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 the Russian incursion into NATO member Poland's territory last night

with 19 drones and Poland's invocation of Article 4 of the NATO Treaty in what appears to be a

provocation by Putin to test the alliance. Joining us is Jonathan Katz, who's a fellow in governance studies

at the Brookings Institution and co-edited of the 2025 Democracy Playbook. Previously, he served

as a national security fellow for Senator Amy Klobuchar, was the Deputy Assistant Administrator in

the Europe and Eurasia Bureau at the U.S. Agency of

International Development, and prior to that served as the staff director of the Europe Subcommittee

of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary

in the International Organization Affairs Bureau at the United States Department of State.

Then with the Democratic Party establishment,

avoiding promising and popular Democratic candidates like Memdami

and Maine's Graham Platner, the Oyster Man, while backing losers,

we'll speak with Harold Myerson, one of the nation's best-known progressive columnists and editor-at-large of the American prospect.

He also writes regularly about California politics for the Los Angeles Times and other national publications.

And his latest article at the American prospect, we will discuss, is what the polls are screaming to mainstream Democrats.

Then finally, we look into Trump's claim he did not know about the Israeli strike. what the polls are screaming to mainstream Democrats.

Then finally, we look into Trump's claim he did not know about the Israeli strike on the Hamas negotiators in Qatar while the Pentagon says Qatar was warned, although its leader, Sheikh Al-Thani,

says he got the warning from the U.S. at 356, 10 minutes after the attack at 3.46.

Joining us is Juan Cole, a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan.

He's also the author of the blog Inform Comment at Waincold.com

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