From Henry Ford’s production-consumption capitalism to Elon Musk’s techno-driven dismantling of the state that funds him. Featuring @quinnslobodian.com, professor of International History at Boston University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Chief Justice Roberts’ hollow indignation at the American people for thinking he and his colleagues are “political actors.” Featuring @nicholsuprising.bsky.social, The Nation magazine’s Washington correspondent. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The Saudis have pressured Trump into pausing his “Project Freedom” blockade on Iran to make way for a peace deal by cutting US access to Saudi and Kuwaiti bases. Featuring @nancyokail.bsky.social, President & CEO of the Center for International Policy. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

How Trump’s cult-like hold over the Republican Party was bolstered by the success of his revenge tour in Indiana on Tuesday. Featuring Tom LoBianco, veteran national reporter for 24sight News. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We examine how long Iran can ride out the blockade, as well as rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Featuring Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, founder and president of SVB Energy International. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

More erratic moves from Trump who suddenly paused his “Project Freedom” initiative to have the US Navy guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz due to pressure from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Featuring @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social, Senior Editor of Arc Digital. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

As Democrats appear poised to win big in November, we explore how and why they lost in 2024, not just in the election but with the American voter. Featuring @scottferson.bsky.social soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We look into the country’s most effective Republican operatives, the six right-wing activists on the Supreme Court, who just tipped their hand in killing off the Voting Rights Act. Featuring @thelisagraves.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Putin is forced to scale back next Saturday’s Victory Day celebration, raising the awareness that the war is putting him in danger. Featuring Michael Gorham, professor of Russian Studies at the University of Florida. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump sends US warships into the Persian Gulf to escort trapped ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, potentially making a dangerous situation even more dangerous. Featuring @oonahathaway.bsky.social, Professor of International Law at Yale Law School. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump pulls troops out of Germany after Chancellor Mertz makes remarks about Iran. Featuring Thomas Berger, Professor of International Relations at Boston University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Leaks from European intel say Putin is increasingly paranoid and afraid of his own military, with reports of him hunkered down in a bunker in Southern Russia. Featuring Michael Kimmage, Director of the Kennan Institute. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

After Friday’s May Day protests with banners reading “workers over billionaires” and “healthcare not warfare,” we speak with Peter Dreier, the E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and chair of the Urban & Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

As the rest of the world honored workers on May Day while thousands demonstrated at 3,500 May Day Strong events across the country, we look into the rise of left-wing populism. Featuring Charles Derber, professor of sociology at Boston College. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The possibility of a resumption of strikes on Iran now that Trump has said on Saturday they have “not paid a big enough price.” Featuring Hussein Banai, Iranian American scholar and Professor of International Studies. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We assess the second day of Secretary Hegseth’s testimony, this time before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Featuring @drmockaitis.bsky.social, professor of history at DePaul University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We’re joined from Kyiv by Tamar Jacoby discussing her article at The Washington Monthly, “The U.S.-Europe Rift: How Trump’s Iran War is Making it Worse.” soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The CENTCOM Commander, Admiral Cooper, briefs Trump and his national security team in the White House on what options the US has to extract from the Middle East. Featuring Karen Greenberg, co-host of SpyTalk podcast. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We assess the success of Defense Secretary Hegseth’s testimony today before the House Armed Services Committee where he asked for a trillion and a half dollars more for his “war-fighting” budget. Featuring Thomas Nichols. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The Supreme Court’s fulfillment of Chief Justice John Roberts’ long crusade to undo voting rights for minorities in order to give Republicans an undeserved advantage. Featuring @electproject.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The former head of the FBI James Comey turns himself in to face disgracefully false charges. Featuring @harrylitman.bsky.social, former United States attorney and deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We assess what kind of repair job King Charles is doing for Anglo-American relations with his charm offensive at the White House and the U.S. Congress today. Featuring Toby Miller. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We examine Trump’s tactic of attacking the messenger in order to avoid discussing the message. Featuring Peter Loge, professor and director at George Washington University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The White House at war with reality on two fronts, pushing that the Democrats are responsible for political hate speech along with trying to frame Cole Allen as anti-Christian. Featuring @billscher.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We spoke with @kenklippenstein.bsky.social about the arraignment of Cole Allen who, before his assassination attempt on Trump, wrote a 1,000 word manifesto stating “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump cancels Witkoff and Kushner’s latest planned trip for talks in Pakistan and fails to meet with the Iranian Foreign Minister. Featuring Matthew Petti, assistant editor at Reason Magazine. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

A bipartisan gathering to celebrate the First Amendment turned into an example of how the Second Amendment is failing us. Discussing the presidential assassination attempt with us is independent journalist @addiestan.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

If the law is to bring down a lawless President, impeachment is much more likely to succeed than the 25th Amendment. Featuring constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We look into Trump’s use of assassination against heads of state, which could come back to haunt us in Iran with new leadership even more determined to develop nuclear weapons. Featuring James Zirin. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

While Trump thrashes about, Iran’s leaders can afford to be patient. Featuring @jekavanagh.bsky.social, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Kathleen Rogers of EarthDay.org joins Background Briefing's Ian Masters to breaks down how fossil fuel influence shapes global climate decisions, what’s at stake for public health, and why she still believes people can force change. Full interview @ kpfa.org #kpfa @ianmastersmedia.bsky.social

In a world reliant on oil and the supply contested globally, we speak with Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, about why Earth Day matters more than ever. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump appears to take losses on the domestic front after Tuesday’s special election in Virginia hands the Democrats four more House seats. Featuring @jacobheilbrunn.bsky.social, editor at the National Interest. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

With the "art of the deal" failing our Reality TV president, he desperately throws out carrots and sticks at Iran in the hope they will let him out of the quagmire. Featuring @harrisonmann.bsky.social, associate director for campaigns and policy at Win Without War. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We assess how long FBI director Kash Patel will last after reports of serial drunkenness with his own security detail having to break down doors to wake him. Featuring Scott Horton. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

With Trump turning allies into enemies while weakening America at warp speed, we go to Toronto, Canada to speak with novelist and culture writer @stephenmarche.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump extends ceasefire on Wednesday while the Iranian side says they have “prepared new surprises for a potential new round of combat.” Featuring Jonathan Guyer, program director at the Institute for Global Affairs. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We assess a manifesto from the Silicon Valley defense contractor Palantir, which has scholars of authoritarianism alarmed at what they see as a “technofascist” doctrine. Featuring Fred Turner, professor of communication at Stanford University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The CIA’s legacy of blowback, where, if not for their 1953 coup, Iran would likely be a thriving, secular democratic state today. Featuring Stephen Kinzer, award-winning foreign correspondent. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The uncertainty of talks in Pakistan to negotiate an exit for a war Trump started and appears desperate to end before a ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran expires on Wednesday. Featuring @naderhashemi.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-830442635

What can be done to remove an increasingly mentally ill Trump from office? We consider the possibility of Vance and the Republican Congress invoking the 25th Amendment. Featuring Dr. Allen Frances. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump forces Netanyahu’s hand by saying Israel is “prohibited from bombing Lebanon,” despite mounting domestic pressure in Israel for the IDF to continue fighting Hezbollah. Featuring @tcambanis.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

The Strait of Hormuz is closed again after Trump and Iran’s FM said it was “completely open,” suggesting the US is not talking to the right people. Will the war resume when the ceasefire ends on Wednesday? Featuring @jricole.bsky.social. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

@lindsaykosh.bsky.social, Program Director of the National Priorities Project, joins us to discuss her article “The Average Taxpayer Shelled Out Over $4,000 for War and Weapons Last Year.” soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Taking a look at how Big Oil is making an extra $30 million an hour in profits from the war on Iran. Featuring @basavsen.bsky.social, Climate Justice Project Director at the Institute for Policy Studies. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Trump announces that he has solved 9 wars across the world, and will end his 10th by orchestrating a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Joining us to discuss the reality of this is independent journalist Habib Battah. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

We’re joined by Amy Goodman of @democracynow.org discussing the new documentary Steal This Story Please! which debuts tomorrow featuring a post-screening Q&A hosted by Ian and KPFK. Tix and more info are available at kpfk.org soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

A large number of Democrats vying to become the next governor of California opens up the field to the possibility of a MAGA Republican becoming the next governor of the most Democratic state in the union. Featuring Harold Meyerson, editor of The American Prospect. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

On tax day, the richest Americans and billionaires benefit from tax breaks thanks to the Trump administration. Featuring Meghan Schneider, communications director for Tax the Greedy Billionaires. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

An update on the blockade of the Persian Gulf amid reports that negotiations with Iran might resume soon, tempered by threats from the IRGC. Featuring Dr. Paul Pillar, Director of Graduate Studies at Georgetown University. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...