Esteban Carrillo, a Beirut-based Ecuadorian journalist and head of news for The Cradle, joins Misfits hosts Michelle Witte and Ben Zinevich to discuss who exactly Iran was targeting in its recent strikes in Iraq, the effects of US and UK strikes on the Houthis in the Red Sea, why Israel’s backers haven’t tried promoting peace instead of military escalation, and the response of global shipping entities to the Yemeni blockade.
Eugene Craig, Republican strategist, former vice-chair of the Maryland Republican Party and grassroots activist, discusses the results of the Iowa caucus, whether there was good news for anyone but former President Donald Trump in Iowa, how some possible general election matchups would play out, and what criteria a new generation of Republican leaders need to fulfill.
Author and editor for the Border Chronicle Todd Miller discusses the standoff between Texas state and local authorities and Federal Border Patrol agents as the latter was prevented from patrolling the border from the former, how clashes between Texas state and federal authorities have occurred prior to this event, how this conflict could expand to other states, and whether this can even be resolved in an election year as both parties attempt to use border policy to their own political ends.
Scholar, educator and journalist focusing on the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific KJ Noh discusses the results of the Taiwanese presidential elections this week, how Huawei's moves in Washington indicate further decoupling from the US by China, how Foreign Policy writers are pretending they haven’t been dreaming of and instigating hot war between the US and China for years, how Beltway media seems to think Donald Trump is the only politician that has ever lied to or about the press, and the White House trying to emphasize its concern for loss of life in Gaza while continually providing the weapons that contribute to the loss.
International affairs a security analyst Mark Sleboda discusses the death of writer Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine and the Biden administration’s blase response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appearance at the Davos World Economic Forum conference, and why it is that US officials can’t convert global south nations to Washington and Kiev’s cause.
The Misfits also discuss the canceled walkout by federal employees over the Biden administration’s support for Israel, the inauguration of Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, and a man lighting people on fire in Washington DC.