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 alarming statements coming from pro-democracy activists abroad

that, quote, Washington has already fallen and accept the challenge that beyond winning the next election,

we're in for a generational fight against maga-fascism and need to create a transnational anti-fascist movement

as massive demonstrations against autocrats in Serbia, Hungary and Georgia show us the way.

Joining us is Lincoln Mitchell, who teaches in the Political Science Department and the School

of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His latest book, Three Years Our Mayor, George Baskoni and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

His latest book, Three Years Our Mayor, George Biscone and The Making Abbot in San Francisco,

will be published on April the 8th, and he's also the writer of the popular substack kibbutzing

with Lincoln. Then we'll examine whether Social Security can be saved before Musk destroys the program,

which has been unfailingly paying retirement benefits already paid for by recipients since 1940.

Joining us to discuss the urgent need to push back against Musk,

who is moving fast to break Social Security by wrecking than robbing it,

is Michael Hililsig,

a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and columnist at the Los Angeles Times.

He received the Pulitzer Prize for articles exposing corruption in the entertainment industry.

Currently, he writes a twice-weekly column covering business and economic issues relevant to life

in California.

His books include The New Deal and Modern History and Iron Empires, Robert Barron's, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America.

And his latest book is Golden State, The Making of California.

We will discuss his latest article at the LA Times.

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