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Punching Upwards: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Fabian A. Scherschel
The podcast that digs at the nitty-gritty facts behind the week's loudest headlines and discovers stories legacy media neglected to cover. From a veteran reporter and investigative journalist; new episodes every Sunday. punchingupwards.substack.com
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- 2 days ago1h 39m
PU 54: The Actual Danger of AI
Experts from OpenAI and Anthropic are claiming humanity is in acute danger to be wiped out by artificial intelligence. How? Don’t know! Probably because it’s complete bullshit.Punching Upwards, Episode 54 for 20 September 2026Topics: Technology / Artificial Intelligence🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!Sources* Ex-Anthropic insider tells CNN how AI could kill all humans by 2030, CNN, 10 September 2026* Extended interview: Bernie Sanders on dangers of AI, CBS News, 16 September 2026* Google DeepMind researcher quits with chilling AI warning: It could “kill us all”, 15 September 2026* Der Ausbruch: Wie die Menschheit die Kontrolle über die KI verliert, Der Spiegel 39/2026, 17 September 2026* Forscher zur KI-Entwicklung: Risiken ernst nehmen, aber nicht dramatisieren, Tagesschau, 17 September 2026* „Das Potenzial, uns alle zu töten“: Nächste dramatische Warnung von KI-Forscher, heise online, 15 September 2026* Inside “Project Lily”: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats, 404 Media, 14 September 2026The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
- 1 weeks ago2h 12m
PU 53: The AfD Wins Bigly
Did the voters in a small German federal state just vote for a new Nazi party? What exactly is the Alternative für Deutschland about and how does it relate to Trumpism?Punching Upwards, Episode 53 for 13 September 2026Topics: Politics / Trumpism🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!Sources* Germany’s far-right AfD hails big victory in east, but falls short of majority, The BBC, 7 September 2026* Germany has found itself in a state of shock after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration and socially conservative party, surged to a historic victory in Sunday’s regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, Tweet by CBS News, 7 September 2026* AfD holt Wahlsieg – aber keine absolute Mehrheit, Tagesschau, 7 September 2026* AfD wants to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt – but how?, Deutsche Welle, 7 September 2026* Merz’s immigration plan to head off the AfD, The Telegraph, 6 September 2026* Was die AfD beim Verfassungsschutz ändern könnte, Tagesschau, 11 September 2026* Prüfung von AfD-Verbotsverfahren: “Der nächste logische Schritt”, 11 September 2026* German nationalists’ big win sounds alarm for mainstream politicians in Europe, The Washington Post, 12 September 2026* Merz’s Popularity Plunges to Record Low for a German Chancellor, Bloomberg, 8 May 2026* Mass deportations and separate schools for refugees: The far-right AfD’s vision for Germany, CNN, 7 September 2026* The Predictable Earthquake: What Saxony Anhalt Tells Us About Europe, Modern Diplomacy, 10 September 2027* New attempts to ban the AfD will only boost its support, UnHerd, 10 September 2026* German schoolchildren banned from wearing AfD T-shirts, The Telegraph, 27 August 2026* What is the “political firewall” against Germany’s AfD?, 23 August 2026* Germany’s Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win, The BBC, 9 September 2026* Merz accuses AfD of “ethnic cleansing” policy and cancels call with Trump, The Guardian, 9 September 2026* AfD files criminal complaint against Merz, Daily Telegraph New Zealand, 12 September
- 2 weeks ago1h 11m
PU 52: The Cape Town Stadium Flyover
When two airliners overfly a packed rugby stadium at less than 15 metres over the roof, is that really cool or is it a near disaster that should be condemned instead of celebrated? Punching Upwards, Episode 52 for 6 September 2026Topics: Aviation🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!Sources* “Madness”: Planes just metres from hitting rugby stadium, 9 News, 30 August 2026* Was This INSANE Stadium Flyover TOO Low!?, Captains Speaking, 3 September 2026* Instagram video of the flyover filmed from the stadium roof, DeKosky, 30 August 2026* SACAA Statement on the Airlink Flypast at the DHL Cape Town Stadium, SA Civil Aviation Authority, 2 September 2026* South African Airways Flight 295, Wikipedia, undated* Comair Flight 206, Wikipedia, undated* Airlink’s low flypast over Rugby match in Cape Town, Flightradar24 Blog, 2 September 2026* South Africa aviation regulator probes low jet flypast over Cape Town stadium, ABC News, 2 September 2026* Airline cancels plans for repeat of South Africa vs New Zealand flyover stunt as investigation launched, The Independent, 4 September 2026* Weather grounds Airlink’s FNB flyby for Boks-All Blacks FNB Stadium clash, 3 September 2026* NBC Nightly News for 30 August, NBC, 31 August 2026The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago1h 27m
PU 51: Why Did the CIA Director Fly to Moscow?
The War in Ukraine is escalating and both the US and Russia are increasingly talking about the use of nuclear weapons. Did DCIA John Ratcliffe fly to Moscow to address nuclear tensions?Punching Upwards, Episode 51 for 30 August 2026Topics: Politics, War in Ukraine🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!See Also* PU 17: Vlad vs. Vlad* PU 7: Von der Leyen’s Paper Maps* PU 4: Drones over DenmarkSources* CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow for meetings, sources say, ABC News, 25 August 2026* Here’s why the CIA director traveled to Russia, CBS News, 27 August 2026* Why Russia is expanding its war against Ukraine beyond the front lines, Deutsche Welle, 25 August 2026* Why Ukraine is Ramping Up Its Aerial War Against Russia, The Wall Street Journal, 18 August 2026* CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes unannounced visit to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, CNN, 26 August 2026* CIA chief was in Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO and encourage cutting off Iran, CNN, 28 August 2026* CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intel counterparts on secretive visit to Moscow, Kremlin says, CBS News, 26 August 2026* Pentagon weighs nuclear options amid China, Russia threats, The Washington Times, 18 August 2026* Pentagon draws up new nuclear weapons strategy for war with Russia and China, The Telegraph, 5 August 2026* Pentagon wants “expanding options” for nuclear weapons, officials say, Breaking Defense, 7 August 2026* Tweet by Marjorie Taylor Greene, X, 16 August 2026* The Pentagon Revealed Its Nuclear War Strategy and It’s Terrifying, Vice, 21 June 2019* Joint Publication 3-72: Nuclear Operations, US Department of War, 11 June 2019* The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin, The New York Times, 25 February 2024* The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine, The New York Times, 29 March 2025* CIA taught Ukraine how to target Putin’s Achilles heel, The Telegraph, 31 December 2025* General “Buck” Turgidson (George C. Scott) argues f
- Aug 23, 202647 min
PU 50: Ignore Our Stupid New Law, Says the EU
The new EU packaging regulation PPWR is destroying small businesses. The EU only noticed when hundreds of them took to social media to say they suspend shipping to EU countries.Punching Upwards, Episode 50 for 23 August 2026Topics: Politics, Economics🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!Sources* Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on Packaging and Packaging Waste — PPWR, The European Union, 19 December 2024* Reel from Saulforged, Instagram, 8 August 2026* Reel from Shane Holland, Instagram, 11 August 2026* Reel from Sister of Claudia, Instagram, 7 August 2025* Die EU hat uns gefi--t! Kein Versand außerhalb Deutschlands mehr! PPWR sei Dank!, Johnny’s World, 13 August 2026* EU waste packaging rules: Why small businesses are worried, Deutsche Welle, 12 August 2026* EU’s new packaging regime locks small publishers out of single market, EUobserver, 13 August 2026* EU packaging law forces sellers to register in up to 27 countries, PPC Land, 11 August 2026* Why Many Retailers Suddenly Stop Shipping Abroad in the EU, Techbook, 13 August 2026The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 16, 20261h 46m
PU 49: The Ceuta Invasion
A Spanish city being overrun by tens of thousands of immigrants showed fatal weaknesses in the EU’s border protection. Now the establishment is trying to gaslight its citizens to ignore it.Punching Upwards, Episode 49 for 16 August 2026Topics: Politics / Immigration🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!Sources* Ceuta: Migrant crossings and European reaction (research briefing), UK Parliament House of Commons Library, 13 August 2026* The truth behind the Ceuta migrant crisis, Channel 4, 4 August 2026* Thousands of migrants try to enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, The BBC, 31 July 2026* Migrants storm Spanish border – what’s happening in Ceuta and why, The BBC, 31 July 2026* JRE MMA Show #99 with Francis Ngannou, The Joe Rogan Experience, 9 February 2021The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 9, 20261h 56m
PU 48: Fauci Takes the Fifth
Anthony Fauci, who led the West’s pandemic response, refused to testify to Congress about his role in the creation of SARS-CoV-2 and mistakes that were made in combating it. This is a huge scandal.Punching Upwards, Episode 48 for 9 August 2026Topics: Politics / The Pandemic🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!See Also* PU 12: No Such Thing as Free Speech in GermanySources* Sen. Josh Hawley Grills Dr. Anthony Fauci: “Nothing says honesty like taking the Fifth!”, C-SPAN, 29 July 2026* Legal expert explains Senate panel vote to hold Fauci in contempt, CNN, 6 August 2026* “Accountability”: US ends funding for gain-of-function research, Fox News, 30 July 2026* “Can you show me one study” RFK interview on CNN gets heated talking about COVID, 11 Alive, 3 August 2026* RFK Jr. vs. Dana Bash on CNN “State of the Union”, Tweet by Greg Price, 2 August 2026* Jon Stewart On Vaccine Science And The Wuhan Lab Theory (14 June 2021), CBS, 15 June 2021* Fauci takes the Fifth more than 100 times — and Republicans look to contempt charge, CNN, 29 July 2026* Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions at GOP-led Covid hearing, calls Rand Paul “unhinged”, NBC News, 29 July 2026* Fauci faces real legal “danger” despite Biden pardon, legal expert warns, Fox News, 30 July 2026* Senate Panel Says It Has Obtained Copy of Fauci’s Covid-Era Phone, The Wall Street Journal, 5 August 2026* The Fauci Legend Will Not Die!, Racket News, 31 July 2026The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 2, 20261h 53m
PU 47: The Berlin Pride Attack
A thorough analysis of the historical reasons for the cultural and political climate in Germany that led to the recent attack on the Pride parade in Berlin.Punching Upwards, Episode 47 for 2 August 2026Topics: Politics / Immigration🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS FeedCreditsThanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!See Also* PU 3: An Ethical Approach to the War in GazaSources* History’s Most Preventable Terror Attack?, Racket News, 27 July 2026* More disturbing details emerge on suspect in Berlin Pride attack, CBS News, 27 July 2026* Activist at Berlin Pride memorial disappointed attacker wasn’t a “white Christian”, News24, 30 July 2026* Questions mount after deadly Berlin Pride attack. Here’s what to know, The Associated Press, 27 July 2026* Eine Überwachung, die nichts gebracht hat, Junge Freiheit, 28 July 2026* Gemeinsame Pressemitteilung: Anschlag im Umfeld des Christopher Street Day (press release), Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Berlin (Berlin Attorney General’s Office), 26 July 2026* Even Before Attack, Berlin’s Gay Community Felt “More and More Unsafe”, The New York Times, 27 July 2026* Berlin Pride attack suspect shot and killed during police operation, The BBC, 26 July 2026* Police shoot dead Berlin Pride van and knife rampage suspect, officials say, The Guardian, 26 July 2026* „Ich habe ihm nicht erlaubt, einen langen Bart zu tragen“, Der Spiegel, 27 July 2026* Thomas Mücke sollte Abdul Ballout „deradikalisieren“ — doch sein Verein macht Islam-Propaganda und zeigt Mädchen mit Kopftuch und Waffen, NiUS, 28 July 2026The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe
About Punching Upwards
The podcast that digs at the nitty-gritty facts behind the week's loudest headlines and discovers stories legacy media neglected to cover. From a veteran reporter and investigative journalist; new episodes every Sunday. punchingupwards.substack.com
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