On Shifting Ground

The Mexican national elections will take place on July 1st. A new president could transform Mexico and, in turn, reset North American political and economic relationships. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss what’s at stake in the elections, from immigration, to NAFTA, to energy production, and what it could mean for US–Mexico relations. Arturo Sarukhan, the former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., and Andrew Selee, Director of the Migration Policy Institute and author of Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together, are in conversation with Ray Suarez, former chief national correspondent for PBS Newshour.

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Direct download: 06_25_18_Mexican_Elections.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

Following President Trump's relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem - timed to coincide with Israel's 70th anniversary - tensions along the border in Gaza have flared. Although a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces was reached on May 30, recent developments in the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians have enduring consequences for both the Middle East and the international community at large. In this week’s episode, we’ll delve into the obstacles to peace and consider potential paths forward. World Affairs CEO Jane Wales talks with Ehud Barak, former Israeli prime minister and minister of defense, and Marwan Muasher, former Jordanian minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister.

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Direct download: 06_18_18_Israel_Palestine.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

In the first summit between American and North Korean leaders, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12th. The stakes -- and tension -- could not be any higher, but the meeting is shrouded in uncertainty. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss how American diplomacy towards North Korea has evolved through different administrations and the potential outcomes of the meeting. What incentives does each leader have, and what’s at stake for each country, to continue the negotiations and make a deal? World Affairs CEO talks with Scott Sagan, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.

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Direct download: 06_11_18_Scott_Sagan.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

As populist governments across Europe sweep into power, the future of the European Union is anything but certain. Italy's newly formed government joins Hungary's and Poland's in the flouting of Europe's traditional liberal democratic values. At the same time, they are also forming what some see as dangerous alliances with historic enemies such as Russia. Most unsettling to global markets is talk of the possibility that some will vote to abandon the Euro. Will Europe's biggest experiment since the end of World War II survive? Heather Grabbe, executive director at Open Society, and Charles Lichfield, a European and Euroasian affairs specialist with Eurasia Group, are in conversation with Ray Suarez, former senior correspondent for PBS' NewsHour. 

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Direct download: 06_04_18_European_Union.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:54am PDT

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