
Background Briefing with Ian Masters
Background Briefing goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard elsewhere in American media. Background Briefing features international and national news, expert guests, policymakers, and critics offering analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural, and social issues.
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Latest episodes

Feb 21, 2025 • 1h 1min
February 20, 2025 - Ryan Cooper | Eric Blanc | Erik Baker
The Confirmation of Kash Patel as Trump's Dumbest Self-inflicted Wound to Weaken America and Accelerate Its Collapse as a World Power | In Crushing of the Federal WorkForce, Musk and Trump Will Not Find the Trillions to Make Trump's Tax Cuts to the Super-Wealthy Permanent | The Fraud of the Can-Do Power of Positive Thinking as We Head Into An Era of Techno-Serfdom
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Feb 21, 2025 • 21min
In Crushing the Federal WorkForce, Trump Will Not Find the Trillions to Make His Tax Cuts Permanent
In Crushing the Federal WorkForce, Trump Will Not Find the Trillions to Make His Tax Cuts Permanent by Ian Masters

Feb 19, 2025 • 1h 4min
February 19, 2025 - Simon Shuster | Emma Ashford | Katherine Stewart
After Throwing Ukraine Under the Bus, Trump is Now Trashing Zelensky | What Can Ukraine Do to Defend Itself and Rebuild After Trump Sells the Country out to Putin? | How Trump Rode Into the White House Again on a Wave of Reactionary Nihilism
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Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 3min
February 18, 2025 - Sasha Abramsky | John Ganz | Jacob Heilbrunn
From a Mad English King 249 Years Later to a Mad American King | The Wannabe Mob Boss Trump's Early Years With Made Men His Father Dealt With | Trump's Mafia-Style Foreign Policy as the Mob Boss Putin Meets With The Wannabe Mob Boss in Saudi Arabia
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Feb 17, 2025 • 1h 1min
February 17, 2025 - Daniel Treisman | David Andelman | James Risen
While Trump Brings Putin Out From the Cold of International Isolation, He Hangs Ukraine Out to Dry | An Assessment of What the Europeans Can Do to Help Ukraine As Trump Sells Out European Security | Will the Press Make a Stand as Trump Tries to Bring the AP to Heel?
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Feb 16, 2025 • 1h 3min
February 15, 2025 - Charles Kupchan | Kim Lane Scheppele | James Zirin
Vance Tells Allies Russia is Not the Enemy, Europe's Enemy is Within, and It's... Wokeness! | A Global Alliance of Autocrats and Kleptocrats Emerges as Trump Follows Orban's Playbook | Our Top Law Enforcer Pam Bondi Embraces Lawlessness and Corruption
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Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 1min
February 13, 2025 - Allison McManus | Michael Hiltzik | Timothy Shenk
Trump is Selling Out Ukraine to Putin Who He Is Going to Bat For to Have the Pariah Readmitted to the G7 | Republican Senators Confirm an Anti-Vaxxer and Conspiracy Monger to Head HHS | How the Left Lost Its Political Footing and How to Get it Back
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Feb 12, 2025 • 1h 1min
February 12, 2025 - Steven Pifer | Michael Kimmage | Daoud Kuttab
Hegseth Gives Up Ukraine's Leverage Before Russia/Ukraine Peace Talks Begin | Is the Trump Administration Already Capitulating to Putin? | An Assessment of the Awkward Meeting Between Jordan's King Abdullah and Trump
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Feb 11, 2025 • 60min
February 11, 2025 - Nicholas Grossman | Lucan Way
The Frightening Pace at Which the United States is Embracing Authoritarianism | Why is it Trump's Priority to Attack Allies Like Canada While Cozying up to Enemies Like Putin?
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Feb 10, 2025 • 1h 4min
February 10, 2025 - Jason Stanley | Jacques Berlinerbau | Allison Pugh
Has Fascism Already Arrived in America? | The MAGA Christian Nationalists' War on the Separation of Church and State | Musk and His Techies Are Purging Workers to Replace Them With Automation and AI Which is Why He's Buying OpenAI For $97.4 Billion
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