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This week on Rational Security, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were once again joined by Congress guru Molly Reynolds to discuss the week\u2019s big national security news, including:

• \u201cMaster of the House, Doling out the Harm, Ready with a Handshake and a Face Palm.\u201d Over the weekend, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy narrowly avoided a government shutdown. But this week it cost him his speakership, as Democrats joined a bloc of far-right Republicans to vote in favor of a motion to vacate the office. What does this say about the state of the House? And what does it mean for the Biden administration\u2019s legislative agenda moving forward?
• \u201cServing Life to 20.\u201d As the Supreme Court begins its new term under increased scrutiny for ethical lapses, several members of Congress have once again introduced legislation that would impose 18-year term limits on the Court\u2019s members. But would this proposal fix the problem? And is it constitutional?
• \u201cA Foreign Confluence Operation.\u201d Washington has been in a tizzy this week with scandalizing reports of an Iranian influence operation that purportedly sought to influence U.S. policy through several prominent scholars of Iranian descent\u2014some of whom now serve in the Biden administration or are close to beleaguered Iran Special Envoy Rob O\u2019Malley, whose security clearance is currently suspended. What should we make of this story? 

For object lessons, Alan gave a shout-out to the most recent incarnation of Dune and its soon-to-be-forthcoming sequel. Quinta urged listeners to check out the book \u201cYour Face Belongs to Us,\u201d the creepy-yet-true story of the growth of facial recognition technology and the rise of the start-up that sold it worldwide. And Scott recommended his favorite seasonal cookbook as we get into the cold weather months: Anna Thomas\u2019s \u201cLove Soup.\u201d

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