Best Sharpening Report Podcasts (2025)

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37 Reinvent the Two-Party Political Game? With Robbie Bach 54:58

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7d ago54:58

54:58

What if America’s political dysfunction isn’t a moral failure — but a design failure? In this episode, Greg talks with Robbie Bach, former President of Xbox and now a leading civic reform advocate, about how the United States might update its political operating system. Robbie argues that polarization isn’t an accident — it’s an output of incentive…

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Trim Runaways, CAPS Saves, and Why IFR Pilots Still Lose Control: Lessons from This Week’s NTSB Reports 40:15

9d ago40:15

40:15

Episode 17 of NTSB News Talk brings together an unusually rich set of accidents and safety insights, all centered on pilot decision-making, trim system failures, swept-wing stall risks, and the ongoing challenge of hand-flying in IMC when automation misbehaves. In this week’s discussion, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark use recent NTSB reports to hi…

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Fatal Pilot Errors: How Common Medications Led to Deadly Crashes 39:07

21d ago39:07

39:07

Max Trescott and Rob Mark explore one of the most overlooked killers in aviation: common medications that quietly impair pilots and contribute to fatal crashes. While many aviators think over-the-counter or prescription drugs are safe if they “feel fine,” the NTSB’s recent accident reports tell a different story. In case after case, pilots who igno…

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36 Can We Grab Economic Power By The Middle? With David Goldstein 1:06:08

21d ago1:06:08

1:06:08

What if everything we’ve been told about the economy — about housing, inflation, and government debt — was upside down? What if the problem isn’t that we’re spending too much, but that we’re letting the wrong people decide what we can spend on? What if you feel rich when you leave the West Coast and poor when you live in or visit one of our big cit…

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How to simplify complex calculations with custom functions 8:19

4d ago8:19

8:19

Did you know that you can transform the way you can build models, reports and schedules with custom functions? This episode guides you on how they make complex calculations cleaner and easier to maintain. You'll also learn practical ways to document, test and reuse these functions for consistent results. In this episode, an Excel expert will: Expla…

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ADS-B In Mandate, Hawker Stall Test Crash, Erie LSA Wind Shear, and Four More Fatal Accidents 40:28

8d ago40:28

40:28

In Episode 15 of NTSB News Talk, co-hosts Rob Mark and Max Trescott examine a week filled with new legislation and a series of tragic accidents that highlight recurring lessons in aviation safety and human factors. The show opens with the Senate Commerce Committee’s new bipartisan aviation safety bill, which—if passed—would close the ADS-B loophole…

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35 What If Public Banks Based Here Bought Us Resilience? With Marco Rosaire Rossi 50:50

28d ago50:50

50:50

What if banking our own money on the West Coast could help us fund housing, infrastructure, and small business growth? And what if it bought us greater financial freedom from Wall Street and Washington, D.C.? In this episode of Pacific Time, host Greg Amrofell talks with Marco Rossi, a public banking advocate and legislative strategist with Washing…

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34 What if Tiny Homes Are A Big Part of Our Housing Solution? With Zack Giffin 58:53

1M ago58:53

58:53

What if the solution to America’s housing crisis isn’t just about building more, but smaller — smarter homes that restore freedom, affordability, and balance? Zack Giffin — professional skier, builder, and co-host of Tiny House Nation — joins Pacific Time to explain how 400 square feet could help fix housing affordability, mental health, and climat…

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Weather, Airspeed, and Avoidable Tragedies: NTSB Lessons from LAX to Lake Placid 50:32

1M ago50:32

50:32

In Episode 14 of NTSB News Talk, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark analyze a series of recent NTSB preliminary and final reports that reveal how weather, fatigue, distraction, and airspeed management continue to play major roles in both near misses and fatal crashes. With their characteristic mix of insight and practicality, the two veteran aviation …

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33 We, Us, Ours? Protect LGBTQ Rights & Protect Everyone's Rights? with Shannon Minter 1:00:27

1M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Civil rights aren’t abstractions—they’re lived every day in families, schools, prisons, churches, and courtrooms. Protecting the rights of any minority protects everyone’s rights. So attacks on trans rights have your attention? What if the West Coast held the line on protecting the LGBTQ community—and led the way? In this episode, Greg Amrofell tal…

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Welcome to the CompTIA CYSA+ Certification 1:47

1M ago1:47

1:47

By Dr. Jason Edwards

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32 Protect The Mountain by Going to The Hill? Gwyn Howat Returns With a D.C. Field Report 46:45

2M ago46:45

46:45

Mountains and democracy have something in common: they don’t manage themselves. In this episode, Greg talks again with Pacific Time pal Gwyn Howat, longtime leader of Mount Baker Ski Area and advocate for public lands, fresh off a trip to Washington, D.C. Gwyn met with members of Congress and leaders of the U.S. Forest Service to speak up for the f…

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NTSB Board Member Michael Graham on Safety Culture, SMS, and GA Risks 52:18

2M ago52:18

52:18

In this episode of NTSB News Talk, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark welcome Michael Graham, a current member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), for a deep discussion on the agency’s work and the broader state of aviation safety Graham begins by clarifying the role of NTSB board members, often misunderstood as investigators. While tr…

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31 Could a West Coast Carbon Market Build Us an Even Better Economy? With Reuven Carlyle 47:04

2M ago47:04

47:04

How about some good news from the West Coast, where we're building momentum to address climate change on our own? That’s the question Greg poses to Reuven Carlyle, former Washington State Senator and architect of the state’s cap-and-invest law and an advisor to legislators doing the same in California. Carlyle explains why pricing pollution isn’t j…

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Smarter, faster, easier: Here's what's new in Excel 13:55

1M ago13:55

13:55

In this episode of Excel Tips, we explore the latest Excel updates that can help to boost productivity and simplify workflows for finance and accounting professionals. Listeners will learn: How to use TRIMRANGE for flexible range selection What's new with pivot table formatting and an exciting update on auto-refresh How the TRANSLATE function works…

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30 What if Portland is Exactly What Democracy Looks Like? With Kari Chisholm 57:19

2M ago57:19

57:19

Trump says Portland needs “cleaning up.” What if Portland is actually a model of democracy in action—messy, loud, and making progress? If Donald Trump and his MAGA minions don’t want to be called fascists, here’s a thought: stop acting like them. Instead of threatening West Coast cities with troops, raids, and funding cuts, a real leader might look…

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NTSB Lessons: Electrical Failures, Go-Around Traps, and the Murrieta Citation Crash 49:05

2M ago49:05

49:05

Episode 12 of NTSB News Talk with hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark delivers a comprehensive discussion of recent accidents, preliminary findings, and final NTSB reports, highlighting recurring safety themes for GA pilots. The episode begins with the White House nomination of American Airlines captain John DeLouv to the NTSB board, and an invitation …

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29 How to Build a Firewall Against Hate? With Heidi Beirich 50:57

2M ago50:57

50:57

Political violence is rising, ICE is profiling, hate is mainstreaming. What if we on the West Coast have to fight extremism and the return of civil discourse on our own? This summer has been a chilling reminder of how fragile our democracy feels: assassinations of Minnesota lawmakers, the murder of a conservative commentator, a mass shooting at a M…

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28 A Summer of Sovereignty: From Raids to Resilience? 26:41

3M ago26:41

26:41

This summer, West Coast sovereignty wasn’t a theory—it was tested. From ICE raids in Los Angeles, and Marines on California streets, to attacks on our flagship universities, and shakedowns of tech stalwarts, Washington D.C. came hard for our region. But West Coasters fought back—with mass protests, citizen surveillance, social media jabs, ballot in…

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B-52 Close Call at Minot, Midair in Colorado, and Jammed Flight Controls 49:05

3M ago49:05

49:05

Max talks with Rob Mark about the latest NTSB cases and safety lessons for pilots. They begin with new details on the B-52 near miss at Minot, North Dakota, where the bomber nearly collided with both a regional jet and a Piper Archer. The tower controller, working alone without radar support, became overwhelmed and failed to advise the B-52 crew of…

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27 Could Pickleball Save America? With David Johnson 43:40

3M ago43:40

43:40

What if the fastest-growing sport in America could also be its most democratic? Pickleball was born on Bainbridge Island – just across the water from Seattle. It started in 1965 with a wiffle ball, a net, and a few bored kids. Sixty years later, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry, the official state sport of Washington, and the most diverse scene…

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Unleash the power of Python in Excel 9:14

3M ago9:14

9:14

In this third and final episode of a three-part series, we explore how the integration of Python unlocks advanced tools for analysis, automation and visualisation. Listeners will learn: How Python connects with Power Query to extract and transform data Ways to preview and filter information using Pandas functions Techniques for reshaping horizontal…

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26 Do Californians Want Autonomy? With Coyote Marin 46:29

3M ago46:29

46:29

A recent survey shows that Californians want autonomy—what does this mean? In this episode, Greg talks with Coyote Marin, co-founder and executive director of the Independent California Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on educating Californians about their relationship with the federal government. Unlike advocacy groups, Coyote’s organizat…

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NTSB Accident Reports: TBM & King Air Loss of Control 37:26

3M ago37:26

37:26

In Episode 10 of NTSB News Talk, aviation safety experts Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine recent accident reports that reinforce why loss of control in flight continues to be the number one cause of fatalities in general aviation. Drawing from official NTSB accident reports and preliminary findings, they analyze crashes involving a TBM turboprop i…

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25 Can Better Ballots Beat Bad Maps? With Ashley Brown 48:56

3M ago48:56

48:56

What if the quickest fix for American democracy isn’t new maps—but better ballots? In this episode, we ask whether top-two primaries, ranked-choice voting, and a bigger U.S. House could outflank gerrymandering’s worst effects—fast. Episode summary: Redistricting wars grab headlines, but the map fight is only part of the story. Marketing veteran and…

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24 Will the Coast Take On Climate Leadership (Again)? With Molly Peterson 45:19

4M ago45:19

45:19

The EPA just gutted the backbone of federal climate regulation. Could the West Coast step in? In this episode of Pacific Time, veteran climate reporter Molly Peterson joins Greg to unpack the devastating implications of the EPA’s reversal of its greenhouse gas endangerment finding—the legal trigger that forces federal climate action. Without it, Wa…

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Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 3: Collision Avoidance & Safety Culture 1:38:02

4M ago1:38:02

1:38:02

On this episode of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott covers the third and final day of the NTSB’s investigative hearing into the January 2024 midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk. Day 3 featured Panel 4: Collision Avoidance Technology and Panel 5: Safety Data and Safe…

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Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 2: Army Black Hawk & CRJ-700 Testimony 1:37:44

4M ago1:37:44

1:37:44

Max Trescott plays audio clips from Day 2 of the NTSB investigative hearing on the midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk. This day focused exclusively on Panel 3: Training, Guidance, and Procedures Applicable to DCA Air Traffic Control, revealing systemic issues t…

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Python in Excel: Practical applications 11:02

4M ago11:02

11:02

In this second episode of a three-part series, you will build on the basics from part one to gain a clear understanding of how to use Python directly within Excel cells. This includes using the Pandas library, for example, to merge datasets and create data-rich outputs with minimal code. You'll gain the skills to: Learn key differences between Exce…

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Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 1: Army Black Hawk & Regional Jet Crash Testimony 1:11:55

4M ago1:11:55

1:11:55

Max Trescott takes listeners deep inside Day 1 of the NTSB’s investigative hearing into the tragic midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. The accident claimed the lives of 67 people, including the crew of both aircraft, and has become one of the most sc…

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23 Refresh the American Brand, West Coast First? With Michael Megalli 55:31

4M ago55:31

55:31

If America is a brand, what does it stand for now? What truths still hold? And can a 250-year-old experiment in self-government be reimagined without losing the plot? Michael Megalli is a brand strategist, the author of the upcoming book Brand New World, the founder of Indie.biz, and the son of Egyptian immigrants who believed fiercely in the Ameri…

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NTSB: Delta B-52 Close Call and Runway Incursion at Mexico City 58:14

4M ago58:14

58:14

Max and Rob bring listeners a packed episode of aviation safety lessons anchored by the NTSB. They begin with the Board’s announcement of a three-day investigative hearing into the Reagan National midair between a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter. Rob dives into a dramatic close call in North Dakota, where a Delta Regional Jet on final narro…

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22 Could West Coast Farming Follow the Tuscan Template? With Ariane Lotti 43:49

4M ago43:49

43:49

What if growing food didn’t have to destroy the planet? Ariane Lotti grew up in the U.S., trained in environmental policy at Yale, and worked on Capitol Hill. But her journey took an unexpected turn: she returned to her family’s rice farm in Tuscany to reinvent agriculture from the ground up. In this episode, we meet this regenerative farmer who's …

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SR22 Electrical Failure Crash; Air India Fuel Switches, Cessna 240 Crashes into Pacific 35:45

4M ago35:45

35:45

Max Trescott and Rob Mark return for episode five of NTSB News Talk with a full slate of recent accidents and preliminary reports that highlight critical lessons in decision-making, mechanical failure, and situational awareness. They start with the tragic crash of a Cirrus SR22 in North Carolina that killed a family of four. The aircraft had experi…

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21 What If We Could Get Wildfire Under Control? With Hilary Franz 1:02:22

4M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

What if wildfire isn’t just a natural disaster, but a test of how well we govern prevention, preparation, response, and recovery? In this episode, Greg talks with Hilary Franz, former Washington Lands Commissioner about governing through climate chaos, building unlikely coalitions, and why states like Washington can’t afford to wait for federal lea…

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Episode 130: Root Cause Analysis and Incident Performance Metrics 13:59

4M ago13:59

13:59

Every incident response process must end with two critical questions: What went wrong? And how do we prevent it next time? In this final episode of Domain 4, we explore the structure and value of root cause analysis (RCA) and the metrics analysts use to evaluate incident response performance. You'll learn techniques for identifying the initial fail…

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Episode 129: Regulatory and Law Enforcement Reporting 12:59

4M ago12:59

12:59

When a breach crosses a legal threshold, reporting to regulators or law enforcement may be required. In this episode, we examine the processes and obligations associated with regulatory reporting under frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and state-level data breach laws. You’ll learn what types of incidents trigger mandatory disclosure, how quick…

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Episode 128: Customer and Media Communications 13:31

4M ago13:31

13:31

Sometimes the most difficult part of a security incident isn’t stopping the threat—it’s explaining what happened to the people affected. In this episode, we explore how organizations communicate with customers, partners, and the media during and after an incident. You’ll learn what kinds of disclosures are required, what language builds trust, and …

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Episode 127: Legal and PR Communications During an Incident 13:48

4M ago13:48

13:48

Communication during a security incident isn't just internal—it can affect your company’s reputation, legal standing, and customer trust. In this episode, we examine how security teams coordinate with legal departments and public relations professionals to craft official statements and limit liability. You'll learn how analysts contribute to this p…

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Episode 126: Writing Effective Incident Response Reports 13:48

4M ago13:48

13:48

When the incident is over, the reporting begins. In this episode, we explore how security analysts write effective incident response reports that document what happened, how it was discovered, what actions were taken, and what outcomes resulted. You’ll learn how to construct a clear executive summary, provide a precise who-what-when-where-why break…

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Episode 125: Incident Declaration and Escalation Procedures 13:30

4M ago13:30

13:30

Not every alert becomes an incident—but when one does, it needs to be declared formally and escalated swiftly. In this episode, we walk through the process of incident declaration, including the criteria used to define what qualifies as an incident and the steps analysts take to classify severity. You’ll learn how escalation procedures are triggere…

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Episode 124: Stakeholder Communication for Incident Response 13:16

4M ago13:16

13:16

During an incident, clear and timely communication becomes a matter of urgency—not just best practice. In this episode, we cover how security analysts coordinate communication across teams and leadership tiers when responding to security events. You’ll learn how to identify the right stakeholders based on the severity and scope of the incident, and…

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Episode 123: Identifying Stakeholders for Vulnerability Reporting 14:25

4M ago14:25

14:25

Not all stakeholders need the same level of technical detail—but all of them need accurate, timely, and actionable reporting. In this episode, we explore how analysts identify and tailor communication for different stakeholder groups during the vulnerability management process. You’ll learn who needs to know what—from system administrators and deve…

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Episode 122: Metrics and KPIs in Vulnerability Management 13:32

4M ago13:32

13:32

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. In this episode, we focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics used to evaluate the effectiveness of vulnerability management programs. You’ll learn how metrics like vulnerability age, remediation time, recurrence rates, and vulnerability density across asset classes are used to benchmark perfor…

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Episode 121: Inhibitors to Remediation 14:31

4M ago14:31

14:31

Even when vulnerabilities are known and documented, remediation doesn’t always move forward. In this episode, we examine the most common inhibitors to remediation—technical, procedural, and political obstacles that delay or prevent action. You’ll learn how factors like legacy systems, proprietary dependencies, business process interruptions, organi…

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Episode 120: Action Plans and Remediation Communication 13:33

4M ago13:33

13:33

Once vulnerabilities are identified, the work isn’t done—it’s just beginning. In this episode, we explore how analysts develop and communicate action plans for addressing discovered risks. You’ll learn how patching schedules, configuration changes, user awareness efforts, and compensating controls are communicated clearly to technical teams, projec…

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Episode 119: Creating and Understanding Compliance Reports 14:50

4M ago14:50

14:50

Security isn't just about stopping threats—it's also about proving due diligence. In this episode, we explore how security teams create and interpret compliance reports aligned with frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53, and ISO 27001. You’ll learn how reports are structured to demonstrate adherence to technical controls, timelines, audit req…

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Episode 118: Vulnerability Management Reporting Essentials 14:43

4M ago14:43

14:43

In this episode, we break down the core components of a vulnerability management report. You’ll learn how to organize and present data on discovered vulnerabilities, affected assets, associated risk scores, remediation efforts, recurrence frequency, and mitigation timelines. We explain how to structure reports for different audiences—whether it's a…

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Episode 117: Domain 4 Overview – Reporting and Communication in Cybersecurity 13:10

4M ago13:10

13:10

Welcome to Domain 4 of the CySA+ PrepCast. In this episode, we introduce the principles of reporting and communication—critical soft skills that define how technical findings are translated into business decisions. You’ll learn why analysts must be effective communicators, how reporting ties into regulatory requirements, and what makes security met…

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Episode 116: Post-Incident Activity and Organizational Learning 13:10

4M ago13:10

13:10

Once the smoke clears, the real improvement begins. In this episode, we explore the post-incident phase of the incident response lifecycle. You’ll learn how forensic analysis is conducted to uncover technical root causes, how timeline reconstruction helps validate scope and sequence, and how organizations document lessons learned to avoid repeating…