Ryan joined F. Michael Maloof and Dan Kovalik on CrossTalk last week for a discussion with host Peter Lavelle about Ukraine’s drone attacks and how Russia and the Trump Administration have responded.

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Last night on The Winers Ryan regaled us with tales of his exciting trip to China before sharing his thoughts on Trump’s two-day visit:

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It seems the funniest president ever isn’t so funny anymore to even some of his longtime supporters. And to detractors such as Steve Skrovan, whose comedy writing credits include Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, spoofing the Very Stable Deity has lately felt pointless. When the jokes write themselves, there’s no need for professional wits to weigh in with their skill set. In his most recent Substack post, Steve went so far as to proclaim “this duly elected ignoramus has destroyed satire.” Not sure if he was engaging in his own brand of Trumpian hyperbole, or if Steve was really as dispirited as he claimed, I asked him to talk about it with me. SPOILER ALERT: There’s no need for Steve’s comedy peers to conduct an intervention, and satire isn’t really dead.

On tonight’s episode of The Winers, military-geopolitical analyst Stanislav Krapivnik, a former US Army officer now based in Moscow, will join us live at 7 PM ET to discuss how funny Trump is to Russians, and other important matters.

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A few of our regular audience members let us know that last week’s show with Vanda Mikoloski was their favorite episode of The Winers so far. Understandably, when we focus on domestic politics, it’s not always interesting to foreigners. By contrast, Vanda’s great new memoir, Tap Dancing for Daddy, has universal appeal, and the conversation we had with her resonated accordingly. The book is filled with poignant stories about her colorful life, from the family dysfunction that marked her childhood, to her young adult years in New York City where Vanda became immersed in sex, drugs and alcohol. Click here to watch the full episode, and check out highlights below.

Our special guests on the next episode (Dec. 11 at 7 PM ET) of The Winers are national security law expert Prof. Rachel VanLandingham, and Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA officer and intelligence analyst, and former planner and advisor at the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism. We’ll discuss the series of attacks on Venezuelan boats, the just-released National Security Strategy of the United States, and the latest developments in the Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Gaza conflicts.

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Climate Trails, Sean Hibbeler’s new documentary streaming now on Amazon Prime and Vimeo, makes a good argument that geoengineering and weather modification experiments are more prevalent than most of us realize, and that it would behoove us to learn how our health is affected by planes spraying chemicals into the atmosphere. But the film fails to prove the “stripes” that frequently appear in the sky aren’t just normal contrails that can linger depending on atmospheric conditions and altitude.

Throughout his two-hour visit with us last week, Sean repeatedly insisted that footage of long clouds forming behind aircraft is evidence that chemicals are regularly sprayed in plain view. But showing it doesn’t establish what causes it. Nothing in Climate Trails connects the dots between condensation that sticks around for a while before dissipating, and geoengineering or weather modification.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website states: “Contrails, or ‘condensation trails’—the line-shaped clouds often seen behind aircraft—are ice crystal clouds formed by the combination of carbon particles and water vapor emitted from the combustion of aviation fuel and atmospheric water vapor. They typically occur at about the same altitutdes as natural cirrus clouds, approximately 25,000 to 35,000 feet. Depending on the temperature and the amount of moisture in the air at this altitude, contrails either evaporate quickly or persist. If the humidity is low and the temperature is not cold enough (above -40 degrees Fahrenheit) contrails will dissipate quickly. However, if the air is moist and the temperature is -40°F or below, then a contrail will ‘persist’ for as long as 30 minutes to an hour.”

One way Sean and his ilk could possibly rebut the government and win over the public, would be to produce evidence of “chemtrails” materializing in conditions other than what the NOAA says is a prerequisite for their existence. If they were to document, for example, the temperature at an altitude of 30,000 feet was well above above -40 degrees Fahrenheit, but ”chemtrails” were nonetheless visible, they could debunk the government’s story. When I asked Sean if any of his fellow proponents have compiled that sort of data, he accused me of “not looking for proof,” as if I were ignoring low-hanging fruit. “There’s tons of videos,” he told me. “And what you’ll see in the sky, Jeff, is a normal airplane producing a contrail, and...on the side of it, there’s a jet spraying ‘chemtrails.’ Why wouldn’t both jets be producing the same trail?” Sean reiterated “there are thousands of videos on social media” that validate his argument, but he left us wondering why he couldn’t get permission to use any of it in his film.

When asked why he conducted no interviews with aviation professionals who would be regularly witnessing “chemtrails” if they were really being emitted as he claims, Sean told us they all sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). That’s probably true for employees of weather modification companies, but the question was about people who work for regular commercial airlines and who see up close every day what’s going on with planes on the ground and in the skies. Why didn’t he interview anyone in that category, such as pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers or mechanics? “I just can’t get a hold of anyone that I needed to, to show these things,” he bemoaned. “I’ve tried to contact people. If they don’t reply, they don’t reply.”

Finally, I asked Sean if he thinks the average airline pilot “knows” that the long condensation trails emanating from planes on some days, are “chemtrails.” He replied unequivocally, “I would say yes.” That’s a very large pool of eyewitnesses and potential whistleblowers, and it’s even larger if we include flight attendants, mechanics and air traffic controllers. But for whatever reason, none of them want to talk to Sean, even though many are kindred spirits, and some, we are told, have already spilled the beans.

On the next episode (Nov. 20) of The Winers, our special guest will be meteorologist Chris Martz, who testified in September before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) for the hearing, “Playing God with the Weather – A Disastrous Forecast,” chaired by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–GA-14). The topic of the hearing was weather modification and geoengineering. Chris testified that “trying to manipulate the weather, even on localized scales, can have unintended downstream consequences,” and “solar geoengineering...is ethically preposterous.” So regarding those two issues, Chris’s analysis is in alignment with what Sean Hibbeler puts forth in Climate Trails. But Chris also testified: “There are no compelling lines of evidence that aircraft condensation trails are deliberately created to alter weather patterns or ‘block out’ solar radiation.” It almost seems as if that’s the real reason Sean couldn’t find any credible experts to corroborate the premise of his film. (It couldn’t be!)

Ivana Nikolić Hughes, a chemistry scientist who teaches at Columbia University and serves as president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, will also join us Thursday night to discuss the need for nuclear arms reduction. It’s all about the atmosphere, baby!

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While Ryan and I peacefully sipped wine during last week’s episode, the two abstainers among us - Morgan and our guest, James Howard Kunstler - sharply debated Jim’s rhetoric concerning Zohran Mamdani, and whether or not Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested.

Our time together was otherwise harmonious. Among many points of agreement was our assessment of the immensely horrible Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics lawyer and ambassador to the Czech Republic in the Obama administration. Eisen, aptly dubbed “the Deep State’s ‘Energizer Bunny’” in a Revolver News article, has been involved in one way or another in multiple lawfare battles waged against President Trump, including Russiagate and the first impeachment. He’s a darling of the political elite who constantly spouts propaganda disguised as legal analysis on various media outlets. As Doug Ross put it in a recent Substack post: “It is clear Eisen and his pals represent a roach-like infestation of the body politic. It is time to fumigate.”

Jim’s new book, Look I’m Gone, is about a 12-year-old boy who “has a number of adventures” in New York City that are nothing at all like the humdrum pubescence I experienced. The kid’s audacious escapades occur while he’s simultaneously reading The Catcher in the Rye. Jim alluringly told us, “This is J.D. Salinger’s debut in American literature as a fictional character.”

Click here to watch the full episode, and join us Thursday night (Nov. 13) at 7 PM ET when we welcome U.S. congressional candidate Rob Lucero for analysis of last week’s election results, and filmmaker Sean Hibbeler for a discussion about his new documentary, Climate Trails. The title refers to the persistent contrails that are sometimes emitted from airplanes, and that many people insist are “chemtrails” (the spraying of dangerous chemicals into the air). Tucker Carlson was widely mocked after he embraced the chemtrail theory on the most recent episode of his show. We’ll examine both sides of the debate, and hopefully help you figure out what the hubbub is all about.

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It was a great pleasure to sip and chat with ADC National Legal Director Jenin Younes on last week’s episode of The Winers. Her sassy X feed, combined with her reputation as a top-notch First Amendment expert, had raised our expectations, and Jenin didn’t disappoint. We also love how she alienates partisans on both sides of the political divide, as a recent Washington Post profile about her made eminently clear. Much like our previous episode with “Village Crazy Lady” Mel Witte (Jenin’s co-host on the Previously Prohibited podcast), the show was filled with insightful commentary, a few laughs, and our mutual love of wine. Jenin savored a glass of Prosecco, her favorite, throughout the show. “It’s from Costco,” she sheepishly confessed, “so I’m not going to brag about it.” If only she knew how one of us (hint: his name rhymes with chef) is similarly frugal - and proud of it! Click here to watch the full episode, and enjoy some highlights below.

Jenin objects to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s abuse of authority, particularly his attempts to ban pharmaceutical ads and thwart pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Barack Obama’s cringeworthy word salad is a transparent attempt to sugarcoat his call to censor lawful speech on social media.

According to Jenin, the Trump administration’s heavyhanded enforcement of immigration laws chills free speech more than the pressure the Biden administration imposed on social media companies to cancel disfavored speakers.

On the next episode of The Winers (Nov. 6 at 7 PM ET), author James Howard Kunstler will join us. Among other topics, we’ll continue to explore First Amendment abridgements, such as the emerging Arctic Frost scandal and how merely challenging election results was criminalized by the Biden administration.

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Jose Vega, the talented young activist running as an independent/Democratic Party candidate for United States Congress in New York’s 15th congressional district, spent a lively 72 minutes with us on last week’s episode. It was a far-reaching conversation that touched on many subjects including his deep concern for the plight of Bronx residents. The 15th district, located entirely within the Bronx, is the poorest congressional district in the United States. Jose has dubbed the borough “Gaza West,” a label that is serving as the tagline for his town hall on November 2. I asked him: “You’re not going to take the Gaza analogy so far as to claim there’s a genocide going on in the Bronx, though, right?” Morgan, answering for him, suggested it’s not as hyperbolic as it might seem: “I think that’s the kind of thing that Jose is combating…there’s different forms that it takes where it’s just as debilitating to the population.”

Although he’s running a grassroots campaign in the purest sense, Jose doesn’t necessarily march in lockstep with activist groups. “I don’t care whether or not we have DSA backing or any other groups right now,” he told us. “I’m trying to build something that’s truly independent that people around the country can trust.” To be sure, Jose empathizes with anyone who’s “upset with the current administration,” but he’s not a fan of the No Kings protests. After he ridiculed the conspicuous lack of demands or clear purpose attached to those demonstrations, Morgan persuaded him to soften his criticism.

This is the second time Jose is running for Congress. When he first ran, actually winning the election was, by any reasonable standard, highly unlikely. But thanks to his doggedness and a drastically new political climate, it now seems possible that he will defeat incumbent Ritchie Torres in next year’s election. The popularity of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani indicates voters are rapidly developing an appetite for anti-AIPAC candidates such as Jose.

First Amendment attorney Jenin Younes is our guest on the next episode of The Winers (streaming live Oct. 30 at 7 PM ET). According to a major Washington Post profile about her, Jenin is so supportive of the type of anti-Israel activism that Jose embodies, that she recently left her job at a right-leaning legal center to become national director for a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Arab Americans from discrimination.”

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In his just-released documentary, Empire Unmasked Redux, Ryan Dawson presents a highly-detailed and convincing argument that the 9/11 atacks were a joint operation conducted by elements of the U.S., Saudi and Israeli governments. He contends the Twin Towers collapsed due to a combination of planes hitting them, fire, an underground bomb, and sabotaging the fire prevention system prior to the attacks. Ryan agrees with NYC firefighters who say 7 World Trade Center (Building 7) collapsed due to severe damage caused by falling debris, and fire - not a controlled demolition. On last week’s episode of The Winers, Ryan joined us to discuss his film and life’s work. Highlights below.

By dismissing and disrespecting NYC firefighters, 9/11 conspiracy kooks have obscured the real story from emerging.

Ryan believes a civil lawsuit by 9/11 victims’ families against the Saudi government is likely to amplify the evidence he has been exposing for years.

The episode began with a discussion about the recent storms that destroyed many homes and businesses in North Carolina, including a motel owned by Ryan’s 96-year-old grandmother. According to Ryan, various factions who involve themselves in the aftermath of such tragedies are useless at best. Some even have vested interests in the tragedies, as former North Carolina State Senator Marc Basnight did. Basnight owned a construction company and would essentially pay himself to replace the roads whenever they were washed away, rather than maintaining or improving them.

If only Basnight’s derilection of duty was a rarity. Every day, our leaders cooperate with profiteers, and intentionally ignore their responsibilities, to enrich themselves at our expense. The next time a terrorist attack, global pandemic or mass shooting occurs, consider how arms manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and the mainstream media exploit such horrors.

Jose Vega, candidate for U.S. Congress, will be our guest on the next episode, Oct. 23 at 7 PM ET.

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Sarah B., the co-founder of DD Geopolitics, joined us on Ep. 55 for a delightful mind meld based on our shared appreciation of unintentionally hilarious politicians. We all agreed, for example, it’s difficult to take seriously a Jewish stripper who pretends she’s Hispanic and gets elected to Congress.

Although videos of Rep. Katie Porter’s unique brand of charm had gone viral in recent days, Sarah hadn’t yet seen them. We fixed that.

Sarah doesn’t think Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk, but when asked if Benjamin Netanyahu is somehow responsible for the murder, she also rejected that theory.

Sarah agreed with Ryan that “Israel is just a tool” of the British and American empires.

Independent journalist and filmmaker Ryan Dawson will be our guest on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 PM ET. We’ll discuss his new 4-hour documentary, Empire Unmasked Redux.

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The adage goes, “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” This past month has been nothing short of one long tragedy for the cause of freedom of speech. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the increased weaponization of cancel culture on both sides of the proverbial political fence, it appears as though dark times lie ahead for the future of political discourse in our nation and in the West as a whole.

Traditionally, the cause of freedom of speech has been largely championed by the American left wing. However, over the past decade, dissident factions of the American right have increasingly taken up the mantle of the free speech movement, particularly the libertarian movement, especially in university political discourse. The founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was the symbol for this relatively newer wave of libertarian campus politics.

Whether or not Kirk was truly a beacon for free speech is not the central question. The central question is what impact his assassination will have on the future of American political discourse. After all, his assassination is already having a ripple effect on the political landscape of the nation.

Kirk has since become a martyr in the eyes of the right wing. However, this has had the effect of making elements of the right more zealous and more uncompromising. With segments of the right seemingly in opposition to their own principles regarding free speech, calling for censorship as exemplified by the Jimmy Kimmel incident, it would seem as though freedom of speech is under attack on all sides.

What’s more is that some of the attacks on free speech by certain elements of the right are seemingly motivated by the assassination of their icon for free speech. Youtubers like Liberal Hivemind have recently applauded the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel on the basis that Kimmel is a “propagandist.” Even the spreading of propaganda is protected by the First Amendment, although the FCC’s “news distortion” policy is at least arguably an exception. What’s probably less arguable is that Jimmy Kimmel Live! is a news show. Nonetheless, that’s the policy FCC chair Brendan Carr invoked when discussing a joke with podcaster Benny Johnson that some found offensive. In last week’s episode of The Winers, Jeff pushed back after Steve Skrovan suggested Carr’s vague threat was far worse than any censorship Donald Trump or his allies have endured.

In addition, it appears as though many on the right are operating under the assumption that Kirk was assassinated merely for his rhetoric by someone who simply disagreed with him. They are not taking into account the suspicious circumstances such as the conflicting reports between law enforcement agencies, the strange confession written to the accused assassin’s lover, or the fact that Kirk had been showing signs of skepticism for the special relationship between the United States and Israel.

In a way, those on the right who have betrayed the cause of free speech in favor of censorship are themselves victims of a propaganda campaign. It is for this reason that vigilance and awareness of propaganda strategies is needed now more than ever. Nothing less than the collective conscience of the nation is at stake.

On the next episode of The Winers, we’ll continue to examine media bias and censorship with special guest Sarah B., co-founder of DD Geopolitics. Join us live at 7 PM ET on Oct. 9.

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Upon the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, England’s King George III formally requested 20,000 troops from Russia to use against the American colonies. Empress Catherine the Great refused, on the grounds that supporting Britain against the colonists would spark a wider European conflict with France.

It was known that Catherine personally disliked George III and believed England brought the crisis in America upon itself. (Let us not forget that in 1788, John Paul Jones aka “Pavel Ivanovich Jones” was a Rear Admiral in the Russian Navy, signs of more than personal animosity with George III.)

On Ep. 41 last night, Ryan, Morgan and Jeff were joined by congressional candidate Rob Lucero of California, and Richard Freeman of the Schiller Institute.

Let us also remember that it wasn’t just tea that was an issue for the American colonies. The Navigation Acts of 1651, 1660, 1663, required all English trade to be carried in English ships with majority-English crews. Anything going to or from the American colonies had to be unloaded in Britain, taxed and then re-exported. The 1699 Wool Act forbade the sale of woolen cloth outside of the place where it was woven. In The Iron Act of 1750, the British Parliament sought to encourage the production of iron in America as a raw material production, but sought to prevent its manufacture into finished wrought iron goods. The Sugar Act of 1764 placed a tax on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies. A year later, The Stamp Act of 1765 was passed. This placed a tax on all printed materials such as newspapers, magazines, and legal documents. Even playing cards and pamphlets needed an official tax stamp.

The Townshend Acts were a series of acts passed in 1767 and 1768 that placed indirect taxes on imported British goods such as glass, lead, pants, paper, and tea.

On July 4, 1776, representatives of 13 states signed a document in the Philadelphia City Assembly proclaiming the United States an independent state independent of the British Kingdom.

Despite its neutrality, Russia still played a role in ending the fighting and insisted on reaching a truce between the British and Americans. Russia could have become a mediator between the conflicting parties, but after long negotiations, the offer was rejected. On September 3, 1783, a peace treaty was signed between Great Britain and the United States. The text of the treaty was "privately" handed over by Benjamin Franklin to the Russian commissioners, and then to Catherine II. Along with it, she received a copy of the U.S. Constitution and a medal for the states’ independence.

The founding of the American Republic was an international fight. It is the perfect mirror for President Trump today to re-establish friendship with our true friends and learn by past practices, those policies that will lead to the greatest discomfort in the population—- those of the old Deep State. America should seek development and tranquility rather than reflect the failures of colonialism to ensure that the next 250 years bring peace and goodwill to all nations of the planet.

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In the second segment, Dr. Kathryn Langdon and Ryan Langdon, PA-C discussed Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, and explained why men over 70 aren’t routinely screened for the disease.

Thanks to our guests, and to guest co-host Charles Glasser, for a very interesting and informative discussion. You can watch the full episode above, and highlights below.

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Topics covered in this episode: 1) The plane that Qatar might give to the U.S. government, a gift that some people claim would be unconstitutional and/or unethical, 2) President Trump’s Middle East trip, 3) legislation sponsored by Utah Sen. Mike Lee that redefines obscenity and seems to criminalize pornography, and 4) how the media is covering the deportation case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

We missed Ryan last night because he and his wife Pat are in Russia having the time of their lives. Ryan’s mother tasked him with obtaining Amber jewelry for her, and he accepted the mission led by (of course) Pat. In case you were wondering what it’s like for Americans to shop for specialty items in Moscow, Ryan recorded the adventure.

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In September of 2006, Matt Taibbi wrote a brilliant and hilarious Rolling Stone article (“The Hopeless Stupidity of 9/11 Conspiracy ‘Theories’”) lambasting self-described 9/11 “truthers” for insisting - in the most obnoxious ways imaginable - that their farfetched beliefs make sense, and that there’s something wrong with the rest of us for failing to see it. Taibbi encapsulated not just their absurdity but how counterproductive it was for them to relentlessly drown out saner voices who also wanted to find out what really happened on that fateful day, and expose whomever should be held accountable. “In fact,” he wrote, “if there were any conspiracy here, I'd be far more inclined to believe that this whole movement was cooked up by Karl Rove as a kind of mass cyber-provocation, along the lines of Gordon Liddy hiring hippie peace protesters to piss in the lobbies of hotels where campaign reporters were staying.”

I doubt they did it intentionally, but I know from personal experience and observation that insufferable windbags fatally undermined a valid fact-finding quest. I was one of “100 prominent Americans and 40 family members of those killed on 9/11” who had signed a petition entitled “911 Truth Statement.” The more reputable signatories were calling soberly for an investigation, whereas a very loud and unlettered subgroup were spewing crazy conspiracy theories. They quickly latched on to the analysis of architects, engineers and demolition experts who concluded that World Trade Towers 1, 2 and 7 collapsed as a result of what could only have been a controlled demolition. That is, the buildings were brought down by explosives, not planes and fire. The “truthers” (including the aforementioned experts as well as laymen who revere them) repeatedly made that claim with fake certainty and utter contempt for anyone who doubted their assertions. Their brand of advocacy was so toxic and pervasive that virtually every prominent analyst and investigative journalist withdrew from what could have been a formidable movement.

I agree it looks like explosives made the buildings collapse, but I also know that things aren’t always as they seem. Moreover, I liken myself (and most members of the public) to jurors serving on a trial who have heard various expert witnesses present different and conflicting testimony. Because jurors themselves don’t generally possess expertise that’s relevant to the issue in dispute, they must judge the experts as to their veracity. A juror who goes into the deliberation room and refuses to even address testimony that other jurors say is convincing, is inherently unfit for the job. Likewise, a 9/11 “truther” who fails to consider what New York City firefighters reported about the collapse of 7 World Trade Center (WTC-7), deserves to be mocked as a charlatan, which I have repeatedly done, most recently in Ep. 31 of The Winers.

In a nutshell, the “truthers” primarily cite architects, engineers and controlled demolition experts when they insist WTC-7 collapsed due to explosives, and they simply ignore that firefighters who were there say they had expected for hours that the building would collapse because there was a huge hole in the middle of it due to debris from WTC-1, as well as raging fires in every part of the building that was still (barely) standing. About the only thing 9/11 kooks will say about the firefighters is that they’re too scared to speak out. They’re referring to first responders who risk their lives daily, but are supposedly too timid to reveal how and why their co-workers and relatives lost their lives on 9/11!

To buy what the kooks are arguing is to not only believe the firefighters are staying silent out of fear, but that they’ve concocted an elaborate cover story to help conceal the guilt of those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks. That sort of lunacy has sabotaged credible inquiries. As Thomas Sowell puts it: “Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.”

Thanks to Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with former congressman Curt Weldon, what really happened on 9/11 is now, once again, somewhat of a front burner issue. That’s why our occasional co-host Morgan mentioned it on the April 24 episode. Weldon’s anger strikes me as righteous. After all, he had wanted to testify before the 9/11 commission, and even though he was vice-chair of the Armed Services Committee and a former fire chief, he was denied the opportunity. But Weldon also is among those who believe WTC-7 was brought down by explosives, despite firefighters who contend otherwise. Paradoxically, Weldon, a former a fire chief, presents himself as the firefighters’ representative.

After I excoriated the “truthers” for their failure to address what FDNY Capt. Chris Boyle described as “a hole 20 stories tall…right in the middle of [WTC-7],” several viewers implored me to invite Ryan Dawson to join us on The Winers, and insisted he would set me straight about 9/11. It’s not the first time our audience has clamored for Ryan to be on the show, and I’m familiar with him anyway. Indeed, we follow each other on X. So I’m happy that he’ll be our guest on this week’s episode. But based on three of Ryan’s recent X posts, I’m not sure he and I disagree all that much, if at all.

I don’t have a strong opinion about what caused WTC-1 and WTC-2 to collapse, or about who was responsible for the attacks. So I wouldn’t bet against Ryan opening my eyes to some extent. But when it comes to Building 7, I’m much less open to persuasion, especially if there’s no rebuttal to what New York City firefighters reported about the condition of WTC-7 in the hours preceding its collapse. Here are excerpts from interviews with first responders, followed by a downloadable PDF file that contains many additional eyewitness accounts:

Eyewitness Accounts Of WTC 7 Fires

175KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Click on the "Download" button to read a very extensive collection of eyewitness accounts.

Download

The audience is welcome to call us during the show at 520.525.8359.

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Back in the mid-1980s one of my favorite things to do was to go see Buster Poindexter (David Johansen’s pseudonym for his extraordinary lounge act) perform at Tramps, an intimate and unpretentious 150-seat club on E. 15th Street in New York City. It was almost too good to be true. David could fill larger venues, but he lived close to Tramps, and it was a comfortable place for him to develop his latest incarnation with no pressure. So I got to see him sit on a stool, cocktail in hand, and sing his heart out - backed by Tony Garnier on bass, Tony Machine on drums, Joe Delia on piano and Brian Koonin on guitar - up close and often. Those of us who attended regularly got to know each other as well as Buster’s repertoire - a delicious mix of jump blues, calypso, swing and standards, laced with hilarious between-song patter. That familiarity incited boisterous sing-alongs at every show that was just about the most fun I ever experienced. Lest the festivities feel too rote, Buster would sometimes change the setlist or jam with guest musicians.

At first Buster was booked on Monday nights to test the waters, but it quickly became apparent that he and his tightknit band were more than ready for weekends, and they began playing two soldout shows per night every Friday and Saturday. I had gotten friendly with the members of Venus Fly Trap, a delightful all-female trio (Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Ramona Jan) who opened many of Buster’s shows at Tramps. One night I was chatting with them at the bar, and after someone mentioned that I was a comedian, Buster turned to me and said, “You do standup? You wanna open for us?” It was not the most onerous audition process I had ever endured, and naturally I wondered why he extended the offer.

It turned out that Venus Fly Trap was going to be unavailable for a few weeks, which partially answered the question. But as to why Buster was willing to book me without even seeing my act, I’m still unsure. I guess it’s just because I was hanging out with his friends at the right time. When Venus Fly Trap was ready to return, I thought that might end my stint. Instead, there were now two opening acts at each performance, and the gig lasted an entire year for me.

I was never bosom buddies with David, but we did attend a couple of shows together at the original Carolines comedy club in Chelsea (once to see Richard Lewis, and another time to see Gilbert Gottfried), and although David is (or at least was then) a Mets fan, one time we journeyed to the Bronx to see the Yankees play courtesy of George Steinbrenner, who was a regular guest at the Carlyle Hotel where I worked for three years (and where Buster Poindexter performed 30 years later).

The night we went to Yankee Stadium was a rather wild and memorable one, as I will describe on this week’s episode of The Winers, which we are dedicating to David Johansen in the hopes of raising funds to ease his discomfort. According to his daughter, Leah Hennessey, “David has been in intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer for most of the past decade,” and “the day after Thanksgiving [he] fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places.” Saxaphonist Crispin Cioe from The Uptown Horns and singer Lisa Lowell will join us to reminisce and celebrate David’s artistry, as will Aric Steinberg, Executive Director of Sweet Relief, a nonprofit that helps musicians and music industry workers in need. Sweet Relief is managing the David Johansen Fund.

Although I know him mostly from his Buster Poindexter phase, it should be noted that David has had an amazingly varied career. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the New York Dolls and later the David Johansen Group as well as David Johansen and the Harry Smiths. He also has numerous acting credits including the Ghost of Christmas Past in the Bill Murray movie, Scrooged.

David is the subject of Personality Crisis: One Night Only, a documentary by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi.

Buster Poindexter and His Banshees of Blue appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1988. The Uptown Horns and Soozie Tyrell were featured prominently in a rousing rendition of “Hot Hot Hot,” Buster’s biggest hit.

In addition to performing with the show’s house band, The Uptown Horns, Crispin Cioe was the music director of Buster’s Happy Hour, a 1994 VH1 series that also featured Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell.

Crispin and Lisa were also with David in 1993 when he delivered possibly his best version ever of “Funky but Chic” from his 1978 album, David Johansen, on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

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This guest post is a chapter in Personal Legends of Piemonte, a new book about the northwest region of Italy the author describes as “an idyllic place for escape.”

Today we travel all the way back to the thirteenth century. To the southern hills of Monferrato where a red grape named Barbera was born. Considered a dark horse without genetic relation to the glamorous grapes Dolcetto and Nebbiolo. However, Barbera was precocious and packed with personality. If the grapes of Barolo and Barbaresco could be genetically promiscuous, Barbera was a single variety. She was also Piemontese and very stubborn. If forced to go it alone, she would use space to her advantage. Barbera rose rapidly. Her vibrance and adaptable character let her stand out from the crowd. She had promise and was nurtured with perseverance and love. When Barbera arrived on the international stage she made a splash. She inspired interest, then affection, and naturally, financial investment followed; she delivered the sacred goods. Barbera now covers 30% of the land, amounting to no less than fifty-two thousand hectares across Asti, Alba, Aosta, Monferrato, Puglia, and Sardinia. By the time Barbera was given a female gender she was no longer considered a dark horse. Her story unfolds like Cinderella’s; now living happily ever after.

If it took Barbera a long time to conquer the world, it only took me a couple months to find her. Unbeknownst to me she was patiently waiting for an introduction in a nearby town called Bubbio. Loazzolo was taking its time opening a bar, which forced me to be promiscuous as well. Instantly I became loyal to Machi’s Tavola Caldo. Massimiliano and his wife Chiara are the proprietors and so likeable I come back constantly. Massi can make any drink I desire but today I’m in the mood for a glass of wine. When he recommends Barbera, synchronicity comes into play. A wine producer by the name of Daniele walks in while I am drinking a glass from his cantina. Both he and his wine are so charming I decided to follow them home. Daniele takes me to his winery called Erede di Chiappone Armando, in the heart of Nizza Monferrato, where Barbera was born.

As soon as we sit down Daniele lifts his glass to say, “Wine is love.” We’re in his tasting room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the family vineyards. The sun is setting, the wine is fine, and I’m so relaxed I can’t help but believe him. His grandfather Armando was born in 1908, and with his brother Caesar, he expanded their land. One row at a time, year after year. Then Franco came along, and the baton was passed down to Daniele. If I perceive the Piemontesi as less than sentimental, Daniele stands out. Perhaps it’s the way he goes against the campanilismo and carefully cultivates relationships with various associations in neighboring towns to help spread the love. If cyclists only pass through the town of Loazzolo they stop at Erede di Chiappone Armondo’s winery. Daniele works with his sister and father, who make me wonder why I don’t stop by more often. They’re gracious and inspire traffic, offering tours or wine tastings surrounded by the vineyards a few feet away outside the windows. When you’re completely comfortable, which doesn’t take long, a charcuterie plate arrives, or a spinach torte. You don’t have to cue the sunset; it arrives each day.

Watch The Winers on Feb 20 at 7 PM ET with special guest Bailey Alexander.

Nizza could be considered a kind of a microcosm of all that is good in the world. Regarded the warmest part of Piemonte, its wine is ripest. Daniele’s winery isn’t the only destination. Under the moon over Monferrato there are a dozen restaurants to choose from, most of them memorable. A dinner date in Nizza is distinct; it’s where we spend New Year’s Eve. And if I’m making a special dinner at home, I go to Vittorio and Loredana’s butcher shop in the town center on Via Carlo Alberto. This historic agri-butcher shop offers prize-winning meat from the cattle at Blue Grasso di Carrù fair. From lamb to ox, the specialties include raw salami, ox salami, cacciatorini, tripe, meatballs, rollata farcita and roast-beef. Their meat is processed according to the ancient trade of the butcher, handed down from generation to generation. Outside, along Via Carlo Alberto, the street has energy, people are noisy. When I enter the clients become conspicuously quiet. Until it’s their turn. They are Italian. There will be a discussion. Waiting, I look up at the painted ceilings with awards extending downward, dramatic swaths of fabric draped with honors inscribed in white on red satin and velour. People study the supply behind the glass, the same way Italians inspect labels before they buy the product. This leads to more questions with the proprietor. Then purchases are made. Absorbing the ambiance, the color of the meat is authentically red, and soft; it generally takes seven years of breeding, and the quality is superb. Even the aroma in the air is serious.

Nizza is a destination for music festivals in summer, ice rinks in winter, and the town always has a horse in the grand Palio di Asti. Which is worthy of a mention. More than a horse race, it’s similar to the one in Siena but has more races, more horses and a dramatic and colorful procession of a thousand flag throwers and characters in medieval dress. Held in September, several towns compete for the coveted Palio banner. I saw it once. It’s chaotic and thrilling and lasts about ninety seconds. Jockeys ride bareback and must complete three laps. The race has been run each year since the year 1275 and takes place in the triangular piazza in the center of Asti, the Piazza Alfieri, every third Sunday in September. Campanilismo is on full display, and time stops, existing today as it did in medieval times. Need I mention that the Palio is equally as beautiful and exciting, if not as well known, as the Palio in Siena? Five thousand seats are set up and the party goes all night.

Outside the piazzas and the parties, foggy landscapes and vast undulating hills make up Monferrato. An appellation famous for its calcareous-clayey soils, giving Langue wines both complexity and structure. Almost entirely built on hills, this offers a bewildering array of aspect and sun exposure. Umberto Eco was born nearby, his novels full of subtle, multilingual references to literature and history. Italians love getting lost in the details; they have a word, dietrologia, meaning the facts behind the facts. Eco marvels at how language evolves while, since the time of Dante, the main language remains. It’s a challenge to read Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written in Middle English. I know because I studied it. But an Italian can read Dante and understand it perfectly. I’ve seen kids as little as nine recite Dante after dinner.

They retain dialects like the landscape of Monferrato retains its distinct beauty. The traditional technique of wine cultivation remains a constant. Dating all the way back to the thirteenth century when Barbera was born. There’s an arc to Barbera’s life. From her status as a dark horse, she’s earned high prestige within the wine community and beyond. Barbera and the treasure beneath her feet offer universal value, selected for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre. Practically all of Piemonte is part of UNESCO. Another reason to agree it’s the secret that needs to be told.

And I agree with Daniele; wine is love.

Interview with Daniele

Where are you from?

San Michele fraction of Nizza Monferrato, in the Province of Asti.

How has your town/village changed since your childhood, what has changed and what has remained the same?

Fortunately, not much as far as the structure of the city - the streets - is concerned, and the same goes for the small hamlet where I live. The farmhouses that I saw as a child as huge forts or moon bases to explore are all still there. With their local "stradinom" (nick names) that only those on the hill know. I'm sorry instead that the people of my childhood, the old people, the Old Men, are no longer there. They were the references of the place for experience or just because they had lived so much and therefore knew everyone and remembered the traditions.

To have been able to enjoy these figures for only a few years is something I regret very much. It's like something is missing.

Can you give me a memory that captures you or your town/village?

The feast of the hamlet of St. Michael in the summer, when "you planted the ball" and you built the wooden round dance floor, topped by the marquee. Seeing the "grown-ups" who worked together and collaborated in the spirit of "partying" to entertain people for a few hours dancing the ballroom dance, our country dance. In those days there was a special atmosphere.

Tell me about the specialty or product of your town/village.

Nizza Docg, Barbera and the traditional cuisine of this part of Monferrato made of seasonal agricultural products grown on our land. We have a rich and fertile land, cultivated with tenacity by women and men who give us cereals - vegetables - fantastic fruits.

Certainly, Nizza Docg, the wine that bears the name of our area, made with Barbera grapes, is the local product that has made our territory better known in the last 20 years.

Does your town/village have a festival, and what does it celebrate?

The Tour of Nizza, an itinerant tour of open cellars in the 18 municipalities of Nizza Docg, held in May, and the Feast of San Michele - Belmonte at the end of July with a food and wine walk through the vineyards at night. A typical summer festival of every village or hamlet.

Where are you now, and how did you arrive at your profession/call?

I find myself doing the work I like and am passionate about in my winery in San Michele Nizza Monferrato. Growing the vines, making wine and making culture by hosting foreign visitors. I studied oenology in Alba at the Institute of Oenology and Viticulture, then I went to university in Turin, studying oenology. Then I worked for 6 years in a local company linked to wine consulting. With the 2000 harvest, I decided that it would be my first home, working for myself alone. I had the family business already started by my great-grandfather and therefore I decided that it would be nice to continue the family tradition of vine and wine.

What is the reality of your life compared to how you thought it would be?

Actually I consider myself a very lucky person, I am doing what I wanted to do when I was a kid. Working in my company making visitors from all over the world come to my house, hosting them, telling them about my land, my profession and my life. Making them feel for a few hours that they’re participating in the production of an awesome product, wine.

When the Coronavirus happened, what did you do to get through it?

After the first days in which everything seemed unreal and impossible, I began to understand what could be done and how to do it with the world locked in quarantine. So I tried to keep in touch with my clients thanks to technology (Facobook, Twitter, Instagram, email etc.) not to lose them and make them feel "protected", less alone. And this served very much as self-therapy for me as well. I had the proof that it was still possible to tell, even if from a distance, a story, my story, and therefore still sell wine. Among a thousand difficulties with many hours used to study and learn new things. But it was worth it. We are not out of the pandemic yet, but we have learned to manage it.

How do you see the future of Piedmont for you and your family?

We will still have at least a year and a half, if not two years, of covid-related difficulties, then we will have a new reality, post covid. We'll have to start thinking differently about our contacts with people, our connections and how to communicate again. If we are ready and able as Piedmont to do this, we will have a great future ahead of us. 2020 would have been the real year of the launch of Piedmont as a tourist area on a global level. For a whole series of factors. We have been sowing together for almost 20 years now and we would have begun to reap the fruits of our labour.

How do you see the future of Italy?

I am always positive and I try to see a positive side in everything. So I hope that this pandemic will turn from a huge problem into an opportunity for Italy to think differently.

We have the most beautiful country in the world where if you use in an effective and organized way agriculture and tourism and all the potential related to it we would live well in all 20 regions and give work to young people and women.

Do you agree that Piedmont is the secret that should be revealed?

I perfectly agree with this question and I discover it every time I host a foreigner and start to tell about our land. Today, thanks to the work done for 20 years by associations such as the Nizza Docg association and the wineries we are beginning to reap the first benefits. Foreigners from northern Europe, Switzerland and Great Britain create reception activities here and attract their compatriots to come and visit us. This whole system WINE VINE HILLS TOURISM CULTURE ENOGASTRONOMY is really working. And in Piedmont there is still so much to discover. And to do. Our region is in a strategic position from a geographical and commercial point of view. We are 90 km from the sea and 70 km from the mountains - we have 2 highways - 3 airports close by. We are the gateway to France and to the south. We have hills - plains - plateaus - rivers - lakes - wooded areas and natural and cultural parks. When I explain why a visitor should come here I always say: “If you like life in the country with breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, a landscape made of hills with vineyards wine and good food and you can choose one day to swim at the sea at Cinque Terre, or at the lake and the day after skiing on a glacier, then you have to come to Piedmont!”.

What do you think about Italy in the EU and what do you think about the EU?

Italy in the EU "weighs" little because deliberately wants to be little incisive. Sent to represent us, incompetent politicians little prepared and unable to understand, still, today, the operation of the EU machine. Despite this, it is a good thing that there is the European Union. That gives us rules, when, we as good Italians "disassemble and reassemble". It gives us a commercial space without duties and free movement of goods and people. And an absence of wars since 50 years. The EU is a great chance for us, but we must be protagonists, presenting proposals and following the dynamics of making politics in a community of states.

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Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s call to ban prescription drug commercials on television is not to be taken seriously unless and until he explains how the ban would not violate the First Amendment. I'm open to such an explanation, but simply ignoring the constitutional right to free speech while focusing exclusively on the drawbacks of pharmaceutical advertising, is not persuasive. Laymen can be excused for forgetting to attach reason to their passions, but Kennedy is an attorney who should realize he needs a strong factual argument to achieve his goal.

It’s not the first time Kennedy has relied on emotionalism to thrill the clueless public. Before he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, he declared his censorial intention “to pass a constitutional amendment to overrule the Citizens United case.” Whether it was a reflection of ignorance, or disingenuousness, Kennedy insisted an amendment is needed to prohibit “corporate political contributions,” even though it is already illegal for corporations to donate directly to a candidate or political party.

In both instances, Kennedy and his ilk fail to define the core behavior that would be restricted, or to describe any sort of limiting principle. Although regulation proponents often make it seem confusing, it’s really pretty simple. Congress generally lacks authority to stop us from speaking or spending as we please, and any exceptions must be specific and narrowly tailored to address a compelling governmental concern. If a constitutional right can be eliminated in some circumstances, we need to know in what circumstances that could be. We also need to know in what circumstances the right could not be be eliminated (the limiting principle). In other words, we need to know where the line is drawn between regulable and non-regulable activity. Without that clarity, no exception is even eligible for consideration.

Even if his advocacy were explicit, Kennedy might be barking up the wrong tree when it comes to empowering patients to make informed decisions. Instead of banning TV ads, why not require transparency and accuracy, and hold advertisers accountable for misleading the public if it happens? In the mid-1990s, tobacco companies were sued for deceptive and fraudulent practices. It led to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) which set permanent restrictions on marketing and advertising, in addition to compensatory funds associated with treating smoking-related illnesses and economic losses. Thusly, the sort of result Kennedy is now pursuing in connection with prescription drug ads, was accomplished without curtailing First Amendment rights.

Prior to the MSA, cigarette commercials were already banned on radio and television, and the prohibition remains in effect. But it shouldn’t be assumed that a similar ban on pharmaceutical advertising would pass constitutional muster today. Tobacco companies have never even challenged the ban imposed on them, and the Supreme Court did not recognize First Amendment protection for commercial speech until well after Congress passed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969 which made cigarette advertising on radio and television unlawful.

Regardless of what is or isn’t constitutionally permissible, no cost-benefit analysis is valid if it includes only the costs. Whereas Kennedy says nothing about actual or potential benefits, Dr. John C. Goodman contends: “The social value of drug advertising is that it alerts patients to the fact that there is a possible remedy for a chronic illness. The payoff is that the viewer might seek medical advice from a doctor and get a prescription, where appropriate.”

In last week’s episode of The Winers, Dr. James Schlotman described the consequences of patients pressuring doctors to prescribe drugs touted in TV commercials.

Without full transparency from all stakeholders, it’s difficult for the average person to quantify that downside versus the upside that Dr. Goodman cited. And if Kennedy - who frequently and rightly complains that his speech has been suppressed - continues to eschew vigorous debate about the ban he wants, his effort to restrict pharmaceutical companies could be seen as ironic if not downright hypocritical.

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