The Friday Brief with Phoenix Ricks

Syria’s former leader has been sentenced to death, Italy and Denmark have an unlikely new partnership, and Donald Trump might be about to hand over one billion dollars to his new friend, The Tiger, in Colombia. Phoenix Ricks is covering that news, and more, in this episode of The Friday Brief. 

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Keir Starmer announced he’s leaving 10 Downing Street - who will replace him, and what can other politicians learn from his early departure? We’re also covering Denmark’s coalition government, the European Parliament’s vote on deportations, Colombia’s presidential election, the potential impact of Hondurasgate in Latin America, and why the U.S.’s negotiating team keeps failing to completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Catch up on world news in under 12 minutes! 

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The Friday Brief is back! It took some time to read the Epstein Files and dig into the geopolitical consequences, including where senior government officials, like diplomats, are mentioned. This episode covers the unverified claims and wild allegations against former U.S. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne and the U.S. government. Will we ever have answers about the Epstein files in the United States? And, who could provide those answers? 

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Linwood Barnhill, a former DC police officer, was just tried and convicted of child trafficking. For the second time. How do human traffickers get away with kidnapping victims and moving them in plain sight? I worked in anti-human trafficking at the start of my career in global affairs, so in this episode, I'm sharing the lessons I learned from the anti-trafficking movement before we dive into the geopolitical implications of the Epstein files and Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. 

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Will the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota be the catalyst to dismantle or reimagine ICE in the United States? Mayor Jacob Frey seems to think so, and Americans across party lines are demanding answers about ICE's recent actions in Minneapolis. As the U.S. grapples with ICE, we're also faced with the ongoing debate over ice further north: Greenland. What is the Davos Greenland deal, and which negotiating parties have the upper hand? We're talking about ICE and ice today on The Friday Brief, with a side of World War II history Germans want us to remember. 

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Remember that scene in The Lord of the Rings when Rohan answers Gondor's call for aid? That's what's happening in Europe right now, as troops deploy to Greenland as part of Denmark's Operation Arctic Endurance. Denmark has been a steadfast ally of the United States, so the Trump administration's bizarre move to acquire Greenland has shocked NATO. But, under Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's cool, calm, and collected leadership, Greenland has a fierce protector. Who will win this fight? 

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Welcome to Season 3 of The Friday Brief! We're diving into All Things Venezuela today, including an update on the federal prosecution against Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration's repositioning of the Cartel de Los Soles, and Maria Machado's ongoing campaign to lead her country. When will the U.S. hand over control? Who should Machado ally with now? Do foreign-led regime changes ever end well? 

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While the U.S. debates the merits of close-up photography in Vanity Fair's piece on Donald Trump's circle, we noticed something else in Vanity Fair's coverage. They've teased a curious conversation with Susie Wiles, the White House Chief of Staff, on Venezuela. The timing is interesting because of this week's U.S. military strikes against alleged narco-terrorists and Donald Trump's decision to designate Venezuela's government as a foreign terrorist organization. What is the "dark fleet" of oil tankers Trump is targeting? Will this alter the global oil market? How are Russia, Iran, and China involved? We cover all of this in under 8 minutes. 

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The Apache have performed the Sunrise Dance at Oak Flat in Arizona for centuries, but the ceremony that The Washington Post documented might be the last one before their sacred land becomes a copper mine. Why did Congress hand our public land over to Resolution Copper, a foreign mining company? Will the copper mine boost the U.S. economy? Will Resolution Copper adequately compensate the Indigenous tribes that will be affected? We have one request after you hear this episode: please speak up for our public lands and Indigenous neighbors. 

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President Lukashenko of Belarus might be "Europe's Last Dictator," but this weekend, U.S. and European leaders negotiated for the release of 123 prisoners in Belarus, including Maria Kalesnikava, a beloved political figure. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, some of the recently-kidnapped Catholic school students were reunited with their families. Who took them, and where are the other children and school staffers? Plus: we're covering the special U.S. military operation in the Indian Ocean, the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach, rising antisemitism in Australia, and the mass shooting at Brown University. 

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Be sure to follow us on Instagram @thefridaybrief and sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter on thefridaybrief.com.