Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice try to make sense of the events of this week as Democrats begin pointing fingers and blaming each other for their stunning defeat. How did Democrats become the part of defending the status quo and fail to recognize that people vote for issues like the economy and immigration, and not for democracy? This election was about the working class telling the bicoastal, white collar educated elites to take a hike. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn their attention to the Middle East where the Iranian government surprised us all by threatening to attack Israel for a third time in twelve months, marking a serious escalation between the two countries. How will the Iranians exploit the lame duck period before Donald Trump takes over on January 20th?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On this special edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Rudyard and Janice react to the election of Donald Trump. Voters this time around knew who Trump was and voted for him anyway. Rudyard sees this as significant a vote as Brexit: voters are fed up with the elite and showing their discontent at the ballot box. The Democratic Party needs to figure out how to reconnect with the working class, Hispanic, and Black communities, all of which they lost in droves last night.

And which countries and world leaders stand to benefit and lose from last night's election outcome? Rudyard and Janice asses the upcoming fortunes and misfortunes of Ukraine, Russia, Iran, China, and Israel. And finally, in Canada: how will Trump's victory affect the political aspirations of Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau?

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice open the show with analysis of where the candidates stand as we enter the final stretch of this US election campaign. Rudyard believes Trump is positioned to squeak out a win thanks to the importance of the electoral college over the popular vote. And at a time of increased distrust of mainstream media, how and when will a winner be declared? How will a win be certified if there are challenges from the other party? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn their attention to Ukraine, where North Korean troops are aiding the Russian army's offensive. How much of an escalation is this development, and can untested North Korean troops really make a difference in this war? We are seeing the restructuring of alliances because of the Ukraine War, and a future where the threats in the Middle East and Asia are linked with the threats in Asia. In the final moments of the show Rudyard and Janice talk about the Ayatollah of Iran instructing his military to prepare for a counter strike on Israel for hitting its military targets - a surprise development that much of the foreign policy community did not expect.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Israel’s retaliatory air strikes against Iran last week targeted strategic military locations, including drone and ballistic missile manufacturing sites as well as air defense batteries. And while the mission has been celebrated as a successful one by both Israeli and US military officials, some argue that Israel should seize on the current moment – specifically the inability of Iran to defend itself against a large scale attack - to destroy its nuclear facilities, neutralize the threat to Israel, and restore stability to the Middle East. Critics argue that this plan would result in a significant military retaliation by the Iranian government that will lead to a wider regional war that will draw in Israel’s allies, in particular the United States. America must use all the resources and influences at its disposal to prevent Israel from further strikes against Iran and de-escalate this crisis before it’s too late.

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Mark Dubowitz. Mark is the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-profit, non-partisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

Arguing against the resolution is Christopher Chivvis, senior fellow and director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

You can vote on who you think won this debate. Go to our website www.munkdebates.com to become a free member and cast your vote.

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

Paid Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, streaming of our upcoming debates, and ticketing privileges at our live events.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

As we enter into the final stretch of one of the most consequential presidential elections in US history, Janice and Rudyard disregard the often inaccurate polls to make their own predictions about who will win on November 5th. Regardless of the revelations about his personal character, the state of inflation, immigration, and the economy is fueling his resilience in this race. How will the conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and China - currently stalled due to the upcoming election - start heating up again post November 5th? And how will the winner - Harris or Trump - affect these geopolitical conflicts and the global economy? To wrap up today's show Rudyard and Janice discuss the revelations being made by Trump's former high ranking officials John Kelley and Mark Milley about his embrace of fascism and why voters should take their warnings seriously.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

The release of the country album “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé this spring caused some surprising controversy.

Some complained Beyoncé, who is Black, shouldn’t be dabbling in what many consider a white music genre. At least one radio station in Oklahoma initially refused to play the album’s first single, “Texas Hold’em.”

Her supporters pointed out that Black Americans have a rich history in country music and cowboy culture. But the incident raised the issue of cultural appropriation: The stealing from one culture by another.

Some say that “imitation is the best form of flattery” and that cultures borrowing from each other only enriches us all. Others argue that while different cultures will always be inspired by and borrow elements from each other, there are times when borrowing crosses the line into theft.

Arguing in favour of the resolution is Monica Harris. She is a TEDx speaker, blogger, and author of The Illusion of Division. She is also Executive Director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to bridging the ideological divide in America by focusing on shared values and interests.

Arguing against the resolution is Nadra Nittle. She is a reporter for The 19th News, and has also written for Vox.com, the Los Angeles News Group, and many others. Her books include “Toni Morrison’s Spiritual Vision” and “Recognizing Microaggressions.”

Free Munk Members can vote on who they think won this debate on our website, www.munkdebates.com

SOURCES: Beyonce

The host of this Munk Debates podcast is Ricki Gurwtiz

To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.

To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/

Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Producer: Daniel Kitts

Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Rudyard and Janice open the show with the big news of the week: the death of Yahya Sinwar. How significant is his death to the current conflict? How will Israel's allies and adversaries take advantage of this moment to get a framework in place for Gaza's future? Can Israel convert their string of tactical victories to a strategic success? Meanwhile, with Iran suffering loss after loss and desperate to save face, it would be foolhardy to assume that because Sinwar is dead the danger is over. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn their attention to the US election. With only twenty days to go, their focus is on Donald Trump's fixation with tariffs that would likely become a key part of American fiscal policy should he win in November. Rudyard and Janice worry that his skewed understanding of tariffs will increase inflation and have devastating consequences on the American economy and particularly the working class he so famously champions.

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.

The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.

Today's episode begins with the disagreement between Israel and the US about how Israel should retaliate against Iran. While the US is trying to scale the response back to a series of limited strikes, Israel has waited for a long time to go after Iran - their biggest strategic threat - in a serious and meaningful way. Will they ever have a better moment? What targets will they go after? And will it be a conventional military response or a more covert operation? In the second half of the show Janice marvels at the groundbreaking research of University of Toronto's Geoffrey Hinton - this year's recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics - that developed deep neural networks, without which there would be no ChatGPT. His work has and will revolutionize every part of our existence. Janice argues that Canadian universities are not getting the financial support their world class researchers so desperately need. Why isn't Canada supporting their centres of excellence?

To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt.

This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue.

More information at www.munkdebates.com.