Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org.

We will begin with Putin telling Trump to cut aid to Ukraine, then Trump telling Marjorie Taylor

Green to cut the aid, then Marjorie Taylor Green telling Speaker McCarthy to cut Ukraine aid out

of the bill the Democrats helped pass to prevent a government shutdown.

Joining us to discuss why cutting aid to Ukraine is the top priority for Trump

and a handful of Republicans in Congress,

so much so that they were shut down the government,

is Scott Horton, a professor at Columbia Law School,

and a contributing editor at Harpers in Legal Affairs and National Security.

He serves on the American branch of the International Law Association

and has represented a variety of journalists and whistleblowers. Then we'll examine the urgency to

replace Diane Feinstein in the United States Senate and how California's Governor Newsom has had to

backtrack and speak with Sasha Abramsky, who writes regularly for the nation.

He is the author of several books, including Inside Obama's Brain,

Breadline USA, American Furies, the American Way of Poverty,

and most recently Little Wonder, the fabulous story of Lottie Dodd,

the world's first female sports superstar.

We will discuss his latest article at the nation,

Diane Feinstein's empty seat. Then finally, we will speak with Astra Taylor, a documentary filmmaker,

writer and political organizer. She is the director of what is democracy and the author of

Remake the World. Essays, reflections, rebellions, democracy may not exist,

but we will miss it when it's gone, and the American Book Award winner, The People's Platform,

...