Background Briefing – May 21, 2026
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Featured Episode
Special Fund Drive Programming
77 Years of independent, radical radio only exists because of listener support. Give now and keep KPFA alive! 1800-439-5732 | www.kpfa.org
fundraising special: the Xi–Trump summit, the dark doings of Opus Dei
Jake Werner analyzes the Trump–Xi summit and US–China relations generally • Gareth Gore, author of Opus, talks about Opus Dei, a secretive, cult-like Catholic organization involved in right-wing politics around the world (and very much in the US)
Special Fund Drive Programming
77 Years of independent, radical radio only exists because of listener support. Give now and keep KPFA alive! 1800-439-5732 | www.kpfa.org
The Stakes – May 21, 2026
On today’s show, we’ll do a California statewide ballot rundown with voter specialist and political analyst Paul Mitchell from Political Data Inc. Later we’ll hear from Tom Moore from the Center for American Progress. Moore is the legal strategist behind Hawaii and Montana’s Citizens United legislation. The Stakes breaks down the 2026 political landscape. … Continued
Democracy Now! (Rebroadcast) – May 21, 2026
Headlines “Clear Racism”: Trump Admin Blocks Refugee Resettlement, Except for White South Africans Rising Conflict in DRC, Sudan, Other African Countries Linked to Trump’s Gutting of USAID: Study “They’re Trying to Silence Us”: Students, Faculty on Censoring Pro-Palestine Voices at Graduations Democracy Now! is a daily national independent award-winning news program, hosted by journalists … Continued
On today’s show, we explore the history of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, one of the most important working-class movements in U.S. history. A history and an example on how workers learned to disrupt the chains of white supremacy and imperialist capitalism. Guests: Walda Katz-Fishman is a scholar activist and professor of sociology at Howard … Continued
Peter Beinart on Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza
00:08 Peter Beinart, editor at large of Jewish Currents, proprietor of the Beinart Notebook newsletter, and author most recently of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: a reckoning, which recently won the PEN America literary award for nonfiction.
Democracy Now! – May 21, 2026
Headlines “Clear Racism”: Trump Admin Blocks Refugee Resettlement, Except for White South Africans Rising Conflict in DRC, Sudan, Other African Countries Linked to Trump’s Gutting of USAID: Study “They’re Trying to Silence Us”: Students, Faculty on Censoring Pro-Palestine Voices at Graduations Democracy Now! is a daily national independent award-winning news program, hosted by journalists … Continued