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'll begin with reports coming from the front lines in Ukraine that a lot of the big ticket

items the US supplied like Abrams, tanks, Himars and F-16s are either not working, jammed by the Russians

or are unsuitable. Joining us to assess the military situation as a 61 billion in aid from the US begins to arrive in Ukraine

is Stephen Biddle, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University,

director of the international security policy concentration, and a senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

His books include military power, explaining victory and defeat in modern battle and non-state warfare,

the military methods of guerrillas, warlords and militias.

And he has a recent article at Foreign Affairs,

how Russia stopped Ukraine's momentum. A deep defense is hard to beat.

Then we'll look into the implications for a possible trade war from Biden's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors and batteries,

and speak with Zachary Carter, a Slate columnist and a

non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He's the author of The Price

of Peace, Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, and we'll discuss his latest article

at Slate. Biden's tariffs are a good idea. National security, technological

innovation, and economic development depends on them. Then finally we'll get an update on today's

election in South Africa that is likely to see the dominant post-apartheid ruling ANC lose

its parliamentary majority after 30 years in power.

Joining is Dr. Stephen Dubuie Rogers, who is the Executive Director of the Africa Faith and Justice Network.

He has a background in public policy and urban planning with a special interest in globalization and governance in Africa

and has several years of experience in higher education in Sierra Leone and South Africa.

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