In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- Iraqi militants stormed the American embassy in Baghdad last week. Neil referenced the recently leaked cable communications between Iran and Iraq. Natalia referred to this Middle East Eye essay on the historical significance of attacks on American embassies and to this Guardian piece on the history of U.S. embassies.
In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:
- Natalia recommended Margaret Atwood’s new novel, The Testaments, and referred to this Atlantic review of the book.
- Neil discussed Jason Horowitz’s New York Times article, “Pope Francis Apologizes After Slapping Away a Clinging Pilgrim.”
- Niki shared Sarah Holder’s Citylab article, “What Have We Done to Lunch?”


![A lantern slideshows four overlapping illustrations of the Earth depicting its tilt at different time periods in the past, present and future. Dates represented are 13000 BC, 5544 BC, 1921 AD, 2296AD. Handwritten in blue ink at bottom left corner of plate is the text 'G53 CLW [illegible] Aug '22'.](https://i0.wp.com/publicseminar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Wragge_Earth.jpg?fit=768%2C749&ssl=1)









