Punching Upwards

Fabian A. Scherschel
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 6d ago

    PU 57: The Hanning Affair

    The amazing story of how helping plot a kidnapping for a steakhouse fortune heiress brought down the former head of the German foreign intelligence service BND. Punching Upwards, Episode 57 for 11 October 2026 Topics: Politics / Intelligence Services 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 53: The AfD Wins Bigly * PU 51: Why Did the CIA Director Fly to Moscow? * PU 4: Drones over Denmark Sources * German ex-spy chief arrested for suspected espionage, treason, France 24, 6 October 2026 * Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying, The Guardian, 6 October 2026 * Ex-BND-Chef August Hanning verhaftet, Der Spiegel, 6 October 2026 * August Hanning, WikiSpooks, undated * Neue Kritik am geplanten Machtzuwachs, TAZ, 7 October 2026 * ECB has assessed that AS PNB Banka in Latvia was failing or likely to fail, European Central Bank, 15 August 2019 * US Officials Accuse German Intelligence of Pre-Iraq War Failures, Der Spiegel, 20 March 2008 * Fall um Block-Kinder: Ex-BND-Chef Hanning soll an fehlgeschlagenem Entführungsversuch beteiligt gewesen sein, Tagesspiegel, 8 November 2025 * Der Block-Komplex und der schwere Verdacht gegen den Ex-BND-Präsidenten, Welt, 11 November 2025 * Unternehmer verweigert Aussage: Eugen Block wirft Richterin im Prozess um seine Tochter Befangenheit vor, Tagesspiegel, 4 November 2025 * Block-Prozess: Welche Rolle spielte der Alpakahof-Besitzer?, NTV, 27 October 2025 * Die Zeugin, die Christina Block am nächsten stand, Die Zeit, 16 January 2026 * Dänische Polizei warnte Christina Blocks Ex-Mann vor Mordanschlag auf ihn, Der Stern, 24 May 2025 * Block-Prozess: Israeli hatte immer wieder Erinnerungslücken, Hamburger Abendblatt, 29 August 2025 * Sorgerechtsstreit Block / Hensel wirft viele Fragen auf / Teil 1: Chronologie (archived copy), Wirklich, undated * Erfolglose Verfassungsbeschwerde in einem grenzüberschreitenden Sorgerechtsfall, Bundesverfassungsgericht, 9 April 2025 * Henrike von Scheliha: Der Fall Block - Die Grenzen elterlicher Sorge, Brucerius Law School, 25 July 2025 * Der Block-Prozess: Besonders ein Strippenzieher gerät ins Visier, T-Online, 25 July 2025 * Verhaftung von Ex-BND-Chef: Der tiefe Fall des August Hanning, Der Spiegel, 6 October 2026 * BND genehmigte Nebentätigkeit für Hannings mutmaßlichen Komplizen, Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * Ex-BND-Chef Hanning unterhielt Kontakte zu chinesischem General, Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * “Wirkung einer Atombombe” — früherer BND-Vizechef entsetzt über Spionageskandal, Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * Geheimdienstreform: Zeitenwende für Spione, Netzpolitik.org, 10 July 2026 * Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Reform des Nachrichtendienstrechts, Bundesinnenministerium (Department of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany), 5 July 2026 The 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

  2. Oct 4

    PU 56: The Abandonment of Justice

    Do we really want mob justice instead of a fair justice system? The Lindsey Clancy and Cornell Seven cases would suggest our society is going that way. Punching Upwards, Episode 56 for 4 October 2026 Topics: Politics 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 50: Ignore Our Stupid New Law, Says the EU * PU 46: The Rebellion Against Flock Cameras * PU 43: The Vehicle Kill Switch Law * PU 16: Met Police to Stop Non-Crime Arrests * PU 1: The Arrest of Graham Linehan Sources * Dr. K’s Take on the Linsay Clancy Case, Alok Kanojia, 12 September 2026 * Cornell Students Declared Guilty, Punished by Online Mob Justice, Glenn Greenwald, 30 September 2026 * NYT Publishes More Contradictory Evidence on Cornell Case, Glenn Greenwald, 2 October 2026 * Mistrial declared in Lindsay Clancy murder case, after jury deadlocks, The BBC, 4 September 2026 * The Lindsay Clancy Trial: A Cruel, Insensitive, and Out-of-Touch Prosecution, Serpa Law Office, 9 September 2026 * Lindsay Clancy murder trial has divided US on whether she’s victim or criminal, The BBC, 5 September 2026 * Lindsay Clancy holdout juror says he had no doubt she deliberately killed her children, The BBC, 18 September 2026 * Lindsay Clancy begged for help before her children’s killings, mother-in-law testifies, The BBC, 18 August 2026 * Judge denies defense motion to declare Lindsay Clancy not guilty of murder, The Guardian, 1 October 2026 * Cornell Sexual Assault Investigation to Be Reopened, The New York Times, 28 September 2026 * How a Cornell Student Went From Shame to Action, The New York Times, 1 October 2026 * Editorial: Cornell Won’t, We Will, The Cornell Daily Sun, 21 September 2026 * The Cornell Rape Investigation: Five Takeaways, The New York Times, 1 October 2026 * D.A. in Cornell Rape Inquiry Declined to Review Additional Evidence, The New York Times, 2 October 2026 * New York’s governor removes DA in Cornell rape allegations, appoints AG Letitia James to take over, The Associated Press, 2 October 2026 The 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. Sep 27

    PU 55: The Ceuta Crisis is Continuing

    If you get your news from the legacy media, you might be forgiven for thinking that the immigration crisis in Ceuta was solved months ago. That couldn’t be further from the truth, which is a disgrace. Punching Upwards, Episode 55 for 27 September 2026 Topics: Politics / Immigration 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 53: The AfD Wins Bigly * PU 49: The Ceuta Invasion Sources * Thousands of protesters take to the streets in Madrid over Ceuta migrant crisis, Euronews, 26 September 2026 * Humanitarian crisis worsens in Ceuta as thousands remain stranded, Al Jazeera, 25 September 2026 * “Migrants have TAKEN OVER!” MP infiltrates camp as government “COLLUDES” to keep migrants in Ceuta, GB News, 26 September 2026 * Spain’s Ceuta residents protest as thousands of migrants remain stranded, Al Jazeera, 21 September 2026 * PP and Vox join a march in Madrid that demands immediate elections, support for Ceuta, and to bring Sánchez before Justice for treason, Demócrata, 25 September 2026 * EU capitals eye changes to migration pact, Euractiv, 25 September 2026 * Malaga city council debates whether Ceuta incident is product of invasion or humanitarian crisis, SUR in English, 25 September 2026 * Thousands of migrants charge through Ceuta, The Telegraph, 18 September 2026 * Shots ring out in Ceuta as thousands of illegal migrants charge through enclave, GB News, 19 September 2026 * Weber warns Morocco of “obvious consequences” over Ceuta border crisis, Euronews, 22 September 2026 * Thousands of migrants return to beaches in Ceuta after new port facility runs out of space, Euronews, 19 September 2026 * Brussels releases emergency funds for Ceuta invaders as the city remains occupied, Brussels Signal, 10 September 2026 * Police fire shots in the air as thousands of migrants moved to new facility in Ceuta, Euronews, 18 Septmeber 2026 * Terrified Spanish woman breaks down over ongoing Moroccan invasion crisis in Ceuta, News24, 11 August 2026 * Thousands of protesters march in Madrid after Ceuta migration crisis, Sky News, 26 September 2026 The 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

  4. Sep 20

    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 b******t. Punching Upwards, Episode 54 for 20 September 2026 Topics: Technology / Artificial Intelligence 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 2026 The 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

  5. Sep 13

    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 2026 Topics: Politics / Trumpism 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 2026 * Germany’s Merz warns efforts to ban AfD would not “solve problem”, DPA, 9 September 2026 The 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

  6. Sep 6

    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 2026 Topics: Aviation 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 2026 The 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

  7. Aug 30

    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 2026 Topics: Politics, War in Ukraine 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 Denmark Sources * 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 for a nuclear first strike in Dr. Strangelove The 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

  8. Aug 23

    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 2026 Topics: Politics, Economics 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks 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 2026 The 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

See All (57)

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Fabian A. Scherschel
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Fabian A. Scherschel
  • Show Website
    Punching Upwards