Today’s show is Part One of a multi-part series that will take you on a massive journey through some of the most intriguing stories of early 2025. We’ll go step by step, but in a way that feels more like a conversation and less like a checklist.

I’ll be talking about what’s happening in Ukraine with their ongoing push for new military technology and the surprising ways Russian forces are adapting (ever heard of electric scooters at the front lines?). We’ll also cover some strange Russian propaganda videos—think jokes about shooting down Santa—while real tragedies play out in the background. Then we’ll look at brewing tensions between President-elect Trump, Greenland, and the Panama Canal, along with some unsettling conspiracy theories involving “chemtrails,” radiological threats, and even whispers about a CIA–Saudi operative who might have become a U.S. President.