The U.S. government has had a busy week of trade talks. From China to the European Union, tariffs are being negotiated. Who will come out as the winner? In this episode, we're looking at the pros and cons of tariffs, including how they impact i...

Canada is monitoring China's research vessel in Arctic waters, not far from Alaska's coast. What is China doing in the Arctic? Is the U.S. also monitoring this vessel? Plus: The U.S.-brokered minerals-for-security deal between Congo and Rwanda ...

Last Friday was Mandela Day, an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's birthday. What did he say about a free press? Is it essential for democracy? We examine his quote and analyze unsettling developments in the U.S., particularly the federal f...

The Trump administration designated several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations. Has that impacted any cases against alleged cartel leaders? This episode covers the latest news about the case against Ovidio Guzmán López, a Los Chapitos c...

Is the U.S. government reorganizing or unraveling? Last week, the U.S. Department of State experienced mass layoffs, and now, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared a path for further layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education. What will be the re...

We're back from the July Fourth holiday! In this episode, Phoenix Ricks covers the latest news about the gangs of Haiti, Russia's attacks on Ukraine, and Trump's evolving relationship with Vladimir Putin. Also on the list of things to cover: Je...

What do private security forces do around the world? We've recently discussed mercenaries in Africa, but today, we're looking at what American contractors are reporting from Gaza. What are they telling the press? Why aren't journalists allowed ...

Today, much of the country was waiting to see how Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted on the One Big Beautiful Bill. Across party lines, concerns have been raised about the budget bill, with members like Senator Tillis of North Carolina brea...

U.S. funding cuts to humanitarian aid programs have had dire consequences, especially in Sudan. The U.S. previously funded community soup kitchens. Without those community kitchens, babies and children have now starved to death. In this episode...

Today, we're looking at the protests in Kenya and conflicting reports from Kenya's government and civil society groups that are tracking security violence against civilians. We're also covering the earliest known information about the so-called...

Did NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte call Donald Trump "daddy?"  Well, it seems that recollections may vary. We're also reviewing the latest news from the NATO summit, including Trump's win on increased defense budgets. In this episode, w...

Did you know this week is World Female Ranger Week? Less than 22% of global wildlife rangers are women, and there's an organization determined to increase those numbers. We fully support this! We'll also cover the latest on the Israel-Iran ceas...

Today's episode includes updates on two wars: Israel vs. Iran and Russia vs. Ukraine. What do these countries say about the other wars? Which countries are taking sides and why? We also dive into the history of Juneteenth, why corporations are ...

Last weekend, there were No Kings rallies in the U.S., but there's one monarch in the Middle East that leaders could learn from today. King Abdullah II of Jordan is quietly giving a masterclass on supporting allies while defending human rights....

Russia's Wagner Group is leaving Mali, but that doesn't mean Russian mercenaries won't remain there. Why does Mali need to rely on mercenaries? We're also looking at this week's trade talks between the U.S. and China in London and exploring the...

Why is the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology part of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security? It turns out that the Trump administration is using DNA technology to find and arrest immigrants, including children....

Amnesty International is one of the human rights groups calling for an investigation into civilian executions this month in Mali. Who killed these people and why? Which armed groups are fighting in Mali and why? In today's episode, we're explor...

What is Donald Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense project, and why did South Africa's president bring golf professionals and a billionaire to his Oval Office meeting today? We're breaking down both topics in under 10 minutes!

In this episode, we're looking at the present-day impacts of wars in the 1990s. From Jared Kushner's Serbia real estate deal (gone wrong) to repatriation to Rwanda, we're still talking about genocides, civil conflicts, and grave humanitarian is...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Friday Brief! In this episode, you'll learn more about the latest news from the Pentagon, Sen. Fetterman's push to engage Iran, and the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Why is Kashmir one o...

This episode of The Friday Brief is a call to action to support U.S. libraries and museums, which risk federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. Libraries and museums are generally not a political issue, and there's still bipartisan ...

There are anti-Hamas protests in northern Gaza, with Palestinians calling for Hamas leaders to step down from power. Gaza isn't the only place with protests right now. This episode also covers the latest news from Turkey, where protestors are u...

Did the U.S. Department of Justice disobey a judge's verbal and written orders to stop deportations in progress? Some legal scholars believe the answer is yes, implying that the U.S. is on the brink of a constitutional crisis, with the judicial...

As promised, we're keeping track of the Trump administration's fixation with Greenland. After yesterday's debacle in the Senate, is there anything U.S. Democrats can learn from Greenland's latest response to Trump? We've got interesting news fr...

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 ...