{
  "id": 18768901,
  "title": "The Military Chose a Strange Moment to Launch a Lifestyle Podcast",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/the-military-chose-a-strange-moment-to-launch-a-lifestyle-podcast",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-07T18:30:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/11/inside-centcom-podcast-lifestyle-military-war-iran-trump/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The military has launched a lifestyle podcast at a particularly strange moment, according to reports. Meanwhile, the United States has been conducting minor strikes against Iran's Qeshm Island. In the midst of this, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for military actions in the Middle East, has chosen this time to launch a lifestyle podcast. The podcast, which went live on Thursday, is described as being similar to Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, but tailored for the military personnel. The podcast aims to introduce listeners to the human aspect of the \"incredible warfighters\" who are protecting the nation's interests in the region. In its inaugural episode, CENTCOM head Admiral Brad Cooper discussed various topics such as the importance of patience, playing basketball on a moving warship, the significance of physical fitness, and his personal fondness for pilfering other people's french fries. Cooper also shared his philosophy on life, saying, \"pursue a passion that you're interested in, but don't try to figure it all out.\" He also emphasized the need to invest time in mental, spiritual, and physical fitness, even during Operation Epic Fury. Cooper remarks that despite the unexpectedly tumultuous path they are on, everyone has been performing exceptionally well. Although the podcast is only eight months into a highly unpopular war with Iran, Cooper assures the audience that everyone is doing a great job. It's noteworthy that military podcasts are plentiful on the internet, ranging from ex-military podcasts to ones discussing military culture. However, CENTCOM is not the first entity to produce a podcast; they even had a podcast about their command's history in 2023. Despite the ongoing war and the costs associated with it, the new lifestyle podcast doesn't delve into any of these topics. In fact, during the 11-minute runtime of the podcast's first episode, Cooper did not address any questions regarding the ongoing war.",
  "summary": "The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is a “dead man walking,” on the verge of possible impeachment, Pentagon officials reportedly said. The United States has spent the past week carrying out “minor strikes” against Iran’s Qeshm Island. Yesterday, Donald Trump appointed war hawk Stephen Miller as his chief of staff. And after Democrats swept the […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Military launches lifestyle podcast amid minor strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island",
    "CENTCOM's podcast aims to showcase human aspect of military personnel",
    "Admiral Brad Cooper emphasizes mental, spiritual, and physical fitness"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}