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 with Trump's address at the UN General Assembly this week where he warned European countries that they are "going to hell" due to mass migration. While citizens understandably expect their governments to protect their borders, we can't ignore the fact that we need immigrants for economic growth and low skilled labour that is not being filled by native populations. The test for any government is how they manage immigration to benefit their societies instead of destabilizing them. Is Canada better at integrating new immigrants than European countries? Rudyard and Janice agree that we need to be careful about the rate and pace of change in society to manage our ability to welcome large numbers of newcomers. If we don't do this thoughtfully, we could end up with a hard right populist movement, the kind we are seeing sweep through Europe and parts of the U.S. A sense of shared history, tradition, culture, and community is required to keep people grounded and keep populist politics at bay.

To support 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.

What should we make of Canada's formal recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN? What happened to the conditions the government had originally tied to this recognition? Andrew believes the Carney administration is both trying to send a signal to the ascending Israeli right and join a broader coalition with the other countries - Britain, the UK, and Australia - who lead the way on this initiative. But given the fact that Mahmoud Abbas has presided over a corrupt PA for over 20 years, without elections, is this recognition of statehood simply kabuki theatre? And how is Canada's statement on this issue affecting how activists protest on this issue here in Canada? In the second half of the show Rudyard and Andrew turn to the ongoing saga that is the Trump presidency and his public threat this week to go after political enemies. But America's descent into authoritarianism cannot be blamed solely on the US President; there are a number of incredibly powerful companies, individuals, and advisors whose support of Trump has been rewarded with a concentration of wealth and political power that is handicapping the country's ability to function as a healthy democracy.

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 with the big news story of the week: the capitulation of ABC to the Trump administration, suspending the Jimmy Kimmel Show indefinitely in response to his somewhat innocuous remarks about Charlie Kirk's assasination. Trump is continuing to attack institutions that are integral to the functioning of democracies, and forcing other, smaller organizations to adopt an attitude of anticipatory compliance. This is no longer a question of the US backsliding into authoritarianism; it is already there. In the second half of the show Janice and Rudyard turn to Canada's upcoming federal budget and rumours of a very large projected deficit, coupled with confused messaging about a commitment to austerity and investment. Is the Carney government up to the task of restructuring our economy - and making bold policy changes - to prepare us for the future?

To support 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.