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Background Briefing with Ian Masters

Background Briefing with Ian Masters

523 episodes — Page 1 of 11

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

May 13, 20261h 0m

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

May 12, 20261h 4m

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

May 11, 20261h 0m

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

May 10, 202658 min

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

May 7, 20261h 0m

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

May 6, 20261h 1m

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

May 5, 20261h 1m

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

May 4, 20261h 0m

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

May 3, 20261h 7m

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

Apr 30, 202659 min

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

Apr 29, 20261h 2m

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

Apr 28, 20261h 0m

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

Apr 27, 20261h 2m

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

Apr 26, 20261h 1m

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

Apr 23, 20261h 0m

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

Apr 22, 20261h 1m

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

Apr 21, 20261h 0m

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

Apr 20, 20261h 1m

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

Apr 19, 20261h 4m

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

Apr 16, 20261h 0m

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

Apr 15, 20261h 0m

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

Apr 14, 20261h 0m

April 13, 2026 - Robert Pape | James Carroll

Apr 13, 20261h 0m

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

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

Apr 12, 20261h 3m

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

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

Apr 9, 20261h 0m

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

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

Apr 8, 20261h 0m

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

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

Apr 6, 20261h 1m

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

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

Apr 5, 20261h 2m

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

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

Apr 2, 20261h 1m

April 1, 2026 - Jacob Heilbrunn | Joseph Cirincione | David Daley

Trump Poised to Announce Victory in a Surrender of His War on Iran | The Origins of Trump's war on Iran | How Serious is An Executive Order That Has Trump Deciding Who Gets to Vote By Mail? backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Apr 1, 20261h 1m

March 31, 2026 - Robert Kuttner | Jon Hoffman | Sidney Blumenthal

Trump Will Either Double Down or Cut and Run Leaving Us, Our Allies and the Iranian People So Much Worse Off | Trump's Strategic Failure In Iran | Trump's War is Holding Him Hostage backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 31, 202659 min

March 30, 2026 - Stephen Biddle | Dean Baker | Garrett Epps

The Strategic and Moral Danger of Having Adolescent Bullies Running an Ill-considered War of Choice | An Assessment of the Damage Being Done to the US and Global Economy | In Stripping Birthright Citizenship, Trump and Miller Want to Create and Exploitable Class on Non-Citizens backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 30, 20261h 1m

March 29, 2026 - Lance Dodes | Richard Parker | Matt Angle

Dementia on Display at Trump's North Korean-Style Cabinet Meeting Raises the Alarm For VP Vance to Invoke the 25th Amendment | The Political Impact of the Largest Demonstration Against a Sitting President in the History of the United States | Could James Talarico Flip Ruby Red Texas and the US Senate? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 29, 20261h 0m

March 26, 2026 - Jeremi Suri | William Hartung | Frank Dikötter

No Kings and 11 Attempts by Democrats to Fund TSA Blocked by Trump As He Tries To Force His SAVE Act on Senate Republicans | Will Congress Balk at Hegseth's Extra $200 Billion and Trump's Extra $500 Billion on Top of a $Trillion Defense Budget? | Trump Postpones His Summit With Xi While Cutting Off Persian Gulf Oil China Depends On backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 26, 20261h 2m

March 25, 2026 - Aslı Bâli | Kim Lane Scheppele | Tom Freston

Our Reality TV President Unable to Deal With Reality, Makes Up Stories About Negotiating With Iran | Trump and Putin Work Together to Reelect Hungary's Kleptocratic Despot Orban | As Trump-Friendly Billionaires Buy Up the Media, the Former CEO of Viacom Now Owned by the Ellisons backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 25, 20261h 4m

March 24, 2026 - Ori Goldberg | Nina Burleigh

Life in Bomb Shelters Under Bombardment in a War 90% of Israelis Support | An Update on the Story Trump Has Waged a War to Distract Us From backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 24, 202658 min

March 23, 2026 - Asher Kaufman | Sarah Leah Whitson | Jamie Court

TACO Trump Now Claims Peace is at Hand But Iran Says No Such Talks Are Taking Place | Crying Foul Over Cluster Bombs as Civilians Are Targeted | Oil Companies and Refiners Are Making Out Like Bandits With California Refiners Gouging a $1.50 Profit Per Gallon at the Pump backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 23, 20261h 1m

March 22, 2026 - Robert Young Pelton | Olga Lautman | Nader Hashemi

Contradictory Signals From Trump to Wind Down the War While Sending in More Marines | The Winner of the Iran War Putin Prepares For a Spring Offensive in Ukraine While His Bootlicking Friend Trump Rewards Him With Extra Revenue | Celebrating the Iranian New Year Under Bombardment From Abroad and Repression at Home backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 22, 20261h 4m

March 19, 2026 - David Hearst | Harrison Mann | Mike Lofgren

The Global Impact of the Trump/Netanyahu War on Iran as Energy Prices Shoot Through the Roof | A Former DIA Intelligence Officer on the Folly of Sending Marines Into the Gulf | Trump is Being Played at We Deplete Expensive Weapons on Cheap Iranian Drones backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 19, 20261h 1m

March 18, 2026 - David Adler | Steven Simon

The Organizer of an International Humanitarian Flotilla Delivering Aid to the Desperate and Starving People of Cuba | Possible Scenarios to End the US/Israeli War on Iran and a More Likely Escalation of Attacks on Oil and Gas Terminals and Storage Facilities backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 18, 20261h 1m

March 17, 2026 - Tom Mockaitis | Christine Fair | Luis Martinez-Fernandez

Today's Blowback and the Historical Record of US Meddling in Iran | The Intensifying War Between Afghanistan's Taliba And Their Former Sponsor Pakistan | Trump's Claim He will Have "The Honor of Taking Cuba" Which is Likely to Fall in a Matter of Weeks backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 17, 20261h 1m

March 16, 2026 - Joshua Shifrinson | Juan Cole | Adele Stan

Although the US Navy Won't Go Into the Gulf, Trump is Demanding Other Navies Escort Tankers Through the Strait of Hormuz | Iran's Strategic Plans For a Long War With Layers of Redundancy in the Ranks of Leadership | The Crackup on the Right Against Trump's War on Iran backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 16, 20261h 1m

March 15, 2026 - Emma Ashford | Dr. Allen Frances | Justin Levitt

Trump's War of Choice Rattles Allies While Rewarding Russia | Our Commander-in-Chief is a Senile Old Man Who is Losing His Mind | Trump's Cynical SAVE America Act Will Not Save Republicans in November backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 15, 202659 min

March 12, 2026 - William LeoGrande | Mike Lofgren | Karen Hao

After Declaring Victory Over Iran, Trump Vows That Cuba Is Next | What Can Be Done To Reign In If Not Abolish DHS | AI's Sweeping and Growing Impact on Every Aspect of Society backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 12, 20261h 1m

March 11, 2026 - Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse | Jonathan Taplin | Jacob Heilbrunn

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Trump, Epstein and Putin | The Silicon Valley Billionaire Bros Are Determined to Have the Tech-Industrial Complex Replace the Military-Industrial Complex | The Iran War and the Return of the Neocons backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 11, 20261h 3m

March 10, 2026 - Jonathan Guyer | Dr. Annelle Sheline | Jennifer Kavanaugh

Trump Reverses Himself on Ending the Iran War After A Call With Putin | Iran's New Supreme Leader Will Likely Reverse His Father's Fatwa Against Nuclear Weapons | A Military Analysis of the Iran War and the Russia/Ukraine War backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 10, 20261h 1m

March 9, 2026 - Nicholas Heras | Kian Tajbakhsh | Oona Hathaway

A War Iran Only Has to Stay in While We Can Only Win At a Price We Are Unlikely to Want to Pay | An Analysis of a Brutal Regime From Which the Iranian People Desperately Want to be Freed But Have No Power to Do So | A Lawless World Trump is Dragging Us Into Based on Force and His Whims backgroundbriefing.org/donate x.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Mar 9, 20261h 4m

March 8, 2026 - Ken Klippenstein | Paul Pillar | Gabby Birenbaum

How Relying on Regime Decapitation Could Backfire | As Evidence Mounts That the War on Iran Is a Disaster, We Will Look For Some Kind of "Success" | Our Gen Z Reporter on the Texas Senate Race as Republicans Panic Over the Talented Young Talarico backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 8, 20261h 1m

March 5, 2026 - Matthew Petti | Stephen Wertheim | Robert Baer

The U.S. Continues to Resort to Force at Growing Cost in a Region of Diminishing Importance | How Do Iranians Feel About Being Bombed to Become Free as Their Government Increasingly Oppresses Them | A Highly Decorated Former CIA Officer Who Operated Against Iran in Iraq and Lebanon Explains What a Disaster Trump Has Blundered Into backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 5, 20261h 1m

March 4, 2026 - John Nichols | Wladimir van Wilgenburg | Mohsen Milani

Could Kristi Noem be the First in the Trump Kakistocracy's Clown Car Cabinet to be Impeached? | A Report From Iraqi Kurdistan On the CIA Arming Kurdish Iranian Militias | The Anointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's New Supreme Leader backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia linktr.ee/backgroundbriefing

Mar 4, 20261h 3m