With Your Shield or On It

This week Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by the peerless Mira Rapp-Hooper. Taking a break from stalking her perfect oat milk, Mira walks the ladies through alliances and shifting demands with Japan and Korea. The ladies do a whirlwind review of Hong Kong, Bolivia, auto tariffs, and pardons. After 5 words (plus margin of error) on impeachment stories of note, Erin and Radha (yup Radha) discuss the new Star Wars series where to Loren's dismay Radha declares her love of Star Wars puppets (especially those teddy bears).   Links Mira Rapp-Hooper, Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America's Alliances, (Harvard University Press, 2020) Asia Simon Denyer and Min Joo Kim, "In South Korea, Military Cost Dispute and Trump's Moves in Syria Fuel Doubts Over US Commitment," Washington Post, November 4, 2019 Phil Stewart and Joyce Lee, "Pentagon's Esper Says it is Crucial South Korea Pays More for US Troops," Reuters, November 15, 209=19 Maggie Shum, "Hong Kong's District Council Elections Take Place on Nov. 24 Or Not," Washington Post, November 14, 2019 Anna Kam, Casey Quackenbush, and Ryan Ho Kilpatrick, "Day of Rage Plunges Hong Kong Into Turmoil After Police Shoot Protester," Washington Post, November 11, 2019 Bolivia  "Bolivia Crisis: What's Next After Evo Morales' Resignation?" BBC, November 13, 2019 Natasha Bennett, "Bolivian Protesters Unseated a President. So Why Are They Still in the Streets?" Washington Post, November 15, 2019 Santiago Anria and Jennifer Cyr, "Is Bolivia's Democracy in Danger? Here's What's Behind the Disputed Presidential Election," Washington Post, October 30, 2019 Trade Ben White and Doug Palmer, "Trump Expected to Delay Auto Tariff Decision for 6 More Months," Politico, November 11, 2019 David Shepardson, "Automakers Around World Await Trump Tariff Decision," Reuters, November 15, 2019 Camila Domonoske and Avie Schneider, "Trump Delays Auto Tariffs for 6 Months," NPR, May 17, 2019 Reuters, "Trump Expected to Delay European Auto Tariff Decision: EU Officials," New York Times, November 11, 2019 Pardons Dave Philipps, "Trump's Pardons for Servicemen Raise Fears That Law of War Are History," New York Times, November 16, 2019