# Badlands Daily: 7/23/26 - Ghost's Farewell, Jack Smith's Criminal Referral & Saudi Nuclear Deal

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661/badlands-daily-7-23-26-ghost-s-farewell-jack-smith-s-criminal-referral-saudi-nuclear-deal
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661/badlands-daily-7-23-26-ghost-s-farewell-jack-smith-s-criminal-referral-saudi-nuclear-deal.md
Podcast: [Badlands Media](https://stenobird.com/podcast/badlands-media-6674661)
Published: 2026-07-23T16:43:53+00:00
Episode link: https://badlandsmedia.podbean.com/e/badlands-daily-72326-ghosts-farewell-jack-smiths-criminal-referral-saudi-nuclear-deal/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/9c7ibvbd5ff3rzas/Badlands_Daily_July_23aiybd.mp3
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Duration seconds: 7500

## Resource

CannCon kicks off with some bittersweet news as Ghost announces he is heading back to a full time day job, meaning fewer daily appearances but not a full goodbye. From there they dig into Jack Smith getting hit with a criminal referral over testimony to Congress, plus a very telling comment from President Trump about China that raises more questions than it answers. The back half is a Ghost geopolitics special covering the newly signed nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia, a peek at the mysterious Cuban heir apparent known only as the Crab, and a wild Iraq to Syria pipeline deal designed to bypass a key chokepoint entirely. They also touch on New York's mayor threatening to arrest a foreign leader on arrival and what that says about the bigger chessboard in play. Expect plenty of banter, some genuine sentimentality, and a healthy dose of speculation.

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## Transcript

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