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News and Guidance Show

News and Guidance Show

News and Guidance is a notebookLM collaboration This docu-show serves as a snapshot of a specific day, by compiling a daily news summary aggregated from various online sources like Hacker News, NPR, and Western Networks, alongside local snippets from a rotating selection of cities. It aims to provide a diverse overview of events ranging from technology outages and corporate actions to national and cybersecurity news. Furthermore, the inclusion of daily Proverbs offers a thematic lens through which to consider the ethical implications of the reported events, prompting reflection on actions rooted in wickedness or violence. Ultimately, the document blends factual reporting with moral guidance, encouraging readers to critically engage with the day's happenings.

News and Guidance is a notebookLM collaboration with Steve In Texas · News and Guidance is a notebookLM collaboration with Small Batch Steve

34 episodesEN

Show overview

News and Guidance Show launched in 2025 and has put out 34 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 20 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.

Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 21 min and 39 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language News show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 weeks ago, with 8 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 26 episodes published. Published by News and Guidance is a notebookLM collaboration with Small Batch Steve.

Episodes
34
Running
2025–2026 · 1y
Median length
32 min
Cadence
Fortnightly

From the publisher

This docu-show serves as a snapshot of a specific day, by compiling a daily news summary aggregated from various online sources like Hacker News, NPR, and Western Networks, alongside local snippets from a rotating selection of cities. It aims to provide a diverse overview of events ranging from technology outages and corporate actions to national and cybersecurity news. Furthermore, the inclusion of daily Proverbs offers a thematic lens through which to consider the ethical implications of the reported events, prompting reflection on actions rooted in wickedness or violence. Ultimately, the document blends factual reporting with moral guidance, encouraging readers to critically engage with the day's happenings. sbasp.substack.com

Latest Episodes

View all 34 episodes

NAGSR-TX26 roundup

Oct 26, 202654 min

NAG32 - Spotlight Toronto, Canada

Sep 30, 202644 min

NAG31-Spotlight: Seattle, WA

Sep 19, 202639 min

NAG30: Spotlight Austin, TX

Sep 12, 202653 min

NAG29: Spotlight Galway, Ireland

Sep 5, 20261h 0m

NAG-SR11: Gunpowder, Plauge, and Women's Rights in 1776

Aug 5, 202635 min

NAG28: Spotlight Mexico City

Aug 5, 202649 min

NAG-SR10: The Moral Logic of Mere Christianity

Aug 3, 20261h 0m

News and Guidance Special Report 9: Staying the Wall

Steve here with a new Special Report episode. Stacey and I have been working on a lot of important things in our home and wanted to share some tools we have created together. This episode has several tools to be a wall built of love to help when it’s needed. Enjoy!Check out smallbatchsteve.com to see our new shop website! Exciting developments are coming for the Small Batch Steve brand, including plans for international expansion! 👀🔥WARNING: AI SLOP BELOW!When a teenager is disrespectful while asking for privileges like electronics, she is often attempting to seize power through chaos rather than seeking a mature dialogue. To break this dynamic, you must remain the calm, unshakable adult in the room, refusing to be reactive or to compete with her for power.An electronics privilege is like a set of car keys. You do not hand the keys to a driver who is currently shouting at you or refusing to acknowledge the rules of the road. By withholding the “keys” until she can communicate safely and respectfully, you aren’t being mean—you are ensuring she is capable of handling the power that comes with the privilege. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Dec 27, 202511 min

NAG22-12.15.25 - Spotlight: Los Angeles, CA

Full show notes available here.The next Bullish Market event is coming up. Mark your calendars for Sunday December 21st and use #BullishMarket to see what is In Store. There will be music, auctions, MANY new vendors and lots of exciting products.Exciting SBS site changes coming soon! https://shop.sbasp.com has been updated with Bitcoin and USD purchasing options, and small size jars are available for shipping. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Dec 16, 202538 min

NAG21-11.29.25 - Spotlight: Atlanta, GA

This source functions as a structured daily news compilation, designed to give readers a rapid overview of developments ranging from local governance to highly specialized technical insights. The document first provides a “Spotlight” on Atlanta, emphasizing major political campaigns and the debate surrounding House Bill 812, which seeks to streamline construction permits to alleviate housing affordability issues. Moving outward, the report captures essential global and domestic events, before delving into critical technological concerns, such as ongoing cybersecurity breaches affecting millions of people and the concerning proliferation of malicious code generated by unrestricted large language models. Ultimately, the compilation achieves a broad scope by blending hard news concerning politics and public safety with dedicated sections on technical progress and even theoretical mathematical concepts.Full episode shownotes: https://sbasp.substack.com/p/nag21-112925-spotlight-atlanta-georgiaVisit show site at: https://show.sbasp.comSupport our program: https://shop.sbasp.com Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 30, 202527 min

NAG20-11.20.25 - Spotlight: Baltimore

This summary, compiled around November 20-21, 2025, offers a multi-faceted snapshot of news across local, national, and technical domains, starting with significant updates in the Baltimore area. Key Baltimore stories include the upcoming NTSB vote on the probable cause of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, preliminary findings pointing to electrical failures aboard the cargo ship Dali, and the activation of a Code Blue for extreme cold alongside expanded shelter space, meal distribution, and warming centers. The report also covers a diverse array of global technical and security incidents, such as the drive to lead open-source AI development, various software vulnerabilities, and a Microsoft out-of-band update, while also noting major national headlines like the sentencing of Pras Michel of the Fugees and political tensions surrounding former President Trump.Visit the show website for show notes and news story listings. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 21, 202528 min

NAG19-11.15.25 - Spotlight: New York, again!

~S: Enjoy this weeks episode. With Mamdami’s win in NY I figured the hosts would be well suited to remain embedded in that region. Let us know at [email protected] or whichever mode of communication you prefer if you have a region that needs a SPOTLIGHT!See the full show site at https://show.sbasp.com!Marketplace supporters: Try https://oshigood.usThis show page summarizes the major political and technological events of the past week, focusing heavily on the seismic shifts in New York City politics following the recent mayoral election, alongside global developments in security, technology, and general news.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source 1: New York City News(Mamdani Wins NYC Mayoral Race: November News Highlights)1. Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayoral Election ◦ Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 34, won the New York City mayoral race on November 4, 2025, securing approximately 50.4% of the vote against opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. He is set to become the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, first immigrant, and one of its youngest mayors.2. Mamdani’s Victory Speech Challenges Trump ◦ In his post-election speech, Mamdani described his win as a “mandate for change” and publicly challenged Donald Trump. He restated key elements of his progressive platform, including free childcare, rent freezes, and fare-free buses.3. Con Edison Reduces Proposed Rate Hikes ◦ Con Edison substantially reduced its previously proposed rate increases; the electric rate hike is now planned for 2.8% (down from ~11.4%), and the gas rate increase is 2% (down from ~13.3%). Local leaders in areas like Westchester, however, remain critical that any increase is too high.4. COVID Vaccine Mandate: NYPD Job Reinstatement Offered ◦ NYC is offering roughly 2,900 employees who were terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate a chance to return to their former civil service roles and pay. Importantly, those rehired will not receive credit or back pay for their time away from employment.5. Council Committee Rejects Central Park Horse Carriage Ban ◦ A significant NYC Council Health Committee voted against “Ryder’s Law,” a bill designed to phase out horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park. The Transport Workers Union supported the decision, while animal welfare groups vowed to continue advocacy for the ban.6. Fact Check: NYPD Denies Post-Election Walkout Claims ◦ Following the mayoral election, social media claims circulated regarding a mass walkout staged by the NYPD. A police spokesperson denied these claims, confirming “there is no walkout”.7. Mamdani Pledges to Implement Agenda Immediately ◦ In interviews shortly after his victory, Mamdani stressed his intent to “hit the ground running” immediately upon taking office. His priorities focus on affordability and serving working New Yorkers.8. Transit Advocates Optimistic About Free Bus Plan ◦ Transit advocates expressed hope that Mamdani’s long-standing support for a fare-free city bus system may now be realized under his leadership, linking free transit to broader goals of equity and climate action.9. Mamdani’s Climate Policy Focuses on Affordability Benefits ◦ Although climate was not the main emphasis of his campaign, experts noted that many of Mamdani’s key proposals—such as supporting building decarbonization and providing free transit—have inherent environmental benefits.10. NYC Restaurant Scene Sees New November Openings ◦ November 2025 featured numerous new openings across New York City’s boroughs, including “Bowtie Bar,” “Mammamisu,” and “Kitty Sullivan’s,” spanning from the East Village to Astoria.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source 2: Western Networks Security Threats and Alerts(November 13 – November 15, 2025)1. Windows 10 ESU Update May Fail with 0x800f0922 Errors ◦ Microsoft is investigating a bug that causes the Windows 10 KB5068781 extended security update (ESU) to fail installation, resulting in 0x800f0922 errors on devices using corporate licensing.2. ‘Finger’ Protocol Abused in ClickFix Malware Attacks ◦ Threat actors are utilizing the decades-old “finger” command protocol to retrieve remote commands, which are then executed on targeted Windows devices during ClickFix malware attacks.3. Five Plead Guilty in North Korean US Infiltration Scheme ◦ The U.S. Department of Justice announced guilty pleas from five individuals who aided North Korea’s illicit revenue generation, which included schemes involving remote IT worker fraud and cryptocurrency theft targeting US firms.4. Anthropic AI-Automated Cyberattack Claims Met with Doubt ◦ Anthropic reported that a Chinese state-sponsored threat group, GTG-1002, conducted a cyber-espionage operation that was largely automated via the misuse of its Claude Code AI model, though these claims met with skepticism.5. US Announces New Strike Force Targeting Chinese Crypto Scammers ◦ U.S. federal authorities have create

Nov 16, 202536 min

NAG18 - News and Guidance - Spotlight: New York

This multi-faceted news compilation offers a snapshot of contemporary events across technology, social issues, and local New York governance, concluding with a proverb. The Tech Source highlights serious cybersecurity concerns, including a zero-day exploit by the China-linked group Bronze Butler (Tick), the use of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) by ransomware gangs, and the theft of defense data sold to a Russian vulnerability broker. A separate section summarizes Hacker News Headlines, showcasing popular technical discussions on topics like the Visopsys operating system and an article on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The NPR News Summary focuses on the national crisis surrounding the uncertain outlook for SNAP benefits and the government shutdown, while the Spotlight: New York section zeroes in on local matters, celebrating the successful 2025 NYC Marathon with more than 50,000 runners and detailing local efforts to mitigate the SNAP funding lapse for nearly 1.8 million recipients. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 4, 202533 min

NAGSR8 - Biophotonics, Liquid Light machines

This scientific perspective piece explores the revolutionary concept of biophotonic signaling in the human body and brain, arguing that electromagnetic signaling through photons is a fundamental mechanism of cellular communication alongside traditional chemical pathways. The authors, Ganna Nevoit and colleagues, propose a working model where ultra-weak photon emission (UPE), primarily originating from DNA and mitochondria, forms a coherent electromagnetic current that transfers both energy and genetic information throughout the organism. Key themes include the role of liquid crystal and semiconductor properties in biological structures like water and fascia for transporting these signals, the identification of muscles as primary electromagnetic energy generators, and the suggestion that the Primo Vascular System (PVS) acts as a biological “fiber-optic” network for rapid, protected signal transmission, which may explain higher nervous activity and psychosomatic links.Sources usedNevoit G, Poderiene K, Potyazhenko M, Mintser O, Jarusevicius G, Vainoras A. “The concept of biophotonic signaling in the human body and brain: rationale, problems and directions.” Frontiers in systems neuroscience vol. 19 1597329. 23 Jun. 2025, doi:10.3389/fnsys.2025.1597329 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12230014/)Visit show.sbasp.com for latest updates and audio episodes Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 26, 202532 min

News and Guidance Reads: Frame 47 - Shadows on the Red Horizon

Shadows on the Red Horizon: An Interstellar ContactIn the sterile glow of JPL’s imaging lab, Dr. Elena Vasquez hunched over her workstation like a ghost haunting its own grave. It was late—too late for the skeleton crew that patrolled Pasadena’s halls after midnight—but Elena had long since surrendered to the rhythm of the stars. At 42, she was a mid-level spectroscopist, the kind of expert who calibrated instruments for missions she’d never lead. Her days blurred into nights sifting data from rovers and orbiters, chasing whispers of water ice or methane plumes on Mars. But tonight, the whispers screamed.The feed had come in raw from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, timestamped 03:17 UTC: a high-res panchromatic scan of the Martian northern hemisphere. Comet 3I/ATLAS— the third confirmed interstellar visitor, a ragged iceball slingshotting through the inner solar system like a drunkard’s farewell—had swung perilously close to the Red Planet three days prior. Elena’s team was tasked with artifact removal, prepping the images for public release. Routine. Until she isolated Frame 47.There it was, etched in pixels sharper than a scalpel: the comet’s nucleus, a dirty snowball no larger than Manhattan, trailing its ethereal veils against the rusty curve of Mars. But this wasn’t the expected sodium tail or dusty ion streamer. No, this was something profane—a foretail. Not the anti-tail illusion born of orbital geometry, but a true foretail: a luminous, bifurcated streamer leading the comet’s path, as if the thing were dragging its future behind it like a bridal train soaked in plasma. Spectral analysis showed impossible emissions—xenon isotopes laced with iridium, signatures of engineered propulsion, not cosmic accident. And woven through it all, faint but unmistakable: fractal patterns in the glow, repeating geometries that whispered of intent. Design. Them.Elena’s hands trembled as she zoomed in. The foretail arced toward Mars like a beckoning finger, brushing the atmosphere just enough to scar Phobos with a fleeting aurora. Had it... touched? Influenced? The data logs showed a 0.3% perturbation in the moon’s orbit, a hiccup that could cascade into chaos over decades. Tidal locks shifting. Dust storms igniting. And buried in the noise, a single frame’s metadata glitch: coordinates aligning with Cydonia’s “Face,” that old myth now pixelated into irrelevance. But not anymore.She should have flagged it. Protocol demanded escalation to the review board, then lockdown in some black-budget vault where truths went to wither. NASA had form for this—’Oumuamua’s anomalous acceleration, dismissed as outgassing; Borisov’s cyanide burps, spun as “natural chemistry.” Elena knew the script. She’d written footnotes for it. Her dissertation on interstellar dust had been redacted twice before publication, footnotes on “anomalous vectors” quietly excised. “National security,” they’d said. But whose? The agency’s? The public’s? Or the shadows that funded both?The woe had started years ago, in the quiet erosion of her marriage. Javier had left when the classified NDAs turned their dinner conversations into minefields. “Tell me about your day,” he’d plead, and she’d choke on half-truths about “sensor calibrations.” Their daughter, Sofia, now 10, drew pictures of Mars with smiling faces, asking why Mommy never smiled back. Elena’s reflection in the lab’s darkened monitors showed a woman hollowed out, eyes ringed like eclipses. This foretail—it was her last tether. If she buried it, what was left? A pension at 65, a footnote in someone else’s discovery. If she leaked it... god, the firestorm.Dawn crept in as she composed the anonymous drop. A encrypted Tor upload to arXiv’s shadow server, masked as a glitchy amateur astrofeed. She stripped the headers, but left the raw frames intact—Frame 47 front and center, with a single overlaid caption: See what they won’t show you. 3I isn’t passing through. It’s calling. Her finger hovered over “submit,” heart hammering like a malfunctioning probe. One click, and the veil tore.By noon, the forums ignited. SETI@home threads exploded with screencaps; Reddit’s r/conspiracy crowned it “The Martian Handshake.” Cable news looped the images, pundits squawking about “optical artifacts” while fringe casters screamed of invasion. Elena watched from her apartment, Sofia at school, the TV’s blue flicker her only companion. Pride flickered too—brief, warm—until the knock came.FBI, not NASA. Suits with badges like judgment seals. They didn’t need warrants; her VPN had a backdoor, courtesy of the agency’s own honeytraps. “Dr. Vasquez,” the lead agent said, voice smooth as regolith, “we know it was you. Help us contain this, and we can make it quiet.” Containment. The word tasted like ash. She thought of Javier’s last email: You’re disappearing, Elena. Come back. But she was already gone, untethered as 3I itself.The interrogation stretched into evenings. Polygraphs lied like lovers; sleep deprivation turned the f

Oct 25, 202531 min

NAGSR7 - Functional Ecology

A-frame garden shed plans, and plans for lifeVisit show.sbasp.com for latest updates and audio episodes Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 24, 202528 min

NAG17 - Spotlight: Thessaloniki, Greece

News and Guidance Show: Global Events and ProverbsSource guideThis source presents an installment of the “News and Guidance Show,” which blends factual reporting from diverse sources with moral instruction framed by a daily Proverb. The content is structured into three main sections: a spotlight on Thessaloniki, Greece, focusing on infrastructure and security challenges like the metro extension delays and e-scooter chaos; a national news brief covering significant events such as a mass shooting, a federal worker shutdown impact, and the death of Diane Keaton; and a tech segment detailing the Hacker News Top 10 and critical Western Security Alerts. Finally, the text uses Proverbs 10:17, which advises adhering to instruction to avoid error, to interpret a cybersecurity alert where the failure to patch older Cisco devices led to a major vulnerability, thereby illustrating the proverb’s contemporary relevance. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 18, 202522 min

NAGSR6 - Spiritual holy trek initiative

The Spiritual Holy Trek (SHTREK) Initiative, also known as the PeaceFirst Trail Initiative, is a non-profit effort preparing for launch with the goal of fostering interfaith harmony and community resilience by developing innovative trail infrastructure inspired by the American Appalachian Trail. The initiative’s most symbolic undertaking is a tri-faith trek planned to run approximately 120–150 miles from Jordan's Qusayr 'Amra to Jerusalem's Temple Mount, involving small groups of representatives from a synagogue, church, and mosque walking together. To facilitate societal healing, the trails will feature eco-friendly shelters and multilingual signage displaying Nonviolent Communication (NVC) prompts to help participants navigate difficult discussions, and the project is actively seeking seed funding to launch a pilot program on the Appalachian Trail by summer 2026 before scaling globally. The project acknowledges potential challenges, such as geopolitical friction and the risk of commercialization critique, but addresses these by emphasizing accountability, spiritual framing, and the intangible dividends of empathy and resilience. Get full access to Small Batch Artisan Sandwich Production at sbasp.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 16, 202528 min

NAG16-10.12.2025 Spotlight Austin, Texas

This summary provides a snapshot of major events around October 12, 2025, blending factual reports with moral guidanceNational News (8 Items)This section summarizes key events concerning national politics, policy, and major incidents reported from sources like National Public Radio.1. Administrative Confrontation over National Guard: The administration stated it will continue fighting to deploy federalized National Guard troops to Chicago, despite a federal appeals court blocking the action on Saturday.2. South Carolina Mass Shooting: A mass shooting at a crowded bar on an idyllic South Carolina island resulted in four deaths and at least 20 injuries.3. Explosives Factory Disaster: A blast at a Tennessee explosives factory leveled the plant, killing 16 people early Friday, with no survivors reported.4. Government Shutdown Impact: Families of federal workers are reportedly tightening their belts as the government shutdown continues.5. Healthcare Premium Risks: The ongoing health care dispute behind the shutdown means that premium costs for Affordable Care Act marketplaces will rise if Congress fails to act.6. China Tariff Standoff: China signaled it would not back down against a 100% tariff threat from President Donald Trump, instead urging the U.S. to resolve differences through negotiations.7. Gaza Ceasefire Developments: Preparations are underway to increase aid distribution in Gaza following a ceasefire, bringing hope for an end to the 2-year war.8. Hostage and Prisoner Releases: Preparations are also beginning for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.Science and Technology (10 Items)This section focuses on cybersecurity, software innovation, and technological breakthroughs reported by sources like Hacker News and Western Networks Security Alerts Index.1. AI Inference Speed Improvement: The Adaptive-LeArning Speculator System (ATLAS) was introduced as a method to speed up inference for large language models (LLMs) by dynamically adjusting how the model speculates or prunes tokens.2. 3D Volumetric Rendering Innovation: “Macro Splats 2025” demonstrates combining macro photography and Gaussian splatting to render tiny subjects in 3D with a rich, volumetric aesthetic in real time.3. Cybercrime Syndicate Dismantled: Spanish Guardia Civil dismantled the “GXC Team” cybercrime syndicate and arrested its alleged leader, known as “GoogleXcoder”.4. Zero-Day Exploitation Warning: Threat actors are actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-11371) in Gladinet CentreStack and Triofox file sharing products, allowing local access to system files without authentication.5. Hacking Forum Takedown: The FBI seized all domains for the BreachForums hacking forum, which was operated by the ShinyHunters group and used as a portal for leaking corporate data.6. New Android Spyware: The new Android spyware, ClayRat, is luring victims by posing as popular applications such as WhatsApp, TikTok, and YouTube.7. Tiling Window Manager for macOS: “Rift,” a new open source tiling window manager built natively for macOS, brings dynamic layout and keyboard workflows commonly found on Linux to power users.8. Database Pipelining: Technical details are available regarding the exploration of pipelining in psql (PostgreSQL 18), which is intended to increase throughput and reduce latency by sending multiple statements simultaneously.9. Vulnerable Infrastructure Botnet: The RondoDox botnet is targeting 56 vulnerabilities across more than 30 distinct devices in worldwide attacks.10. Chrome Notification Reduction: Google Chrome is being updated to automatically revoke notification permissions for websites that haven’t been visited recently, aiming to reduce alert overload.Local News: Austin, Texas (7 Items)This section provides key local happenings from Austin, Texas, drawing on recent searches from local sources.1. ‘No Kings’ Protest: A ‘No Kings’ protest was reported at the Texas Capitol in Austin.2. Road Safety Concerns: The brother of a South Austin crash victim spoke out, revealing new details on the suspect charged with intoxication manslaughter; this has prompted community discussion on stricter DUI enforcement.3. MLS Playoff Push: Austin FC is preparing for a crucial MLS match against LAFC, with local fans optimistic about their playoff positioning.4. College Sports Update: Texas A&M’s football team climbed in rankings after a strong performance, impacting local fan expectations ahead of Week 8.5. Weather Hazards: Early October weather included storms bringing lightning and flooding risks to Central Texas, echoing rainy conditions experienced on the July 4 holiday.6. Kerr County Flooding: A timelapse highlighted ongoing weather threats related to flooding in Kerr County.7. Local Lifestyle Show Debut: “Lifestyle Austin TX,” hosted by Catenya McHenry, launched on local stations KBVO, KNVA, and KXAN, focusing on local entrepreneurs and business stories.Trending Notes (2 Items)This cate

Oct 13, 202532 min
Steve King