Can Trump's trade policies and US protectionism bring economic gains to the middle and working class? On this episode we hear from two people with vastly different perspectives: President Biden's former economic advisor Jared Bernstein , and American Compass Executive Director Oren Cass, whose thinking on these issues have influenced a number of younger Republican politicians such as Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and most importantly, Vice President J.D. Vance...
Mar 07, 2025•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 discussing a New York Times article which details a phone conversation between Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump, duri...
Mar 07, 2025•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 react to the shocking Oval Office pr...
Feb 28, 2025•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Harvard Kennedy School's Stephen Walt and the McCain Institute's Executive Director Evelyn Farkas join us to debate and discuss what a good peace deal for Ukraine would look like, Russia's imperialist ambitions, and how Trump's reverence towards strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are remaking the world order and challenging America's longstanding alliances. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions ...
Feb 28, 2025•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show by talking about Dona...
Feb 21, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, we are bringing you the best moments from the Munk Debate on media bias, which took place in the fall of 2020 in front of a crowd of 3,000 people at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. This is a debate that went viral on social media - it spoke to a vast number of people whose growing distrust in legacy media was finally being addressed. Recent polls show that one third of Americans have low confidence in the mainstream media, while another thir...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show by reacting to the bi...
Feb 14, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle and Vox senior correspondent Zack Beachamp unpack President Trump's plans for Gaza, closing USAID, and what we can expect from a constitutional showdown between this administration and the courts. The host of this Munk Dialogue 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 Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debate...
Feb 12, 2025•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show talking about Preside...
Feb 07, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Liberal democracy has long been credited with the West’s economic development, social tolerance, personal freedoms, and the rule of law. And yet, in recent years, it's been blamed for everything from growing inequality, environmental degradation, political polarization, and cultural fragmentation. Its critics argue that liberalism’s failure to meet the moment has fueled trust societies and given rise to populist movements in the US, England, France, Germany, and even Canada. Is...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast The following is a special episode of Friday Focus featuring Janice and Rudyard in conversation with The Hub’s editor-at-large Sean Speer. They discuss the impact of U.S. tariffs on Canada, the Canadian response to date and what could happen next. To access all of The Hub’s latest analysis and insights on Trump’s tariff on Canada and our response visit www.thehub.ca . This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering ...
Feb 02, 2025•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 epi...
Jan 31, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the first episode of our new series on politics and culture, Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle and Vox senior correspondent Zack Beachamp debate Elon Musk's embrace of far-right political parties, Trump's totalitarian impulses, and the end to DEI in government agencies. The host of this Munk Dialogue 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 Members rece...
Jan 30, 2025•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show with the big internat...
Jan 24, 2025•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jan 23, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show with the big internat...
Jan 17, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 dissect Donald Trump's comments abou...
Jan 10, 2025•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this special edition of the Munk Debates podcast, host Rudyard Griffiths and managing director Ricki Gurwitz take listeners behind the scenes of our Munk Debate on anti-Zionism and explain the reasons behind cancellation of the autumn debate with RFK Jr. They also give a sneak peak into what to expect in 2025 with a revamped podcast and some exciting plans for our in person debates. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths To support civil and substantive debate on the b...
Jan 09, 2025•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 talk about what to expect in Ottawa ...
Jan 03, 2025•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 discuss the latest political develop...
Dec 27, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Together, we shall write an American story of hope, not fear” Joe Biden proclaimed as he took his oath of office in January 2021. His supporters argue that what the President was able to accomplish in four years is nothing short of remarkable. They point to his success at passing the largest infrastructure program since the 1950’s, expanding health care, enacting gun control legislation, and expanding NATO as incredible accomplishments that have cemented his legacy as a transf...
Dec 24, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 surprising ev...
Dec 20, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump’s plan to impose high tariffs on all goods coming into the US, including a 25% tax on items imported from Mexico and Canada, has leaders on both sides of the border on edge as they try to make sense of how these tariffs could impact their businesses and their economy. Stephen Moore is one of President Trump’s economic advisors and is rumoured to have a future role in his administration. He gives us a glimpse into what we can expect from Trump’s tariff agenda, the f...
Dec 18, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 begin today's show reflecting on Jus...
Dec 13, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bashar al-Assad has fled to Russia. Rebel leaders have taken over Damascus. And hundreds of thousands of refugees from the country’s long civil war are making their way back home. And while many in Syria and around the world are rejoicing at the downfall of Assad and his brutal regime, there are growing concerns that the country could go the way of Libya, Yemen, and Iraq, where insurgent groups and sectarian strife have wreaked havoc on the civilian population and created failed stat...
Dec 10, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Democracies are in trouble from South Korea to France to the ...
Dec 06, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that six Indian diplomats were being expelled from Canada due to an alleged campaign to threaten and kill Sikhs on Canadian soil. India responded by sending home six high level Canadian diplomats and issuing a tensely worded statement, accusing Trudeau of initiating and escalating this diplomatic dispute. Relations between the two countries are - needless to say - at their lowest point in recent memory. Dr. Raja Mohan, our guest on this Munk Dialo...
Dec 03, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. This week’s show take up the Trump tariffs on Canada. What ar...
Nov 29, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the protests that followed in the summer of 2020, offices across North America began introducing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training programs with the objective of reducing racial bias and discrimination in the workplace. Lately, however, this multi-billion dollar industry is facing scrutiny by critics who believe these are unproven and expensive programs which are not only ineffective, but counterproductive. DEI training, they argue, often reinforc...
Nov 28, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 the show with the biggest geopolitic...
Nov 22, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
