The U.K. and Germany have signed a defense deal to bolster NATO and European security. But will it do anything to meet their immediate needs and alter the course of the war in Ukraine? Host Anne McElvoy talks to John Healey, the U.K. Defence Secretary — one of the most senior jobs in PM Keir Starmer’s government, which has just passed its first 100 days in office. She sat down with Healey at London’s historic Trinity House, where his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, came to sign a deal to strengthen co-operation between Europe two biggest defense spenders and donors to Ukraine’s war effort. Despite the glad-handing, is there any room for optimism as the war enters another long winter and Americans head to the polls in an election that could have a decisive impact on the outcome? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few countries have as much influence inside and outside the Middle East as Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is an increasingly important power broker in the region, but can it help end the bloodshed and temper Iran’s ambitions?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.K. who, as a member of the House of Saud, has the ear of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What does he make of the U.S. threat to withhold military aid to Israel if it doesn’t allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza? What are the consequences for the region if Israel doesn’t comply? Six years on since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Anne presses the ambassador on what happened and how it has affected the Kingdom’s reputation abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The barrage of Hezbollah rockets, the amassing of Israeli ground forces in Lebanon and the prospect of a retaliatory strike on Iran mark the grim first anniversary of Oct. 7. As Israel considers its options, how much influence do the U.S and its allies have in shaping the response? Host Anne McElvoy talks to two guests with over half a century of top-level diplomacy in the region between them. David Satterfield was until recently the White House special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues and currently leads Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Nicholas Hopton was the U.K.’s ambassador to Iran, Yemen, Qatar and Libya, and is director general of the Middle East Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel's battle with Hezbollah and the recent retaliation from Iran has stoked fears of runaway escalation in the Middle East. Does Tony Blair, former British prime minister and veteran of the quest for a two state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict still believe the region can avoid all-out war? Host Anne McElvoy talks to the former PM about the deepening conflict in the Middle East and whether he sees any prospect of peace and stability. They also discuss the potential of technology to transform public services around the world, the subject of in his recent book, "On Leadership," the race for the White House and what he makes of the new Labour government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking on the presidency of the G7 next year, Canada should be in prime position to shape transatlantic relations alongside its dominant neighbor — regardless of who moves in to the White House. But does Justin Trudeau have what it takes to deliver?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to the Number 2 in Trudeau's government, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, about whether plummeting poll numbers and heavy by-election defeats suggest Canadians have lost faith in the long-serving premier. Trudeau's opponents, led by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, set the ball rolling this week with a motion of no-confidence in parliament. Later, Anne talks to Nick Taylor-Vaisey, author of POLITICO’s Ottawa Playbook on Trudeau's chances of survival in next year's general election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Hillbilly Elegy to vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance has come far since his  hardscrabble roots in Ohio to shape the Trump doctrine for the millennial generation. He’s also gained notoriety for upping the temperature of America’s heated political discourse. But there’s also a philosophical side to Vance, shaped by a network of advisers and supporters on the other side of the Atlantic. Host Anne McElvoy talks to two friends who have watched Vance's rise closely: James Orr, a professor of religion at Cambridge University and a leading figure behind the National Conservative movement in the U.K., and Rod Dreyer, a former American Conservative columnist who has links to Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán. Anne is also joined by Jonathan Martin, POLITICO’s politics bureau chief and senior political columnist, to reflect on Vance's career prospects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sparks flew in the first U.S. presidential debate Tuesday night between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. How will the encounter shape the final stretch of the campaign to the Nov. 5 election — and what does it mean for the rest of the world?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to POLITICO’s Global Editor-in-Chief John Harris, a doyen of debate coverage, about Harris's goading of Trump and whether it marks a shift in the campaign. She is joined by John B. Emerson, a prominent Californian Democrat, who has raised funds for Kamala Harris in her home state. Having served in the Clinton administration before becoming the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Emerson discusses the impact of the debate on America’s allies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel between 2006 and 2009, believes Britain’s suspension of some of its arms exports is a “mistake” that won’t affect the country’s military campaign in Gaza and may prove a wasted opportunity for PM Keir Starmer to influence events in Gaza. Talking to host Anne McElvoy, Olmert criticizes Britain's decision and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the war. They also discuss whether the race for the White House will impact events in the Middle East. Later, Anne is joined by POLITICO Europe's opinion editor and veteran reporter on the region, Jamie Dettmer, to reflect on Netanyahu's record of survival and what America makes of Britain's change of tack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the U.S. presidential debate now confirmed, our guests explain the tips and tricks that could help Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win their first head-to-head encounter on Sept. 10 — and why there has been a pre-debate row over format and mics. Host Anne McElvoy is joined by Brett O’Donnell, a veteran expert on preparing candidates for debate on both sides of the pond, having coached Republicans Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush, as well as prepping Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for their televised tussles in the U.K. POLITICO’s Rachael Bade, co-author of our Playbook in Washington, reveals which way the political winds are blowing, following last week’s momentous Democratic National Convention and how the rival  Trump-Harris campaigns are preparing for the forthcoming debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris wound up the Democratic National Convention in Chicago by staking her claim to be the next president of the United States. Does the Democrat have the momentum to beat Donald Trump? Moments after the Harris finale at the DNC, host Anne McElvoy sat down with John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, and Eugene Daniels, White House correspondent and co-author of POLITICO's D.C. Playbook. They discuss Harris' pitch and what she needs to do in the next weeks of a closely fought race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live on stage at the CNN-POLITICO Grill in Chicago, host Anne McElvoy talks to U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois senator — a decorated war veteran — has fiercely defended the military record of Tim Walz, the running mate of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, against Republican criticism that he exaggerated his service. Here at the DNC, Duckworth discusses Harris' economic plans and talks passionately about her use of IVF as a row deepens with Republicans over fertility treatment. She goes on to say that Harris will "kick [Trump's] butt" when they meet in their televised debate next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s the “queen of Europe” and her reign is set for another five years. Ursula von der Leyen’s reelection as president of the European Commission comes amid the war in Ukraine and a rise of the far right. She is a figure who seeks to bring calm to political storms. But could the outcome of the race for the White House change that? Host Anne McElvoy talks to two of POLITICO’s keenest observers of the transatlantic relationship, Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini and Jakob Hanke Vela who is heading to Washington to launch POLITICO's new DC Decoded newsletter, linking Washington and Berlin. Later, she'll speak to a VDL insider — Virginijus Sinkevičius served as European commissioner for environment until two weeks ago and is now a member of the European Parliament and a vice president of the Green group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kamala Harris' sudden elevation to likely Democrat nominee has transformed the race for the White House. As President Biden passed the baton, can she beat a resurgent Donald Trump?Host Anne McElvoy talks to the doyen of American constitutional experts, Philip Bobbitt, about the significance of the Biden transition to Harris. As Lyndon Baines Johnson's nephew, he has a personal connection with the last time a president stood aside — in 1968 — a year that rocked the Democratic Party.Later, she explores how this week has galvanized the race with John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, and Ryan Lizza, host of POLITICO’s "Deep Dive" podcast and co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been an eventful few days at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, are preparing to take the stage for their set-piece speeches. How will they set the tone for the election campaign?Inside the convention center, host Anne McElvoy talks to Hogan Gidley, press secretary during Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, about the key messages the former president will be hoping to land with voters in the battleground states that will determine the race.Later she's joined by POLITICO's A-Team to take the temperature of a dramatic week: John Harris, global editor-in-chief, and Eugene Daniels, POLITICO’s White House correspondent and co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Daniels has also just been appointed president of the White House Correspondents’ Association for 2024-25. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reince Priebus is one the Republican Party's veteran power brokers. He served Donald Trump as his first White House chief of staff and chairs the host committee at this year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.As Republican delegates gather in the aftermath of a dramatic couple of days, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Priebus live on stage at the CNN-POLITICO Grill. They discuss the attempted assassination, its impact on the party and the significance of his choice of a vice presidential running mate.Later, Anne talks to POLITICO's Global Editor-in-Chief, John Harris, about the surreal atmosphere at the convention and what it means for the race for the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh from his landslide victory, Britain’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has flown to Washington to join other leaders of NATO countries as they meet for the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit.As the war in Ukraine takes another ugly turn following a week of heavy Russian bombardment, can NATO turn the tide of the losses? Host Anne McElvoy talks to General Patrick Sanders, who has recently left his role as head of the British Army, about the challenges facing NATO, why the UK needs to increase its defense budget and the new government's proposed defense pact with the EU.They also discuss his proposal for military service, which caused a storm earlier in the year and at the recent general election, as well as mental health in the military. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all change in the U.K. Labour's historic landslide election victory beckons a different kind of leadership for Britain on the world stage after 14 years of Conservative rule.Keir Starmer, who stepped into his new job as PM, will have little time to define his approach to the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and contend with a more assertive China. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair's long-serving chief of staff in Downing Street and former diplomat, about how the new prime minister is likely to forge key relationships around the world.She's also joined by POLITICO's editor-at-large in Washington, Matt Kaminksi and POLITICO Europe’s editor-in-chief, Jamil Anderlini to discuss what Starmer’s victory means for the U.K's European and transatlantic relations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The recent shift to the right in the European Parliament election doesn't bode well for the continent's dwindling band of social democratic leaders, one of the most prominent of whom, former Finnish PM Sanna Marin, was shown the door by voters last year.Finland is a country of renewed prominence due to its proximity to Putin's Russia — which led Marin to apply to join NATO, ending decades of Finnish neutrality. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Marin about Putin’s war in Ukraine, her warning that Europe needs to do more to meet the challenges posed by big tech, and why the continent needs more female leaders. Marin also leaves the door open to returning to elected politics, with a "never say never" mantra.The conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the recent Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which took place before the European election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Election fever is gripping both sides of the North Atlantic. As Britain heads into the final weeks of a long election campaign, French voters face a snap parliamentary election. The Biden-Trump race for the White House draws ever closer. One man who knows about how to run a campaign is Jim Messina — known in Washington as "the fixer."Messina is the mastermind behind President Obama's re-election campaign in 2012 and David Cameron's surprise victory for Britain's Conservatives in 2015. In this week's edition, host Anne McElvoy asks him what advice he would give to President Biden as he prepares for the first televised debate with Donald Trump next week — and to Rishi Sunak, who's leading the Conservatives to what may be an historic defeat in the U.K.Messina says parties on both sides of the pond need to "shut up and listen to voters" about their concerns on immigration and the economy. "Voters are so much smarter than anyone gives them credit for," he tells McElvoy. "If you have bad ingredients, you're not gonna make a perfect cake," he adds — saying that a disciplined campaign can only achieve so much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It takes a brave — some may say reckless — leader to call a general election when trailing in the polls by 20 percent.With three weeks to go to polling day on July 4, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s gamble looks like it will backfire, possibly spectacularly so, with perilous consequences for the country's oldest political party, the Conservatives. For one of the most powerful members of his Cabinet, the Chancellor — Britain's top finance minister — Jeremy Hunt, it means a fight for his political life.Host Anne McElvoy joins him on the campaign trail in his Surrey constituency, a place which used to be rock solid territory for the Conservatives. Hunt concedes that voters feel "battered" by the cost of living crisis and "quite understandably hold the guys at the top to account."Anne is also joined by POLITICO's deputy U.K. editor Rosa Prince for her reflections on the state of the campaign and Hunt's warning that a vote for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party could mean an "even bigger majority for Labour." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conviction of Donald Trump in a criminal trial in New York has electrified the race for the White House. But will it make a difference to how the arguments will play out in the campaign — especially on what the contest means for the rest of the world?K.T. McFarland is a leading supporter of Trump’s campaign, a MAGA Republican who served as his deputy national security adviser. She’s an influential voice on defense and foreign policy in Republican circles. Host Anne McElvoy talks to McFarland about how she thinks Trump could resolve the war in Ukraine and his plans to bring Putin's regime to its knees by weaponizing the price of oil.A veteran of the first Reagan administration, McFarland reflects on the former president’s legacy 20 years after his death and the state of the Atlantic alliance 80 years on since the D-Day landings in Normandy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, host Anne McElvoy asks Jane Hartley, United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, about the future of the transatlantic "special relationship."Hartley discussed the future of U.S.-U.K. relations in light of the International Criminal Court seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; revealed her surprise at the snap U.K. election called for July 4; and as a close ally of President Biden, explains why his age is an asset, not a problem.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Anne McElvoy talks to Leonid Volkov, who was Alexei Navalny's long-serving chief of staff and campaign manager, about his mission to provide a democratic alternative to Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime in the Kremlin. They spoke on the stage at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.The sudden death of Navalny, the most prominent opposition leader in Russia, sent shockwaves around the world earlier this year. He died in suspicious circumstances while being held in an arctic prison colony. Many campaigners, including his widow and closest associates, will not rest until they get answers about what happened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's edition of Power Play comes from the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, where host Anne McElvoy talks to President Zelenskyy’s closest aide, Andriy Yermak, and former NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. As Russian forces advance on Kharkiv, delays in weapons deliveries from the U.S. and Europe are proving costly. Now the war has reached a critical moment for Zelenskyy's leadership — and Ukraine. They discuss its ability to withstand Russia's biggest attack yet, a new plan to accelerate NATO membership — and whether security guarantees from the West can bolster the embattled country's future security.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Among the business leaders, philanthropists and other luminaries attending this year's Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles are politicians — looking to set the record straight, with an eye to future opportunities.Power Play host Anne McElvoy joined the Beverly Hills crowd — and talked to Kevin McCarthy, the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to be ousted during a legislative session. McCarthy reflects on his dramatic downfall and lauds the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elbridge Colby is a hot pick to be Donald Trump's national security adviser if the former president returns to the White House next year. It's a role which holds huge sway over America's position on the world stage.An influential voice in foreign policy circles in Washington, Colby leads the Marathon Initiative, a conservative think tank grappling with how America confronts an increasingly assertive China — a subject that is testing both Democrats and Republicans. In this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Colby, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Trump administration, about U.S. strategy towards China, Russia and Europe — and whether America can rely on its traditional allies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"America will always defend democracy in its hour of need. We tell our allies: we will stand with you. We tell our adversaries: don’t mess with us." The words of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck a rare note of bipartisanship as Congress finally approved a multi-billion dollar package of support to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.  For America’s allies, there was a collective sigh of relief. No more so than at the British Embassy in Washington, where host Anne McElvoy presents this week's special episode of Power Play. She talks to the outgoing ambassador, Karen Pierce, about whether the so-called "special relationship" will endure, despite the potential changes of government in Washington and London later this year and the spectre of war around the globe.Anne is also joined by John Harris, POLITICO's global editor-in-chief, to mark a weekend of political showmanship and intrigue culminating in the annual White House Correspondents' dinner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will responses to the confrontation between Israel, its allies and Iran redefine the line that divides Donald Trump and Joe Biden?Host Anne McElvoy talks to Kim Darroch, the former British ambassador to Washington and former U.K. national security adviser, about the scenarios facing President Biden and what Trump might do if he returns to office. They also discuss the options available to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in responding to Iran's failed attack.They are joined by Nahal Toosi, POLITICO’s senior foreign affairs correspondent in Washington, who has been reporting on this week's dramatic developments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marked the grim six-month milestone since the Hamas terror attack on Israel and the ensuing counter-attack on Gaza, which has led to a mounting death toll and a humanitarian crisis that has divided world opinion.While President Joe Biden's White House struggles to help end the bloodshed, what would his opponent — Donald Trump — do differently if he were voted into office later this year?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to the Heritage Foundation's Robert Greenway, who knows more than most about Trump’s approach to the Middle East as the architect of the Abraham Accords — and may well be part of his inner team if the former president returns to power in November. As a key adviser in the previous administration, Greenway discusses how a second Trump presidency would deal with the Middle East, Iran, Russia and China.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of a devastating Islamist terror attack in Moscow, the dark arts of spreading disinformation are again in focus as Russia’s President Vladmir Putin pins blame for the assault on Ukraine.As a widening array of countries and malign actors spread fake news and analysis, real life consequences are all too clear. How can democracies like the United States and its allies confront information warfare from their adversaries in the era of artificial intelligence?Host Anne McElvoy talks to James Rubin, who leads the Global Engagement Center within the U.S. State Department. Reporting to Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, his job is to disentangle propaganda and disinformation targeting the United States and its allies around the world.Power Play will return after the Easter break with the next edition on April 11. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the specter of a famine and a possible ground incursion of Rafah looming, Israel's allies are fretting. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of an impending catastrophe in Gaza. Yet Benjamin Netanyahu says “no international pressure will stop Israel” from achieving its war aims. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and uncertainty about who will be calling the shots in the White House next year are testing European foreign ministers — and those vying for their jobs. Nowhere more so than in Britain’s Labour party, which is under closer scrutiny as it looks likely to form the next U.K. government.Host Anne McElvoy talks to Labour's David Lammy about the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, cultivating friendships across the aisle in Washington and paying tribute to Margaret Thatcher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that Donald Trump is all but certain to lead his party into November’s presidential election in the U.S., it’s make up your mind time for Republicans – are they with him or not? One of them is a big gun in Floridan politics, the Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez. Suarez earned a national profile by briefly entering the race for the White House last year before dropping out as the Trump bandwagon rumbled on. He’s gained wider attention for his efforts to lure companies to Miami, with an eye on turning the city into a crytpo hub and the next Silicon Valley. In this week's episode, host Anne McElvoy sits down with the mayor in his waterfront offices in Miami. They discuss his recent endorsement of Donald Trump, the changing character of the Republican Party and the crisis on America's Southern border. Suarez also responds to allegations of impropriety in his administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Maine to California, Super Tuesday is the biggest date in the calendar for the United States primary election — a third of delegates for the Republican and Democratic conventions have been chosen. While Donald Trump didn’t quite manage a clean sweep, the former president looks all but certain to face Joe Biden in November — now that the only other contender for the Republican crown, Nikki Haley, has pulled out. As President Biden makes his final State of the Union address before the election, it’s shaping up to be an epic rematch of 2020 ... with even higher stakes at home and abroad. From Washington, host Anne McElvoy brings together two of POLITICO's finest minds on the state of play in this year's race for the White House. She's joined by John Harris, global editor-in-chief and co-founder of POLITICO, who's observed many Super Tuesdays; and Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs reporter, who's following the race being played out in the courts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As European leaders gathered in Paris this week, there was a sense of foreboding about the war in Ukraine, and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is a further reminder of how far the Kremlin will go to suppress its foes.Nowhere is the threat posed by Russia felt more acutely than on Europe’s Eastern frontier — and especially in Estonia, home to a significant ethnic Russian population.  In this episode, host Anne McElvoy talks to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas about the war in Ukraine, as it enters its third year, her campaign to be NATO’s next secretary-general and how she feels about being on Putin's "wanted" list.Kallas also responds to suggestions that Western allies could send troops to Ukraine — and described how seriously she takes Donald Trump’s threat not to defend NATO countries who don't pay up on defense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Munich Security Conference, host Anne McElvoy speaks to U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Celeste Wallander, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.News of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny set the tone for the conference, where securocrats and world leaders gathered to discuss the mounting crises facing decision-makers.Our guests discuss how America and its allies should deal with pressing conflicts — from Ukraine's stalemate to the war in Gaza, and the specter of a possible Donald Trump return. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As security and defense chiefs descend on Bavaria this weekend for the annual Munich Security Conference, can anything be done to dampen down the geopolitical fires around the world? On everyone's lips will be Donald Trump's latest campaign salvo, which has shaken confidence in America’s commitment to the Atlantic defense alliance. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine, along with the crisis in the Red Sea, also top the agenda.Host Anne McElvoy talks to two of POLITICO’s heavy hitters about what to expect. Alexander Ward, national security reporter and anchor of "National Security Daily" in Washington; and Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO's Global Playbook, appearing in your inbox each morning from Munich.Power Play's subsequent episode — featuring an exclusive interview with a leading figure in global security — will be released as the conference wraps up this weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The largest NATO exercise since the Cold War is underway in the North Atlantic. The most powerful military alliance on the planet is putting on a show of strength — hoping that the Kremlin is taking note.As Congress struggles to agree a new package of American support for Ukraine, can the rest of the alliance share the burden?In this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy speaks to the U.K.'s Ambassador to NATO, David Quarrey, about the alliance's readiness for a potential conflict with Russia, military support for Ukraine from its members and whether talk of a separate European defense capability will become reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump’s seemingly unstoppable campaign to win the Republican nomination gathers pace, most eyes in America and the world are moving to the more important contest — between him and Joe Biden. Trump’s resurgence is causing jitters in the Biden camp. He has a small but consistent lead in national polls. Will Biden manage to keep hold of the electoral coalition that brought him to the White House four years ago?Host Anne McElvoy brings together two leading pollsters and party strategists for their inside analysis of where the race is heading. Jim Hobart is partner at Public Opinion Strategies, who has worked on Republican campaigns; Maggie Omero is principal at the Democratic polling firm GBAO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much attention is Africa receiving as the world remains transfixed by wars in Europe, the Middle East, and as elections in the West loom?This week, host Anne McElvoy talks to the award-winning musician and activist Angélique Kidjo about her campaign to improve education for girls in Africa and to address the humanitarian needs of her native continent.They also discuss the U.K.'s attempts to send illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda. (Spoiler alert: The five-time Grammy winner calls on U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to abandon the policy, which she reviles as "another way of slavery.")Music courtesy of World Economic Forum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The focus of the 2024 World Economic Forum at Davos was on rebuilding trust, with artificial intelligence top of the agenda. Since the roll out of AI-powered chat bots, AI has developed a major trust problem among the public. The majority of Americans said last year that the risks of AI outweigh the potential benefits, and in the EU, Europeans were overwhelmingly in favor of restrictions around its use to protect jobs and privacy.Meanwhile, implementation by corporations is steadily growing. A 2023 AI Adoption Index from IBM and Morning Consult found 73 percent of companies surveyed are actively deploying or exploring AI in their business. AI built on a foundation of trust and transparency could be a catalyst that drives progress for society and the economy, creates jobs for a new era and reshapes the world for the better. But, continued public skepticism in the technology could be a serious roadblock to realizing AI’s future.On a special branded episode of Power Play, from our sponsor IBM, we explore AI’s trust problem and what business and political leaders can do to rebuild trust in the technology. The episode features Rob Thomas, senior vice president of software and chief commercial officer at IBM, who talks about ways to ensure the deployment of responsible AI, the importance of good data when creating AI models for business, and why policymakers need to ensure that future regulations still allow innovation to flourish.Power Play is a POLITICO original podcast series.This special branded episode from IBM was produced by POLITICO Focus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the World Economic Forum draws to a close in Davos, Power Play rounds off the week with analysis of an eventful week in the Swiss Alps.Host Anne McElvoy brings together a top team of POLITICO's reporters: Alex Ward, national security reporter based in Washington; Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent; and Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO's Global Playbook, your must-read each morning to keep up with the latest news from Davos.They discuss China's notable presence this week, President Zelensky's plea for the international community to refocus on Ukraine's war with Russia and whether American eyes have been distracted by events back home as Donald Trump returns to the fray. We unpack how the business community is grappling with fast-changing technological advances as well as geopolitical uncertainty in a bumper election year. And stay tuned to hear who our team deems as the surprising "hero" of the Davos crowd.Further reading:"Why the Davos Smart Set Sounds Dumb," by John Harris"China snubs Zelenskyy in Switzerland," by Nahal Toosi"Lawmakers’ short stay in Davos spiked fears of a distracted America," by Alex Ward"Trump’s ghost stalks Davos," by Suzanne Lynch and Zachary Warmbrodt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron sits down with Anne McElvoy at the World Economic Forum to discuss the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Britain's role in the Israel-Hamas war, as well as Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine — which he says is his "absolute number one priority." Cameron adds, "One thing we can do is demonstrate during the course of this year that Putin isn't winning."Cameron also addresses U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to process their applications (known as the Rwanda policy) and reveals more about his return to front-line Conservative party politics, reflects on what it's like to be a former prime minister returning in a different role. "I say that being prime minister for six years was a good apprenticeship for being foreign secretary," he tells Anne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's emphatic victory in the Iowa caucuses has been the talking point of many at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Meanwhile, the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence is also never far from the lips of those attending this year's WEF.In today's edition of Power Play — continuing our special coverage of Davos — host Anne McElvoy explores these two prevailing themes.Anne talks to Anthony Scaramucci, who was briefly White House director of communications under President Trump, about the impact technological advances like AI are having on the economy. They also dive into the consequences of the Iowa result for the United States and the rest of the world.Then Anne talks to James Manyika, senior vice president of technology and society at Google, about how the how AI is changing the world before our eyes — a subject he's advised on from the White House to the world’s leading tech companies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the World Economic Forum gets underway in Davos, many of the world's most powerful business leaders, politicians and tech gurus — and even the odd veteran pop star — have arrived in the Swiss Alps hoping to set the agenda for the year ahead. This week we present four episodes of Power Play with an array of interviews and analysis. Today, host Anne McElvoy brings together three of POLITICO's keenest Davos watchers to chart the week ahead. She's joined by Alex Ward, a national security reporter based in Washington; Nahal Toosi, a senior foreign affairs correspondent; and Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO's Global Playbook, your must-read each morning to keep up with the latest news from Davos.Together they'll explore a range of topics including how the prospect of a Trump return is impacting discussions, as well as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's in-person push to regain the spotlight for Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After weeks of relative calm, Russian forces ushered in the New Year by pounding Ukrainian cities. While global attention has been gripped by the war in Gaza, it’s a reminder that there is no end in sight to the conflict in Ukraine. This week, NATO ambassadors met in Brussels to reinforce their commitments to help Ukraine’s air defences fend off devastating Russian air strikes, which have killed dozens of people in the last few days. It's a critical moment for Kyiv as continued military and financial support from the U.S. and the EU hangs in the balance.In this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Krišjānis Kariņš, Latvia's foreign minister, one of the contenders to become NATO's next secretary-general, about the alliances's plans to combat renewed Russian aggression.And Anne is joined by Matthew Kaminski, editor at large at POLITICO in Washington, and Jan Cienski, senior policy editor at POLITICO in Europe to hear our own experts delve into the what 2024 brings for Ukraine — and NATO. Further reading: "Zelenskyy in Lilliput: Someone Shrunk Ukraine’s War Coalition," by Matthew Kaminski Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we enter a mammoth election year on either side of the Atlantic, Power Play looks back on the highlights from our interviews in 2023 to set the scene for the big geopolitical stories of 2024. In this week's bumper New Year edition, host Anne McElvoy takes a tour through the best of Power Play since the podcast launched last September, talking to some of the most influential figures in the United States, Europe and beyond. We'll hear from prime ministers, business leaders, diplomats and generals about major conflicts, fraught elections and tussles over how to address climate changeGuests include John Kerry, Rishi Sunak, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ron Prosor, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Mark Carney, Mathias Döpfner, David Petraeus and Keir Starmer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Taiwan, political parties are entering the final stint of a lively campaign as voters prepare to go to the polls in a presidential election on 13 January. With a population of 23 million, Taiwan is at the precarious juncture of the South and East China seas, buffeted by geo-strategic gusts as China maintains its claim on sovereignty. In this special edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Vincent Chao, a prominent figure from the incumbent pro-independence party, hoping to win an unprecedented third term, and Alexander Huang, from the principal opposition party, which seeks closer links with Beijing. And Anne speaks to the man who is about to head to Washington to become Taiwan’s top diplomat — Alexander Yui.To reflect on the interview with the ambassador and look ahead to the final weeks of the election campaign, Anne is joined by Stuart Lau, co-author of POLITICO’s China Watcher newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As negotiators from nearly 200 countries enter the final week of climate talks at COP28 in Dubai, all eyes will be on the big players and who moves first.In this week’s special edition of Power Play from Dubai, host Anne McElvoy talks to one of the most influential figures in the talks — John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate. A close ally of President Joe Biden and veteran of climate negotiations over several decades, the former secretary of state has the ear of this year's controversial host — COP president Sultan Al-Jaber from the UAE.Kerry also has a domestic audience in mind. He tells Power Play: "The subsidies are crazy and we have them still in the United States. President Biden has said we've gotta get rid of these subsidies. But again ... you have to legislate to do that and we've been pretty gridlocked in our country for a period of time."To reflect on the interview and look ahead to the finale of this year's COP, Anne is joined by POLITICO climate and energy reporter Zack Colman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The diplomatic caravan is rolling into Dubai for this year’s COP — the United Nations' round of global climate talks. Scores of world leaders and luminaries — including King Charles and the pope — from nearly 200 countries are due to attend, alongside an estimated 70,000 delegates.What are the chances of a meaningful agreement emerging at COP28? In this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Mark Carney, the U.N.’s special envoy for climate finance and action. He's banging the financial drum for the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, encouraging CEOs, financiers and leaders to put their money where their mouths are. "Let's see who stands up in the UAE at COP amongst the oil and gas companies and countries and we'll start to judge who's performing and who isn’t," he says as the conference begins.Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the interview. Zack Colman is a climate and energy reporter at POLITICO in Washington and Rachel Kyte is visiting professor at the Blavatnik school at Oxford University and co-chair of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Heatherwick’s designs have become icons in his home city of London, including the eye-catching cauldron at the 2012 Olympic Games and the reimagined Routemaster bus. The British designer's projects have popped up around the world — and not without controversy.In this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Heatherwick about his mission to change the way our cities and urban areas are built. His new book "Humanise" implores mayors and town planners around the world to replace "boring" buildings, arguing that they damage our health and the environment. Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the interview. Aitor Hernández-Morales is author of the Living Cities Global Policy Lab at POLITICO Europe, and Jeff Coltin is co-author of POLITICO’s New York Playbook.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel’s most senior diplomat – Michael Herzog, the ambassador to the U.S. – is in the eye of a diplomatic storm in the country that is Israel’s most vital ally. He insists that a ceasefire "would invite the next war."In this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Ambassador Herzog about Israel's raid on Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital, how long the conflict is likely to last and the U.S.'s discussions with Israel on what happens after the war.Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the interview. Jamie Dettmer is POLITICO Europe’s opinion editor, who's reporting from Israel, and Alex Ward, POLITICO’s national security reporter in Washington D.C. and anchor of “National Security Daily.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One month after war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the solidarity of European leaders is being tested. Nowhere more so than in Greece, on the EU's southern border, which has traditional ties to Israel and Arab states.On this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on his concerns about the war in the Middle East, Greece's proximity to the region, and the prospect of increasing humanitarian aid via a sea corridor.They also discuss Greece's economic revival, relations with Turkey, the challenges of dealing with migrant boat crossings and climate change.Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the interview. Jamie Dettmer is POLITICO Europe's opinion editor, and Matt Kaminski is POLITICO’s editor-at-large in Washington D.C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 100 leading figures from the biggest tech companies and governments across the globe have assembled for Britain’s two-day AI Safety summit. The UK hopes the event will galvanize power players into agreeing common aims to regulate the growth of artificial intelligence.In this early edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the risks and opportunities posed by AI, as well as other pressing global issues.Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the summit, including Steven Overly, host of POLITICO's daily Tech podcast, and Matt Honeycombe-Foster, U.K. news editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Middle East crisis deepens, how should the West react to a growing sense of unease about the world order?On this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Europe's leading digital publisher, Axel Springer (POLITICO's parent company).His new book, "Trade Trap," calls for a new approach to free trade between democracies. He believes we are experiencing a "war of systems, and it is truly a battle between democracies and autocracies."Anne is also joined by POLITICO's head of news in Europe, Christian Oliver and Rana Mitter, an expert on U.S.-Asia relations from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The carnage on the streets of Gaza and mounting tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbours presented a bleak and chaotic backdrop for President Biden’s impromptu visit to Tel Aviv. Is this a conflict on the brink of exploding across the region? In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to David Petraeus, the former director of the CIA and four-star general who led coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has co-authored a new book, "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine," which draws on the lessons of warfare since 1945. His warnings about the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive will raise alarm bells around the world.Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the consequences of this week’s events for the U.S., Europe and the wider world. Alex Ward is POLITICO’s national security reporter in Washington, D.C. and Joshua Posaner is POLITICO’s senior defense reporter in Berlin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The horrific events unfolding in Israel have sent shockwaves around the world. As the death toll mounts from Hamas' deadly attacks and Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza, how will the ensuing conflict alter the power balance of the Middle East and its alliances?In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Ron Prosor, Israel's ambassador to Germany. Prosor has also served as the Israeli Ambassador to the UK and Permanent Representative to the UN.She also talks to Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, to get insight into the mood in a city at the heart of tensions in the Middle East.Anne is joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the consequences of this week's events for the US, Europe and the wider world. Lara Seligman, POLITICO’s defense reporter in Washington DC and Sam Wilkin, policy editor in POLITICO's Brussels newsroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crisis in the U.S. House of Representatives is resonating far beyond Washington, not least in Ukraine, where the durability of America's commitment to the war effort has been thrown into doubt after future funding was omitted from its recent stopgap funding deal.Can Ukraine and its allies in Europe go it alone without agreement on further aid from Congress? And is America’s foreign policy shifting away from the days of spreading liberal democracy?In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Michael Froman, president of the influential Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The Council’s recommendations are heeded in the Oval Office, State Department as well as European capitals — a bellwether for America’s approach to the world.They explore how the U.S. foreign policy establishment is dealing with the war in Ukraine, the rise of protectionism, liberal democracy, China and the prospect of another Trump presidency. Are the days of America acting as the world's policeman over? Anne is joined by POLITICO's "Power Panel" to reflect on the choices facing the Biden administration and the impact in European capitals. This week's panel are Heidi Vogt, POLITICO's national security editor in Washington and Nicholas Vinocur, editor-at-large for POLITICO Europe in Brussels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The exit of the most powerful player at News Corp has made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. At 92, Rupert Murdoch has decided to step down as executive chairman, making way for his son Lachlan. But will much change, given Rupert Murdoch's reputation for being close to the action?In this week's episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Michael Wolff, long-time chronicler of the Murdoch empire and biographer. His latest book, "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty," is published this week.They discuss what's at stake for News Corp and Fox and what the change at the top will mean for general elections in the U.S. and the U.K. next year.Later, Anne talks to POLITICO’s assembled “Power Panel” to chart their way through a fast-changing media and political landscape. She's joined by Jonathan Martin, POLITICO's senior political reporter in Washington, and Emilio Casalicchio, author of London Playbook PM.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this inaugural episode of POLITICO's new global podcast Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to the man who hopes to be Britain's next prime minister, Keir Starmer.In a wide-ranging interview on global affairs, the Labour leader reveals his concerns about China. He warns that the U.K. needs to “wean itself off” China “when it comes to trade, commerce and technology.”Starmer also tells Anne what he thinks about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the war in Ukraine and his vision for a "clean energy alliance" around the world.Later, Anne talks to POLITICO's assembled “Power Panel” from New York City, where the annual U.N. General Assembly is underway. As leaders gather on the international stage, Rosa Prince, the editor of London Playbook and Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent in Washington, D.C. share their analysis of Starmer's thinking about the world and what it might mean for transatlantic relations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

POLITICO's new weekly transatlantic podcast Power Play is officially coming to your podcast feed on Thursday, September 21!Hosted by renowned British journalist Anne McElvoy, Power Play takes listeners inside the minds of those who wield power to better understand the choices they face. The show features guests at the top of their fields in government, business, civil society and more — accompanied by the expert analysis of journalists across POLITICO's newsrooms globally, giving listeners the inside take on the most significant issues raised by the guest, as well as the implications.Be sure to sign up to receive email alerts every time a new episode publishes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an exclusive interview for POLITICO's forthcoming podcast Power Play, Richard Moore, chief of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service — MI6 — speaks to Anne McElvoy about how the culture of agencies like MI6 is changing.Recorded in Prague, a city that shaped the outcome of the Cold War, Moore shares revealing insights into MI6's approach to Russia, China and other threats to the West. Britain's chief spy explains why he believes the West needs to commit to a battle for freedom and against authoritarian regimes akin to the Prague Spring of 1968.  They share a personal conversation about how their experiences of the Cold War (Moore as a rising star of Western intelligence, McElvoy as co-writer of the memoirs of a Soviet bloc spymaster) shaped their thinking on handling threats today. They also discuss the impact of AI on intelligence work and how the culture of agencies like MI6 is beginning to change.We hope you enjoy this taste of what's to come on POLITICO's Power Play podcast, officially launching in September — bringing you inside the minds of those who wield power. Please be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite podcast app, and you can sign up to receive email alerts every time a new episode publishes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our penultimate episode from Davos, POLITICO Europe's Editor-in-Chief, Jamil Anderlini, sits down with Academy Award-winning film director Oliver Stone to discuss his new documentary, "Nuclear." In this live conversation recorded at the Blockchain Hub at WEF, Jamil and Oliver are joined by Joshua Goldstein, author of the book which inspired the film, "A Bright Future." The European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, also explains to POLITICO's Jakob Hanke Vela why the EU needs to loosen the bloc's state aid rules to compete with American subsidies and ensure poorer EU countries aren't left behind in the green transition.

We're back with another episode from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch, Alex Ward and Jakob Hanke Vela reveal the on-the-ground EU-U.S. subsidy spat playing out here in Davos. We analyze European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's speech at the WEF, where she announced the EU's policy response to compete with Washington's subsidy spree. And Alex speaks to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, who played an instrumental role in passing America's Inflation Reduction Act, which Europeans see as creating competition for their own industries. POLITICO's Ryan Heath sits down with Gary Cohn, former director of America's National Economic Council and now vice chairman of IBM, to discuss the protectionism tensions between Europe and the United States and hear his surprising economic outlook for the coming year Finally, Ryan heads over to the Female Quotient's Equality Lounge® to speak with its founder, Shelley Zalis. She's been helping to bring VIPs into the conversation outside the main WEF stage — even while speaking to this podcast, bringing fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Alyse Nelson of the Vital Voices Global Partnership into her chat with Ryan.

As the World Economic Forum gets underway, we dive into the stories everyone is talking about on the Magic Mountain. POLITICO's Jakob Hanke Vela sits down with PwC Global Chairman Bob Moritz to discuss the findings from their global CEO survey — most CEOs are more pessimistic than they've been in over a decade about the economic growth outlook in the next year. Host Suzanne Lynch discusses the future of the World Economic Forum with POLITICO's Ryan Heath. He has spoken to dozens of people about the elusive plans for what happens when WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab, nearly 85 years young, is no longer in charge. Finally, we turn our focus to cryptocurrencies. POLITICO's Erin Banco speaks to Anthony Scaramucci about the crypto industry's efforts to build back trust. And we hear from Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy for Circle, about how companies like Circle view industry regulation.

From Davos, Switzerland, the POLITICO crew unpacks the big global issues facing businesses, governments and international organizations as top leaders gather for this year's World Economic Forum. Host Suzanne Lynch is joined by Ryan Heath, Erin Banco and Alex Ward to debate which issues are likely to dominate over the coming days — everything from recession concerns to climate and crypto. The veterans on our crew reveal their top tips for surviving the dizzying week atop the magic mountain, and Ryan speaks to Richard Edelman, CEO of public relations firm Edelman, about the latest findings from his company's annual Trust Barometer.

Last week at a New York Times event during the U.N. General Assembly, World Bank President David Malpass dodged questions about the science of climate change and said, "I don't even know — I'm not a scientist." On the heels of the controversial comments, POLITICO reporter and Global Insider author Ryan Heath interviewed Malpass to get his perspective on the comments. They also examined the World Bank's approach to funding projects to combat climate change and the challenges facing global development amid concerns of economic recession. Sign up for the free Global Insider newsletter here.    Follow Ryan on Twitter @PoliticoRyan.

A growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentrations, and increasing extreme weather events, have been hot topics at this year's U.N. General Assembly. Climate action promised by countries worldwide has fallen far short of what's needed to meet the international goal to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. This week The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) held its first meeting of the new Global Leadership Council, a coalition of global public and private sector leaders created to help meet this goal. POLITICO reporter and Global Insider author Ryan Heath spoke with the Council's co-chairs—Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, and Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation—about the Council's role in helping accelerate and scale clean energy transitions, and maintaining momentum in tackling emissions targets. Sign up for the Global Insider newsletter here. 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a constant backdrop to the U.N. General Assembly this year. From influencing commodity prices to exacerbating already difficult U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to challenging the rules-based global order and effectiveness of multilateral organizations. Events this week catapulted the conflict back to the forefront as international leaders gathered. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, and Urmas Reinsalu, Estonia's foreign minister, come from different perspectives but have clear views on necessary actions to support Ukraine and share a common level of concern. POLITICO Global Insider author, Ryan Heath, visited both men at their offices near the U.N. to learn what they found most concerning and how they viewed their roles in supporting Ukraine.

Global Insider is on the ground at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. If there is a single word that defines or encapsulates UNGA, it's partnerships. That's mostly good because it means collaborating to reach the scale that all advocates and activists here work towards. There's a radical opportunity to implement solutions at scale, but it's also a case-by-case basis to ensure a partnership works. To learn what it takes to scale local solutions and the need for optimism in the fight against climate change, POLITICO reporter Ryan Heath met Hannah Jones, Earthshot CEO, and Antha N. Williams, who leads the Environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies at the Plaza Hotel just off Central Park. 

This week Global Insider is on the ground at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. After decades of progress in reducing poverty and improving health outcomes, the world has started falling far behind in meeting the 17 U.N. sustainable development goals (SDGs) agreed to by all governments in 2015. And this year, Russia is the drama that colors everything that happens in the debates, donor conferences, and planning for how the U.N. meets its global goals. POLITICO's Ryan Health asked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about the impact Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had on the E.U.—beyond driving up energy prices—and how the U.N. can get back on track to meet its goals.  

The free-wheeling globalization era is over: That makes life tough for Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the British Trade Secretary charged with selling her country’s “Global Britain” policy. Singapore’s Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong has to cope with the rise of his massive neighbor, China. Both are promoting export hubs battered from all sides as first Covid and now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upend supply chains. Despite the World Trade Organization’s failure to conclude new global trade deals or speed up distribution of Covid vaccines, neither of these officials is giving up on the global trade body.

The European Union has spent 60 years tearing down commercial and migration barriers between its member countries: and yet the flow of people and goods and services between California and Texas, is still much larger than between Germany and France. Rather than that being a sign of failure, this week’s guests — Matthias Matthijs and Craig Parsons — say the opposite is true. They argue the EU has removed regulatory barriers but failed to tear down cultural ones: leaving the continent with an underused single market. Americans are enthusiastic about working, buying and selling across state lines: but they do it despite pointless barriers — from local standards for elevators to different state hairdresser licensing rules. The payoff from U.S. state and federal governments doing some EU-style market reforms could be huge.  

Where on earth can you combine interests in arms trafficking, blood diamonds and expensive cars? Global Witness is one such place. The non-profit’s co-founder Patrick Alley — who’s made a career out of scrutinizing “very bad people” — shares timely lessons about what works and what doesn’t in exposing corruption, as the world puts Russian interests under the microscope.

POLITICO’s Ryan Heath joins Ivo Daalder, former US Ambassador to NATO and now President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Carla Robbins (Council on Foreign Relations) and Elise Labott (Zivvy Media) for a panel discussion on the dangerous new phase of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, corporate Germany’s deep ties to Moscow, and NATO’s likely northern expansion

Prosecuting war crimes can take decades. What if, in the case of Ukraine, that’s because there is too much evidence to sift through, rather than not enough?  How much of it can be used to deliver justice? Who will decide who to prosecute and who to forgive? And what evidence are Russian forces already destroying? Linda Kinstler is a writer and war crimes expert who studied how Soviets pioneered modern war crimes evidence collection in Ukraine in the 1940s — only for those lessons to tragically come full circle. Her message: prosecuting these crimes will take decades and it will not be enough.

What’s worse than the horrifying scenes of those murdered in recent days in Bucha, Ukraine? Sadly, it’s the prospect of millions of people starving to death because of the food supply disruptions and price spikes caused by Russia’s invasion. More than a billion people in dozens of countries will be at risk in coming months. Lawrence Haddad, executive director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, explains what can be done to reallocate food and change farming incentives, and why he believes in telling consumers the “true price” of food.

Mantas Adomėnas represents the 2.8 million citizens in the Baltic nation of Lithuania, but he’s staring down the might of 1.4 billion Chinese citizens and their Communist government. How? By allowing its defacto embassy in Vilnius to use Taiwan in its name, instead of a convoluted alternative demanded by Beijing. The price is diplomatic and economic punishment, but Adomėnas says he won't be bullied and the global political tide is shifting his way.

European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič tells Global Insider the EU is serious about throwing its financial weight around to limit Russian oil and gas dependency, but admits it will take months to make a dent on the problem. His message to American officials and companies: “We need more” LNG and “we are ready to work with you.” A native of Slovakia, Šefčovič warns that Putin wants nothing less than to overturn the peaceful world order, and that because of the massive sums needed to rebuild Ukraine and break dependencies on Russia (fossil fuels) and China (critical minerals), now is the time to plan those investments.

Is global peace worth $15 trillion a year? That’s the price tag Steve Killelea attached. Killelea is the philanthropist behind the Institute for Economics and Peace and author of the Global Peace Index. In this week’s episode he takes us beyond the deadly conflict in Ukraine to the regions we should worry about next, and explores ways of thinking to help us avoid the complacencies that blinded so much of the world to Russia’s intentions among its neighbors. 

Biden’s Global Covid Response coordinator Gayle Smith, now back leading the ONE Campaign, opens up about what went wrong with global Covid vaccine markets and what she’d do to make a Covax 2.0 work better.

Where are all the jobs going to come from in a world where digital technology is everywhere, and in every sector of the economy? How can education be reshaped, so that getting the skills for a solid middle class job doesn’t mean taking on a lifetime of debt? Ravi Kumar, the President of the giant Indian tech company Infosys, thinks he has some of the answers, and they involve building tech hubs far from Silicon Valley and partnering with educational institutions far from the Ivy League.

Mark Malloch Brown - President of Open Society Foundations, the world’s largest private funder of groups that advocate for democratic governance and human rights argues that Covid-19 is ultimately not a virus crisis, but a wider series of health system, economic and political crises, that will in the end have a far greater cost than even the millions of lives lost to the virus.

2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa explains why democracy in the Philippines will face its biggest test yet in 2022, how that is a warning signal for the rest of the world, and why she doesn't trust social media companies to play a constructive role in addressing these challenges. 

A new POLITICO Morning Consult Global Sustainability Poll found that a majority of respondents in 13 countries, regardless of political affiliation or political system, think climate change is getting worse and that government and corporate leaders are not doing enough to deal with climate impacts. We talk to Jason McMann, head of geopolitical risk analysis for Morning Consult, the specialist behind the poll, for insights into why populations are so frustrated, and what trade-offs they are willing to make in order to achieve better climate outcomes.

Panama for its canal: a central piece in the global trade puzzle. Now Panama’s government is making a play to boost democracy in its central American neighborhood, via a new Alliance for Development in Democracy. The country’s foreign minister Erika Mouynes also takes us behind the scenes of her effort to solve the problems caused by an explosive rise in people smuggling through her territory, and explains how Panama wants to use its canal leverage to force the shipping industry to go green.

Are we facing Europe’s biggest war in 80 years? Are we panicking because we don’t understand Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin well enough? What can we learn from the neighbors of Russia who have fended off Moscow? This week’s guest, Kadri Liik, is a Russia specialist and senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She takes us into the mind of Putin and the Russian policy elite — to help us understand what motivates them, and what threats or sanctions are most likely to change their behavior.

Richard Edelman, the brains behind the world’s leading survey on trust in institutions, joins this week with a severe warning: trust is becoming heavily local, and democracies are experiencing a collapse of trust in government and media. Not only that — there’s a sharp class divide: members of elite groups trust institutions more than ever, while distrust grows among the masses. CEOs are asked to step into this breach. There are also strategic consequences to these trust divides: we explore what happens when China trusts its domestic institutions, while Americans distrust their own institutions.

Corruption: you hate it, right? It’s one of the few political problems that unites people across the political spectrum, and around the globe. But how can we actually fight corruption on a meaningful scale?  Whether it’s in Kazakhstan or the United States, a dictator or a stock trader, there’s a common financial thread: secrecy. This week host Ryan Heath talks to Paul Massaro, who advises Congress on who to sanction and expose if we want to clean up corruption … and how to make Russia’s system of oligarchs implode. 

Established democracies around the world face deep threats to their authority and reputations. One year on from the U.S. Capitol riot and organized attempts to stop Joe Biden from assuming the presidency, several new opinion polls show that tens of millions of Americans think violence against the government is sometimes necessary. What can be done? In this episode we road-test a proposal for a new Alliance of Democracies, in a panel discussion with key backers of the alliance and a skeptic.

What if you can’t discover truth in the future? It’s a real prospect in many countries where collapsing news media economics and deliberate use of misinformation from governments are creating a truth crunch. Global Insider speaks to Mark Thompson, the former New York Times CEO and BBC Director General, who has teamed up with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner, to launch an International Fund for Public Interest Media.  

Wherever you look, democracy appears to be under assault. From attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, to backsliding by European leaders, to coups in Asia and Africa: the pressure is on democratic leaders, and the Biden administration in particular, to show that democracy works. This episode of Global Insider previews President Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy, taking place virtually Dec. 9-10. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Nahal Toosi is POLITICO's senior global affairs correspondent.  

It seems like there’s bipartisan compromise for once in Washington, and it’s over one commitment: it’s time to reel in Big Tech. But Marietje Schaake has been sounding that alarm for years. Once one of the youngest members of the European Parliament, Schaake now helps lead the academic discussion around how to regulate some of the biggest companies in the world, like Facebook and Apple, as a policy fellow at Stanford University. She tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath how she aims to reform Silicon Valley from within, and what it’s like when some of her students take jobs at tech giants.  Marietje Schaake is the international policy director at Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

The U.N.-backed COVAX vaccine facility was supposed to be a game changer. But with less than ten percent of Africans vaccinated — well short of the African Union’s goal of 60% by the end of this year— Strive Masiyiwa, the head of the Union’s vaccination effort, says the continent can no longer rely on donations and vaccines produced abroad to fight disease. Masiyiwa tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about his negotiations with the Indian government after he realized they would no longer be exporting vaccines to Africa — and why that moment convinced him the only thing left to do was to build out a vaccine infrastructure back home.  POLITICO couldn’t confirm a figure mentioned by our guest in this episode — that there has been $32b distributed in stimulus funds across Africa during the coronavirus pandemic. Strive Masiyiwa’s team did not respond to request for comment in time for broadcast. Strive Masiyiwa is the head of the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and the founder and executive chairman of Econet.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

The Republican delegation went to COP26 with a clear message: both parties recognize the need to fight climate change. But did world leaders take them seriously? And how will Republican leaders sell that pivot to Republican voters? Fresh off his trip to Glasgow, Scotland, Rep. Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican, spoke with POLITICO’s Ryan Heath. He shares — if not a commitment to the Build Back Better plan — his ideas on turning climate pledges into climate action. Rep. Garret Graves is a Republican Congressman representing Louisiana’s sixth Congressional district. He is also the ranking member on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Last month, 136 countries agreed to a global treaty that would tax large companies at a rate of at least 15 percent. POLITICO’s Ryan Heath talks with the OECD’s Pascal Saint-Amans, who led negotiations on the historic deal, on stage at the annual Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, about when the tax kicks in and what loopholes he’s on high alert for. Plus: Saint-Amans dishes on a Biden Cabinet member who supports a global carbon price system.  Pascal Saint-Amans directs the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was a former teacher and self-described housewife catapulted to run for president of Belarus when her candidate husband was arrested in 2020. Even in exile after the disputed election, she’s the biggest threat against strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s hold over Belarus. She has captivated Belarusians with her campaign for democracy and been nominated for the Nobel Prize. POLITICO’s Ryan Heath asks Tsikhanouskaya about how she plans to corral the international community for tighter sanctions and about how she’s working with informants within the Lukashenko regime to bring it down.  Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is an opposition leader, fighting to bring Democracy to Belarus.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Covid-19 has knocked the United Nations off schedule — it’s now running behind on meeting some Sustainable Development Goals and vaccination targets. As the head of the United Nations Development Program, Achim Steiner is on the front lines to catch up to those targets. He tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about why, even as countries are falling short of their COVAX and climate commitments, the United Nations is still the world’s best — and possibly only — bet to fight global problems. Achim Steiner is the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Imagine a world in which middle schoolers fact check presidential debates and public officials publish transcripts of every conversation they have. That’s the world that Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s digital minister, has helped create, thereby fortifying Taiwan’s democracy even as it faces increasing threats from China. Tang tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath what it’s like to govern and live in the shadow of China. Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s digital minister.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

It looks like the European Union’s competition czar Margrethe Vestager has finally found her right hand partner in Lina Khan. She tells host Ryan Heath the Biden administration, with its commitment to regulating Big Tech, is a “dream come true.” But what will that EU-U.S. cooperation really look like? Also: Vestager’s game plan to protect whistleblowers, plus her own rules for tech at home.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

China is on the rise, with the world’s largest navy and on track to have the world’s largest economy. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about his plan to stay one step ahead of China’s advances. Plus: he has a message for France on the recent U.S.-Australia submarine deal.  Stay tuned after the interview for a debrief with POLITICO’s Usha Sahay, who gives her take on the contenders to replace Stoltenberg once his term ends next fall — and how the U.S.-Australia submarine deal could tip the scales.  A big thanks to Nirmal Mulaikal for fact checking this episode.  Jens Stoltenberg is the Secretary-General of NATO. Usha Sahay is a senior editor at POLITICO Magazine. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Health workers who don’t get paid if they contract Covid-19. Over 6,000 migrant workers dead after helping with World Cup construction in the Middle East. As the head of the world’s largest union confederation, it’s Sharan Burrow’s priority to protect workers against abuses like these and hold offending governments accountable. But as she tells host Ryan Heath, she’s walking a tightrope between convincing governments to change and keeping her seat at the table. Sharan Burrow is the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Cristina Gonzalez is POLITICO Europe’s Executive Producer for Audio.

Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia, and Ryan Heath take a break from the chaos of UNGA for a cup of tea. Geingos opens up about how to start honest discussions about AIDS and sex in her home country, and reveals why she broke her silence against her online trolls.  Stay tuned to the end for Ryan’s lesson on how to identify who’s the most powerful person in the motorcade.  Monica Geingos is the First Lady of Namibia.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

 Ryan Heath sits down with Colombia’s leader Iván Duque. What’s on their minds? Deadly protests, lack of vaccines, climate change, refugees and… oh yeah, space travel with Jeff Bezos.  Also: if you have the time, we’re trying to learn more about our listeners. We’d appreciate it if you’re able to take our short survey.  Iván Duque is the president of Colombia.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

“You don’t have to be big to make a difference.” While sprinting between leaders on Day 2 at the UN General Assembly, Ryan Heath sits down 1-on-1 with Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, and Estonia’s president, Kersti Kaljulaid. Also: if you have the time, we’re trying to learn more about our listeners. We’d appreciate it if you’re able to take our short survey.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Péter Szijjártó is the foreign minister of Hungary.  Kersti Kaljulaid is the president of Estonia.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.  You can subscribe to Ryan’s “Global Insider” newsletter here. And check out POLITICO’s other newsletters:  China Watcher West Wing Playbook Playbook Nightly Corridors EU’s Brussels Playbook Morning Tech Morning Energy Weekly Shift

Host Ryan Heath runs all over New York, capturing the madness of UNGA’s kickoff, accompanied by his sidekick, producer Olivia Reingold. Hear from Ryan’s go-to “U.N. whisperer,” Richard Gowan of the Crisis Group, and Penny Abeywardena, New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs. Plus: protestors accusing the U.S. of “vaccine apartheid” stop New York City traffic, setting the tone for critics of the Biden administration to come throughout the week. Also: if you have the time, we’re trying to learn more about our listeners. We’d appreciate it if you’re able to take our short survey.  Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.  Richard Gowan is the Crisis Group’s UN director.  Penny Abeywardena is New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs.  Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.   You can subscribe to Ryan’s “Global Insider” newsletter here. And check out POLITICO’s other newsletters:  China Watcher West Wing Playbook Playbook Nightly Corridors EU’s Brussels Playbook Morning Tech Morning Energy Weekly Shift

We’re doing something different this week: host Ryan Heath will be bringing you snapshots from the field at the United Nations General Assembly, where prime ministers rub elbows with the world’s biggest business and nonprofit leaders. Starting Tuesday morning, Ryan and producer Olivia Reingold will share quick dispatches with global insiders during the most important week of their year. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.  Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.   You can subscribe to Ryan’s “Global Insider” newsletter here. And check out POLITICO’s other newsletters:  China Watcher West Wing Playbook Playbook Nightly Corridors EU’s Brussels Playbook Morning Tech Morning Energy Weekly Shift

Nearly all U.S. Ambassador posts are unfilled. As the Biden administration struggles to get nominees confirmed, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., has been thrust into the spotlight while leading Presidential delegations around the world. She opens up to host Ryan Heath about the possibility of the U.S. recognizing the Taliban, the Ted Cruz holdup, and what “gumbo diplomacy” really means. Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter.  Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.”  Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.  Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.   You can subscribe to Ryan’s “Global Insider” newsletter here and Alex’s “National Security Daily” newsletter here.  And check out POLITICO’s other newsletters:  China Watcher West Wing Playbook Playbook Nightly Corridors EU’s Brussels Playbook Morning Tech Morning Energy Weekly Shift

No stump speeches here — these are intimate conversations with the CEOs, prime ministers and regulators making world-changing decisions.  Enter the confession booth with host Ryan Heath every Wednesday, starting September 15. Ryan Heath is the author and host of POLITICO's Global Insider newsletter and podcast.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Olivia Reingold is an editor-producer for POLITICO audio.

POLITICO's Ryan Heath takes you up close and personal with the world’s most powerful people, bridging the divide between the two camps sculpting the future: the leaders who make policy and the innovators who shape global debate. First up: an interview with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations, in the days after the Taliban took Kabul. Every Wednesday, premiering September 15. Ryan Heath is the author and host of POLITICO's Global Insider newsletter and podcast.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Olivia Reingold is an editor-producer for POLITICO audio.

Over the past year, businesses, employees and families across the globe were forced to rethink what it means to “go to work.” Now, with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout underway, many corporate leaders are focused on ensuring the return to work is equitable for all employees.  

The global economy is still fighting the pandemic and digging itself out of a recession, while jobs and training will surely change going forward. What other actions need to be taken by government, business, education and other institutions to ensure that people have access to the resources necessary for good jobs? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza Savage talk with leaders in job training and tech about the big, structural changes that need to happen. Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations".  Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations". Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Zoë Baird is the CEO and president of the Markle Foundation. https://markle.org/about-markle/expert/zo-baird Constantijn van Oranje is the envoy for Techleap.nl.  https://www.techleap.nl/who-we-are Check out Ryan Heath's article here:  https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/20/digital-jobs-unfilled-amid-high-unemployment-460584 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Corridors: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/corridors Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/ Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/ Weekly Shift: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-shift

The orthodoxy on what makes for a traditional career path is changing — and for the better. As technological change accelerates and the labor market around the world shifts, nontraditional job training methods like reskilling and upskilling grow in popularity. But how are these new programs for training workers and helping them pivot careers working? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza Savage talk with guests who know what it's like to participate in or run one of these programs.  Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations". Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations". Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Alison Dempsey is a project manager at Solar Holler in West Virginia. Joel Duran is an IBM consultant and P-TECH program consultant. Ong Tze-Ch’in is the chief executive of SkillsFuture Singapore. Check out Ryan Heath's article on how America is looking to Singapore's model of rapid training programs:  https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/13/us-chamber-fund-training-programs-458412 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters: Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Morning Shift:  https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-shift Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/ Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/

The pandemic sent shockwaves through a global labor market already upended by digitization and the green energy transition. It left tens of millions jobless and amplified skills gaps. Even as we spent trillions keeping the economy on life support, investment in the skills of the future has been scarce. So how do we get the right skills to the right people, to get the economy motoring again? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza Savage speak with experts about these major labor disruptions. Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations".  Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations". Saadia Zahidi is a managing director at the World Economic Forum. Marianne Wanamaker is a economics professor at the University of Tennessee and former chief domestic economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Check out Ryan Heath's article on how workers are struggling for skills support here:  https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/workers-are-struggling-for-skills-support-during-pandemic-455063 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Weekly Shift (labor): https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-shift Transition Playbook: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/transition-playbook  

As the world looks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050, the financial sector is playing a critical role in facilitating this low-carbon transition through the deployment of innovative financing solutions and by rethinking how climate risk is analyzed and managed.

What will it take to secure access to the critical minerals we need for the future — and can we solve one environmental challenge without creating a new one? Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to political leaders around the world about what they are doing to shore up access to critical minerals.  Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Ambassador Kirsten Hillman is Canada’s Ambassador to the United States EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations Read Luiza Savage's article on how US, Canada & Europe's policymakers are scrambling to secure critical minerals to develop clean energy: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/09/renewables-mining-clean-energy-443844 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/ The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game China Watcher: politico.com/china Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/  

To understand how essential critical minerals are to our world, we turn to a case study: cobalt. This mineral is proving key to the future of green energy, defense and high tech manufacturing — not to mention electric vehicles. But cobalt has its challenges. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath look at China’s dominant role in global cobalt mining and the serious problems that can arise if other countries can't get enough supplies. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S. Geological Survey. Bryce Crocker is the CEO of Jervois Mining Aimee Boulanger is the executive director of Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Read Luiza Savage's article on how America got outmaneuvered in a critical mining race: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/02/china-cobalt-mining-441967 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/ The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game China Watcher: politico.com/china Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/  

The technologies that protect us, move us and power our daily lives require mining minerals and metals in distant places. But access to these essential materials is increasingly under threat. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk with experts who are sounding the alarm.  Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Sharon Burke is a senior advisor for the International Security Program and Resource Security Program at New America.  Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S. Geological Survey. Tom Duesterberg is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert on trade and foreign policy.  Luiza Savage's article on how America's dependence on critical minerals from China: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/china-could-strangle-biden-agenda-437171 And check out the other POLITICO newsletters:  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations Morning Energy: https://www.politico.com/morningenergy/ The Long Game: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game China Watcher: politico.com/china Morning Tech: https://www.politico.com/morningtech/  

Over the past year, trade disputes and COVID-19 have exposed the vulnerability and fragility of our global supply chains, forcing many leaders to rethink how they structure their networks by prioritizing resilience over efficiency.  

The pandemic and the rise of China are prompting Republicans and Democrats to turn to government power to grow industries important to America’s security and place in the world. “Industrial policy” is an idea long reviled among Washington policymakers. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to the people trying to make industrial policy cool again. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Jennifer Harris  is a sentior fellow at the Hewlett Foundation, formerly at the US State Department during the Obama administration. Mariana Mazzucato is an internationally recognized economist and professor at University College London (UCL), and Founder/Director of UCL's Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations, and China Watcher newsletters. Read Luiza Savage's article on the new industrial policy emerging in the US to counter China's ascent. Global Translations newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations China Watcher newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-china-watcher POLITICO article: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/04/china-us-economy-industrial-policy-global-translation-433954

Once there is a working vaccine, manufacturers across the globe will need to scale up production to produce billions of doses — this means billions of pharmaceutical-grade glass vials, rubber stoppers, packaging and storage and refrigeration. Plus: ensuring the vaccine is available to people the world over. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath question experts on how different countries are handling this overwhelming challenge. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Sarah Owermohle is a POLITICO health reporter covering vaccines.  Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Jim Robinson is a former MERCK executive (manufacturing lead for ebola project); currently with CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations). Dan Diamond is a POLITICO health care reporter and the host of the "Pulse Check" podcast and newsletter.  Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations, POLITICO Pulse, and Global Pulse newsletters. Read Luiza Savage's article on why nationalism is the next big challenge for Covid-19 vaccines.  Global Translations newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations POLITICO Pulse newsletter: https://www.politico.com/politicopulse/ Global Pulse newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-pulse POLITICO article: "The next vaccine challenge: Nationalism": https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/covid-vaccine-challenge-nationalism-433023

From closed factories to closed borders, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of our systems, creating a period of scarcity where demand skyrocketed — from freezers to PPE — and we couldn't supply items fast enough. In this episode, hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath take a deep dive with experts into global supply chains and what "decoupling" and "reshoring" are all about when it comes to America’s reliance on China and the rest of the world. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations". Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".  Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.  Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.  Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio. Adegoke Oke is a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University.  Tom Duesterberg is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert on trade and foreign policy. David Wertime is  POLITICO's editorial director for China and author of the China Watcher newsletter.  Check out and subscribe to POLITICO's Global Translations and China Watcher newsletters, and Luiza Savage's in-depth piece on how the pandemic is forging a new consensus on globalization.  Global Translations: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations China Watcher: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-china-watcher Supply chain tug-of-war article: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/21/pandemic-forging-new-consensus-globalization-430605

We're back! Season 2 starts October 21 with weekly episodes dropping every Wednesday.  The overnight arrival of the Covid-19 crisis turned scarcity into a tangible, real-life concern. From closed factories to closed borders, the pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our supply chains, and raised a big question: how do we get supplies from there to here? Policymakers, business leaders, consumers, and voters are forced to rethink our long-term assumptions and come up with new solutions. On this season of Global Translations: we dive into the supply chains for the vaccine, the critical minerals that will power the green revolution, and how labor policy can adapt. 

The politics of climate change are frozen in Washington. But beyond the Beltway, action on climate is heating up faster than ever. And you don’t have to look far to find it. As America walks away from the Paris climate agreement, cities, states and big companies are throwing their weight behind climate solutions — setting ambitious policy and investing hundreds of billions of dollars.  This special branded episode of Global Translations was produced by POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio, POLITICO Focus. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the creation of this episode.  Interviews include:  Mike Bloomberg, the former Mayor of New York City Carl Pope, the former Executive Director of the Sierra Club Ed Skyler, the Executive Vice President for Global Public Affairs at Citi   

Even if nations live up to the commitments they made in the Paris climate agreement, the world will still grow warmer. What will melting sea ice and continued drought mean for the balance of global power? Interviews include: ·      Sherri Goodman, senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center Polar Institute·      Simon Dalby, professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University·      Gary Litman, vice president for global initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce  

Driven by a public clamoring for action and pressure from corporate CEOs, lawmakers are noting an evolution in attitudes toward climate action among some of their Republican colleagues – a subtle but significant shift in tone that could pave the way for modest legislation this year. Guests include:Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL)Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)Catherine McKenna, Canada’s first foreign minister for climate and the environment Dan Byers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce  

Call it the China climate paradox. Often considered the bogeyman of global climate diplomacy, China is making greater and faster strides than expected away from fossil fuels, all part of a long-term economic strategy to dominate in critical technologies. POLITICO's Luiza Ch. Savage, Matt Daily, Darren Samuelsohn and Ryan Heath unpack what that means for the U.S. and other nations. Interviews include:Jonathan Pershing, former U.S. special envoy for climate change and a key negotiator in the Paris climate agreementBarbara Finamore, senior strategic director for Asia at the NRDCCatherine McKenna, Canada’s first foreign minister for climate and the environmentJulie Cerqueira, executive director of the U.S. Climate Alliance  

Artificial intelligence. Facial recognition. Lightning fast networks. The pace of technological change is dizzying - and upending industries, transforming the consumer experience and challenging the way lawmakers craft policy. So how are some of the world’s leading companies innovating to avoid extinction? This special branded episode of Global Translations was produced by POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio, POLITICO Focus. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the creation of this episode. Interviews include: Stephen Bird, the CEO of Citi’s Global Consumer BankThomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud 

Social media firms say governments risk cleaving the global internet if they overdo rules for the platforms. And one member of Congress worries some of his colleagues are too technologically illiterate to even get the rules right. So how are governments and regulators responding to misinformation, disinformation and hateful content online? Interviews include: ·      Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. ·      Věra Jourová, European commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality  ·      Paris Martineau, journalist ·      Heidi Tworek, University of British Columbia ·      Joshua Tucker, New York University ·      Nick Pickles, global senior strategist for public policy at Twitter  

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform the world. And just as Sputnik's launch brought fears of a foreign power's mastery of technology, the anxiety behind this battle for control of artificial intelligence is driven by fears of what an authoritarian power could do with it. Interviews include: ·      John Everett, director of the Information Innovation Office, DARPA ·      Wendy Hall, co-author of the UK’s AI strategy ·      Elsa Kania, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security ·      Lynne Parker, assistant director of artificial intelligence at the White House office of science and technology policy ·      Elissa Strome, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research ·      Amy Webb, NYU Stern School of Business  

The dominance of the Chinese tech firm Huawei in 5G and its close relationship with the Chinese government are seen as a dire threat to America and its allies, and they're animating the Trump administration's demands to block the company from building internet infrastructure in western democracies.  Interviews include: ·      Zen Soo, South China Morning Post·      FCC Chairman Ajit Pai·      German MP Peter Beyer·      Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary of State for cyber·      Laura Dawson, director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center·      Yasheng Huang, MIT Sloan School of Business  

In this special branded episode of Global Translations, sponsored by Citi, we are revisiting our understanding of global trade. We’ll speak with Mike Corbat, the CEO of Citi, and Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, about how they are riding the economic shift to services. This episode was crafted by POLITICO Focus, POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio, and Citi. POLITICO's editorial department has no involvement in the creation of this episode.

Companies and foreign governments are scrambling to adjust to a world in which tariffs could escalate and the very foundations of world trading rules are in doubt. And there is fear they’ll be forced to take sides between the reigning global superpower and its rising rival. Interviews include: ·      Caroline Freund, director of trade, regional integration and investment climate and the World Bank ·      Tom Lix, CEO of Cleveland Whiskey·      Dan Ujzco, international trade and customs attorney with Dickinson Wright·      Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada·      James Bacchus, former chief judge of WTO appellate body·      Lawrence Lau, professor of economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

As Donald Trump fights tariff wars around the world, he's upended the usual politics of trade and put politicians from both parties in an awkward spot. Many 2020 Democrats are trying to out-tough the president on the trade fight with China, while Republicans who believe in lower tariffs are struggling to rein in the president's professed love of them. Interviews include: ·      Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO·      Lori Wallach, director of ‘Global Trade Watch’ at Public Citizen·      Sen Chuck Grassley (R-IA) ·      Sen. Sherrod Brown (R-OH) ·      Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)

Donald Trump is not winging it. Or at least he’s not totally winging it. However improvisational his daily machinations on trade may seem, Trump and his team are acting on a well-developed theory of the case, one that has been decades in the making. Interview include: ·      Dan Ujzco, international trade and customs attorney with Dickinson Wright·      Carla Hills, former United States Trade Representative·      Mike Froman, former United States Trade Representative·      Christine McDaniel, trade economist at the Mercatus Center·      Darci Vetter, former chief agricultural negotiator in the United States Trade Representative’s office ·      Michael Pillsbury, senior Fellow and Director for Chinese Strategy at the Hudson Institute, consultant at U.S. Department of Defense

What if you were witnessing the most pivotal moment in a generation -- one that would determine the future of technology, trade, the climate of the planet -- and you didn't even realize it, because you were too distracted by partisan fights on social media and shouting matches on cable news? Global Translations unlocks the power of POLITICO's newsrooms across the globe to help you understand the method behind the madness of the most pressing issues in the world today. In season one, we're unpacking how the Trump Administration's fixation on China is foundational and is affecting policy across the board. Episodes begin this Thursday. Global Translations, a POLITICO podcast brought to you by Citi, a leading global bank.

In her last episode as host of the show, Susan joins her "partner in crime" Blake Hounshell, the editor of POLITICO Magazine, to make sense of the ways the Trump Administration has disrupted Washington's relations with the world. Blake turns the tables on Susan, as he asks a few questions of his own. A note for listeners: Watch this space! Stay subscribed to the Global Politico so you don't miss what's coming next from the team at POLITICO.

Contributing writer to The Atlantic Julia Ioffe joins The Global Politico for a comprehensive conversation on all things Russia.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, an influential voice among national security conservatives, is struggling over what to think of the GOP’s Trumpian remake. He joins The Global Politico to discuss  Trump’s temperament, his love of Ronald Regan, and the new team of incoming Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton.

John Bolton has advocated for war with Iran and North Korea. He loathes the United Nations, disdains international law, and still thinks the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq was the right idea. Hillary Clinton’s top foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan joins The Global Politico to discuss the Bolton pick, Rex Tillerson's Twitter firing and where's the U.S. place in foreign policy leadership going forward.

Days ago, Republican abruptly shut down the committee’s yearlong investigation of President Trump and the 2016 Russian election meddling, Congressman Adam Schiff joins The Global Politico to discuss how it all went down, what it’s like when a congressional committee melts down and what he thinks comes next in the investigations of the president that are still ongoing. 

"Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd sits down with Susan Glasser to discuss covering this most unusual of White Houses amid the chaos and upheaval of the last few weeks. Chuck also explains what it's like to be attacked by the president and how the nature of television reporting has changed in the Trump era. 

Is the Bibi era over? A conversation with Naftali Bennett, the brash right-winger who wants to succeed Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sen. Jim Risch, the conservative Idaho Republican who now stands to take over Foreign Relations next year, joins The Global Politico to discuss his outlook on Trump's foreign policy. Risch shares his views on North Korea, the Russia investigations on Capitol Hill, the Iran Deal and Senator Bob Corker's relationship with the president. 

Laura Rosenberger and Jamie Fly are an unlikely bipartisan duo who teamed up a year ago on a Washington think tank project to combat the Kremlin’s influence campaign but now find themselves right in the midst of escalating American battles over the Mueller investigation, Trump, Russia and even the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting. 

President Obama’s fourth secretary of defense joins The Global Politico to give his take on where we went wrong on the Russia hacking response, North Korea's nuclear capabilities and the importance of having a clear, unified military strategy.

CIA veteran Jung Pak sits down with Susan Glasser to discuss what we're getting wrong about North Korea's infamous leader and why he's not the "mad man" President Trump has deemed him to be. Pak helps us understand how Kim's childhood in Switzerland has informed his world view and the unique challenges analysts face when trying to understand a leader that's so fiercely isolated. 

Victoria Nuland, former top State Department official, sits down with Susan Glasser to discuss what it was like to spend months in the middle of the U.S. government’s frustrating attempts to understand the Russian attack on the U.S. electoral system -- and then try to figure out how to respond to it. 

Qatar’s defense minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah joins The Global Politico for his first extensive comments to a U.S. journalist since the small country's regional diplomatic crisis began. Al Attiyah and top officials came to Washington this week to seek help from the United States to end the blockade by all neighboring regions and restore peace to the Qatari citizens.

Senator Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat who is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, joins The Global Politico for an exclusive, in-depth briefing on the state of play in its investigation of the 2016 hacking of the American presidential election by Russia and whether President Trump and his campaign knew about it, or collaborated with it in any way. 

Historian Walter Russell Mead has become the favorite Trump whisperer for everyone from Steve Bannon to Tom Cotton. Mead sits down with Susan Glasser to explain the historical antecedents for Trump’s hostility toward free trade, establishment-bashing and embrace of a certain kind of chauvinist nationalism. Mead also offers an intellectual framework to understand Trump at a time when others remained simply mystified by the president’s antagonism toward the fundamentals of the post-Cold War international order; rejection of alliances and allies; and disdain for international institutions and the robust capitalist world of free trade made possible by it all. 

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power and Obama's deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes join The Global Politico to discuss their upcoming HBO documentary "The Final Year." They speak frankly about Obama's legacy, how aides misunderstood the rise of Trump, and how they're coping with an "America first" foreign policy.

Leading Iran expert Suzanne Maloney and Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari join The Global Politico to discuss the Iran sanction deadline President Trump faces and how a wave of street protests are affecting his decision. Trump has called the agreement the "worst deal ever," yet many Iran experts expect that he'll keep the deal alive by waiving U.S. sanctions.

For a special 50th episode of The Global Politico, Susan Glasser looks back on a year of the Donald Trump presidency and the world's reaction. She offers five key takeaways from Global Politico interviews in 2017; guests ranging from the Iranian foreign minister to Senator Bob Corker to women in national defense that are speaking out about sexism. Subscribe to The Global Politico newsletter here: http://politi.co/2A8iAfg

Lifelong Republicans and policy intellectuals Eliot Cohen and Max Boot discuss the toll – personal as well as political – that Trump’s takeover of their party has had, from broken friendships to a GOP unmoored from basic principles like free trade and promotion of democracy that were long seen as its bedrock precepts.

Ex-CIA deputy director and two time acting director Michael Morell joins Susan Glasser to talk Trump, social media and how the intelligence community failed on Russia. 

In part two of this week's Global Politico, Israel's former Prime Minister Ehud Barak talks with Susan Glasser just hours after the New York Times published his scathing op-ed on the current government of Israel.  He elaborates on what he wrote, discussing the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the future of a possible Trump peace plan for the Mideast and Israel's shift of focus from the "moral high ground."

In part one of this week's Global Politico, Israel's ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer sits down with Susan Glasser for a rare on-the-record conversation about the likelihood of Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the effect that would have on potentially restarting Mideast peace talks. Dermer also explains how closely the Israelis are aligned with the White House and outlines a potential timetable for Iran concessions before Trump completely pulls out of the deal. 

Ambassador Kurt Volker, the Trump administration’s special envoy charged with ending the war in Ukraine, joins The Global Politico this week. Volker talks at length about just how troubled relations are with Russia these days despite Trump’s hoped-for reconciliation, how the several rounds of talks he’s held with a top Putin adviser have not yet made any progress, what it’s like to be a special envoy for a Secretary of State who’s vowed to get rid of them, and why he supports sending weapons to Ukraine.

Senator Ben Cardin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, discusses where the committee stands on new sanction on Russia, the Iran nuclear deal and diplomatic solutions to the North Korea standoff. The senator also delves into how Republican and Democratic lawmakers are banding together to push back on some of President Trump's most controversial foreign policy statements. 

For years, Suzanne DiMaggio and Joel Wit have been quietly meeting with North Koreans to talk about the country’s nuclear program. Since Trump was elected, DiMaggio and Wit have watched an initial outreach descend into a fury of name-calling, mutual recriminations and military escalation. DiMaggio and Wit give listeners a rare glimpse into the sensitivities of negotiating with North Korea, debunk assumptions about Kim Jong Un and give their takes on how concerned we should be about nuclear war. 

This week, a special part two of The Global Politico, our report on the everyday culture of sexual harassment — and sexism — that still plagues women who dare to represent America in the world. This episode features interviews with Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, a key figure in pushing for more women in national security, and Deborah James, the second woman secretary of the Air Force. 

Six women with careers in national security sit down with Susan Glasser to explore the challenges they've faced as they step up to participate in the policy debates about America’s place in the world. Laura Rosenberger, Evelyn Farkas, Mieke Eoyang, Loren Schulman, Kathleen Hicks and Julianne Smith explore how they've handled uncomfortable situations, confronted sexism and succeeded in this male-dominated field.

The former director of national intelligence has emerged publicly as one of President Donald Trump’s foremost critics and he wants you to know that no matter how much Trump rants about the “Russia hoax,” the 2016 hacking was not only real and aimed at electing Trump, but constituted a major victory for a dangerous foreign adversary.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s richest man until he was jailed for a decade by Vladimir Putin, joins The Global Politico to discuss opposing Putin, the price he paid, and the current status of the liberal resistance. Plus, author and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum joins the show to discuss similarities between Stalin and Putin, dissidence in Russia and the extent of Putin's power. 

Legendary Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei talks about Trump, Western democracy and the plight of refugees around the world. Weiwei is making a strong case for himself as America’s leading dissident of the Trump era. Authoritarian leaders in China and elsewhere are the beneficiaries of Trump and the crisis of American democracy, said Weiwei, who spent four years under house arrest and forbidden to leave China before being allowed to leave the country two years ago. 

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton sits down with Susan Glasser to discuss the role of President Trump's national security team and the course of action advisers should take if they disagree with the president, the senator's thinking on an Iran strategy, and how Trump's foreign policy is keeping in a bipartisan tradition that started with Truman in 1945. 

Mohammed Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, joins The Global Politico this week. Zarif responds to President Trump’s public assault on the Iran nuclear deal, discusses the vetting process for his own Twitter feed, and reveals his take on a potential North Korean nuclear crisis.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair sits down with Susan Glasser in New York City to discuss the similarities between Brexit and Trump, negiotating peace in the Middle East and the populism of the far left.

The Global Politico dives into North Korea this week with Admiral Dennis Blair, the former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, and Ambassador Chris Hill, the last senior American to negotiate with the North Koreans. With fire, fury and war panic reverberating across the country, Susan Glasser examines how worried Americans should be, the nuances of negotiating, and options for America's path forward. 

On this week's episode of The Global Politico, a group of leading Democrat leaders and strategists reconvene a year later to debate their election losses, the diagnosis of why Trump beat them in 2016, and how much to stake themselves on an oust-him-at-all-costs strategy now. Their internal battles may not be as sexy as the unprecedented hostile takeover of the GOP by an outsider president not beholden to it – yet they are just as consequential. 

Jeh Johnson, former Homeland Security chief, on the many crises, natural and otherwise, of the Trump era. President Trump has yet to name a replacement as secretary of Homeland Security. Not only that, he appears nowhere close to doing so and has not even interviewed any candidates for the job. Big mistake, argues Jeh Johnson, who served as the Obama administration's DHS chief until Trump's inauguration in January. 

A look back on the first seven months of the Trump administration, Susan Glasser walks through ten lessons we've learned about Donald Trump's foreign policy philosophy since he took office. 

This week The Global Politico examines whether America and Russia are really doomed to clash on the world stage, how we got Vladimir Putin so wrong — and what’s next for the Kremlin leader. Is it a new Cold War? Are we Russian hands too obsessed with making Putin and his country a boogie man in American politics today? 

The Republican Party under President Trump is a party divided, one at war with itself. Torn between a leader who came to office vowing to drain the Washington swamp – and the swamp creatures in his own party who now run both houses of Congress. This week, The Global Politico convened two groups of Republicans - a group of party insiders here in Washington, the ones Trump and Company are throwing the bombs at, and a group of pro-Trump Republicans who want a war with Mitch McConnell and then some.

Hannah Dreier joins The Global Politico this week to recount her experience covering the Venezuela crisis, as an AP correspondent. She takes listeners inside what it is like to live through complete upheaval and the crazy things you get used to when your home is falling apart. Hannah was robbed, snatched by the secret police and bought Cheerios on the black market. This is a story about an oil rich country that has lines for bread and milk and toilet paper, the world’s highest crime rate, the world’s highest inflation rate.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, fresh from a summit with Trump, explains a region in turmoil. The tone was measured, but taken together his comments amount to a striking and stark indictment of Obama and much recent U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Until a couple weeks ago Laurel Miller was America’s top diplomat charged with dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Miller joins The Global Politico for an exclusive interview on the State Department shutting down SRAP (the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan) and lays out the tale of the increasing dismemberment of the State Department under Trump and Tillerson.

This week's guest, Elizabeth Drew, wrote the book, Washington Journal, as a real-time  diary of how the American political world handled the spiraling Watergate investigations. Susan and Elizabeth discuss how Nixon is — and isn’t — like Trump, why our new president has already in her view committed an impeachable offense and whether Congress is up to the job of dealing with a constitutional crisis once again.  Subscribe to The Global Politico's Monday morning newsletter here: http://politi.co/2qApObk 

Tom Donilon, President Obama’s national security adviser and co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s national security transition team, makes a strong case for why who sits in the Situation Room really matters, why Donald Trump’s explosive new ways and foreign policy about-face from the Obama era may well have long-term consequences.

J.T. Rogers is not a diplomat or a military officer or politician. He’s something most unusual in American public life: a playwright whose subject is world affairs — we call him America’s only foreign policy playwright — and he’s just won pretty much every award there is for his latest work, “Oslo,” a powerful look at the historic moment in 1993 when peace between Israel and the Palestinians seemed like it might really happen. 

Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger says he is prepared to wage a rebellion and raise “holy hell” in the face of new efforts by the White House and its allies to water down a bill enshrining into law tough sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s government. The measure—which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate—ran into trouble last week as Trump allies raised procedural roadblocks and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson complained the bill unduly ties the administration’s hands.

Tom Malinowski served on President Clinton’s National Security Council staff, then became Washington director of Human Rights Watch, and then for the last term of President Obama’s administration, as assistant secretary of state for human rights. In other words, he had a front row seat for the debate over whether and how we should intervene to help the millions of innocent civilians caught in the civil war in Syria, how we should respond to the Arab spring, to the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

A conversation with Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic about the shove he received from U.S. President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Brussels. Plus, a conversation with Damon Wilson of the Atlantic Council to lend context to the incident and on Montenegro's bid for and accession into the NATO alliance. 

Brookings Institution President Strobe Talbott delves into Trump and Putin, Moscow and Washington, as we find ourselves consumed by the unlikely confluence of two stories that he happens to know more about than just about anybody. The former deputy secretary of State walks us through America's long and complicated relationship with Russia, and the impact Trump's relationship with Putin. 

The Global Politico hits the road again, to the scene of last week’s terrorist attack in Manchester — as it caused an unprecedented halt to political campaigning just two weeks before the general election. And we’ll explore the backstory of Brexit, how it does and doesn’t compare with the populist wave that’s brought us Donald Trump in the United States and a host of political upheavals in other countries. Our guest for most the podcast is Steve Hilton, who was long a British political guru of the first ranks, once so close to former British Prime Minister David Cameron he was known as “David’s brain.” 

In an exclusive interview with Susan Glasser, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta blasts Donald Trump as unfit for office and predicts Trump's GOP enablers on Capitol Hill will stonewall the Russia hacking probe. As for the president's excuse that he fired Comey for mishandling last year's Clinton investigation? Laughable, really laughable, Podesta says. 

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledges her concerns about a president accused of eroding democracy at home and ignoring it abroad and says Trump, a novice in world affairs, has a “steeper learning curve than most” presidents. Rice also offers her personal revenge theory of Vladimir Putin’s 2016 U.S. election hacking, says she’s not going to serve as Trump’s FBI director, and tells the backstory of how she met Trump Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. 

POLITICO’s European colleagues Nicholas Vinocur in Paris and Ryan Heath in Brussels join Susan Glasser for a special edition of the Global Politico. The group delves into how Emmanuel Macron has just pulled off a great political upset, winning the presidency of France in a landslide little more than a year after creating his own political party. Call him a political entrepreneur, a thirtysomething outsider, a disruptor on a par with Donald Trump. But he’s also the ultimate establishment figure, a Europeanist who opened his victory party with the European Union’s anthem, a former Rothschild banker who wants to save the system, not blow it up. 

The Connecticut senator has emerged as a leader of the national resistance to President Trump — and a foreign policy wonk with a lot to say about the world. The Democrat talks Clinton and Comey, the White House’s dictator problem and why the Saudis aren’t our friends – plus what he’s learned about Twitter trolling a president. 

"They thought the man had gone bananas": a conversation on Trump and why Europe sees him as a threat to rival Putin with Sweden’s Carl Bildt 

In an exclusive for The Global POLITICO, Paul Wolfowitz, architect of the Iraq war, talks Trump, Iraq and his fears the country could descend into “chaotic violence” all over again, and the need for America to step back up in the melting down Middle East. An original #nevertrumper, hehe says he’s now seeing “fantastic opportunity” in Trump’s newly assertive foreign policy. 

Michael Anton wrote inflammatory essays backing Trump during last year’s campaign. Now he’s in charge of explaining Trump’s keep-em-guessing foreign policy at Trump’s NSC. In an exclusive interview with Susan Glasser’s Global POLITICO podcast, Anton talks Syria, North Korea, Steve Bannon — and the virtues of Trump’s unpredictability. Not to mention who’s best dressed in the White House, and why his intellectual hero Machiavelli would approve of the president. 

After President Trump called her “Hillary Clinton’s P.R. Person,” NBC’s Andrea Mitchell has some choice words for him too. In an exclusive interview for The Global Politico, Mitchell says “I’ve never seen anything like” the flat-out lies of the Trump White House, with the briefing room being used to “mislead or misdirect or obfuscate.” 

Obama’s top homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco talks about the Russia hacking of 2016 and whether the White House should have talked more publicly about it before the election. Plus: her thoughts on how Trump is undoing their counterterrorism policies “with the stroke of a pen." 

Donald Trump wants to team up with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make the deal of the century between Israel and the Palestinians. But what if a Trumpian TV star-turned-politician gets Netanyahu first? Israel's leading opposition politician Yair Lapid joins The Global Politico this week. 

Are the spiraling investigations around Trump and Russia “a conspiracy trap”? How much is Trump like President Putin after all? Russia-born author and journalist Masha Gessen joins The Global POLITICO this week to talk about the strange confluence of these two leaders — and what we should really be afraid of when it comes to these two nuclear-armed tough guys. 

The Global POLITICO hits the road this week, traveling to Kurdistan to talk to Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani about the the raging battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State, the “failure of Iraqi politics” — and what America First means to the Middle East. “We are fighting a war of survival,” he says, and the outcome isn’t at all clear. 

America’s most senior diplomat just hit the exits from Trump’s melting down State Department after 40 years of being the man in the room when Russia was involved. Daniel Fried reveals what he would have told Trump about Putin — if he’d asked — plus what he saw up close as Clinton, Bush and Obama struggled with the KGB man in the Kremlin. 

The foreign policy powerhouses respond to President Trump's macho national security policy; the ladies delve into the world's view of the United States, the consequences of not having women negiotating at the table and why millennials give them hope for the future. 

Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, says President Trump has a “pathological unwillingness to criticize anything the Kremlin does.” Schiff is one of the leading Democrats calling for a more serious investigation of Trump’s mysterious ties to Russia. He opens up about his security concerns, the importance of intelligence and using dark humor on Twitter to connect. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to DC to kick off a new better era after his rocky dealings with President Obama. Then Trump’s White House melted down. Longtime US ambassador Dan Shapiro, who served as Obama’s top Israel adviser throughout his presidency and sat in on all of his meetings with Bibi, takes us inside the mess. 

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sits down with Susan Glasser for an exclusive interview on his disagreements with Trump-and how he views a White House torn between deals and disruption The Global Politico takes listeners backstage in a disrupted world, interviewing leaders around the globe who can help make sense of an international environment that can seem out of control. New episodes every Monday. 

POLITICO's Susan Glasser sits down with former Secretary of State Jim Baker to discuss his take on President Donald Trump's immigration policies, what he learned from the Reagan White House and more. The Global Politico will take listeners backstage in a disrupted world, interviewing leaders around the globe who can help make sense of an international environment that can seem out of control. The podcast skips the punditry in favor of candid conversations about global politics with those who are helping shape it 

Each week, POLITICO’s Susan Glasser will go backstage in a world disrupted, interviewing leaders in Washington — and around the globe — who can help us understand an international scene that can seem like it’s spinning out of control. The podcast will skip the punditry to feature candid, revealing, news-making conversations about global politics with those who are helping shape it; you can subscribe to it on iTunes or find it on www.politico.com.