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.

Rudyard and Janice open the show unpacking the effect America's pause on military shipments will have on Ukraine's war effort. Putin has managed to drive a wedge between the US and Ukraine, thus removing the biggest obstacle to his maximalist ambitions. Has America officially walked away from Ukraine? And does Europe have the will, the weapons, and the finances to fill the void and give Ukraine a fighting chance in a war that they are losing? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice take stock of America on its Independence Day and agree that things do not look good from north of the border: a President who shows contempt for the courts and rule of law, and a country that is now spending more money servicing its debt than its military. Both Rudyard and Janice worry for America's short term future under this administration, but both are optimistic that American Exceptionalism can withstand this current moment and save the country from decline.

Thank you to this week’s Munk Curators and Supporters. Your contribution supports our efforts to bring back civil and substantive dialogue to the public square.

Curators:

Dixi L
Vincent C
Frederic G
Bill M

Supporters:

Mary G
James H
Cynthia S
Maria Jose M
Ashvini D
Theodora P
Tim C
Jacob K
Joslyn B
Eugene T
Alexander P
Hannah W
Victor N
stefan S
Kevin B
Kristin E
Sarah C
Ulrike H
Kurt J
Seth B
Dan W
Christine B
Jesse B
Ben R
Tilanthi J
Chris B
Trevor W
Ana R
Michael C
Neil M
Jim B
Jordan G
Frances A
Eric P
Karen B
JOSE A A
Lawrence C
Luke A
Natasha M
Robert C
Gintare M
Erin F
JOSIE W
Joe W
Rick C
Suzanne H
Jay N
florence M
Simon J
Paola L
Sylvia A
Jonathan W
Charles L
Katrina L
Dan B
Jake S
Sebastian T
Julia N
Mark A
Nouri C
Madeleine S
Nathaniel J
Thomas G
Michelle G
John L
Richard C
Ryan L
Braxley L
Patrice T
Aviva R
Alexis K
Cathy G
Matt M
Kevin J
Jocelyn N
Ben P
Mike L
David L
Arin K
Jordan H
Elena T
Stephanie H
Darren K
William K
Ron B
Andy D
Arvind S
Julie P
Patrick H
Juliane S
Omri G
John M
Colin H
Julie C
Linda A
Michael H

To support 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.

Mark Carney is learning quickly - as the digital services tax debacle proved - that attempting good faith negotiations with the US President does guarantee a positive or lasting agreement. What is the point of making concessions of any kind when the goal posts keep moving? Rudyard and Andrew then turn to America's decision to pause weapon shipments to Ukraine on the heels of easing sanctions against Russia. Andrew believes that Trump has done everything in his power to enhance the Russian position while weakening Ukraine's, thus sending an important message to the world's democracies that American support is not guaranteed. Can Mark Carney's spending commitment to build up Canada's defense protect our borders in an increasingly hostile world dominated by strongmen? And perhaps most importantly, how will we find the money to pay for this?

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.

Rudyard and Janice start today's show unpacking the intelligence information about the effectiveness of America's attack on Iran's nuclear sites. While centrifuges at Fordo have been rendered inoperable, a significant amount of enriched uranium has been moved from the site to an unknown location. A diplomatic solution should be explored to prevent Iran from rebuilding their nuclear program, but will Iran trust the US and move towards non-enrichment, or go the way of North Korea and secretly sprint towards a bomb? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to the surprising Democratic mayoral primary in New York City where Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani upset former NY governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani's affordability message resonated with voters and showed that Trump and MAGA do not have a monopoly on the public's growing frustration with economic inequality. This crushing defeat of an established politician reflects a powerful desire for change that party elites - on both sides of the aisle - ignore at their peril.

Thank you to this week’s Munk Curators and Supporters. Your contribution supports our efforts to bring back civil and substantive dialogue to the public square.

Curators:

Dixi L
Vincent C
Frederic G
Bill M

Supporters:

Mary G
James H
Cynthia S
Maria Jose M
Ashvini D
Theodora P
Tim C
Jacob K
Joslyn B
Eugene T
Alexander P
Hannah W
Victor N
stefan S
Kevin B
Kristin E
Sarah C
Ulrike H
Kurt J
Seth B
Dan W
Christine B
Jesse B
Ben R
Tilanthi J
Chris B
Trevor W
Ana R
Michael C
Neil M
Jim B
Jordan G
Frances A
Eric P
Karen B
JOSE A A
Lawrence C
Luke A
Natasha M
Robert C
Gintare M
Erin F
JOSIE W
Joe W
Rick C
Suzanne H
Jay N
florence M
Simon J
Paola L
Sylvia A
Jonathan W
Charles L
Katrina L
Dan B
Jake S
Sebastian T
Julia N
Mark A
Nouri C
Madeleine S
Nathaniel J
Thomas G
Michelle G
John L
Richard C
Ryan L
Braxley L
Patrice T
Aviva R
Alexis K
Cathy G
Matt M
Kevin J
Jocelyn N
Ben P
Mike L
David L
Arin K
Jordan H
Elena T
Stephanie H
Darren K
William K
Ron B
Andy D
Arvind S
Julie P
Patrick H
Juliane S
Omri G
John M
Colin H
Julie C
Linda A
Michael H

To support 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 full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.

Rudyard and Janice begin today's special Friday Focus episode with the Trump initiated ceasefire that allows both Israel and Iran to claim some measure of victory. But does Trump have the power to make the truce hold? Bibi is learning that American help comes with a price, and the Israeli PM is no longer in the driver's seat. Pulling back to look at the bigger picture, Rudyard and Janice explain how America's involvement in this war is a game changer that has reinforced American power in the Middle East and beyond. Has this past week's events - including the notable absence of China and Russia in this conflict - challenged the idea that we are moving into a multipolar world? Have we underestimated American power in the 21st century? And finally, how will a weakened Iranian regime respond domestically to the penetration of its military and collapse of its nuclear program?

To support 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 full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.

In this emergency Friday Focus episode, Rudyard and Janice assess what the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities mean for the future of the Middle East. What are the big takeaways from this game changing moment in the region? Has Iran's capacity to enrich uranium been permanently disabled? And finally, and perhaps most importantly, how will Iran respond? Iranians are a proud people with a culture of resistance. Its leaders believe that Trump deceived them twice. If the US President is serious about peace he needs to open backchannels to Iran immediately, reign in Israel's regime change ambitions, and show he is committed to a deal.

To support 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 full version of today's Friday Focus is available to all members.

Rudyard and Janice start today's show talking about the long term prospects of this war: while Israel has had amazing military successes in the first week, their ability to intercept Iran's ballistic missiles will diminish as this war drags on. Is there a diplomatic opportunity to bring this conflict to an end? And if this is a matter of survival for Iran's top brass, will they finally concede to US demands and dismantle their nuclear program? Rudyard and Janice then turn to Trump and the most consequential test of his presidency so far. Janice argues that his indecision and uncertainty around striking Iran - stoked by the infighting between the hawks and isolationists in his coalition - is fueling a dangerous escalation between Iran and Israel. And even if America decides to strike Fordow, the underground nuclear facility in Iran, there is no way of knowing what the outcome of such an attack will be. Both Rudyard and Janice agree that we are in a crisis over nuclear weapons with the most incompetent set of leaders.

To support 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.

Rudyard is joined by celebrated American-Israeli author and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi to talk about the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. Yossi explains why this attack has almost unanimous support within Israel and how everything changed after October 7th: a collapse in the illusion that they could live next to a genocidal regime whose stated goal is to eradicate them. Israelis, he says, will not make the same mistake twice. Furthermore, Jews have learned from the past that when your enemy threatens to destroy you, take them at their word. Yossi goes on to explain how Israel hopes to trigger an uprising in Iran against a widely detested regime. How do you activate the disaffected silent majority? Will the people of Iran feel emboldened to take to the streets in this rare opportunity? And finally, Yossi has a message to the West: there should be no moral confusion or ambiguity. This should be a moment when the West rallies behind Israel. And if the US, Canada, and Europe aren't prepared to actively support Israel, at the very least they should not undermine its efforts.

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.

Rudyard and Janice start the show with Israel's spectacular strike on Iran that targeted ballistic missiles, nuclear sites, and top military leaders. Janice argues that while this was a successful attack it is far from a devastating blow, and Iran still has the means to retaliate. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice discuss what this means for global stability and the future of warfare. The US is no longer willing to play the world's policeman and regional powers are freer to do what they want. The attack also demonstrated the destabilizing effects of cheap technology, as Israel was able to decapitate the regime's senior leadership with drones lying in wait from inside Iran. And finally, will the Iranian people - the majority of which do not support the regime - seize on this rare moment to rise up against a weakened and brutal theocracy and forge a new path forward?

To support 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.