In a remarkable and rapid rapprochement, Donald Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in Riyadh meeting a Russian delegation to kick off talks about a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine. Who's not at the talks? Ukraine - or any other European leader. Is Russia calling the shots? And why is President Trump so happy to push ahead engaging with Moscow even when it is leaving America's allies dumbfounded?

Douglas Heye is a veteran Republican strategist who reads the politics of DC more closely than almost anyone else. He came into the studio to speak to Emily and Jon about what the MAGA approach to Ukraine means for the world. And later, as Steve Bannon teases the prospect of a potential third term for Donald Trump in the White House, how fragile is the American constitution looking right now?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Elon Musk has been holding court in the Oval Office. With Donald Trump by his side and his own toddler on his shoulders, he spoke to a press pack - justifying the gutting of federal agencies, DOGE plans to revolutionise government, and the mistakes he admits they’ve made along the way.

Meanwhile, Trump has called for a reigning in of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act so that American businesses can offer backhanders if they need to. Is he Making Bribery Great again?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In a week that’s seen a trade war come and go, an entire US government department frozen, and thousands of justice officials fired from their jobs at the FBI and DOJ, we start by asking if anyone is still prepared to stop Donald Trump amassing inordinate amounts of personal power? Why has any resistance left the Senate Republicans? Have the Democrats recovered their voice? We speak to Chris Cillizza about how to separate the lunacy and the noise from the down right dangerous.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producers: Natalie Indge & Rory Symon

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The last living child of JFK, Caroline Kennedy, has dramatically come forward to warn of the dangers her cousin poses to America if he’s confirmed as health secretary. Will any Republican be prepared to go against Trump‘s wishes and try to prevent Robert F. Kennedy Jr's appointment? And why is the media now reshaping itself around Trump when so many outlets chose to confront him in his first presidency? Later, we are in Latin America talking to historian Peter Frankopan about Colombia, Panama and Trump’s claim on the Panama Canal.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producers: Natalie Indge & Rory Symon

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The Bishop of Washington is one of the few voices this week to have pushed back against Donald Trump's policies as he swept into office. She did so publicly, in strong terms, and in a church. The Trump family were not impressed - and spewed vitriol at her online. Will she pay a price for standing up? We speak to Mark Landler, London bureau chief at the New York Times, about what is different this time around. Plus, Jon has caught up with Helle Thorning-Schmidt, co-chair of Meta's oversight board and former PM of Denmark, in the week that Mark Zuckerberg sat in prime position at the inauguration, and Trump continued to fixate on Greenland.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producers: Natalie Indge & Rory Symon

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Pete Hegseth is a Fox News anchor now hoping to lead the US military. He’s Donald Trump pick to be Secretary of Defence. Leaving aside the allegations of sexual assault and work place drunkenness - which he denies - and the profound lack of experience, does he have what it takes? And will he get through his senate confirmation?

Later, a life long friend of Joe Biden tells us why the President still thinks he could have beat Trump in 2024. How will Joe Biden be remembered? The legacy starts now.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producers: Natalie Indge & Rory Symon

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Why does it already feel as if Trump is President? Last night, he gave an hour long press conference at Mar-a-Lago and we suddenly remembered what it's going to be like. On the bingo card: Greenland, Canada, Panama Canal, and the January 6th protesters. Little mention of either the cost of living or immigration but hey, early days.

On today's episode we hear from two sides of the Republican party - the MAGA wing and the WTF wing - and we try once again to figure out what Donald Trump actually means versus what he just says.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producers: Natalie Indge & Rory Symon

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In today's episode we have a Newsagents - Ruthie's Table 4 mash up. We’ve been chatting to Bill Clinton's strategist and Democratic supremo James Carville at the River cafe with Ruthie Rogers. What should Democrats have done differently? What was Joe Biden's mistake? And what’s the way back?

But first, we kick off with the settlement ABC News just made to Donald Trump of 15 million dollars after he complained about an interview. Is the media ready to hold power to account this time around? Or is big business just happier to roll over?

You can hear the full conversation with James Carville and Ruthie Rogers on Ruthie's Table 4 podcast in the new year.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge 

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in Florida here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents 

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents USA is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Donald Trump has done his first sit down TV interview with NBC News and it was largely a calm affair. Oddly he offered unity across the aisle. But he has made it clear that he wants to stop those born to illegal immigrants from claiming us citizenship. Would he change the constitution to do this?

Later, did the left of the Democratic Party let ideology get in the way of a winning strategy? We speak to the author of Morning After the Revolution, Nellie Bowles.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge 

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in Florida here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents 

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Joe Biden decided late on Sunday to pardon his only surviving son, Hunter Biden who was convicted on gun charges earlier this year. It might have been the spectre of the incoming FBI Chief Kash Patel that spurred his choice. Or a sense that he ultimately had nothing to lose politically (and everything to lose personally) if he did not.

How have Democrats responded after repeated promises that President Biden would respect the law and wouldn't pardon his son? We speak to Chair of the Harriz Walz Campaign Rep Jasmine Crockett.

Later, Republican Strategist Mike Murphy joins us to talk through the latest Trump picks and the shape of things to come in America 2025.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge 

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs & Jacob Paul

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in Florida here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents 

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/