Day: August 5, 2026

Briefings

Background Briefing: August 5, 2026

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A Former Michigan Congressman Who Was Defeated by Congresswoman Stevens and AIPAC Money on Abdul El-Sayed’s Victory

We begin with Abdul El- Sayed’s victory in yesterday’s Democratic primary race for the US Senate in Michigan and speak with a former congressman from a Democratic political dynasty in Michigan who lost his seat to Congresswoman Stevens in large part due to AIPAC money which failed her in her senate bid in spite of $30 million from AIPAC and a similar amount from dark money affiliates and wealthy Republican donors. Joining us is Andy Levin, an American union organizer, human rights activist, attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative from Michigan’s 9th congressional district from 2019 to 2023. Previously, he served as deputy director and acting director of Michigan’s Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, and as Michigan’s first chief workforce officer, and in the Clinton administration, he worked in Secretary of Labor Robert Reich’s office to fend off Speaker Newt Gingrich’ efforts to weaken worker protections and served as staff attorney for the president’s Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations.

Has AIPAC’s Power As Washington’s Kingmaker Peaked?

Then we look into the extent to which AIPAC’s power has peaked as Washington’s most powerful kingmaker whose electoral clout has coerced almost every president since Harry Truman but now appears to be a victim of its own success having created a backlash amongst young Democratic voters, a third of whom identify as Democratic Socialists. Joining us is Eli Clifton, an investigative journalist who focuses on money in politics and US foreign policy. He is a cofounder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft where he serves as a senior adviser. His work has appeared in a variety of outlets including PBS/Frontline’s Tehran bureau, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and others. Also joining us is Ian Lustick, the Chair Emeritus of the Political Science Department of the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the Carter administration as the State Department’s expert on Israel-Palestine affairs and subsequently became a regular consultant with American administrations on US foreign policy and national security affairs. He is a founder and past President of the Association for Israel Studies and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. They are the co-authors of the new book, out next week, Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power.  

With Even Trump Criticizing Oil Company Profits, China is Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuel Dependence, But Not the U.S.

Then finally, with oil companies enjoying record profits as Trump blames both the Strait of Hormuz closure and the oil companies themselves, upbraiding them for the windfall he created, guest host Anna Leah is joined by a clean energy expert who says that the war with Iran is not the only reason prices are so high. Army veteran Warren Sakey recently left his position with Invenergy, North America’s largest privately-held sustainable energy developer, active in four continents. He quit after Trump policies killed a major wind project at a time of increased demand from Europe post-Ukrainian invasion and AI data centers, as well as a failure to strategize an effective transition to renewable energy, given the danger of dependence on oil and gas from the Gulf which China is dealing with but not the US.