Special Coupon For SCOOP listeners Use Jenna20 for 20% off of designs at Liz James Designs - an Austin-based, American-made jewelry designer. Coupon good through Wednesday February 7th for delivery before Valentine's Day!

------

What did the leader of an Iranian-backed militia tell war correspondent Hollie McKay over lunch?

Hollie joins us with her reflections on what she learned meeting the baseball-cap wearing man in a Baghdad restaurant (hint: he described one of the militia's goals as revenge on America).

Show Notes:

0:00 - 5:00: Quick reflections on Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs at the Grammys - and the new "concert trick" - venues and artists locking your phone away.

5:00: Report: The Biden Administration wants to tackle grocery story prices.

7:30: What to know about the new border deal. What stands out. What matters. Why critics have already raised their voices in opposition. What to watch for.

17:00 Hollie McKay joins us with her 4-month old Raven to discuss her unique reporting in Iraq that takes us to the rise of "Iranian-backed militia."

Terms To Know:

Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF): The umbrella group of Iranian-backed militia operating in Iraq.

Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS): An Iranian-backed militia - just one group that remains part of PMF. Hollie sits down with the leader that oversees this group.

Qassim Soleimani: Infamous Iranian military leader - Head of the notorious and elite QUDS force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Iran's military). Killed by America in a drone strike.

Hollie writes in detail on her lunch - here: https://holliesmckay.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web

Here's Hollie's website which features her books, and her new venture: The Stretch System

----
Thank you for keeping SmartHER News independent and ad-free. Join our LIVE conversations and receive a prep-sheet for the week ahead in your inbox every Monday: Get The Inside SCOOP

Always more: SmartHERNews.com

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/smarthernews/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

SF: Still Cursed, with Max Kapczynski