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 Israe...
Nov 01, 2024•49 min
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 consequ...
Oct 25, 2024•24 min
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 f...
Oct 22, 2024•49 min
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 wee...
Oct 18, 2024•23 min
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 a...
Oct 11, 2024•17 min
For those who have been following the chaos unfolding in the Middle East since October 7th, Dan Senor needs no introduction. A former political foreign policy adviser and a bestselling author, Dan’s popular podcast, Call Me Back, has kept listeners engaged week in and week out by offering unique insight, analysis, and up to date commentary on Israel’s many battle fronts, from the physical wars being waged on its borders, to the inter-Israeli struggles being fought in the Knesset and military, to...
Oct 10, 2024•49 min
The fatal stabbing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport, England set off one of the worst periods of unrest across the UK. Mobs motivated by racial and religious hatred attacked hotels housing migrants and set buildings across the country on fire. The riots exposed an underlying anger at mass migration that has divided the nation. Left wing activists argue that migrants should be welcomed with open arms. They contribute more to the public purse than native born Britons, provide a m...
Oct 09, 2024•53 min
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. On today's Friday Focus we find ourselves in a shape shifting...
Oct 04, 2024•18 min
Israelis are reeling from a massive Iranian ballistic missile attack which forced over 10 million people to take cover in bomb shelters and threatened to pull both countries into an open war. How will Israel respond to this attack? Can they restore deterrence in the region? And will they have the support of the US and other western nations? To make sense of the events of the last few days, and its impact on the collective Israeli psyche, we’re joined again on the program by Yossi Klein Halevi. Y...
Oct 02, 2024•39 min
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 Friday Focus begins with Benjamin Netayahu''s decisio...
Sep 27, 2024•18 min
On this Munk Dialogue we are talking about an academic theory that has become ubiquitous with criticism of Israel and to a larger extent, the West. Adam Kirsch is an editor at the Wall Street Journal and his new book, On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice , explains how this concept - which was once relegated to the halls of academia - has spilled out into the public sphere and is now shaping the way many young people understand history. He argues that the modern concept of set...
Sep 26, 2024•38 min
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 show is all about Israel's pager and walkie talkie at...
Sep 20, 2024•26 min
Thanks to their sheer numbers, Baby Boomers have always had an outsize effect on politics and policy. When they were young and liberal, society became more liberal. As they got older and more conservative, conservatism made a comeback. So, given their power over the decades, how much blame do Boomers deserve for society’s current problems? Many younger people look at the political and economic choices Boomers have made over the course of their lives, and they see a selfish generation that has ta...
Sep 17, 2024•43 min
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 dedicate the entire Friday Focus episode t...
Sep 13, 2024•15 min
Following the execution of six Israeli hostages in Gaza, Israeli protesters are demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agree to a cease-fire deal that would guarantee the release of the remaining hostages. The deal on the table, however, would force Israel to concede to Hamas’s central demand: that the IDF withdraw from the Philadlphi Corridor which separates Gaza from Egypt. Those calling for a ceasefire argue that saving the remaining hostages should be the highest priority for Israel, wh...
Sep 12, 2024•54 min
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 start off the show talking about the signi...
Sep 06, 2024•12 min
Western societies have never been more divided. As the election race heats up in the US, both parties are accusing the other of being a threat to democracy. Meanwhile, years of mass migration into Europe is giving far right parties more power than they have had in decades, and mass riots in the UK have exposed a deep-seated anger that is dividing the nation. Our guest on this Munk Dialogue has a unique insight into these unfolding conflicts. Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia where, as a young ...
Sep 04, 2024•48 min
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 start off the show with news out of the Mi...
Aug 30, 2024•13 min
While the war between Russia and Ukraine drags into its third year and out of the front pages of newspapers, some surprising developments in recent months are giving experts new cause for concern. The US, which has already supplied over fifty billion dollars worth of military aid and weapons to Kiev, has signaled that it is open to sending long-range cruise missiles to enhance the capabilities of Ukraine’s newly acquired F-16 fighter jets. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s army caught Russia off guard this s...
Aug 27, 2024•48 min
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. Janice and Rudyard start the show by reflecting on the DNC co...
Aug 23, 2024•13 min
Israel is facing an existential crisis on all fronts. A devastating war in Gaza. Nonstop rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon. Drone attacks from the Houthis in Yemen. And the very real possibility of a full scale war with Iran that could break out at any moment. And yet, the man who has led Israel through one of its most tumultuous periods in its 76 year existence, Benjamin Netanyahu, maintains that he alone is the person who can keep the country safe. Bibi’s supporters argue that Israel’s ...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 1 min
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. On this week's Friday Focus, Janice and Rudyard talk about re...
Aug 16, 2024•16 min
Within hours of Joe Biden’s announcement that he was bowing out of the presidential race Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. With the full weight of the Democratic party behind her and no opposition to speak of, VP Harris has been awarded the top ticket that proved so elusive to her four years ago. To her supporters, she is uniquely qualified to beat President Trump in November. Her prosecutorial debate skills, experience in the White House, and diverse background has excite...
Aug 13, 2024•46 min
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 Israel waits for a response from Tehran following the assi...
Aug 09, 2024•13 min
If you're a new parent, you've probably heard the term 'gentle parenting'. It's the latest trend that has taken hold among millennials who reject the authoritative principles under which they themselves were raised. This new, softer approach discourages consequences and punishments for bad behaviour in favour of positive reinforcement and a focus on the feelings and emotions which are driving bad behaviour. Proponents of gentle parenting argue that this approach is the most effective way to rais...
Aug 06, 2024•47 min
“We will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to NATO membership”. It was this statement by NATO members at a recent summit in Washington that sent shockwaves through the foreign policy community and elicited strong reactions from both sides of this foreign policy debate. Those in favour argue that bringing Ukraine into NATO would solidify the West’s long-term commitment to Ukraine’s security, force Putin’s hand to end this war, and deter Russia from invading Ukraine in the futur...
Jul 30, 2024•49 min
Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race sent shockwaves across the US - and indeed much of the world - as the Democrats are scrambling to figure out their next move just three months away from the general election. And while it looks like Kamala Harris will be the nominee for the Democrats, there is still a lot of uncertainty around her candidacy and how she will fare on the national stage. To help us make sense of this unprecedented political moment, we’re joined by Jeff Weave...
Jul 24, 2024•38 min
We have never been more polarized. Echo chambers promote information that confirms people’s preconceived notions, regardless of whether the facts presented are true. Which is why journalists are so important to a functioning democracy: we need them to cut through rampant misinformation and deliver fact-based reporting. But do you need journalism schools to do that? Some writers consider j-schools a waste of time: they argue that four years of expensive education would be better used learning on ...
Jul 15, 2024•42 min
**Munk Debate members can vote on who they think won the debate at www.munkdebates.com** Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in his debate against Donald Trump has convinced leading Democrats that Biden cannot be their nominee in November. There are now too many voters concerned about Biden’s age and mental fitness for him to win. A younger, more dynamic candidate would redirect the conversation towards central policy questions and offer a viable alternative to Trump. Furthermore, even if by some...
Jul 09, 2024•41 min
On this Munk Dialogue we are speaking with one of the most successful and well known entrepreneurs of the past 50 years. John Mackey was a 24 year old self described hippie in 1980 when he opened up a small natural foods store in Austin, Texas. But what started off as a niche, counterculture company transformed into one of the most popular and profitable grocery chains in North America with annual sales exceeding $22 billion. Whole Foods transformed the natural and organic food market and made i...
Jul 05, 2024•38 min
