Background Briefing (5am)
5:00 AM PACIFIC TIME: TUESDAYS - FRIDAYS
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – August 3, 2023
Trump’s Latest Indictment is not a First Amendment Issue About His Words. It’s About His Deeds We begin with political response to the latest four count federal indictment of Trump for the January 6 insurrection and election interference which Republicans and their Fox News echo chamber are spinning as a First Amendment issue of free … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – August 2, 2023
The GOP’s Long Quest For an Imperial Presidency. Now They’re About To Crown Trump King Donald the First We begin with the GOP’s long quest for an imperial presidency starting with Nixon but now accelerating with frightening plans developed by Trump’s inner circle and the Heritage Foundation that envision an even more powerful imperial presidency … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – August 1, 2023
The Ukrainian Peace Plan to be Discussed by 30 Nations in Saudi Arabia on August 5 We begin with the peace plan put forth by Ukraine that will be discussed by representatives of 30 countries on August 5 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the Saudis acting as the brokers for a peace deal between Russia … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 31, 2023
More Indictments of Trump That Pro-Trump Jurors in Florida Could Agree Are Crimes We begin with the superseding indictments of Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago documents case with 3 new charges bringing the total to 40 counts. We discuss how the new charges could be easily understood by jurors, in particular pro-Trump jurors in Florida, … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 28, 2023
We begin with an article written in 2018 “Autocratic Legalism” which has been translated into a book in Hebrew and has become a must-read in Israel to explain the movement by Netanyahu and the Israeli right from democracy to autocracy. Joining us is the author of the article Kim Lane Scheppele, a Professor of Sociology and … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 27, 2023
We begin with Hunter Biden’s plea agreement falling apart, Rudy Guiliani conceding he made defamatory charges against election workers in Georgia, General Flynn and Peter Navarro calling for civil war while blaming it on Democrats and the expectation that a third indictment against Trump for January 6 could come as early as tomorrow, Thursday. Joining … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 26, 2023
We begin with the deepening divisions in Israeli society as demonstrations over the future of Israeli democracy and against Netanyahu’s power grab mount with the country’s national security itself on the line as military reservists and IDF pilots threaten mutiny while Netanyahu’s right wing religious nationalist government panders to the ultra orthodox who do not … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 25, 2023
We begin with massive demonstrations in Israel over the weekend and today against the Netanyahu power grab in which the country’s leader, facing the prospect of going to jail, has changed the law to protect himself and other cronies who have been convicted by passing a law 64 to 0 since the opposition had left … Continued
Background Briefing with Ian Masters – July 24, 2023
We begin with the unavoidable observation that Donald Trump appears to have the Republican presidential nomination wrapped up and that the growing number of indictments and criminal trials he will be facing only seem to strengthen the MAGA movement and boost his chances to be elected the next president of the United States. Joining us … Continued