iFit Nourish Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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