Month: August 2024

Background Briefing: August 13, 2024

With War Between Israel and Iran Inevitable, a Strategic Analysis of How Much It Could Escalate

We begin with a strategic analysis of the likely moves by Iran and Israel with a looming war between them inevitable leaving how much it will escalate the only question. We discuss a third option which is for Iran to continue the standoff which is causing Israel great economic pain with the northern part of the country de-populated. Joining us is Nicholas Heras, Senior Director for Strategy & Innovation at the New Lines Institute who from 2016-2017, served as the tenth 1st LT Andrew J. Bacevich, Jr., USA Fellow at Center for New American Security. He has conducted an extensive study on Iran’s proxies in the Middle East for the National Defense University.

 

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s Competing Tax Proposals on Tips Aimed at Winning Nevada

Then we examine Kamala Harris’s and Donald Trump’s competing tax proposals on tips which are aimed at winning the swing state of Nevada in which workers in the hotel, casino and restaurant industries depend on tips since the Federal Labor Standards Act permits employers to pay the sub-minimum “tip credit” paltry wage of $2.13 an hour. Joining us is John Lawrence, a visiting professor at the University of California, Washington Center who worked in the House of Representatives for 38 years and served as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chief of staff for 8 years. His latest book is Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership, 2005-2010 and he blogs at Domeocracy where his latest article “A Tip to the Wise.”

 

Putin’s Long Game Counters the Current Optimism as Ukraine Takes Russian Territory

Then finally, with Ukraine taking Russian territory we assess Russia’s long game that counters the current optimism of a Ukrainian victory and speak with Anastasia Edel, a Russian-born American writer and social historian. She’s the author of Russia: Putin’s Playground: Empire, Revolution, and the New Tsar. She is currently at work on a new book, The Gone Empire, and we discuss her article at The New York Times, “Putin Has Victory in His Grasp.