Background Briefing – October 14, 2025
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Background Briefing
3:00 PM PACIFIC TIME: MONDAYS - THURSDAYS
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Today’s program explores Trump’s failed bid for the Nobel Peace Prize as it goes instead to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado, Peter Thiel’s dark political ambitions for a post-Trump America, and Thom Hartmann’s warning that the U.S. stands on the brink of authoritarianism.
And the Nobel Peace Prize Goes to…Maria Corina Machado Not Donald J. Trump We begin with the Nobel Peace Prize which Trump lobbied for and expected to get instead going to Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the opposition in Venezuela who should be the nation’s leader since she overwhelmingly won the last election but … Continued
Background Briefing – October 9, 2025
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
Background Briefing – October 8, 2025
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
On the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, we examine how $21.7 billion in U.S. military aid has fueled Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, how a federal judge pushed back against Trump’s militarized overreach in Portland, and why author Cory Doctorow says the digital world has gone to s**t—and what we can do about it.
On the Second Anniversary of the October 7 Massacre: The Role of $21.7 Billion in U.S. Military Aid We begin with the anniversary of the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas against mostly civilians two years ago and assess the role of the U.S. in enabling so much death and destruction that has followed, given … Continued
We assess growing alarm over Trump’s mental state with psychiatrist Dr. Allen Frances, unpack Trump’s contradictory soybean bailouts with political scientist Maria Victoria Murillo, and examine America’s staggering wealth inequality with Chuck Collins, who reveals that 905 billionaires now own more than 66 million U.S. households combined.
Is Trump Crazier Than Ever Or Has He Always Been Crazy? We begin with increasing alarm at Trump’s mental state and now Governor Pritzker of Illinois is calling for the Vice President to invoke the 25th Amendment which would require the cabinet to agree that the president is not mentally fit to continue in office, … Continued
We examine Trump and Stephen Miller’s escalating crusade against Democrats they brand as “communists” and “terrorists,” with Elizabeth Goitein on the constitutional dangers of Trump’s threats to occupy blue cities, and Lisa Graves on how Chief Justice John Roberts, backed by billionaire interests, has quietly dismantled decades of civil and voting rights under the guise of judicial neutrality.
Trump and Miller Broaden Their War on Democrats They Label as Communists and Terrorists We begin with an increasingly unhinged president and his dark-whisperer the shadow president Stephen Miller broadening their war on Democrats they label as communists and terrorists as Trump moves to use the government shutdown to make cuts in what he calls … Continued
Background Briefing – October 1, 2025
Background Briefing offers an educational approach to providing information in an era of “fake news.”
How Trump Turns Crisis Into Power: The Shutdown, the Military, and the War on Truth
As a potential government shutdown looms, economist Robert Kuttner joins the program to unpack how Donald Trump is exploiting the crisis—using racist deepfakes and disinformation to shift blame and consolidate power. Later, historian Stuart Schrader discusses Trump’s alarming rhetoric to military leaders and the rise of “enemy within” narratives, while climate scientist Michael Mann exposes … Continued
Trump’s DoJ Goons, a Gaza Flotilla Under Fire, and the Elusive Pursuit of Peace
With former defense lawyers turned consiglieres running Trump’s Justice Department, the rule of law gives way to retribution as prosecutors target his perceived enemies. We then hear from an activist aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla attacked by Israeli drones, before turning to veteran peace negotiator Robert Malley for insight into the collapse of diplomacy and the … Continued