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

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

We'll begin with Netanyahu renewing the war on Gaza with a furious bombing campaign

as he exposes his goal of political survival through war,

while polls have the majority of Israelis wanting the hostages back and the war over.

Joining us to challenge the comfort zone we

have of moral outrage at what is happening in distant lands that is no longer convenient

as maga fascism begins to take hold at home is Oma Elakad, an author and journalist. He was born in Egypt, grew up in Qatar, moved to Canada

as a teenager and now lives in the United States. A two-time winner of both the Pacific Northwest

Booksellers Association Award and the Oregon Book Award for Fiction. His books have been

translated into 13 languages. His debut novel, American War,

was named by the BBC as one of 100 novels that shaped our world. And his latest book,

Just Out, is One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. Then we'll examine how the days of choosing between gutless liberals and callous

conservatives are over as Musk and Trump tear through the political, social and economic fabric of

America with speed and determination so that all that is left is a wasteland ruled by a plutocracy fronted by a pathetic reality TV Barker.

Joining us is David Farris, a professor of political science at Roosevelt University in Chicago

and a regular contributor to Slate the Week and Newsweek.

He is the author of Time to Fight Dirty, How Democrats Can Build a

Lasting Majority in American Politics, and most recently, the kids are all left, how young voters

will unite America. We'll discuss his latest article at Slate, what Trump and Musk are really doing

to this country. There's a term for this. It's ungoverning.

Then finally we'll assess what kind of opposition will emerge as the divided Democratic Party

...