Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Patrick Cockburn, a longtime Middle East correspondent well-known for his coverage of Iraq and Syria. He is the author of The Age of Jihad: Islamic State and the Great War for the Middle East. Cockburn discusses the destruction of Mosul, the rise of Sunni fundamentalism, the role of Turkey in Iraq and Syria, and President Donald Trump and his potential plans for aggression toward Iran. During the discussion, Gosztola discusses a trip to New Zealand, and later, Gosztola and Khalek talk about Trump's proposed budget and the GOP's healthcare plan. If you would like to support the show and help keep us going strong, please become a subscriber on .