Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 247 at Background Briefing.org. I'm Ian Masters,

and today will examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with more evidence that the 25th Amendment should be under consideration.

As Trump unloads a demented rant on truth social, warning Canada, if they make a trade deal

with China, the first thing the Chinese will do is, quote, terminate all ice hockey being played in Canada and permanently eliminate the Stanley Cup.

Joining us from Canada is Stephen March, a novelist and culture writer who has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Esquire and many other outlets.

His recent books include The Next Civil War, Dispatches from the American Future, and

The Last Election, co-authored with Andrew Yang.

Then we'll assess the hearing today before the House Homeland Security Committee at which

the heads of ICE and CBP face tough questions

from Democrats and the Republican head of the committee who, needless to say, like all Republicans,

voted to give DHS $170 billion, ICE $75 billion, and CBP $58 billion.

Joining us is Linji Kosgarion, the program director of billion and CBP $58 billion.

Joining us is Linji Koscarian, the program director of the National Priorities Project,

where she oversees National Priorities.org.

Her work on the federal budget includes analysis of the federal budget process and politics,

military spending, and specifically how federal budget choices for different spending

priorities and taxation interact.

She has an article at the National Priorities Project we will discuss.

Congress is funding the Trump regime's anti-immigrant violence.

Then finally, we'll investigate why the so-called MAGA intellectuals are so angry when they have

all the power and are backed by billionaire money and speak with Laura Field, an associate

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