Background Briefing – April 17, 2025
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Upcoming Episode
Background Briefing
3:00 PM PACIFIC TIME: MONDAYS - THURSDAYS
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Edward McCaffery / Nancy Altman / Craig Unger
Trump Appoints Another Unqualified Hack, as the Deliberate Destruction of the IRS Continues
The Deliberate Destruction of Social Security, With Biden the Wrong Person to Lead the Effort to Save It
An Assessment of Rumors about Witkoff’s Ties To Russian Money-launderers
Ryan Enos / Aram Shabanian / Nader Hashemi
Harvard Stands up to Trump; Then He Hits Them For $2.2 Billion and Threatens Their Tax-exempt Status
Trump’s Escalating War on the Press, as he Threatens CBS Over an Accurate 60 Minutes Report on Ukraine
A Professor Who Just visited His Postdoctoral Student in an ICE Detention Camp
Stephen Walt / Manuel Pastor / Chris Whipple
How to Ruin a Country
From a Nation of Immigrants to a Nation of Hate, Xenophobia, Exclusion, and Cruelty
An Inside Look Into the Fateful Campaign That Brought Back Trump to Finish Off America
Joseph Stiglitz / Barry Eichengreen / Christopher Meissner
Trump’s MAGA Economy Driven by Greed, Stupidity, and Cowardice
Will Trump’s Weakening of the Dollar Lead to a New Global Reserve Currency?
The Hollow Nature of Trump’s Promise of Gain After the Pain
Robert Hockett / Matt Gold / Gregory Brew
Trump’s Amateurism on Display, or is He Shorting the Market for His Family and Cronies?
An Assessment of the Amount of Damage Ahead From Trump’s Trade War
Given Today’s Drop in Oil To $56 From $72 a Barrel Last Week, What Kind of a Deal Could Emerge Between the U.S. and Iran on Saturday?
Barry Naughton / Trita Parsi / Alexander Sammon
Chinese Response to 104% Tariffs and Insults From Vance
Trump Announces Talks Between Iran and the U.S. in Oman on Saturday
Trump’s DOJ Will No Longer Stop Crypto Scams, and Cyber Command Will No Longer Stop Ransomware Attacks
William Cohan / Mike Lofgren / Michael Kazin
Trump Urges Americans Not to Be “Weak or Stupid,” as the Meltdown on Wall Street Continues
Who Benefits From Trump and Musk’s Deliberate Destruction of the American Economy?
Saturday’s 1,200 “Hands Off” Demonstrations Around the World
Jeremi Suri / Sarang Shidore / Jonathan Cohn
The Growing Grassroots Revolt Against the Slash and Burn of the American Government, Our Institutions, and Our Democracy by Trump and Musk
Trump’s Broadside of Tariffs, Amid a Blizzard of Lies From the Rose Garden
After Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr. Have Purged Scientists, Researchers, Innovators, and Experts, Who Will Make America Great Again?
Richard Parker / Jonathan Guyer / Simon Billenness
Hope on the Horizon for Democrats
Trump’s Erratic Middle East Policy, as He Threatens to Bomb Iran While Israel Annexes Gaza
Will the Earthquake in Myanmar Spell the End of the Military Junta?
Michael Martin / Matthew Klein / Michael John Williams
Thanks to Musk, the U.S. is Not Helping the Victims of the Earthquake in Myanmar Because There Are Only 15 Employees Left at USAID
Who Will be Freed on Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tomorrow, When We’ll All Be Paying More?
More Nuclear Proliferation, as Europeans Plan to Develop Their Own Nuclear Deterrent and Tactical Battlefield Nukes