The Munk Debates Podcast

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of the confluence of factors bearing down on Canada this autumn, from labour unrest to overflowing emergency rooms to persistent inflation. What force is driving up Canadians’ collective misery index? Janice and Rudyard share their thoughts and come to a surprising conclusion. The donors only second half of the program explores what is happening in North Korea and the reason for the latest round of missile launches threatening regional security. Is Kim Jong-un a rational actor? And what, if anything, can be done to reign in his belligerent behaviour? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

We’ve come a long way since DNA was first discovered in the mid 19th century. Today’s scientists are using powerful engineering techniques to edit genes in human eggs and sperm, curing diseases and repairing defective genes before a child is even born. Some scientists are excited about these therapies, championing them as an exciting opportunity to create immunity to viruses, eliminate serious illnesses like AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, and possibly reverse aging. Like prior innovations in medicine and technology, why wouldn’t we embrace a science that allows people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives? Others are alarmed. They are worried that these new techniques raise a host of profound ethical issues. While eliminating genetic diseases is a worthwhile endeavor, many parents might be inclined to use this science to create designer babies: children who are smarter, taller, or have other supposedly desirable traits. And these tools aren’t cheap. They will surely be available to the rich first, creating a terrifying new dimension to the growing economic inequality crisis. Scientists also point out that ‘playing god’ and editing genes will alter our DNA code forever, and one mistake could inadvertently introduce new diseases into the human gene pool. While the desire to cure genetic diseases is a noble one, the manipulation of our DNA is more likely than not to push humanity towards a dangerous and dystopian future no one wants.  Arguing for the motion is George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and MIT Arguing against the motion is Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women's Health, University College London. GEORGE CHURCH “If we bring the cost down, help with education, and make sure there's a dialogue that goes on in both directions, then everybody will have access.” JOYCE HARPER “I worry that these technologies will not be accessible to all and I also worry that people will use them for non-medical reasons. We will have a rich-poor divide that will become bigger and bigger as technology advances.” Sources:  ABC News, France24, Today Show, NBC News, VICE, PBS, Gattaca, Critical Past The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya  

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of three international stories that captured public attention week. First, how should the world interpret the unceremonial departure of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao from the Peoples Congress midway through the final day of proceedings? Second, what does the West owe the women and girls bravely protesting the Iranian regime? Is it finally time to abandon the stalled nuclear deal with Tehran? And, finally, what should Canadians make of the Bank of Canada’s smaller than expected rate hike this week? Was it the right move or a forced error in the fight against continuing high inflation? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has killed thousands of people and displaced 13 million Ukrainians. Yet despite heavy losses on both sides, the conflict shows no signs of abating anytime in the near future. What will it take for both countries to agree to a ceasefire? How does Russia view America’s role in this conflict? And should Russia continue to suffer heavy military losses, will Putin make good on his threat to use nuclear weapons? Dmitri Trenin was a colonel in the Russian army for 21 years before becoming Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He offers a perspective from Russia on the continued conflict and how it might change in the coming months.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. The free portion of the program sees Janice and Rudyard discuss what Canada and the world’s advanced economies should take from the financial upheavals in the UK that led to the ousting of Liz Truss as PM. Are the bond vigilantes back? Is Canada at risk of a run on its bonds and dollar? The donors-only second half of the show features Janice sharing the insights she garnered this week from spending some time with Henry Kissinger, one of the great geopolitical analysts of our time. What are Dr. K’s thoughts on AI, China-US competition, and how does this master stateman think the war between Russia and Ukraine end? To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Health Canada, the FDA, and the CDC have approved COVID bivalent vaccines to anyone over the age of 12. This booster is different from previous COVID shots, targeting multiple strains of the novel coronavirus, including Omicron sub variants. And while the vaccine is being widely distributed, some epidemiologists are sounding the alarm. Dr. Paul Offit,  Director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is one of two members on the FDA committee who voted against advising all adults over the age of 12 to get the jab. He joins us to talk about why this booster might not be necessary, and whether its benefits really outweigh the risks.  The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. The free portion of the program sees Janice and Rudyard discuss this week’s financial news, from hot inflation in the US to the Truss government’s humiliating walk back of its economic agenda in the face of crisis in the UK bond market. Now that Britain has demonstrated that borrowing a lot of money at a time of inflation and rising rates is not an option, what does this mean for Canada and our free-spending governments? The donors-only second half of the show features a discussion of China-US competition and Beijing’s big leadership confab next week that will see Xi appointed to an unprecedented third term as the country’s leader.   To access the full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Pandemic government spending, labour shortages, rising gas prices, and supply chain bottlenecks have led to a surge in inflation and some of the fastest price gains for a broad range of goods and services in the last 40 years. In response, some financial experts expect central banks to raise rates multiple times this year and start selling off some of the hundreds of billions in bonds they purchased during the pandemic. The threat of entrenched inflation supposedly requires central banks to respond aggressively and raise interest rates repeatedly over the course of 2022 despite tightening financial conditions and seemingly slowing economic growth. Other economists disagree, insisting that central banks have responded appropriately by not taking drastic and unnecessary actions that could cause a recession. Long-term inflation pricing in the bond market suggests that the inflation threat is a short-term problem, and small rate increases now can more than offset the risk of runaway, long-term inflation. The bigger risk is an economic slowdown or outright recession brought on by central banks raising rates too fast while selling off hundreds of billions in bonds into a global debt market that will struggle to absorb record government deficits. Arguing for the motion is Mohamed El-Erian, President of Queens' College at Cambridge University and Chief Economic Advisor to Allianz SE Arguing against the motion is David Rosenberg, President and Chief Economist and Strategist of Rosenberg Research & Associates Inc. QUOTES: MOHAMED EL-ERIAN “The Fed has to act and act boldly. Already it has lost some credibility, and if it delays more, it will lose even more credibility and have very few policy options that are attractive.” DAVID ROSENBERG “My view is that inflation is going to ultimately decline of its own accord and the historical record proves that.” Sources:  CNN, CNBC, PBS, France24 The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. The free portion of the program sees Janice and Rudyard discuss the machinations behind OPEC’s snub of the Biden Administration as the oil-producing cartel cuts its global output. What does this surprise move say about Saudi Arabia and its relationship with Russia and China? How is the U.S. likely to respond? The donors-only second half of the show features a discussion of China-U.S. competition and Beijing’s big leadership confab next week that will see Xi appointed to an unprecedented third term as the country’s leader.   This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Oxygen therapy to lengthen our telomeres and prolong the life of our chromosomes. Boosting the functioning of our mitochondria with NAD. Stem cell rejuvenation. These are just some of the exciting therapies that scientists are exploring in their quest to prevent the decline and suffering we experience as we age. But some scientists argue that these are just partial fixes and that the answer to the eternal quest for the fountain of youth lies in pinpointing the upstream driver of these hallmarks of ageing. They claim that thanks to breakthroughs in the science of genetics they have finally discovered the control system that generates the strength and health we associate with youth. It’s the “epigenome”, which is the packaging that coils around our DNA and switches on and off the genes that shape the identity of our cells. They say that as we age this packaging unravels, which deregulates the DNA and cell information they have been safeguarding. Fix the packaging and we can completely reset our DNA and cells and regenerate our bodies so they are once again like brand new. Skeptics say that we need to look no farther than evolution to recognize that while ageing can be slowed down it can’t be abolished. Despite the formidable powers of natural selection, a species that doesn’t age and die has not emerged. This is because ageing is marked not just by cells that are slowing down but also by cells that are rapidly multiplying and becoming cancerous. It is impossible to fix one without the other benefiting, a form of intercell competition where human beings and our hopes of eradicating old age are the losers. Arguing for the motion is David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of TIME Magazine’s “Top 50 people in health care”. He is the author of over 200 scientific papers as well as the New York Times bestseller Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To. Arguing against the motion is Joanna Masel, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. She is a mathematical modeller who has published over 50 papers in a variety of scientific fields and is the author of Bypass Wall Street: A Biologist's Guide to the Rat Race. Sources: ZNews, Fox News, WKTV Newschannel2, Science Time The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/   Executive Producer: Stuart Coxe, CEO Antica Productions Senior Producer: Christina Campbell Editor: Kieran Lynch Producer: Nicole Edwards Associate Producer: Abhi Raheja