The Friday Brief with Phoenix Ricks

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...

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 coo...

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 designat...

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 h...

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&apos...

Everyone has an opinion on the latest Ukraine-Russia peace plan. Will it benefit Ukraine long-term? Was it originally written in Russian? Is the U.S. properly advocating for our ally, Ukraine? Something is being left out of this conversation, and it is how this war is impacting the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa. But now, with European Union leaders in Angola for the EU-AU summit, this is the perfect time to ...

Election night 2025 was a significant milestone for the Democratic Party. In this episode, we look at Abigail Spanberger's winning strategy in Virginia, Miki Sherrill's hard-fought win in New Jersey, and Zohran Mamdani's captivating campaign, which has changed the trajectory of New York City politics. 

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Hurricane Melissa is a Category 5 storm that is heading toward Jamaica. This historic storm has already claimed lives in the Caribbean, and it's expected to have devastating impacts when it makes landfall in Jamaica. What can we proactively do now to help Jamaica recover in the aftermath? Plus: why are U.S. warships headed to Latin America and the Caribbean? Is the Trump administration's war against "narco-terrorism&...

By now, you've seen the images or read the news clips: the White House's East Wing is being (at least partially) demolished. Why is Donald Trump building a $300 million ballroom? Who will pay for it? Is this level of White House renovation unprecedented or expected? In this episode, Phoenix Ricks discusses the history of White House reconstructions and the efforts to preserve the current design of the White House. Plus: N...

A new geopolitical story is unfolding in Afghanistan. The Taliban has a fragile ceasefire in place with Pakistan (which accused the Taliban of harboring anti-Pakistan militants), and they are trying to restore diplomatic relations with India. What is China's role? And why does the U.S. want to open discussions about Bagram Airbase? All in under 15 minutes!

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If you blinked or were listening to The Life of A Showgirl, you may have missed that France's new prime minister resigned within 14 hours of announcing his government. How does France's system work? Why do they have a president and a prime minister? In this episode, we break down France's current political crisis and dive into the great expectations for Sanae Takaichi, the first female Prime Minister of Japan. 

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Internet and mobile services are being restored today across Afghanistan. Did the Taliban shut off access as part of an "immorality" ban? Or is something else happening? We delve into China's oil feud with the Taliban and examine potential reasons for this disruption. In Congo, former president Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death for war crimes. But, where in the world is he? Plus: Israel intercepted an aid flo...

Three news stories in the U.S. aren't being discussed nearly enough. One of those stories is about Tom Homan, the border czar (or more properly, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement), being the subject of a 2024 FBI sting operation. What was he accused of doing, and why did the U.S. Department of Justice quietly drop the case this month? Plus: we're diving back into the curious case of Jeffrey Epstein and attac...

Earlier this year, the Trump administration designated several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, upping the stakes on how to handle transnational crime. Yesterday, the U.S. military fatally struck a boat carrying alleged "narco-terrorists" in international waters. Was that legal? And what are "narco-terrorists?" We're delving into the classification of Tren de Aragua and its relationship...

Welcome back! We've returned from our August recess to discuss the trial against former President Joseph Kabila in the Congo, Israel's rapidly deteriorating public diplomacy strategies, and, yes, the reactions of European nations to the end of the U.S. de minimis tax benefit and the start of 15% tariffs. With some countries halting shipping to the U.S., how will the U.S. government respond? Has the Trump administration wo...

The U.S. government has had a busy week of trade talks. From China to the European Union, tariffs are being negotiated. Who will come out as the winner? In this episode, we're looking at the pros and cons of tariffs, including how they impact importers, exporters, and consumers. All in under 15 minutes! 

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Canada is monitoring China's research vessel in Arctic waters, not far from Alaska's coast. What is China doing in the Arctic? Is the U.S. also monitoring this vessel? Plus: The U.S.-brokered minerals-for-security deal between Congo and Rwanda has raised questions. Namely: who is funding and executing the security portion of the deal? We're also covering the House being let out for an early recess to, perhaps, avoid ...

Last Friday was Mandela Day, an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's birthday. What did he say about a free press? Is it essential for democracy? We examine his quote and analyze unsettling developments in the U.S., particularly the federal funding cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Plus: Why are activists ringing alarm bells about corruption in Ukraine? Who is in the U.S.-Venezuela prisoner swap? And, how does...