PROFILE
FROM Mark Dubowitz
After the Iran Nuclear Deal: Does Trump have a Plan B President Trump made good on a campaign promise. The U.S. is out of the “horrible” “one-sided” Iran nuclear deal. Can it stop Iran from restoring its nuclear program? Make diplomatic peace with allies in Europe? Convince North Korea the U.S. can be trusted?
Trump, Tillerson and a fragile state of affairs There's no doubt that the President and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have their differences on more than just foreign policy. The President publicly rebuked the Secretary for saying he's "talking" to North Korea. Tillerson has not denied he once called Trump a "moron." In the meantime, high-level jobs at the State Department have not been filled, and professional diplomats are reportedly leaving in droves. All this, as major decisions have to be made. Next week, the President faces a deadline on the Iran nuclear deal. What's in store for US foreign policy without their expertise? Are lobbyists who profit from their connections now more important than ever before?
What's Next for Iran's Nuclear Program? Talks in Switzerland between Iran, the US and five other countries may go beyond tonight's midnight hour. Familiar sticking points include centrifuges, nuclear stockpiles, surprise inspections and the schedule for lifting economic sanctions. The elephants in the room are still Iran's Supreme Leader and the American Congress — dominated by Republicans under pressure from Israel. If tonight's "interim" deadline can't be met, how certain is the "final" deadline at the end of June?
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Bonus Episode: The wind-up before the punch Josh Barro and Ken White couldn’t wait to debrief on the Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen sentencing memos before the documents become old news. So, voila! Bonus episode.
It’s a wonderful state California’s story needs a rewrite, and Zocalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews knows just the man for the job.
One Year Later: Rebuilding from the Thomas Fire This week marks one year since the Thomas Fire descended on the city of Ventura. It burned more than 500 homes within city limits. Since then, roughly half of those properties have received the green-light to start construction, but only a handful have actually broken ground. We visit one neighborhood where some of the first homes are getting rebuilt.