This Wednesday, President Obama will address the American public about a new offensive against the Islamic State, which has seized much of Iraq and Syria. Success may depend on alliances between strange bedfellows. In Iraq, bitter enemies—Shite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabi—share common goals. So do the US and Iran. In Syria, the only credible force against the Islamic State may be the despised regime of Bashar al-Assad. We'll hear what that could mean for diplomacy, ideology and military reality in the Middle East.
Also, the US vows to fight Ebola in Africa, and we discuss immigration reform and political timing.
Banner Image: President Barack Obama meets with advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 4, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)