Background Briefing – April 2, 2026
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Featured Episode
Visitations from the Holy Ordinary
Liberating Trickster Kinship arising from Grief… Maundy Thursday – Maundy Thursday is named after the Latin word mandatum (“mandate”), referring to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper to “love one another.” Caroline welcomes Terry Tempest Williams, award winning author of over 20 books, dedicated cultural voice on behalf of … Continued
Pulitzer Prize winning non-fiction author Tracy Kidder, who died on March 24, 2026 at the age of 80, is interviewed about his book “Strength in What Remains” and his career in this interview from 2009. Spy thriller author Joseph Kanon discusses his career and his novel “Defectors” in an interview from 2017. Also: Review of “The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?” at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage through April 28, 2026. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.
Venezuela after Maduro • the forgotten radical history of Texas
Gabriel Hetland on what’s been happening in Venezuela since the kidnapping of Maduro (Intercept article here) • David Griscom, author of The Myth of Red Texas, on that state’s forgotten radical history
Danni Hoshino brings us a preview of her Transgender Day of Visibility single release, “Alright”! The veteran folk-rock musician surprised everyone — not least herself — when she came out as a transgender woman in 2022, just weeks before her planned wedding. Gender identity wasn’t the only thing that changed. She relocated, became Light Bird on stage, and began working on a soul-baring new album that’s expected out in June (interviewed by David Hunt).
Do you have a sense of purpose? What does that mean to you? And, what place does curiosity have in finding and living one’s purpose? There’s a lot of research going on around purpose. Purpose Commons is moving that research into practice — and focusing it on youth. Purpose Commons’ executive director TeRay Esquibel and … Continued
UpFront (Replay) – April 2, 2026
UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors.
Democracy Now! (Rebroadcast) – April 2, 2026
On today’s show: Headlines “This War Is Already Lost”: Spencer Ackerman & Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi on Trump’s Iran Debacle “Born in the U.S.A.”: Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban Israel’s Death-by-Hanging Law Marks Further “Dehumanization of Palestinians”: B’Tselem Democracy Now! is a daily national independent award-winning news program, hosted by journalists Amy Goodman … Continued
Reporter Nico Lang has been a recurring guest on this show as we continue to cover the dizzying and dangerous demagoguery and anti-trans legislation against trans youth. They join us today to share about some of the people they met in small town America, trans kids and their families directly impacted by the anti-trans policies enjoined by … Continued
What is Life and Media Coverage Like Inside Iran During the War? Plus, Supreme Courts Hears Arguments Over Birthright Citizenship
08:00 — Naghmeh Sohrabi is Professor of Middle East History at Brandeis University. 33:00 — Karen Musalo is Professor of International Law and Director of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at UC Law.