MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 03 OCTOBER 2026

The Saturday papers split again, and this episode includes something new: a private intelligence summary from Mike's friend Max at Asylum Security, a former SEAL sniper who now works in executive security. It's not classified, but it comes from serious sources, and it covers threats that never make the front page.

The headlines: Russia is pushing migrants across Latvia's border as a tactic against the West. Student protests over school conditions have turned violent across France. The U.S. added a lower-than-expected 29,000 jobs in September. Chinese officials' unusual requests at a recent summit are raising new questions about Xi Jinping's health. DHS is paying local police departments for help with immigration arrests. And the Wall Street Journal reports that more voters dislike both parties than in any recent election. From the intel brief: Iran is reviewing retaliation options that reach beyond the Middle East, tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, cyber threats are aimed at critical infrastructure and personnel data, and China's spy satellite network is growing fast.

Mike's take: he doesn't understand why secure borders became a partisan issue, since knowing who is coming into your country is common sense. He supports students fighting for better schools but says violence defeats the purpose. On Congress, he argues that both parties have to hold their own side to the same standard they hold the other. And he has a simple fix for the budget: if the government shuts down or the budget isn't balanced, Congress doesn't get paid. On Iran, the intel brief brings him back to the question he keeps asking: months of strikes later, Iran can still hit shipping and plan attacks abroad, so what does success actually look like?

Your turn. Should Congress go unpaid until the budget is balanced? What does winning in Iran look like to you? And who do you think takes over China after Xi? Tell us in the comments. Mike reads them.

Timestamps

0:00 Happy Saturday and a special intel brief

1:15 Why wildfires in Indonesia led the Times

1:50 FlyDubai: the mother's scream that alerted passengers

2:15 A new inquiry into the Cornell case

3:20 Russia uses migrants against the West

4:35 Why secure borders shouldn't be partisan

6:15 Student protests turn violent across France

8:20 A weak September jobs report

9:25 Xi Jinping's health and who comes next

12:05 DHS pays local police for immigration arrests

13:45 A hurricane-free summer and El Niño

14:40 "Double haters" and the midterms

16:35 Holding your own side accountable

19:10 No balanced budget, no paycheck for Congress

20:40 The intel brief

21:45 Iran's retaliation planning

23:20 What does success in Iran look like?

24:20 Tankers struck in the Strait of Hormuz

25:50 Cyber threats to infrastructure and personnel data

28:55 China, Russia and the race for space

30:25 A Sunday preview: faith and suffering

31:40 Wrap-up

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you.

On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed.

Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning.

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MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 02 OCTOBER 2026

A busy front page to close out the week. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal split today, so Mike covers both.

The headlines: the Pentagon is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and more Marine Corps ships to the Middle East, adding roughly 10,000 troops to the region. OpenAI and Anthropic are spending to influence the midterm races and shape AI rules. Teachers and students warn that Google's AI push in schools is hurting learning. The FlyDubai captain who was stabbed by his co-pilot is being hailed for saving Flight 1073. Also covered: the Cornell case dominating social media, Tennessee halting executions after an inmate survived two doses of lethal injection, OpenAI firing researchers who shared information with an AI safety group, a global bond selloff, and high rates freezing the housing market.

Mike's take: a third carrier group on top of an already heavy presence isn't just a show of force; he thinks it signals something may be about to happen, and he wants the administration to define what winning looks like. He calls lobbying a legal term for bribery and says he's baffled it's still allowed. On AI in schools, he compares it to map and compass versus GPS: AI is a great tool if you already know the subject, but kids who lean on it may never learn to think for themselves. He also tips his cap to the FlyDubai captain, the crew and the passengers who fought back, and asks for more civility, online and off.

Your turn. Is the military buildup a signal? Can anyone make the case for lobbying? Is AI helping or hurting our kids? Tell us in the comments, and as Mike asks, keep it civil. He reads them.

Timestamps

0:00 Happy Friday

0:25 The Times and the Journal split today

0:50 The Cornell case

2:55 Faith, family and how we treat each other online

5:50 Tennessee halts executions

7:30 AI giants spend on the midterms

7:55 Is lobbying just legal bribery?

9:10 Questions about the FlyDubai co-pilot's motive

10:00 The captain who saved Flight 1073

12:05 OpenAI fires researchers over AI safety leak

13:45 The global bond selloff

15:00 Why interest rates aren't fixing inflation

16:15 Texas home prices and a frozen housing market

18:20 AI in schools: can kids still think?

21:15 Map and compass vs. GPS

22:05 A third carrier group heads to the Middle East

23:20 What does winning look like?

24:10 Weather and wrap-up

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you.

On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed.

Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning.

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MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 01 OCTOBER 2026

Both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times led with the same two stories today.

The first: after more than 23 years and $1.7 trillion, the U.S. has closed its last major military base in Iraq, ending what critics call America's forever war there. The second: on FlyDubai Flight 1073, a pilot stabbed the other pilot and tried to hijack the plane, sending it into a terrifying nosedive before passengers and crew subdued him. Also in today's papers: Iran is linked to a foiled attack on a British air base that houses American troops, the Pentagon is creating a new command for autonomous warfare, and BMW plans to use AI to shrink its workforce.

Mike's take: as someone who served in Iraq and lost brothers there, he asks the hard question: was it worth it? He argues that toppling Saddam removed the one force keeping Iran in check. That opened a power vacuum that fueled ISIS, emboldened Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and set off a refugee crisis that has reshaped countries around the world. Twenty-three years later, he thinks Iraq may be worse off than before, and he admits he doesn't see a good way forward. On the hijacking, he looks back at the 1980s hijacking he watched unfold as a kid and asks how anyone stops an attacker who's already in the cockpit.

Mike doesn't have the answer on Iraq, so he wants yours. Was it worth it? What should the U.S. do now? And how would you stop a pilot-turned-hijacker?

Tell us in the comments. Mike reads them.

Timestamps

0:00 Happy October

0:25 Same two stories in both papers

1:15 The Times' weather report (a tangent)

2:30 Pilot hijacks FlyDubai Flight 1073

4:35 The 1980s hijacking Mike never forgot

6:15 The U.S. leaves Iraq

7:05 Was it worth it?

8:20 Saddam, Iran and the power vacuum

10:00 Iran's proxies and the IED war

10:50 The refugee crisis no one talks about

12:30 Is Iraq worse off now?

14:35 No good options

15:25 BMW using AI to cut jobs

16:15 Iran linked to foiled attack on a British air base

17:30 Pentagon's new autonomous warfare command

18:20 Senate Republicans' late push on cost of living

19:10 Iran's stranded oil tankers

19:35 Mexico cracks down on cartel money laundering

20:00 Wrap-up

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you.

On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed.

Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning.

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Former Navy SEAL Captain Bradley Geary joins Mike to reflect on 25 years in Naval Special Warfare—from SDV missions and DEVGRU to commanding BUD/S. They dive into leadership, modern warfare, faith, family, and the three-year battle with the Navy that pushed Geary to the point of being willing to give up his rank, his career, and even his SEAL Trident in order to stand for what he believed was the truth.

See the unreleased photos and NSW Command 100-page Report: : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uw65fld4719wbl0hmcf70/ABo2Fsa7EygD8n6Dtvtr0I0?rlkey=ny7z5ax3t4oq2j7s8c6px78zp&st=5p4qroi5&e=1&dl=0

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Former F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot and U.S. Air Force Thunderbird number two Ryan Bodenheimer — founder and host of Max Afterburner — joins me exactly 25 years after 9/11, the day that sparked his entire career. We cover his 70 combat missions and 300 combat hours in Afghanistan, a near air-to-air engagement with an Iranian jet, losing his best friend in pilot training, a hypoxia incident that nearly killed him on the Thunderbirds, and multiple unexplained UAP encounters. Then we get into Iran — Ryan spent years building actual U.S. war plans against the IRGC, and now he's watching that exact scenario unfold in real time.

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These dogs served when we needed them most—now it’s our turn. Help Warrior Dog Foundation provide lifelong care for retired military and law enforcement K9s by donating today.

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TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS

Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise.

https://www.teamdog.shop 

TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING

Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. 

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Former Diplomatic Security Service special agent and attorney Ryan Dalton joins Mike to discuss his career investigating human trafficking, protecting U.S. officials overseas, and his investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Ryan explains why, after reviewing released Epstein files, prison records, and other anomalies surrounding August 2019, he believes the evidence raises the possibility that Epstein left his cell alive. He also shares what happened when he traveled to Little St. James as part of his ongoing investigation.

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WARRIOR DOG FOUNDATION

These dogs served when we needed them most—now it’s our turn. Help Warrior Dog Foundation provide lifelong care for retired military and law enforcement K9s by donating today.

https://warriordogfoundation.org/donate

TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS

Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise.

https://www.teamdog.shop 

TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING

Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. 

https://www.teamdog.pet 

NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING

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Retired Secret Service Special Agent Darin Kinder recounts surviving 9/11 from inside the World Trade Center, entering the North Tower to help people evacuate, and escaping the collapse of the South Tower. He also shares stories from his 25-year career, including counterterrorism work with the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, protecting President George W. Bush, and how those experiences ultimately shaped his faith and mission after leaving the Secret Service.

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Former Navy SEAL Jonathan Wilson sits down with Mike Ritland to share his path from getting kicked out of the Naval Academy to fighting his way into the SEAL Teams and deploying to Iraq. He opens up about combat, taking a life, rediscovering his faith, the toll his career took on his family, his own struggles after service, and the mission that ultimately led him to help other veterans navigate transition and mental health.

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Air Force Special Operations JTAC veteran Conan Higgins joins the show to break down what a Joint Terminal Attack Controller actually does on the battlefield—and why he believes air power could have changed the outcome of missions like Operation Red Wings. Conan deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Philippines, earning two Bronze Stars for combat action, while simultaneously serving as a Washington State trooper, undercover narcotics detective, and SWAT team leader—all while finishing law school. Today he's the president of an international law firm based in D.C., advising security, defense, and risk consulting clients in 19 countries across six continents. We get into calling in airstrikes under fire, the raw power and vulnerability of close air support, and his blunt take on where the current strikes on Iran could be headed.

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In the final part of this conversation, Tony Mayne shares the story he says he's never told publicly before—the loss of his soldier Hing Shaw to an IED, and the impossible decisions made in the seconds and hours that followed. Tony also opens up about being forced out by a medical board, the fight to stay in uniform, and the calling that led him to build Ranger transition and ministry programs for the veteran community. The conversation closes with reflections on accountability, faith, retirement, and what it truly means to give back after a life of service.

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In Part 2, former Army Ranger Tony Mayne takes us deep into the objective and execution of the Haditha Dam mission—one of the most heavily defended objectives of the early Iraq War. Tony details the harrowing overnight drive through the desert, the ambush that nearly cost his team everything, and the unique cooperation between Rangers and Delta Force on the ground. From there, the conversation follows his path from enlisted squad leader to commissioned officer, the personal cost of extended deployments to Ramadi, the loss of a close friend to an IED, and a career-altering hearing waiver that nearly ended his time in uniform. It's a candid look at leadership, sacrifice, and the toll of nearly two decades at war.

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Retired Major Tony Mayne joins the podcast to walk through 12 years in U.S. Special Operations Command, including nine years in the 75th Ranger Regiment's 3rd Battalion, where he took part in the regiment's historic combat parachute assault into Afghanistan after 9/11 and later jumped into Iraq — completing eight combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terror and earning induction into the 2024 Ranger Hall of Fame. We go deep on the night of October 19, 2001, standing in the door of a C-17 as one of the first U.S. Rangers to parachute into Afghanistan, and the fight for Haditha Dam, where his vehicle broke down mid-assault and later got caught in an ambush on both sides of the road.

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In the final part of this conversation, Mike Sarraille recounts the base attack in Jalalabad where he served as Joint Strike Force commander, dismantles the conspiracy theories surrounding Extortion 17, and shares the story of Guardian dog Bart's final act protecting his handler Jet Li. He then breaks down his transition out of the military, the founding of Talent War Group, and his current role at Overwatch Mission Critical, before diving deep into the booming and controversial world of AI data centers. The episode closes with the story behind the record-breaking 7-continents-in-7-days skydiving mission and his reflections on purpose after service.

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Part 2 of this conversation with Mike Sarraille picks up inside the deployments that followed Ramadi, including the chaotic quick-reaction mission into Sadr City alongside a hastily assembled team from two different SEAL platoons. Mike breaks down the brotherhood built with Army infantry on the ground, the Sunni Awakening, and why he believes the Iraq War was ultimately a policy mistake despite the valor shown by the troops who fought it. He also opens up about the line he drew when ordered to move his men into an unnecessary risk, his transition to DEVGRU, the reality of Green Team versus BUD/S, the night Adam Brown was killed in Afghanistan, and the devastating loss of Extortion 17—including the brutal process of notifying the families left behind.

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Mike Sarraille breaks down his path from getting kicked out of college to Force Recon to Navy SEAL to DEVGRU. He talks Delta vs DEVGRU, deploying to Ramadi with Task Unit Bruiser, and standing three feet from Michael Monsoor the day he died saving his team. Also covers DEVGRU selection and why he thinks the Iran conflict is repeating Iraq's mistakes.

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In the final part of this Mike Drop conversation, Prime Hall traces his path from military transition into deep psychological healing. He details his first 5-MeO-DMT experience, a profound "hard reset" that showed him both the devastating and the redemptive paths his life could take, and how it launched an unexpected connection to Mike Tyson and Tyson Ranch. Prime opens up about the harder road that followed—relapse, medication struggles, and losing two close friends to suicide within days of each other—and how ayahuasca, integration therapy, and a structured approach to plant medicine helped him rebuild. The conversation closes on his new book, Permission to Heal, his work in the firearms tech space, fatherhood, and his personal relationship with faith.

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Prime Hall returns for Part 2 of this Mike Drop conversation, taking listeners deep into his time as a Marine Raider deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He recounts the brutal June 14th, 2012 ambush where two of his closest teammates were shot, the insider attack that nearly killed him weeks later, and the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injury, hearing damage, and psychological toll—that followed him home. Prime also weighs in on the Charlie Kirk shooting, drawing on his own firsthand experience witnessing a similar gunshot wound in combat. The episode closes with his medical retirement, the unraveling that came with it, and the first steps toward healing through ayahuasca.

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Mike Ritland sits down with Prime Hall — former Marine Raider, Marine Corps water survival instructor, co-founder of Deep End Fitness and Operation Resilience, founder of the Underwater Torpedo League, and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star, and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Prime is also the author of "Permission to Heal: Redefining Strength for Warriors, Athletes and High Performers" and features in the upcoming documentary "Air Hunger." In this episode, Prime opens up about being dropped into a Village Stability Operations post in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the insider attack that changed his life, and how 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca journeys became the turning point in a healing process he now shares through his book and work with veterans.

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In the final part, Mike LeBlanc explains why Ukraine has become a real-time preview of future warfare, where robots and drones now do most of the fighting and over 80% of incoming Russian drones are stopped before impact. He breaks down the political reasons Russia hasn't crushed Ukraine, the underexplored frontier of subsurface warfare exposed by Iran, and why he believes autonomy—not new weapons types—is the true turning point in combat.

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In Part 2, Mike LeBlanc details how a chance call pulled him away from a private equity offer and into Silicon Valley, where he co-founded Cobalt Robotics before launching Foundation Future Industries. He walks through the brutal early days of building a robotics startup, a company crisis over fabricated sales contracts that forced him to overhaul the business, and the pivot into humanoid robots for the Department of War. The conversation turns to real combat testing in Ukraine, the ethical debate inside his own company over weaponizing robots, human-in-the-loop safeguards against battlefield mistakes, and why he believes America—not China—will lead the humanoid robotics race.

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