Despite his best efforts threatening the lives of Congressional colleagues and their families, Jim Jordan didn’t get to become Speaker of the House. Instead, his longtime protege and a major architect behind the Big Lie, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, is now third in line to the White House. Johnson answers to Jordan who answers to Trump. This essentially makes Trump third in line to the White House. Welcome to Trump’s latest coup.   In this week’s Q&A bonus episode, questions submitted by listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher are focused on the Israel-Hamas War. Many questioned the timing of Hamas’s sophisticated and well-planned terrorist attack. Why now? What role did Russia play? How does Matt Gaetz’s successful bid (so far) to stop Ukraine aid factor in?   Given that we have so much grief and anger to process these days, more than usual, look out for a deep dive podcast in November on the importance of making art and how to take steps to begin your life as an artist. Art therapy has proven invaluable for veterans grappling with PTSD and has never been more important as we process our collective grief. This special podcast will be in a workshop-style and will help those seeking guidance on nurturing their creative side. We all have one. And it’s needed now more than ever.   For the works cited in this week's bonus episode, look to the show notes below to find the relevant links and other resources.   To answer a request from a listener here on Patreon, below is a list of journalists and analysts covering the crisis as well as a list of book recommendations. Remain mindful that we’re in a time of rampant disinformation, fog of war, all compacted by trauma and our collective trauma of watching a brutal war break out. Consider reading widely to understand different perspectives, even those that may not align with your own.

• Mairav Zonszein, Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group https://www.crisisgroup.org // https://twitter.com/MairavZ
• Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza https://www.instagram.com/hindkhoudary/
• Amira Hass, Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories https://twitter.com/Hass_Haaretz
• Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian foreign policy analyst and visiting professor, The University of Miami https://twitter.com/rulajebreal
• Noga Tarnopolsky, Jerusalem based reporter who appears frequently on MSNBC https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky
• Hend Amry, Libyan-American writer based in Qatar https://mastodon.social/@LibyaLiberty // https://www.instagram.com/libyaliberty/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D // https://twitter.com/LibyaLiberty
• Here’s a list of book recommendations from The Economist https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/18/the-israel-palestine-conflict-a-reading-list

Show Notes: Opening Clip: https://twitter.com/HouseJudiciary/status/1717183190463336780?t=xMiSEhKoLuq6KCC4AxtcWQ&s=19   Critics Say Matt Gaetz's Nickname For New House Speaker Is Alarmingly On Point https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-gaetz-mike-johnson-nickname_n_653a32c5e4b011a9cf7c9dd3   The WWII Strategy Biden Can Use to Bypass Republicans on Ukraine https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/01/20/biden-ukraine-lend-lease-roosevelt-00077481   Drone attacks on American bases injured two dozen U.S. military personnel https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/drone-attacks-american-bases-injured-two-dozen-us-military-personnel-rcna121961   ‘Netanyahu Got All the Warnings,’ Says Former Head of Israeli Military Intelligence https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/24/amos-yaldin-israeli-military-intelligence-netanyahu-qa-00123099#:~:text=And%20Netanyahu%20got%20all%20the,is%20risking%20and%20weakening%20every   Ukrainian Jewish Enconter https://ukrainianjewishencounter.org/en/   The Long and Uncertain Journey of the Babyn Yar Memorial https://mjhnyc.org/blog/the-long-and-uncertain-journey-of-the-babyn-yar-memorial/   Theodor Herzl, a Life From Journalism to Zionism https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/movies/it-is-no-dream-documentary-on-theodor-herzl.html   Hamas operatives used phone lines installed in tunnels under Gaza to plan Israel attack over 2 years, sources familiar with intelligence say https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/politics/intelligence-hamas-israel-attack-tunnels-phone-lines/index.html   The history and fighting between Israel and Syria, explained https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/11/syria-israel-attacks-war-hezbollah/   Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service https://bookshop.org/p/books/zero-fail-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-secret-service-carol-leonnig/16898149?ean=9780399589034   Mairav Zonszein, Senior Israel-Palestine Analyst with Crisis Group: “18 days into this war, Israel has been bombing Gaza from the air relentlessly, and it’s unclear what, if any, gains it has made in its objective to dismantle Hamas (or return the hostages). There is scarce if any evidence that it is exacting meaningful losses on the group.” https://twitter.com/MairavZ/status/1716871137651798373   Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour https://bookshop.org/p/books/bible-and-sword-england-and-palestine-from-the-bronze-age-to-balfour-barbara-w-tuchman/7469883?ean=9780345314277   Interview with Vladislav Davidzon on meeting Ukraine’s first Jewish president and Ukraine’s work to confront its dark chapters of antisemitism https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2019/5/22/dirty-dirty-giuliani