Background Briefing with Ian Masters

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BACKGROUND BRIEFING: A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers, and critics offering analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural, and social issues. Five days a week, Background Briefing asks knowledgeable…

Ian Masters


    • Jun 14, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 1m AVG DURATION
    • 1,795 EPISODES

    4.7 from 542 ratings Listeners of Background Briefing with Ian Masters that love the show mention: briefing, kpfk, listening to ian, domestic and international, international affairs, masters, mainstream media, best source, journalists, production values, rational, background, progressive, experts, aaron, journalism, government, programs, political, informed.


    Ivy Insights

    The Background Briefing with Ian Masters podcast is an excellent source of intelligent and informative discourse on current events. Ian Masters does a phenomenal job of presenting complex issues in a thoughtful and articulate manner. He brings on accomplished and authoritative commentators from around the world, providing a global perspective on the issues at hand. Compared to other news sources, this podcast stands out as being more comprehensive and insightful during chaotic and historic times. Even when Masters slips into "grumpy grandpa" mode, his incredulous questioning adds value to the discussion. Overall, this podcast has been highly educational and I am grateful for it.

    One of the best aspects of The Background Briefing with Ian Masters podcast is the choice of interviewees. Masters consistently brings on knowledgeable experts who provide valuable insights into various topics. The questions and remarks by Ian Masters are insightful and well-informed, creating engaging conversations with his guests. The podcast avoids mindless trends and political bias, presenting a fair and unbiased analysis of current affairs. It's impressive how much thoughtful and timely programming is produced every week, showcasing Masters' dedication to delivering high-quality content.

    While The Background Briefing with Ian Masters podcast has many strengths, there are a few potential drawbacks. Some listeners may find that the host's biased perspective leans towards what they would consider "reality." However, others may view this as a positive aspect that separates the show from mainstream media's surrender to radical talking points instead of factual analysis. Additionally, although the interviews are insightful, some individuals may prefer a more balanced range of opinions to form their own judgments.

    In conclusion, The Background Briefing with Ian Masters podcast is an exceptional source of commentary and analysis on current events. Listeners can expect intelligent discussions with well-chosen guests that provide deeper analyses and insights into pressing issues. While there may be instances where personal biases come through, overall, this podcast offers valuable information for those seeking thoughtful analysis in today's world. Ian Masters' dedication to presenting critical issues with well-informed guests makes this podcast a gem in the media landscape.



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    Latest episodes from Background Briefing with Ian Masters

    June 14, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Aslı Bâli | Aaron Regunberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2026 60:47


    Trump's 80th Birthday Present Today Is Mindless Violence Where Jackie Kennedy's Rose Garden Once Stood Instead of Iran Signing a Peace Deal | A Post-War Strategic Realignment That Will Leave the U.S. Much Worse Off | With Big Oil a Winner of This War, It's Past Time to Kick the Habit and Get Off The Oil Drug backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    June 11, 2026 - Robert Pape | Elizabeth Goitein | Moira Donegan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 61:38


    Trump Tries To Spin His Way Out of a Defeat and the End of U.S. Hegemony in the Persian Gulf | Trump Ditches Pulte to Unblock FISA So the Government Can Spy on Americans | Trump's Lies About California Vote-Rigging Set the Stage To Rig the November Elections backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    June 10, 2026 - Paul Pillar | Ira Shapiro

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 60:43


    Trump's Plan to Destroy US Intelligence and Steal the Next Election | The Common Sense Coalition's Warning of the Trump Catastrophe For Our Democracy, National Security, Economy and the Future of the Planet backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    June 9, 2026 - Ben Burgis | Mitchell Prothero | Lisa Graves

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 59:40


    In Spite of Hit Jobs From the Liberal Media, a Progressive Populist is Poised to Win in Maine | A Report From Albania on Protests Against Jared and Ivanka's Luxury Resort in a Nature Reserve | Trump Has His Roy Cohn But Will the Mafia Boss Get His Consigliere Confirmed? backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    June 8, 2026 - Hussein Banai | Ben Freeman | James Risen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 60:15


    Trump to Netanyahu: "I Call The Shots" and You Have To Accept Any Peace Deal I Make with Iran | Amid Heightened Tensions Between the US and Israel, Congress Quietly Moves to Integrate US and Israeli Militaries | Scott Pelley Tells the NYT How Bari Weiss Ordered Changes to a 60 Minutes Report to Support Trump's Lies backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    June 7, 2026 - David Hearst | Robert Kuttner | Steven Harper

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2026 59:41


    The US and Iran Exchange Fire Jeopardizing a Tenuous Ceasefire As Iran Insists on Trump Handing Over $24 Billion of Its Money Before Finalizing a Deal | Republican Senators Give Stephen Miller $70 Billion On Top Of $100 Billion Unspent to Pursue Cruelty a Majority of Taxpayers Oppose |The DoJ Under Todd Blanche is the Department of Trump Family Crime and Pedophile Protection backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    June 4, 2026 - James Zirin | Amy Fried | Michael Kimmage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 59:59


    Now That Trump Has His Roy Cohn, Will the Senate Confirm Todd Blanche to be the Nation's Attorney General? | The Impact of the Latest Scandal Swirling Around Graham Platner on the Democrat's Chances to Win Back the Senate | Having Turned Russia Into a Police State, Who is Left to Topple Putin? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    June 3, 2026 - Sasha Abramsky | Edward McCaffery | Steven Simon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 61:22


    Election Results From Yesterday's Primaries With a Focus on California | Trump's Roy Cohn Does a Bait and Switch Ending the $1.8 Billion Slush Fund While Shielding Trump and His Family From IRS Audits | Trump Publicly Displays Anger at Netanyahu While Quietly the Pentagon Takes Over Oversight of Aid to Israel

    June 2, 2026 - Thanassis Cambanis | Anne Nelson | Chris Whipple

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 61:39


    After Being Cursed Out, Netanyahu Defies Trump, Declaring "Iran's Days Are Numbered" As He Continues Bombing Lebanon | How Larry and David Ellison's Lackeys are "Murdering" CBS to Please Trump | Does Owning 5 Rundown Trailer Parks in Florida Qualify You to Head Up U.S. Intelligence? backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    June 1, 2026 - Dr. Annelle Sheline | Suchi Mathur | Nina Burleigh

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 61:00


    Iran Suspends Peace Talks With Trump as Netanyahu Pounds Lebanon | How ICE Contactors Profit From Misery as Stephen Miller's Cruelty is the Strategy | The Continuing Cover Up Of Trump's Ties to Epstein By the MAGA Toadies Blanche, Patel and Comer backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 31, 2026 - Mohsen Milani | Daniel Boguslaw | Stephen Walt

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026 64:08


    Trump's Silence as Iran Holds the Cards, in Particular the Strait of Hormuz, a Prize Our Idiot Gave Them | As Trump Monetizes His Presidency, His Administration Rewards the Tech Bros By Criminalizing Opposition to AI | Could Trump Just Admit That He Screwed Up? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 28, 2026 - Eli Clifton | Olga Lautman | Theodore Hamm

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 63:30


    Trump Threatens to Blow Up Oman as Qatar and Bahrain Secretly Pay Bribes to Iran Not to Bomb Them | Trump Sells Out NATO to Putin Just as Ukraine Turns the Battlefield Against Russia | How a Democratic Socialist Beat Machine Politics and Even Won Over Donald Trump backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 27, 2026 -David Graham | James Moore | Jeffrey Winters

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 61:56


    In Spite of the "Art of the Deal," Trump Keeps Getting Rolled in Negotiations | Paxton and the Moral Decay and Collapse of Decency and Discourse in the Trump Era | How and Why Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 26, 2026 - Katherine Hawkins | Harold Meyerson | Cory Haala

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 59:38


    Another US Senator Assaulted by Trump and Stephen Miller's ICE and DHS Thugs | The California Crackup That Could Have Republican Reality TV Gadflys Elected in the Bluest State | The Rise of Progressive Populism in the Heartland as the Con of Trump's Authoritarian Populism Sinks In backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 25, 2026 - Robert Young Pelton | Nader Hashemi | Tom Mockaitis

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 61:14


    On Memorial Day a Pentagon Run by a Racist Incompetent Whose Number Two is a Defense Contractor Entrenching the Military Industrial Complex | Trump Will Try to Spin a Defeat as a Victory Over Iran Then Maybe Invade Cuba as a Distraction | Asymmetrical Warfare Goes Back to the American Revolution As Nowadays, Cheap Defense Favors Smaller Powers, While Expensive Offense Does Not Secure Victory for Major Powers backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 24, 2026 - Jonathan Alter | Gregory Treverton | Afshin Matin-Asgari

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2026 60:55


    With Comedians Leading the Resistance, Colbert is Taken Off the Air by a President Who Can't Take a Joke | Trump's Conspiracy Theorist in Charge of US Intelligence Resigns | The Fate and Future of the Iranian Opposition backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 21, 2026 - Jeff Colgan | Ryan Cooper | Edward McCafferey

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 62:12


    With Trump's War Stalemated, More Sticker Shock Coming For Working Americans Being Punished at the Gas Pump | The Flimsy DNC Autopsy on the 2024 Loss Fails to Mention Gaza | The Trump Family Are So Good at Being Bad as the Democrats and the Press Get Distracted by the $1.8 Billion Slush Fund When the Real Scam is Barring the IRS From Investigating the Family's Monetization of the Presidency backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 20, 2026 - Rick Wilson | Bruce Fein | Bill Scher

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 61:05


    Trump's Grip Over the GOP Tightens as His Poll Numbers Tank | Trump's Capture of the DoJ Gives Him a $1.77 Slush Fund and IRS Immunity From Tax Fraud | Hondurasgate Look Worse Than Watergate and Iran-Contra Combined But the US Media Is Ignoring It backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 19, 2026 - David Adler | Jeremi Suri | Stuart Schrader

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 65:04


    A Scandal Worse Than Watergate and Iran Contra Combined Which Is Not Being Covered by the American Press | Trump Endorses a "Christian Crook" in Good News For James Talarico's Texas Senate Race | The Political Clout That Allows Police to Protect and Serve Themselves backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 18, 2026 - Orville Schell | Mike Lofgren | Adam Hanieh

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 59:09


    The Different Versions on What Trump Had To Say And What Xi Said Happened at the Trump - Xi Summit | The Darkening Embrace of Evil as Trump's Mafia-Like Control of the GOP Strengthens | The Trickle Down Impact of the Gulf Oil Cutoff on Transportation, Food Supplies, Plastics, Chips and the Global Financial System backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 17, 2026 - Kent Harrington | William LeoGrande | A.J.A. Woods

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2026 60:45


    How Xi Handled the Barbarian Who Went Home Emptyhanded Ready to Sell Out Taiwan | The US Offers $100 Million in Aid to Cubans Suffering Collective Punishment As They Run Out of Oil From a Total US Blockade | Republicans Fight Against Imaginary Problems Like Cultural Marxism Because They Have Nothing Real to Offer backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    kent aid harrington william leogrande
    May 14, 2026 - David Daley | Victor Shih | Noam Schieber

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 61:01


    The Republican Electoral Coup Underway to Offset a Wipeout in November by Gerrymandering to Hold the House and Senate Before One Vote is Cast | An Update on the Trump - Xi Summit | How a Generation of Over-Qualified Young Americans With Degrees Working in the Gig Economy Will Impact Our Politics in the Future backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 13, 2026 - Dr. Henry Abraham | Juan Cole | David Ost

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 60:42


    Growing Medical Concern About the President of the United States | The US and Israel Have Destabilized Global Oil and Gas Supplies For the Foreseeable Future | The Meaning of Fascism as Authoritarian Populism is on the Rise backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 12, 2026 - Sidney Blumenthal | Michael Swaine | Molly Crabapple

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2026 64:37


    A Sunsetting Trump's Demonstratively Declining Mental and Physical Abilities | Trump's Weak Hand as He Meets With Xi | Molly Crabapple on the Jewish Labor Bund's Struggle For a Secular, Internationalist Society Based on Socialist Ideals of Equality and Dignity backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 11, 2026 - Mark Fitzpatrick | Jacob Heilbrunn | Andrew Cockburn

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2026 60:45


    Trump Rejects Iran's Offer While Netanyahu Warns of "Reengaging Them Militarily" | In Turning Against Trump's War, a Prominent Neocon Wants a Bigger War | Andrew Cockburn on Corruption and Lies in the Age of Trump backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 10, 2026 - Ori Goldberg | Firmesk Rahim | Marc Bennetts

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2026 58:05


    As Trump Desperately Tries to Make a Deal With Iran, Will Israel Be the Spoiler? | Pressure on Trump From the Saudis and Gulf States to Make a Deal With Iran | Russia's Descent Into Madness and Murder Under Putin backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 7, 2026 - Dr. Nancy Okail | John Nichols | Quinn Slobodian

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2026 60:52


    Pressure on Trump From the Saudis to Make a Deal With Iran While Israel Warns the Deal Would be a Disaster For Them | Chief Justice Roberts' Hollow Indignation at the American People For Thinking He and His Colleagues Are "Political Actors" | From Henry Ford's Production-Consumption Capitalism To Elon Musk's Techno-Driven Dismantling of the State that Funds Him backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 8, 2026 - Nicholas Grossman | Dr. Sara Vakhshouri | Tom LoBianco

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 61:18


    More Erratic Moves From Trump as He Appears Desperate and the Iranians seem to be Holding the Cards | How Long Can Iran Ride Out the Oil Blockade and What is Behind the Saudi-UAE Split Over OPEC | Trump's Cult-Like Hold Over the GOP Just Got a Boost From Indiana backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 5, 2026 - Michael Gorham | Lisa Graves | Scott Ferson

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2026 61:17


    Are Putin's Days Numbered? | Six Right Wing Activists in Robes Killed the VRA to Make Sure Republicans Win Elections Regardless of the Majority Vote | Why the Democrats Lost Not Just the Vote, But the Voter in 2024 backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    May 4, 2026 - Michael Kimmage | Thomas Berger | Oona Hathaway

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 60:37


    Leaks From European Intel Say Putin is Increasingly Paranoid and Afraid of His Own Military | Trump Pulls Troops Out of Germany After a Spat With Chancellor Mertz | Trump's Triply Illegal War on Iran Just Got More Dangerous backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    May 3, 2026 - Hussein Banai | Charles Derber | Peter Dreier

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2026 67:11


    The Deadly, Delusional Amateurism of Trump's On and Off Talks With Iran As He Now Threatens to "Blast the Hell Out of Them" | The Rise of Left Wing Populism After a Devastating Era of Right Wing Populism Perpetrated By a Criminal Fraudster in the Service of a Greedy Oligarchy | May Day 2026 and What Kind of Nation Will We Be? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 30, 2026 - Karen Greenberg | Tamar Jacoby | Thomas Mockaitis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2026 59:00


    Trump's Briefing Today on How to Get Out From Under His Maniacal Misadventure in the Middle East | A Report From Kyiv on Trump Checking in With the Boss Yesterday in His Hour and Half Phone Call With Putin | Hegseth's Testimony Today Before the Senate Armed Services Committee backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 29, 2026 - Harry Litman | Michael McDonald | Thomas Nichols

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2026 62:49


    A Craven Creep Auditioning For a Mob Boss Who Wants a Consigliere Not an Attorney General | The Fulfillment of John Roberts Long Crusade To Give Republicans An Advantage By Undoing Voting Rights For Minorities | While Insulting House Democrats and Republicans, Hegseth Asks For an Extra $1.5 Trillion backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 26, 2026 - Bill Scher | Peter Loge | Toby Miller

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2026 60:43


    Political Assassins More Often End up Achieving the Opposite of What Their Manifestos Proclaim | Trump's Tactic of Attacking the Messenger in Order to Avoid the Message | King Charles' Repair Job For Anglo/American Relations at the White House and Congress Today backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 27, 2026 - Ken Klippenstein | Charles Kupchan | Juan David Rojas

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2026 62:21


    After Trump Assassinated Leaders Abroad, an American Citizen Struck Back Saying He Is "No Longer Willing to Permit a Pedophile, Rapist, and Traitor to Coat My Hands With His Crimes" | Are Our Allies Separating From Us or is a Divorce Underway? | Do the CIA Deaths in Mexico Mean Trump is Playing With Fire? backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 26, 2026 - Adele Stan | Matthew Petti | Alfred McCoy

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2026 61:07


    A Celebration of the First Amendment Upended by the Unregulated Second Amendment | Trump's Latest Diplomatic Dance Without a Partner | Will Iran be the Death Rattle of the American Empire? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 23, 2026 - Jennifer Kavanaugh | James Zirin | Bruce Fein

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 60:47


    While Trump Thrashes About, Iran's Leaders Can Afford to be Patient | The Blowback From Assassinating Heads of State | If the Law is to Bring Down a Lawless President, Impeachment is Much More Likely to Succeed Than the 25th Amendment backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 22, 2026 - Harrison Mann | Jacob Heilbrunn | Kathleen Rogers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2026 61:06


    Our Reality TV President is at War With Reality in Iran | Trump Is Also Losing on the Domestic Front After Yesterday's Election in Virginia | On Earth Day a World Addicted to Oil Looking For a Fix as the Dealers Fight Over the Supply backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 21, 2026 - Jonathan Guyer | Stephen Marche | Scott Horton

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2026 60:19


    Kushner/Witkoff Diplomacy Fails Again with Trump "Ready to Go To War" as Iran Has "Prepared New Surprises" | Trump Turns Allies Into Enemies While Weakening America at Warp Speed | How Long Can the Ridiculous Drunken Fanboy in Charge of the FBI Last? backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 20, 2026 - Nader Hashemi | Stephen Kinzer | Fred Turner

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 61:17


    Uncertainty Over Talks to End the War on Iran Before the Ceasefire Deadline Expires | The CIA's Legacy of Blowback Where, But For Their 1953 Coup, Iran Would be a Thriving, Secular Democratic State Today | Palantir's Manifesto as a Technofascist Doctrine backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 19, 2026 - Juan Cole | Thanassis Cambanis | Allen Frances

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2026 64:26


    With What Trump Calls the Strait of Iran Closed Again, It's Clear Whomever the Administration is Talking to Are Not in Charge of Iran | Although Trump Forced Netanyahu's Hand Prohibiting Him From Bombing Lebanon, the Israeli Public Wants the IDF to Finish Off Hezbollah | How to Remove an Increasingly Mentally Ill Trump From Office backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 16, 2026 - Habib Battah | Basav Sen | Lindsay Koshgarian | Amy Goodman

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 60:39


    A Reality Check on Trump's Claims He's Stopping His 10th War in Lebanon | How Big Oil is Making an Extra $30 Million an Hour Out of the Iran War | The Average Taxpayer Shelled Out Over $4,000 For War and Weapons Last Year | Amy Goodman on the New Film About Her STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 15, 2026 - Paul Pillar | Meghan Schneider | Harold Meyerson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 60:03


    Could a Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon Lead to an Iran-US Agreement to End the War? | On Tax Day Working And Middle Class Americans Do Their Patriotic Duty While the Richest Among Us Take Their Money and Run | The Delusional Democrats Crowding Out the Governor's Race Make it Likely a MAGA Republican Will be California's Next Governor backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 14, 2026 - Daniel Immerwahr | Jamie Martin | Maziar Behrooz

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2026 60:43


    The Trump Administration's Explanation of Why We Are At War With Iran..."We're America Bitches" | The History of Blockades and Their Impact on Global Trade | The State of Opposition Movements Against Iran's Brutal Theocracy backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 13, 2026 - Robert Pape | James Carroll

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 60:14


    The Escalation Trap Trump Set For Himself Deepens With the Naval Blockade and a Possible Use of a Nuclear Weapon on Esfahan | Trump Depicts Himself As Jesus While Disrespecting the Pope and 1.4 Billion Catholics backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 12, 2026 - Robert Malley | David Broder | Nina Burleigh

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2026 63:43


    An Experienced Negotiator With Iran on Vance's Failure to Make a Quick Deal With an Enemy of 47 Years | An Update on Hungary's Election That Has Trump and Putin Campaigning For Orban | Threatening to Bring Down the Trump Regime, Melania's Former Friend Warns Her "I Will Tear Down the Entire System - Be Careful Bitch...I will Take Legal Action Against Your Pedophile Husband" backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 9, 2026 - Hussein Banai | Anthea Butler | James Galbraith

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2026 60:12


    In Desperation, Our Self-Serving and Imbecilic President Has Strengthened a Brutal Regime and Elevated Its Global Position | Will America's Defeat Liberate It From a Broken Imperial Model? | The Pentagon and Trump's War on Pope Leo

    April 8, 2026 - Nicholas Heras | Bill Scher | Adam Green

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 60:58


    Both the Arsonist and the Fire Brigade, Trump Celebrates His Ceasefire Deal as "A Total Victory 100%" While Iran Says They Dealt the Enemy "A Crushing Defeat" | Questions of Trump's Competence, Morality, Credibility and Sanity Arise | The Cynical Tactics Big Money Now Uses to Attack Progressive Democratic Candidates backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 6, 2026 - Adam Weinstein | Dr. Mohsen Sazegara

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 61:02


    Trump's Long and Loony Press Conference and How He Has Not "Decimated" Iran's Anti-Aircraft Capacity | A Founder of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps on What Is Not Being Done to Free Iranians From Their Brutal Theocratic Government backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

    April 5, 2026 - Rosemary Kelanic | Moira Donegan | Alex Lawson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2026 62:01


    Trump's War Has Turned the Strait of Hormuz Into an Iranian Tollbooth With China the Winner | "You're Fired" Pam Bondi and Replaced by an Even Worse Todd Blanche | Trump Told the Truth For Once Trashing Childcare, Medicare and Medicaid as "Scams" With the Military the Only Thing We Have to Take Care Of backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

    April 2, 2026 - Corey Brettschneider | Kian Tajbakhsh | Leah Litman

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2026 61:40


    In Three Weeks Trump Will Declare Victory Without Securing a Victory, Leaving Someone Else to Open the Strait of Hormuz | How Do Iranians Feel About Trump Bombing Them "Back to the Stone Age Where They Belong"? | With Trump in the Front Row, the Supreme Court's Right Wing Justices Express Skepticism of Overturning Birthright Citizenship backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

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