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

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

We'll begin with the critical decision, President Biden and UK Prime Minister Stama are about to make

to allow NATO weapons to strike deep into Russia, which Putin, using psychological warfare,

is warning against threatening that if this step is taken,

Russia could be at war with NATO.

However, there is no guarantees that Putin is not bluffing, and we will discuss this precarious moment with George Beebe,

the Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Stakecraft.

He served in government for nearly 25 years, including as Director of Russia Analysis at the CIA

and as a White House advisor on Russia Matters for Vice President Dick Cheney.

His latest book is The Russia Trap, How Our Shadow War with Russia Could Spiral into Nuclear

Catastrophe, and we will discuss his article at Responsible Statecraft, not enough long-range missiles to make a difference for Ukraine,

but letting Kiev strike deep into Russia could lead us right into war.

Then we'll explore the reasons why Haitian refugees are in Ohio with a temporary legal status

because their country is largely unlivable due to gang violence

and decades of dysfunction, which is mostly a result of boneheaded U.S. foreign policy that

denies Haitians their democratic choices because of a fear the island nation could become another

Cuba. Joining us now is Amy Wollens, an award-winning writer whose books include the rainy season,

Haiti after DiValle, and Farewell Fred Voodoo, a letter from Haiti.

Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in general nonfiction in 2020.

She is the former Jerusalem correspondent for the New Yorker, a long time contributing

editor at the nation and teaches in the literary journalism program at the University of California

...