Today, much of the country was waiting to see how Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted on the One Big Beautiful Bill. Across party lines, concerns have been raised about the budget bill, with members like Senator Tillis of North Carolina breaking ranks to express their thoughts while still supporting Donald Trump's overall vision. Some people hope Senator Murkowski would do the same, but was her vote swayed by one visitor? We're diving into today's vote in this episode. 

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U.S. funding cuts to humanitarian aid programs have had dire consequences, especially in Sudan. The U.S. previously funded community soup kitchens. Without those community kitchens, babies and children have now starved to death. In this episode, we discuss The Washington Post's latest reporting on Sudan and other options for funding. European nations? Persian Gulf countries? Russia or China? We're going to explore these options and give a quick update on Israel and Gaza. All in under 15 minutes!

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Today, we're looking at the protests in Kenya and conflicting reports from Kenya's government and civil society groups that are tracking security violence against civilians. We're also covering the earliest known information about the so-called Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center, which is set to be built in Florida. How do Indigenous leaders feel about it? What have environmental groups said? We'll wrap up with the latest on the One Big Beautiful Bill, including an open letter to Congress from Feeding America and its celebrity supporters. All in under 15 minutes!

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Did NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte call Donald Trump "daddy?"  Well, it seems that recollections may vary. We're also reviewing the latest news from the NATO summit, including Trump's win on increased defense budgets. In this episode, we discuss the healthcare impacts of One Big Beautiful Bill, the back-and-forth between China and Taiwan, and the differences in opinion over the outcome of the operation in Iran. 

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Did you know this week is World Female Ranger Week? Less than 22% of global wildlife rangers are women, and there's an organization determined to increase those numbers. We fully support this! We'll also cover the latest on the Israel-Iran ceasefire deal, the European Union's new comments about Israel and human rights, and what the U.S. Supreme Court decided about deporting immigrants to third-party nations. All in under 15 minutes!

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Today's episode includes updates on two wars: Israel vs. Iran and Russia vs. Ukraine. What do these countries say about the other wars? Which countries are taking sides and why? We also dive into the history of Juneteenth, why corporations are nervous about sponsorships this year, and why studying the U.S. Reconstruction Era is essential today. 

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Last weekend, there were No Kings rallies in the U.S., but there's one monarch in the Middle East that leaders could learn from today. King Abdullah II of Jordan is quietly giving a masterclass on supporting allies while defending human rights. In this episode, we talk about his recent address to the European Parliament on Gaza and Jordan's role in stopping Iranian missiles en route to Israel. We also cover an underreported story in the U.S.: the pending transfer of Oak Flat, Arizona, to a foreign mining company. What can we do to protect sacred spaces and public lands from destruction? All of this in under 15 minutes!

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Russia's Wagner Group is leaving Mali, but that doesn't mean Russian mercenaries won't remain there. Why does Mali need to rely on mercenaries? We're also looking at this week's trade talks between the U.S. and China in London and exploring the Los Angeles immigration protests. Trump invoked Title 10 of the U.S. Code to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles. Will it escalate or de-escalate the situation? We're covering these topics and more in under 15 minutes!

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Why is the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology part of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security? It turns out that the Trump administration is using DNA technology to find and arrest immigrants, including children. Is this legal? Are they being transparent? Should Americans have the right to weigh in on this? We're also diving into the latest human rights debacles in Congo and looking at immigration policy debates between the UK and France. As always, we're giving you a global overview in under 15 minutes! 

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Amnesty International is one of the human rights groups calling for an investigation into civilian executions this month in Mali. Who killed these people and why? Which armed groups are fighting in Mali and why? In today's episode, we're exploring the rise of violent Islamist groups and deadly counterterrorism measures in Mali and other parts of Africa. 

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What is Donald Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense project, and why did South Africa's president bring golf professionals and a billionaire to his Oval Office meeting today? We're breaking down both topics in under 10 minutes!

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In this episode, we're looking at the present-day impacts of wars in the 1990s. From Jared Kushner's Serbia real estate deal (gone wrong) to repatriation to Rwanda, we're still talking about genocides, civil conflicts, and grave humanitarian issues that occurred in the 1990s. What can we do today to ensure our near future is more peaceful? We've got some advice, courtesy of every child's favorite online educator, Ms. Rachel. 

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Friday Brief! In this episode, you'll learn more about the latest news from the Pentagon, Sen. Fetterman's push to engage Iran, and the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Why is Kashmir one of the most militarized regions in the world? Tune in and don't forget to share The Friday Brief with friends who want a global affairs overview in less than 10 minutes.

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This episode of The Friday Brief is a call to action to support U.S. libraries and museums, which risk federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. Libraries and museums are generally not a political issue, and there's still bipartisan support to protect them. However, we must tell Congress members that we care and that this matters to our communities. The American Library Association (ALA) has a Show Up #ForOurLibraries campaign. You can find advocacy resources, including how to contact your members of Congress, on ala.org/showup. 

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There are anti-Hamas protests in northern Gaza, with Palestinians calling for Hamas leaders to step down from power. Gaza isn't the only place with protests right now. This episode also covers the latest news from Turkey, where protestors are upset about the arrest of a prominent opposition leader. While the Trump administration has a lot on its plate, officials found time to oust the South African ambassador to the U.S. for being a "race-baiting politician," without evidence. But, the real question is, did they decide to declare him persona non grata in a Signal chat? Yes, we're covering the group chat debacle, too! 

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Did the U.S. Department of Justice disobey a judge's verbal and written orders to stop deportations in progress? Some legal scholars believe the answer is yes, implying that the U.S. is on the brink of a constitutional crisis, with the judicial and executive branches at odds. Venezuelan Americans supported Trump during the election, so why is the Trump administration explicitly targeting Venezuelan immigrants with these mass deportation efforts? The answer is Tren de Aragua. We cover their origin story and more in this episode of The Friday Brief. 

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As promised, we're keeping track of the Trump administration's fixation with Greenland. After yesterday's debacle in the Senate, is there anything U.S. Democrats can learn from Greenland's latest response to Trump? We've got interesting news from Belgium, where an alleged bribery plot was uncovered between members of the European Parliament and China's telecom giant, Huawei. We'll also cover Iran's dress code enforcement, Washington, DC's budget shortfall, Elon Musk's failed attempt to takedown U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, and Rep. Lauren Boebert's latest antics. All in under 10 minutes! 

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This episode of The Friday Brief covers two world leaders' addresses to their nations. While Macron's address to France was about defending Ukraine and Europe from Russia, Trump's address reiterated his "America First" policy goals. Given what Macron said, is Europe preparing for a potential war? And, given Trump's treatment of Ukraine's president, Zelensky, will the U.S. side with our allies or with Russia? We also cover the latest news from Sudan, South Korea, and New Zealand. 

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In most episodes, we cover several issues. But today, we're going to unite for Ukraine. Who started the war in Ukraine: Russia or Ukraine? Will the U.S. remain a steadfast ally for Ukraine? How are European leaders and historians responding to Putin's allegations about Ukraine needing to be "denazified?" We're covering All Things Ukraine today in under 10 minutes. 

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This episode of The Friday Brief by Girl Friday covers the impacts of U.S. aid freezes and administration changes. In Thailand, a Burmese refugee died because a U.S.-funded clinic closed. In Ukraine, there are renewed concerns about the end of the war with Russia, as Trump met Putin without Zelensky. In Sudan, a network of communal kitchens might close because of a lack of U.S. funding. Meanwhile, the U.S. will also be impacted by USAID's illegal closure. American farmers are paid handsomely for crops (wheat, rice, soybeans, to name a few) USAID uses for humanitarian aid assistance abroad. Did those farmers know that voting for "small government" meant closing USAID and losing those contracts? What will happen to farms that rely on USAID's government contracts? 

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In this episode of The Friday Brief by Girl Friday, we cover the Australian government's thoughts on China's AI darling, DeepSeek; "death saint" altars at drug raid sites in Ecuador; Trump's real estate plans for Gaza; and, finally, what (unelected) Elon Musk is doing around Washington, DC. 

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This episode has updates about USAID and Trump's new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Will this lead to more tariffs against the United States? How will these tariffs impact U.S. consumers? How do tariffs work? We answer those questions and more in the first part of our new series on U.S. tariff wars. 

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With funding from the U.S. for foreign assistance on pause, critical programs like PEPFAR are frozen. HIV/AIDS clinics in Africa rely on PEPFAR to offer testing and treatment. Will former President George Bush speak up on behalf of one of his administration's best initiatives? In this episode, we also discuss Holocaust Remembrance Day, conflict in the Congo, the importance of continuing U.S.-funded mine clearance in Asia, and Donald Trump's proposal for Gaza. 

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What is an executive order? Do they have the same power as a law? Why did Donald Trump sign so many on his first day? In this episode, we talk about executive actions, look at lessons from the past, and review the White House's current policy priorities on its website. 

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This episode covers the backlash against Snoop Dog's participation in a pre-inauguration event in Washington, DC. Why might he be held to a higher standard than other celebrities participating in Donald Trump's festivities this weekend? Will Snoop Dog use this invitation to advocate for wildfire relief in California? 

We also dive into the recent conversations around the future of PEPFAR funding, which has saved millions of lives from HIV/AIDS around the world, and the current humanitarian situation in Mozambique. 

We strive to make every The Friday Brief episode kid-friendly for busy parents. Still, this episode includes topics within human rights that might not be appropriate for little ears. 

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