A DAILY PUBLIC RADIO PROGRAM FEATURING NEWS ANALYSIS OF THE DAY'S TOP ISSUES

Background Briefing: June 3, 2026

Election Results From Yesterday's Primaries With a Focus on California We begin with yesterday's primary elections, in particular in California and get an analysis of the results from Sacramento-based reporter Sasha Abramsky, who writes the Authoritarian Watch column...

Background Briefing: May 31, 2026

Trump's Silence as Iran Holds the Cards, in Particular the Strait of Hormuz, a Prize Our Idiot Gave Them We begin with the silence about a peace deal with Iran that was supposed to happen following Trump's long meeting in the White House situation room on Friday....

Background Briefing: May 28, 2026

Trump Threatens to Blow Up Oman as Qatar and Bahrain Secretly Pay Bribes to Iran Not to Bomb Them We begin with Trump threatening to blow up Oman, a US ally and important mediator and assess how that is playing in the Gulf as intelligence sources indicate that Qatar...

Background Briefing: May 27, 2026

In Spite of the "Art of the Deal," Trump Keeps Getting Rolled in Negotiations We begin as a peace deal with Iran that increasingly looks like a sellout which will be hard for Trump to spin as a victory and recognize Trump as a negotiator who always gets rolled in...

Background Briefing: May 26, 2026

Another US Senator Assaulted by Trump and Stephen Miller's ICE and DHS Thugs We begin with another US Senator being assaulted by ICE and DHS thugs, this time New Jersey Senator Andy Kim who was pepper sprayed on Monday after visiting a detention facility with New...

Background Briefing: May 24, 2026

With Comedians Leading the Resistance, Colbert is Taken Off the Air by a President Who Can't Take a Joke We begin with how comedians are leading the resistance against Trump and the right wing oligarchic takeover of the United States as billionaires like Larry Ellison...

Background Briefing: May 21, 2026

With Trump's War Stalemated, More Sticker Shock Coming For Working Americans Being Punished at the Gas Pump  We begin with the stalemated war in the Persian Gulf that could last well past Memorial Day and punish working Americans even more as oil prices are likely to...

Background Briefing: May 20, 2026

Trump's Grip Over the GOP Tightens as His Poll Numbers Tank  We begin with Trump's grip over the Republican party tightening at a time when his poll numbers are tanking and his criminality, corruption and contempt for democracy is more brazen than ever. Joining us...

Background Briefing: May 19, 2026

A Scandal Worse Than Watergate and Iran Contra Combined Which is not Being Covered by the American Press We begin with a political scandal described as worse than Watergate and Iran Contra combined that is not being covered by the American press and speak with David...

Background Briefing: May 17, 2026

  How Xi Handled the Barbarian Who Went Home Empty-Handed Ready to Sell Out Taiwan We begin with Trump claiming he had a "successful" summit with Xi in China even though it clearly was not fruitful and as far as the main issue of Taiwan is concerned, it appears...

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