Hello and welcome to background briefing, available 24-7 at background briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We begin with blowback from the U.S. retaliation against the IAGC and Kud's forces, as well as

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, from the strikes on 85 targets at seven sites.

With popular anger against the U.S. in Iraq inflamed, we will assess whether the pro-Iranian

government in Baghdad will be forced to kick out the 2,000 US personnel in the country

who could become hostages if the bombing continues as the President and the Pentagon have promised.

Joining us is Joshua Landis, who is the Director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma,

and a fellow at the Quincy Institute.

He writes Syria Comment, a daily newsletter and blog on Syrian politics.

Then we'll look into conflicting reports coming out of Ukraine,

claiming President Zelensky is about to fire the head of his military general Zaluzni,

who on Thursday offered up a new strategy to defeat the Russian invaders.

Joining us is Taras Kuzio, a professor in the Department of Political Science at the National

University of Kiev-Mohila Academy, and Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society.

He's the author and editor of 21 books, including Putin's War Against Ukraine, Revolution, Nationalism and Crime,

and most recently Russia's nationalism and the Russian-Ukrainian War.

Then finally we'll examine how the Supreme Court, in a 2020 ruling,

might have opened up a way for Donald Trump and Republican State legislatures to steal the 2024 election by naming their own electors in the electoral college vote.

Joining us is Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, host of the podcast Another Way, founder of

Equalcitizens.us, and co-founder of Creative Commons. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on

the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court

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