Background Briefing

Robert Creamer / David Hearst / Tom Collina

Another School Shooting and Can a Progressive Ticket Win the Presidency?

We begin with another school shooting in Georgia today and assess the chances that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can win this critical state, which along with Pennsylvania are essential if they are to get the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, regardless of how much Harris might win the popular vote by. We discuss how a progressive Democratic ticket can win in such a conservative country that has almost half of the voters supporting a disastrously unqualified Trump for a second chance to further wreck the country and end American democracy. Joining us is Robert Creamer, a long-time political organizer and strategist and the author of Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win. He is a partner in Democracy Partners and a Senior Strategist for Americans United for Change. His latest book is Nuts and Bolts: The Formula for Progressive Electoral Success.

Could the Arsonist Netanyahu Spark a Wider War With Jordan a Powder Keg About to Explode

Then we examine how much the Middle East is a powder keg, as the arsonist Netanyahu appears determined to prolong the war in Gaza while ramping up attacks in the West Bank that could provoke an uprising in Jordan, which has a majority Palestinian population and a weak government. Joining us is David Hearst, the editor of Middle East Eye who formerly was the chief foreign leader writer of The Guardian, its former Associate Foreign Editor, European Editor, Moscow Bureau Chief, European Correspondent, and Ireland Correspondent. We discuss his article at Middle East Eye, “Biden, Harris, and the Brutal Truth of Dead Hostages in Gaza.”

A New Nuclear Doctrine to Confront Russia, China and North Korea Simultaneously

Then finally, we look into the new top secret nuclear strategy the Biden Administration is embarking on to confront a coordinated threat from China, Russia, and North Korea simultaneously. Joining us is Tom Collina, who until recently was the Director of Policy at the Ploughshares Fund where he worked as a researcher, analyst, and advocate to end U.S. nuclear testing, rationalize anti-missile programs, extend the Nonproliferation Treaty, and secure Senate ratification of the New START Treaty. He previously served as Research Director of the Arms Control Association, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, and the Director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is the co-author with William Perry of The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump.