Where does the US stand on the international stage now, when it comes to current conflicts as in Ukraine, and potential conflicts, as with China's and Taiwan? On today's show, Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), shares his analysis of why it's a good thing that tensions between the U.S. and China are apparently thawing somewhat, plus the latest news on Russia's war in Ukraine.