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

I'm Ian Masters, and today we're looking to a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with today's arrest of former Prince Andrew in the UK on a 66th birthday, not

for the rape of underage girls, but for sharing confidential trade details with Jeffrey

Epstein when Andrew was Britain's special envoy for international trade.

Joining us to discuss the contrast between the British arresting a member of the royal family

and Trump's conciliaries at the top of the Justice Department protecting the mob boss in the Oval Office is Toby Miller,

Distinguished Professor in Media and cultural studies at the Institute of Technological

de Monterey in Guadalajara, Mexico. His most recent books are Violence, The Persistence

of Violence, Columbian Popular Culture, How Green is Your Smart Home, and his latest book, Just

Out is Global Sports Go Green, or Do They?

Then, with Trump imposing a death sentence on our children, grandchildren and the planet,

by killing off efforts so far to deal with climate change, making it more likely we'll soon meet the point of no return,

we'll examine the possibility of environmental movements becoming more radical and speak

with Thomas Zaitzoff, an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University.

His research focuses on political violence, social media, and political psychology, and his work

has appeared in Science Advances, American Political Science Review,

American Journal of Political Science, International Organizations, and Political Psychology,

among other journals. He's the author of Nasty Politics, the Logic of Insult, Threats, and

incitement, and his latest book, Just Out, We Will Discuss, is is No Option But Sabotage, the Radical Environmental

Movement and the Climate Crisis.

And before we begin at the start of this new year, which will culminate in the fateful

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