Hello and welcome to background briefing, available 24-7 at background briefing.

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

We'll begin with the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas due to go

into effect on Sunday, which is yet to be approved by Netanyahu's cabinet in which hardliners

whole sway. Joining us to discuss the deal which both Trump and Biden are taking credit for,

which involves the initial

release of 33 hostages, some of whom are no longer alive, is Stephen Simon, who served on the

National Security Council staff as senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs,

and also worked on the National Security Council staff on counterterrorism and

Middle East security policy. These assignments followed a 15-year career at the United States Department

of State and he is currently a fellow in international affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology. He is the co-author among other books of The Age of Terror, and his latest book is Grand Delusion, The Rise and Fall of American Ambitions in the Middle East.

Then we'll examine Biden's farewell address in which he warned of the rise of a new American oligarchy, as well as a, quote, tech industrial complex that could pose real

dangers to our country. Joining us to discuss the outside's role of Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg

and other billionaires and broligarchs, who ironically have become $1.5 trillion richer during Biden's term is Quin Slobodian,

a professor of international history at Boston University, where he teaches histories of modern

Europe, international history, social movements, and the intellectual history of neoliberalism.

He's the author of Foreign Front, Third World Politics in 60s, West Germany,

Globalists, The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism, crack up capitalism,

Market Radicals in the Dream of a World Without Democracy, and his forthcoming book is Hayek's

Bastards, Race, Gold, IQ, and the capitalism of the far right.

We'll discuss his article, at the New Statesman, Elon Musk's hostile takeover, inside the

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