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Loe ja kuula

Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

It Could Happen Here started as an exploration of the possibility of a new civil war. Now a daily show, it's evolved into a chronicle of collapse as it happens, and an exploration of how we might build a better future. Every day Robert Evans, Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, and James Stout take you on a jaunty walk through the burning ruins of the old world and towards a better one that lays just on the horizon.

It Could Happen Here

Mia looks at how recent shifts in gas prices tell the story of a series of global wars and American empire.
 

Sources:
 
 https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973810/houthi-attacks-saudi-oil-world-markets https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-executives-say-the-great-fuel-crisis-is-here-b6b32030 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/09/19/attacks-choke-off-saudi-oil-kingdom-confronts-limits-trumps-friendship/ https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/oil-hovers-near-100-as-analysts-warn-trump-diesel-export-ban-would-tighten-global-supply-130359301.html https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/what-is-saudi-arabias-east-west-pipeline-and-why-is-it-rocking-oil-markets-3e9823a3?mod=article_inline https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-prices-mixed-as-traders-weigh-u-s-iran-talks-saudi-pipeline-progress-3b33f75c https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trumps-oil-allies-see-nightmare-scenario-of-diesel-export-ban-becoming-reality-16973ae2 https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trump-weighs-diesel-export-ban-as-fuel-prices-soar-6d1a3d2e https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-energy-secretary-wright-says-diesel-export-ban-would-not-work-2026-09-23/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj207y30wp0lo https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trump-wants-big-oil-to-build-more-refineries-thats-a-tough-sell-54666292?mod=article_inline https://www.ft.com/content/05887f92-c777-48ab-8efa-9a39e7e18a9f?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/the-relentless-crypto-billionaire-who-moved-to-venezuela-in-pursuit-of-oil-a4f0f219? https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/inside-trumps-plan-to-give-the-pentagon-a-stake-in-venezuelas-oil-riches-f054cdc2?mod=article_inline https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/chevron-ceo-thinks-world-spare-154027206.html 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gas Prices and Oil Wars

James is joined by Andrew to discuss diversity and its value as a concept, not a corporate buzzword.
 
 
 
Sources:
 
 In Light of Our Differences 
 by David Harmon
 
 The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies 
 by Scott E. Page

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diversity With Andrew

Garrison outlines various proposals for a regulatory “slowdown” of frontier AI models, Trump’s push against regulation, the risk of regulatory capture, legislation for public ownership of AI companies and control of this technology, and the organizing limits of AI-denialism.

Sources:
 
 https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476196791709843
 https://x.com/sama/status/2098811563415150910?s=20 https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/glossary/frontier-models/
 https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/cybersecurity-101/artificial-intelligence/frontier-ai/ • 
 https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier https://www.anthropic.com/constitution
 https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n
 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631
 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 • 
 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 • 
 https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099132465612828964?s=20 https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://x.com/benitoz/status/2099572926865715548?s=20
 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20
 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20
 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20
 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html
 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html • 
 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ • 
 https://abdulforsenate.com/2026/06/first-do-no-harm-ai-under-democracy/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20
 https://www.kirosforco.com/priorities-2 • 
 https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#key-takeaways • 
 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-legislation-to-create-7-trillion-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund/ • 
 https://council.nyc.gov/press/2026/09/16/3240/ • 
 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AI Regulation Debate

James talks about the ecological disaster that is the border wall and interviews Dr. Christina Aiello about the Peninsular Bighorn ram that was killed by razor wire in the Jacumba mountains.
 
Sources:
 
https://www.usaspending.gov/search?hash=29de9d51905bd175a701b04c24176b46 
https://www-jstor-org.sdmesa.idm.oclc.org/stable/3636811?seq=5 
https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_employer=Atkore 
https://tucson.com/news/local/border/article_a11265b0-17c3-5bed-b50a-72e5d17e1369.html 
https://www.blm.gov/visit/jacumba-wilderness 
https://www.usaspending.gov/search?hash=29de9d51905bd175a701b04c24176b46 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/08/2025-05992/determination-pursuant-to-section-102-of-the-illegal-immigration-reform-and-immigrant-responsibility 
https://www.enr.com/articles/54215-us-settles-border-wall-suit-against-contractor-fisher-sand-gravel 
https://www.atkore.com/about-us 
https://desertreport.org/a-border-wall-in-the-jacumba-wilderness-area/ 
https://gizmodo.com/trumps-border-wall-torn-apart-by-arizona-monsoon-rains-1847535174 
https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_70B01C25F00001112_7014_70B01C23D00000010_7014 
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1666138/000166613826000010/atkr-20260429.htm 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wall and the Wilderness

In this episode Dana El Kurd talks about how the settlers and the Israeli state are working hand in hand to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the West Bank, and how we should understand the relationship between the two actors. 
 
 
 
Sources:
 
https://jewishcurrents.org/it-feels-like-a-death-sentence
 
https://www.972mag.com/armed-settler-hikes-west-bank/
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/opinion/israel-west-bank-settlers-violence.html
 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/29/israeli-settlers-surround-palestinian-home-in-occupied-west-banks-qusra
 
https://www.972mag.com/bilin-israeli-land-seizure-settler-road/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

West Bank Takeover

Margaret reads you a surreal story about the surreal Southwest, written by one of her favorite authors

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CZM Book Club: Ocotillo, by Madeline ffitch

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file:
 
 • Sanctions, Terror, and the Internet
 • Should AOC talk to MAHA?
 • Debating the American Role in the Middle East
 • A History Built of Uprising
 • Executive Disorder: Oil Crisis, New Mail-In-Voting Rules Blocked, Macklemore Based??
 
You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today!
 
Sources/Links:
 
Sanctions, Terror, and the Internet
 
 https://www.inventati.org/campaign/press https://keepitfree.ai/announcements/a/i-shuts-down-stay-human/ • 
 https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0616/ • 
 https://davidgraeber.org/articles/the-new-anarchists/ • 
 
Should AOC talk to MAHA?
 
 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/28/poll-maha-health-fractures-kennedy-00972253 https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/maha-health-concerns-resonate-broadly-but-lag-behind-health-care-costs-even-for-maha-voters/ https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-maha-and-the-midterms/ https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/09/05/inside-aocs-maha-outreach-01066409 https://www.youtube.com/live/h6fe9CaVZCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgeXPsihXI 
Debating the American Role in the Middle East
 
 https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-u-s-led-middle-east-order-is-over-the-mecca-agreement-proves-it https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/end-american-middle-east-iran-marc-lynch http://foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/new-old-middle-east-gause https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/the-re-emergence-of-the-palestine-question-in-world-politics/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/29/us-decline-world-order-replacement 
A History Built of Uprising
 
 https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch01.htm https://www.endnotes.org.uk/issues/issue-4/endnotes-a-history-of-separation-preface https://archive.org/details/blackjacobinstou0000jame 
Executive Disorder: Oil Crisis, New Mail-In-Voting Rules Blocked, Macklemore Based??
 
 https://rudaw.net/english/categories/middleeast/1079247 • 
 https://www.rudaw.net/english/categories/iraq/1079243 https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2099321216683425864?s=20 • 
 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28621690-paheivdhsord091426/ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.192.0.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a305_4g15.pdf https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2097872390076141726?s=20 https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/2100014172738122001?s=20 https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2098209805215080868?s=20 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117147749847925768 https://www.foxnews.com/media/homan-confirms-criminal-investigation-involving-ilhan-omar-says-knows-things-going https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099925671795474759?s=20https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#conventional-weapons-sep-26 • 
 https://x.com/Ibrahym22Nagi/status/2099482678479188145 https://x.com/Bafeltalabani/status/2099810675484668045 • 
 https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2099869946423431232 • 
 https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDF https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-09/OIG-26-22-Sep26.pdf https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/why-saudi-arabias-plan-b-for-oil-exports-is-now-under-fire/4335414/ https://www.newarab.com/news/saudi-running-out-oil-export-options-routes-choked https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/07/global-food-prices-three-year-high-heatwaves-wars-crop-costs https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/did-the-houthis-shoot-down-saudi-arabian-f-15-what-we-know-19991908.htm https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/saudi-arabia-calls-mecca-red-175848059.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2026/09/15/irish-acts-aaron-rowe-and-beoga-quit-ed-sheerans-us-tour-in-protest-over-palestine/ https://apnews.com/article/ed-sheeran-responds-macklemore-tour-3fd73815563039bea9b88f5efe745d62 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49943754/patriots-kraft-says-macklemore-performance-cross-line https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-150614158.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/?stkn=MThsbzc2OWh3d2s5OQ== 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It Could Happen Here Weekly 250

The gang discuss Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over pro Palestine comments, courts blocking new mail-in-ballot requirements, Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, a report detailing tiny metal cages at Alligator Alcatraz, a general strike in Eastern Kurdistan, debate on AI regulation, and the Republican midterm convention. 
 
 
 
Sources:
 
 https://rudaw.net/english/categories/middleeast/1079247 • 
 https://www.rudaw.net/english/categories/iraq/1079243 https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2099321216683425864?s=20 • 
 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28621690-paheivdhsord091426/ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.192.0.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a305_4g15.pdf https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2097872390076141726?s=20 https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/2100014172738122001?s=20 https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2098209805215080868?s=20 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117147749847925768 https://www.foxnews.com/media/homan-confirms-criminal-investigation-involving-ilhan-omar-says-knows-things-going https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099925671795474759?s=20https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#conventional-weapons-sep-26 • 
 https://x.com/Ibrahym22Nagi/status/2099482678479188145 https://x.com/Bafeltalabani/status/2099810675484668045 • 
 https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2099869946423431232 • 
 https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDF https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-09/OIG-26-22-Sep26.pdf https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/why-saudi-arabias-plan-b-for-oil-exports-is-now-under-fire/4335414/ https://www.newarab.com/news/saudi-running-out-oil-export-options-routes-choked https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/07/global-food-prices-three-year-high-heatwaves-wars-crop-costs https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/did-the-houthis-shoot-down-saudi-arabian-f-15-what-we-know-19991908.htm https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/saudi-arabia-calls-mecca-red-175848059.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2026/09/15/irish-acts-aaron-rowe-and-beoga-quit-ed-sheerans-us-tour-in-protest-over-palestine/ https://apnews.com/article/ed-sheeran-responds-macklemore-tour-3fd73815563039bea9b88f5efe745d62 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49943754/patriots-kraft-says-macklemore-performance-cross-line https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-150614158.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/?stkn=MThsbzc2OWh3d2s5OQ== 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive Disorder: Oil Crisis, New Mail-In-Voting Rules Blocked, Macklemore Based??

Mia begins a series on the history of the most recent series of uprisings by examining how history moves.

Sources:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch01.htm
 
https://www.endnotes.org.uk/issues/issue-4/endnotes-a-history-of-separation-preface
 
https://archive.org/details/blackjacobinstou0000jame

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A History Built of Uprising

In this episode Dana El Kurd talks about the debate in DC on what the role of the US has been in the Middle East, and what it should be. She also talks about what’s missing from these discussions. 
 
 
 
Sources:
 
https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-u-s-led-middle-east-order-is-over-the-mecca-agreement-proves-it
 
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/end-american-middle-east-iran-marc-lynch
 
http://foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/new-old-middle-east-gause
 
https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/the-re-emergence-of-the-palestine-question-in-world-politics/
 
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/29/us-decline-world-order-replacement

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debating the American Role in the Middle East

Andrew is joined by James to discuss Rojava and the current situation in Syria.
 
Cool Zone is nominated for 3 Webby Awards! Submit your votes by April 16th or we'll hunt down your family. 
 
Behind the Bastards - https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/features/experimental-innovation 
 
It Could Happen Here - https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/limited-series-specials/news-politics 
 
Migrating to America - https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/limited-series-specials/documentary 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rojava with Andrew

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