Background Briefing has a new home at BackgroundBriefing.org.
Please visit and bookmark the new site. You can search show archives here.
Background Briefing has a new home at BackgroundBriefing.org.
Please visit and bookmark the new site. You can search show archives here.
2016 Program Archive
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| Rocky Anderson, the former mayor of Salt Lake City, who knows both Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman well, joins us to assess the man who many see as the most formidable and electable candidate Obama could face. We discuss the inconsistencies between the former Jon Huntsman and the latest candidate to enter the Republican race for the presidential nomination. |
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| Laurie Levenson, professor of Law at Loyola Law School joins us to discuss the just-released study, “Executing the Will of the Voters: A roadmap to mend and end the California Legislature’s multi-billion dollar death penalty debacle.” |
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| Gustavo Arellano joins us. He writes the syndicated column, “Ask a Mexican,” and we talk to him about what he sees as a shining example of the Tea Party’s idea of a political paradise where taxes are low, there is no Obamacare and the rich are free to get richer and richer. The Tea Party’s perfect country, large areas of which are government free and ruled by those with the most money and guns, is of course, Mexico. |
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| Los Angeles Times Middle East correspondent Borzou Deragahi who has been reporting on the revolution next door in Syria where there is a press blackout. With more demonstrations across Syria on Friday, in spite of murderous brutality from the Muhabarat, the secret police, and military intelligence officers, the unarmed Syrian people continue to challenge the callous and corrupt family clan who claim Syria for themselves. |
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| Jeff Abramson, the deputy director of the Arms Control Association joins us to discuss the boom in overseas sales for U.S. arms manufacturers who, faced with proposed defense cuts at home, are gearing up to sell their wares abroad, in spite of recent examples in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain where some of this lethal hardware ends up being used against the defenseless people. |
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| David Halperin, Director of Campus Progress at the Center For American Progress joins us to examine the Obama administration’s sell-out to lobbyists representing the for-profit college and university racketeers who live off your federal dollar that they charge back to unsuspecting students who end up with a worthless education and under a mountain of debt from student loans that, nationwide, now surpass all credit card debt. |
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| Juan Cole talks about the New York Times revelations that he was the target of the Bush White House, who according to a CIA whistleblower, ordered the CIA to smear and discredit him to silence the uncomfortable truths his criticism of the Iraq war was exposing. |
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| Longtime Washington investigative reporter Mark Feldstein, the author of "Poisoning the Press: Richard Nixon, Jack Anderson, and the rise of Washington's scandal culture", puts the Anthony Weiner scandal into historical perspective. |
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| Director, producer, and writer Bill Haney talks about his powerful and important new documentary feature film, The Last Mountain, which exposes the big lie of "clean coal" and shows the best and worst of America. |
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| Senator Bernie Sanders talks about his bill to end crazy speculation in the oil market that is stalling the recovery of an economy in grave trouble. Yet the rich want more tax cuts and won't make any sacrifices, expecting the poor and middle class to shoulder the burden while their entitlements are cut |
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| With a political and economic collapse of Greece seeming inevitable, John Brady Kiesling, joins us from Athens where there are riots in the street because of austerity measures meant to pay off debts which the EU privately expects Greece to default on. |
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| Melissa Reed, Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood Health Systems in North Carolina, explains the legislature's override vote to deny Planned Parenthood funding, making this the third state in a row to deny women health services in the name of banning abortion. |
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| Gerald Nunziato of Crime Gun Solutions analyzes the ATF's difficulties in stopping the flow of guns to Mexico due to lax laws because of the NRA's grip on Congress, where today lawmakers expressed outrage that American guns sold to a Mexican cartel killed a U.S. Border Patrol Agent. |
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| Luis Martinez-Fernandez, History professor at the University of Central Florida, examines Obama’s visit to Puerto Rico and the future status of the island as well as the growing influence of the exile vote in Florida. |
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| William Hartung, the author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military Industrial Complex, joins us to question whether outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates really did save the taxpayer $300 billion and whether Leon Panetta will be able to eliminate any of the greater number of major weapons programs now in place since Gates arrived at the Pentagon. |
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| After decades of live shows, for once our live guest failed to show, so Ian gives his analysis of subject we planned to cover - last night's Republican debate. |
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