The Friday Brief by Girl Friday
The Friday Brief is a news podcast by Girl Friday, a boutique global affairs firm in Washington, D.C. We believe awareness impels action for a world of good.
The Friday Brief by Girl Friday
Is Europe preparing for a war?
This episode of The Friday Brief covers two world leaders' addresses to their nations. While Macron's address to France was about defending Ukraine and Europe from Russia, Trump's address reiterated his "America First" policy goals. Given what Macron said, is Europe preparing for a potential war? And, given Trump's treatment of Ukraine's president, Zelensky, will the U.S. side with our allies or with Russia? We also cover the latest news from Sudan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
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Welcome to The Friday Brief, a news podcast by Girl Friday. I’m Phoenix Ricks, the CEO of Girl Friday and your host. This is your brief for March 6, 2025.
Yesterday, NBC reported that President Emmanuel Macron addressed France, saying that Europe must be prepared to defend Ukraine alone, without the aid of the United States. He said, "I want to believe that the U.S. will stand by our side, but we have to be ready for that not to be the case.” Macron wants to ensure that Ukraine will not be abandoned because if Ukraine falls, it will likely impact the rest of Europe. Does Vladimir Putin have his sights set on other nations? Does he plan to expand Russia beyond even Ukraine’s borders? Macron believes so. He said, “Who can believe that in this context, Russia will stop at Ukraine? Russia has become, and will remain, a threat to France and Europe.” Does that sound like Europe is gearing up for a war? Well, Macron preemptively answered that question in yesterday’s address, too. "Whether we reach peace in Ukraine soon or not,” he said, “we need to be able to recognize the Russian threat and better defend ourselves in order to deter such attacks. Whatever happens, we need to provide ourselves with more arms, more equipment in terms of defense, to provide a dissuasive force.”
In Asia, CNN reported that South Korean fighter jets accidentally bombed civilian homes during a live-fire drill with US forces. Eight bombs were “abnormally dropped” from two fighter jets. They landed on civilian infrastructures, injuring people in the process. Initial reports from South Korea’s military show that a pilot may have input incorrect bombing coordinates.
In New Zealand, Politico reported that a top diplomat was fired because of his critical comments about Donald Trump. Politico says that during a live-streamed event, Phil Goff, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, asaid, “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office." and then asked, "But do you think he really understands history?” The New Zealand government says that their diplomats are the face of the country and cannot make these types of “free-think” comments at public events. They say this decision would have been made regardless of the country or leader in question.
Now, looking at news from Africa. Unfortunately, there’s no good news coming from Sudan today. Please note that the report that follows does include mention of violence against children. The AP reported yesterday that since April 2023, at least 20,000 people have been killed in Sudan, though that estimate is likely much lower than the actual number of victims. At least 14 million people have been forced from their homes, and the country is facing a famine. This war between the Sudanese military and their rival paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, has been devastating for children. Human rights groups have reported that both sides have been perpetrators of sexual violence against children and they have initiated forced child marriages. UNICEF says even babies as young as a year old have been raped since the beginning of 2024.
Sexual assault as a tool of war is one of the most heinous war crimes, and both sides should be held accountable by the United Nations. All world leaders should forcefully condemn them. No matter how much we talk about gender based violence and attacks on children during conflicts, it often feels like very little changes. Armed groups, including state-sponsored militaries and rogue militias, have been known to commit these types of war crimes without facing serious consequences.
What can we do to help today? To support children in Sudan immediately, I recommend checking out UNICEF’s work in Sudan and sharing news about what is happening to Sudanese children. UNICEF has a range of programs, from education to health, to help children trapped in this horrific conflict.
When I think about conflicts abroad, like what’s happening in Sudan, I always look to agencies like USAID to see what the U.S. is doing to help vulnerable communities. Thanks to the dodgy DOGE, we’re not doing anything good. That awful fact was proudly highlighted in a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Donald Trump delivered a divisive presidential address rife with factual inaccuracies and random attacks on Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren. NPR has an annotated fact check that is a must-read. They cover everything from his missteps on immigration data and border security to Elon Musk’s unfounded claims about social security fraud. If you have friends or family still trapped in a web of disinformation, you will want to share those fact-checked statements with them.
During the joint address, shameless Republican members of Congress cheered when Donald Trump childishly poked fun at U.S. aid programs and asserted that no one had ever heard of the country Lesotho. For the record, it is a small country in southern Africa known as the Kingdom in the Sky because of its high elevation and gorgeous mountains. Ignorance has sadly become a badge of honor within our government. Our members of Congress oversee national security and economic trade and lead diplomatic affairs. So, we should not have any leaders at the federal level who do not have a basic grasp of geography and dare to find that incompetence amusing.
We see that same bizarre badge of honor extended to people like RFK Jr., who are not medical professionals or scientists but want to dabble in regulations. RFK Jr’s ability to look up an ingredient on the back of a cereal box is not the same as understanding food chemistry. The fact that he can type “vaccine” into a Google search bar does not qualify him to suggest changes to pediatric vaccine schedules. But now, he’s leading our Health and Human Services agencies, buoyed by a fleet of excited online wellness grifters. It would be like me taking over NASA because I love Star Trek and enjoy following astronauts like Emily Callendrelli. Oh, and you definitely should follow her, too. She’s at The Space Gal on Instagram.
To Make America Healthy Again, Great Again, Secure Again, or whatever tagline is next, we must Make America’s Leaders Qualified Again. Our country has fallen prey to scurrilous billionaires who have convinced people that wealth equals genius. Keep going to town halls and calling, emailing, and faxing members of Congress. Demand that elected officials from both parties at all levels of government take decisive steps to save America. Demand that U.S. media outlets tell the truth. Our media should not cave in to the pressure to suppress dissent. Democracy dies in silence, so speak up.
And that concludes your brief for today. Make sure you and your friends don’t miss an episode! Follow Dear Girl Friday on Instagram and TikTok. You can sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter and check out “This Week in DC” on deargirlfriday.com. Until next time, I’m Phoenix Ricks, signing off from Washington, D.C. Let’s work together for a world of good.
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