Background Briefing: October 9, 2023

The Intensifying War Between Israel and Hamas

We begin with the intensifying war between Israel and Hamas as Israel cuts off fuel, water and food supplies to the Gaza Strip and assess the possibility of another front opening in the north as clashes with Hezbollah escalate. Joining us is Asher Kaufman, Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and a professor of History and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to that, he taught at Hebrew University, Jerusalem and was a research fellow at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace where he headed its Middle East Unit. His latest book is Contested Frontiers: Cartography, Sovereignty, and Conflict at the Syria, Lebanon, Israel Tri-Border Region.

 

The Election of a New House Speaker and Jim Jordan as a Leading Insurrectionist

Then, with the House reconvening on Tuesday to elect another speaker, we speak with a former Republican congressman who later worked on the January 6 investigation. Joining us is Denver Riggleman, who supported advanced intelligence analysis and technical development programs during his over two decades as an intelligence officer, NSA adviser, federal contractor, research and development technology lead, and CEO of support companies for the Department of Defense. A veteran of the Global War on Terror and multiple worldwide operations, he served in the US Air Force for nine active-duty years and is a former Republican member of the House of Representatives representing Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, and the former senior technical advisor for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He is the co-author of The Breach: The Untold Story of the Investigation into January 6th.

 

Democrats Should Get Behind Joe Biden and It’s the Democratic Party That’s Ailing, Not Him

Then finally we speak with Richard Parker, who teaches economics and public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and is a Senior Fellow at the Shorenstein Center. He is a former managing editor of Ramparts, was a cofounder of Mother Jones magazine, and serves on the editorial board of The Nation. His books include, The Myth of the Middle Class and John Kenneth Galbraith: His Life, His Politics, His Economics and we discuss an article at The New York Times by David Brooks which argues the Democrats should get behind Joe Biden and that it’s the Democratic Party as a whole that is ailing.