Background Briefing

Bruce Fein / Bill Scher / Scott Kennedy

The Looming Constitutional Crisis, as Trump Continues to Defy the Supreme Court and Federal District Courts With “The Dog Ate My Homework” Excuses
A Little-Noticed FEC Ruling Opens the Door for the Next Frontier of Plutocracy
The Tariff War Trump has Launched Against China That He Will Surely Lose


Composer/lyricist William Finn (1951-April 7, 2025) and James Lapine discuss their show “Falsettos” and their careers in this 2019 interview. Martin Amis (1949-2023) examines the lives of concentration camp guards and families during World War II in his novel “The Zone of Interest.” Also, a review of “Here There Are Butterflies” at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre through May 11, 2025. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky (photos of William Finn and James Lapine).


Biracial, binational, queer human right activist Jason Jones began his lawsuit against Trinidad and Tobago’s British colonial ban on same-gender sex in 2017. It was struck down in 2018, but an appeals court recently overturned that ruling and reinstated the law. Jones has one more chance to appeal that decision (interviewed by David Hunt). And … Continued


Law & Disorder

Oakland Mayor and Council Election Results; State Terror Roundup; Plus Resistance in Residence Artist Shaun Blaney

We start today’s show with our recurring segment the State Terror Roundup. Then, Oakland had a special election this week. We’ll spend most of the hour speaking about the results of the three items on the ballot: A new mayor, a new District 2 City Councilmember, and Measure A. We’ll speak with Nikki Fortunato-Bas, the … Continued


UpFront

Two Years of War in Sudan; Plus, Harvard Stands up to the Trump Administration

00:08 — Abdullahi Halakhe is Senior Advocate for East and Southern Africa at Refugees International. 00:33 — Charlie Eaton is Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Merced. His latest book is Bankers in the Ivory Tower: The Troubling Rise of Financiers in US Higher Education. He is also the author of the Progressive Disclosure newsletter … Continued


Democracy Now!

Democracy Now 6am – April 17, 2025

On today’s show: Constitutional Crisis: As Trump Ignores Judges’ Orders, Will the Courts Capitulate? “Need the World to Pay Attention”: Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After 2 Years of War Trump Eyes Congo’s “Incredible Mineral Riches” as Armed Conflict Devastates Region “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”: Omar El Akkad on … Continued