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.