Background Briefing: June 2, 2026
After Being Cursed Out, Netanyahu Defies Trump, Declaring “Iran’s Days Are Numbered” as He Continues Bombing Lebanon
We begin with Netanyahu declaring today that the Iranian regime’s “days are numbered” after Monday’s contentious expletive-laden phone call with Trump in which Trump told the Israeli leader he is “f***ing crazy” and “everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this” meaning Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon which has continued in spite of Trump’s effort to restrain Netanyahu and is the reason why Iran suspended peace talks with Trump. Joining us is Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and Director of the Center for International Research and Policy. Until recently, he has worked as a journalist based in Lebanon and his books include A Privilege to Die: Inside Hezbollah’s Legions and Their Endless War Against Israel, and most recently, Shia Power Comes of Age: The Transformation of Islamist Politics in Iraq, 2003-2023.
How Larry and David Ellison’s Lackeys are “Murdering” CBS to Please Trump
Then we look into the rebellion inside CBS’s 60 Minutes against Larry and David Ellison’s lackeys who Scott Pelley has accused of “murdering” the flagship program to please Trump as well as efforts by 5,500 Hollywood actors and filmmakers who oppose the Ellison’s Paramount-Warner Brothers $111 billion takeover deal underwritten by Saudi and Gulf money. Joining us is Anne Nelson, an author and lecturer in the fields of international affairs, media and human rights who was the director of the international program at the Columbia School of Journalism where she created the first curriculum in human rights reporting. Her books include Red Orchestra: The Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler and Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, now out in an updated paperback version. The updated version of the film BAD FAITH: Christian Nationalism’s War on Democracy largely based on her book Shadow Network is now streaming on a variety of platforms.
Does Owning 5 Rundown Trailer Parks in Florida Qualify You to Head Up U.S. Intelligence?
Then finally we assess whether owning 5 rundown trailer parks in Florida is a sufficient qualification to head up U.S. Intelligence to replace Trump’s outgoing DNI who the Kremlin referred to as “our girlfriend.” Joining us is Chris Whipple, a multiple Peabody and Emmy Award–winning producer at CBS’s 60 Minutes and ABC’s Primetime. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, and The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shaped History and the Future. His latest book is Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History.