Background Briefing: July 11, 2022

 

Western Europe Braces For Putin’s Permanent Cutoff of Russian Gas

We begin with the German Economic Minister and the French Finance Minister both warning that the Russian shutoff of gas to Western Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline for maintenance is likely to be permanent and that the impact will be felt in the coming winter months prompting a recession in Germany and Italy which are expected to be the hardest hit. Joining us from the UK is Jonathan Stern, the founder of the Natural Gas Program at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies where he is also a distinguished research fellow. He is Honorary Professor at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Mineral Law & Policy, University of Dundee; Visiting Professor at Imperial College’s Centre for Environmental Policy in London; and is the author of several books, the most recent of which is The Pricing of Internationally Traded Gas. With Putin making more and more money from oil and gas sales as energy prices have soared since his war against Ukraine, the question arises will Germany and other European countries continue a moral stance against Russian aggression or will they bend to Putin’s blackmail in order to avert a deep recession?

 

The Political Left is More Focused on Biden’s Shortcomings Than a Looming Fascist Takeover

Then, as the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection is about to explore Trump’s connections with the militia groups who saw him as their leader of a fascist coup attempt, we examine to the upcoming putsch by Trump and the election deniers dominating the GOP he controls and the extent that the political left in this country is more focused the shortcomings of their leaders than they are alarmed and activated by the looming fascist takeover of the country. Joining us is Ryan Cooper, Managing Editor at The American Prospect and the Cohost of the Left Anchor podcast as well as the author of, How are You Going to Pay for That? Smart Answers to the Dumbest Question in Politics. He joins us to discuss his article at ryanlcooper.com,Will No One Defend the American Republic?”

 

An Assessment of the Upcoming Hearing on Trump’s Connections to the Militias

Then finally we get an assessment of the upcoming hearing at which the former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers militia will testify and speak with Brian Levin, a Criminologist, civil rights attorney, professor of criminal justice and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. He specializes in analysis of hate crime, terrorism and legal issues and previously served as Associate Director-Legal Affairs of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Klanwatch/Militia Task Force in Montgomery, Alabama; and he has testified before Congresses Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.