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

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

We'll begin with the cruelest cuts in Trump's big, beautiful bill just passed by the House now before the Senate

and assess the impacts of the record cuts in Medicaid and SNAP food stamps.

Joining us is Mike Consul, who is the Director of Policy at the Economic Security Project,

where he focuses on economics, inequality, and the role of public power in a democracy.

He is a co-author with Joseph Stiglitz of rewriting the rules of the American economy.

His latest book is Freedom from the Market, America's Fight to Liberate itself from the grip of

the Invisible Hand. And we'll discuss his article at his substack, The House just passed the biggest

Medicaid cut in history, twice the size of Reagan's cuts. Then we'll look into the golden scam,

otherwise known as Trump's Golden Dome, which is a massive boondoggle

and a payoff to his biggest campaign donor, Elon Musk, as well as J.D. Vance's political patron,

Peter Thiel.

Joining us is Joseph Sorinciani, who is the Vice Chair of the Board of the Center for International

Policy in Washington, D.C., and a national security analyst and

author with over 35 years of experience.

He's the author or editor of seven books, including Nuclear Nightmares, Securing the World

Before It Is Too Late, and Bombscare, the History and Future of Nuclear Weapons.

He previously served as president of the Prouche's Fund, Vice President of National Security, the Center of nuclear weapons. He previously served as President of the Prowshare's Fund,

Vice President of National Security,

the Senate of American Progress,

and Director for Non-Proliferation of the Canadian Doundment for International Peace.

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