1910 CARTHAGE

1.

Jeff Bliss reports on allegations that Mayor Bass altered an after-action report regarding the Pacific Palisades fire to hide resource deployment failures during the disaster response in Los Angeles.

2.

Jeff Bliss notes Governor Newsom promotes high-speed rail despite a nearby fire and no track laid, while facing skepticism about his presidential potential and California's ongoing infrastructure struggles.

3.

Gene Marks discusses high small business confidence, the resilience of plumbing trades, and how new AI agents from Anthropic are rendering traditional software coding obsolete in the tech industry.

4.

Gene Marks warns administrative roles face AI threats while employers prioritize AI literacy, advising businesses to update Google profiles to avoid losing significant annual revenue from outdated listings.

5.

Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center warns of heightened risks as the New START treaty expires without replacement, citing unchecked Russian and Chinese weapons and debates over resuming nuclear testing.

6.

Henry Sokolski notes amidst expired treaties, the US reintroduces extended deterrence language and recommits to the NPT, though non-proliferation enforcement remains inconsistent and challenging against determined adversaries.

7.

Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution argues the proposed retroactive billionaire wealth tax is unconstitutional, economically damaging, and likely to drive wealth out of California despite strong union support.

8.

Richard Epstein suggests intense political polarization explains why scandals like the Epstein files or Trump'scontroversies deepen divides rather than ending careers, normalizing political deviance across the spectrum.

9.

Professor Eve McDonald explains how Hannibal, emulating the myth of Hercules, daringly marched elephants and troops across the treacherous Alps to surprise Rome with an invasion of Italy.

10.

Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hannibal utilizes superior cavalry and terrain to encircle and annihilate a larger Roman force at Cannae, though he lacks the manpower to subsequently take Rome.

11.

Professor Eve McDonald recounts how young Scipio Africanus adopts Hannibal's tactics, conquering Spain and invading Africa to force Hannibal's return and final defeat at the Battle of Zama.

12.

Professor Eve McDonald concludes that after a brutal siege and total destruction in 146 BC, Carthage is eventually refounded by Augustus, becoming a vital Roman city and Christian center.

13.

Lorenzo Fiori reports on the opening ceremony excitement, improved snow conditions in the Alps, and Prime Minister Meloni's strong leadership presence at the Milan Winter Olympics.

14.

Jim McTague notes steady but quiet business activity in Lancaster, describes local approval for a new data center, and reports on overlooked global cod shortages affecting seafood markets.

15.

Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black discusses Axiom's upcoming ISS missions, various European startups, and critiques crony capitalism regarding government subsidies for Starlink's rural internet access.

16.

Bob Zimmerman details findings of water and organics on an interstellar comet, discusses the unknowns of space reproduction, and dismisses sensationalism regarding Jupiter's diameter measurements in recent headlines.