The "On the Topic of Rational Security" Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by <em>Lawfare</em> senior editor and congressional expert Molly Reynolds to hash through the week's big national security news stories, including:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>“Disquiet on the Eastern Front.” While Russia has been beaten back in most of the rest of the country, its efforts to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/fierce-street-fighting-ukraines-sievierodonetsk-pivotal-battle-donbas-2022-06-07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hold secessionist eastern Ukraine</a> are proving more resilient and producing what some are calling a war of attrition. What does this tell us about what the next phase of the conflict is likely to look like? And what does it mean for U.S. policy?&nbsp;</li><li>“It's Time to Play the Music, It's Time to Light the Lights, It's Time to Meet the Suspects on Primetime Thursday Night.” At long last, the Jan. 6 committee is set to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/06/january-6-committee-hearing-schedule-how-to-watch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hold its first public hearing later this week</a>, during evening prime-time. What are we expecting from the hearings? And what should we be on the lookout for?</li><li>“An Exercise of Prosecutorial Concession.” Last week, the Justice Department opted to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/us/politics/peter-navarro-contempt-jan-6.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">move forward with the prosecution of one former Trump administration official</a> for refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee’s investigation, but declined to prosecute two other former officials who had also been referred by the committee for contempt. Why did the Justice Department take a different tack in these cases? And what does it mean for congressional investigations moving forward?</li></ul><p>For object lessons, Alan recommended both the library book and audiobook accessing app&nbsp;<a href="https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby" rel="