Briefings

Background Briefing: November 29, 2022

On By gram

 

An Update on the Heavily-Contested Georgia Runoff For the US Senate

 We begin with the heavily-contested and expensive runoff race in Georgia a week from today that will decide if the Democrats will have a 51 to 49 majority in the US Senate. Joining us is Jeffrey Lazarus, a Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University whose research focuses on Congress members’ strategic behavior both as candidates and as legislators as well as on legislative term limits, politicians’ decisions to enter races for office, congressional conference committees, the bills members write, and pork barrel spending. With a record turnout of early voting underway, we assess the incumbent’s chances of beating one of the most ill-qualified and unprepared candidates ever for the US Senate who was hand-picked by Donald Trump.

 

The Decline and Possible Fall of Twitter as Musk Invites Right Wing Trolls, Anti-Vaxxers and White Supremacists Aboard His Platform

 Then we examine the decline and possible fall of Twitter now owned by Elon Musk who in the name of free speech, is dismantling any content moderation as he invites right-wing trolls, conspiracy-mongers, racists, white supremacists and anti-vaxxers aboard his platform under the fabricated complaint that conservative voices have been suppressed. Joining us is Michael Hiltzik, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist at Los Angeles Times. He received the Pulitzer Prize for articles exposing corruption in the entertainment industry.  Currently he writes the twice-weekly column “Golden State,” covering business and economic issues relevant to life in California. His books include The New Deal: A Modern History and Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America. We discuss his latest article at the LA Times, “Elon Musk’s engagement with the far right on Twitter is out of control.”

 

Why, Like Other Dictators, Putin Might Endure Staggering Defeats

Then finally we speak with Dr. John Mueller, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a professor emeritus of both political science and dance at The Ohio State University. His books include Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al-Qaeda, Chasing Ghosts : The Policing of Terrorism, and most recently, The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency. He joins us to discuss his article at Foreign Affairs, “Why Putin May Endure Powerful Leaders Have Often Withstood Staggering Defeats.”