Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at backgroundbriefing.org.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with today's White House meeting on going to war against Venezuela,

following Trump's recent call with Maduro,

who apparently agreed to step down with conditions that Trump was not prepared to grant,

thus making a military strike against the regime likely,

unless Trump will allow his bluff to be called by Venezuela's strongman,

which would make our strong man look weak.

Joining us is Alejandro Velasco, Associate Dean and Associate Professor at New York University.

A historian of modern Latin America, focusing on social

movements, urban culture, and democratization. He's the author of Barrio Rising, urban popular

politics and the making of modern Venezuela. Then with the House back in session, as the fate

of the Affordable Care Act hangs in the balance and Republicans try to

pretend they have an alternative to a program they have obsessively and repeatedly tried to kill.

Since its inception, we'll discuss whether the public will fall for cosmetic makeovers

and empty promises as 24 million Americans lose affordable health care, while the rest face

increasingly costly premiums.

Joining us is Alex Lawson, the Executive Director of Social Security Works, where his work focuses

on protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and lowering prescription drug

prices.

We will discuss his article at Common

Dreams, the Republican Healthcare Apocalypse. Then finally we'll speak with Sidney Blumenthal,

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