PODCAST · news
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
by Luke N. Vargas
A weekly dip into the waters of foreign policy to consider how events overseas affect our shores. Hosted by Luke Vargas at U.N. Headquarters in New York. Nationally syndicated by Talk Media News.
Episodes
-
"Open" – the case for freer trade and migration
If the 2016 election changed the way America talks about trade, corporate taxation and immigration, economist Kimberly Clausing wants a reset. In her new book, "Open," she tries to identify where our American discourse on trade, immigration and global capital went astray, and argues that free…
more -
Discrimination Based on Gender ID and Sexual Orientation
From adopting more conservative definitions of gender identity to instructing the State Department to spend more time focused on old-school 'natural law' rights, protections for the gay, lesbian and transgender communities appear to be under threat in the U.S. Victor Madrigal-Borloz is a U.N....
-
Can Maximum Pressure Work With Iran?
The current U.S. effort to economically weaken and diplomatically subdue Iran seems like the very definition of a "maximum pressure" campaign. But maximum pressure doesn't mean optimal pressure. If the U.S. wants Iran to engage in new talks to replace a 2015 nuclear deal, is the current approach...
-
'The Men Who Stole Africa'
Investigative reporting by Reuters has unearthed a multi-billion dollar African gold smuggling operation through the United Arab Emirates. That gold is one of many natural resources that leave Africa without any revenue making its way back to the people of Africa – or should we say, anyone but...
-
Arctic conflict isn't inevitable
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his vision for Russia's development of the Arctic earlier this month. He predicted commercial use of a northern sea route connecting Europe and Asia via the Arctic Ocean would increase four-fold by 2025 and he promised Russia would be there to make the…
more -
The World is Alright, America
Read the headlines and you'd think the world is in chaos. American leaders have spent decades warning that the world is full of dangers, and that failing to address them – often at great expense in lives lost and dollars spent – could spell ruin for the United States. It's an odd refrain to hear...
-
America's Palestinian 'Blind Spot'
Israelis head to the polls in closely-watched elections next week, and if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected the Trump Administration is reportedly prepared to unveil a long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan crafted by the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. But this is not the...
-
The EU's Controversial New Copyright Law
The E.U. passed sweeping new online copyright legislation this week known as Article 13, handing a victory to 'content creators' over platforms like YouTube and Facebook that monetize content. Big players in music, film and media love the law. Others fear a world in which corporate media...
-
Understanding the Global Water Crisis
Seven western states agreed this week share the waters of the Colorado River, something that's proved difficult after two decades of drought. Success of the deal hinges on dramatically cutting water usage, but at least there's a pledge to cooperate. Yet around the world, population growth paired...
-
'Combat Obscura': An Unfiltered Look at the US at War
The U.S. military has been at war in Afghanistan for more than 17 years. "Combat Obscura," a new documentary out today offers a rare behind-the-scenes look of that war, mixing combat footage with glimpses of the more mundane daily efforts by young American men and women to make sense of a complex...
-
Is an Arab Spring 2.0 Underway?
Anti-government protesters are in the streets of Algeria and Sudan. In Algeria, they're angry with 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to seek fo fifth term in office, despite being too ill to even make a public appearance. To the east and south across the Sahara Desert…
more -
Stopping the Weaponization of Space
Outer space isn't about to be militarized, it's been militarized for decades, and as China, Russia and the U.S. race to outdo each other in a new domain of battle, the world is waking up to the risks that war in space pose for everyone back on Earth. When destroying a satellite with a missile or...
-
Should Terrorists Lose Their Citizenship?
"Banishment is back." That's the assessment by one prominent legal scholar as countries start to strip terrorists of their citizenship – sometimes rendering them stateless in refugee camps in Syria and the world's other distant battlefields. This week on Wake we'll look at the legality and...
-
How (and How Not) to Reform the World Bank
President Trump has named his selection to lead the world bank. David Malpass is a veteran of Ronald Reagan's treasury department and the George H. W. Bush's State Department, but it's his more recent criticisms of the World Bank's size and multilateralism in general that are turning heads. With...
-
50: A Farewell to Arms Control?
President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from a key 1980's nuclear arms control agreement this month, accusing Russia of violating the INF Treaty for years and saying there was no reason for the U.S. to keep playing by the rules. Trump said maybe he could make a new deal with Russia and…
more -
49: The Costs of Chinese IP Theft
The U.S. indicated the Chinese telecom company Huawei this week, accusing the firm of stealing intellectual property from T-Mobile. That's part of a larger U.S. complaint that China's economic rise has been aided by the systematic pilfering of trade secrets from abroad and the funneling of that...
-
48: What's Next for Venezuela?
It's been a historic week in Venezuela, as opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó claimed the title of Interim President and said Nicolás Maduro had usurped power and was illegitimate in the eyes of the Venezuelan constitution. Venezuela is on edge – Maduro has okayed violence against protesters, Guaido...
-
47: The Real Crisis South of the Border
President Trump says the U.S. is facing a crisis at its southern border as tens of thousands of migrants wait to lodge asylum claims or attempt to pass into the U.S. illegally. But the real crisis driving that migration is thousands of miles south in the 'Northern Triangle' region encompassing...
-
46: Forecasting a US exit from Afghanistan
President Trump wants out of Syria and his aides say the U.S. is keen to reassert itself as a liberating, not an occupying military force. Amid a push to wind down prolonged conflicts, should we expect an end to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan? Helping us answer that question are this week's...
-
45: Living in an 'Age of Walls'
We're living in an age of migration. The U.N. reports more than 25 million people are seeking shelter from conflict worldwide, as millions more uproot their lives in search of opportunities that don't exist in their home countries. Many of us would do the same if put in their shoes. And yet,...
-
44: Bolsonaro In, Merkel Out and Populism on the March
The world witnessed two major leadership shakeups this week in Brazil and Germany, and both seem to signal personality politics are the flavor of the moment. This week we'll talk to a Brazilian political scientists about that country's new far-right president, a biographer of Angela Merkel about...
-
43: The US Retreat on Refugee Leadership
The Trump Administration just lowered its refugee admissions ceiling for the next fiscal year to its lowest number in 40 years, and that's not the only change afoot. Christian refugees also appear to be getting precedence over Muslims fleeing conflicts in places like Syria, Yemen or Somalia. This...
-
42: US-Iran Relations After the Nuclear Deal
On the heels of meetings with the leaders of Russia and North Korea, President Trump says he's open to talking with Iran's leaders without precondition. Curiously, that offer of face-to-face dialogue came just days after Trump threatened Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani. Several months after the...
-
41: Making Sense of the 'New' Russian Military
Russian President Vladimir Putin bragged this week that a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons would be "years, and perhaps decades ahead of foreign analogues." Those comments follow a video presentation earlier this year in which new Russian missiles were seen breaking through the clouds…
more -
40: North Korea's Economic Future
Seated across from Kim Jong Un at a negotiating table in Singapore last week, President Donald Trump said he showed the notorious dictator a video of what a brighter North Korea could look like. The message of that video: there's a prosperous economy awaiting Kim if he only shelves his nukes and...
-
39: What to Expect in Singapore
For months, President Trump built up expectations that North Korea's nuclear program could be quickly negotiated away in historic talks with Kim Jong Un in Singapore. But expectations have since shifted to talk of an agreement to end the Korean war, and instead of asking for sanctions relief…
more -
38: Armenia's April Revolution
People power prevailed in Armenia in April, as mass demonstrators dislodged Prime Minister (and former president) Serzh Sargsyan, who changed the county's constitution in a bid to remain in office. After a peaceful revolution, Armenia has a new leader and is embarking on a laundry list of complex...
-
37: The Origins and Future of Boko Haram
Years of military efforts to destroy Boko Haram have failed to eradicate the terror group. Boko Haram continues to stage daring attacks, kidnap civilians and fuel a regional refugee crisis that's displaced hundreds of thousands. This week on Wake we'll trace the origins of Boko Haram consider how...
-
36: Why We Can't Ignore Russia
Just the word 'Russia' conjures up a range of loaded associations from Ukraine to collusion, Syria to election meddling, Sergei Skripal to nuclear weapons. The Cold War is over, but the U.S. continues to push Russia on a range of issues across the far corners of the globe. This week on Wake we'll...
-
35: Cuba's Historic Leadership Change
Cuba recently underwent a historic presidential leadership change, turning the page on decades of rule by brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro with the election of Miguel Díaz-Canel. But far from being a shock to the system, Díaz-Canel is a party stalwart, groomed by the Castros for a leadership role…
more -
34: How to Build a World Parliament
The idea for a global parliament, a citizen legislature, and the sovereignty of the human being dates back centuries. It's an idea with roots in ancient Greece and the Roman Republic. It traces back to birth of the United States, the French Revolution and the establishment of the U.N. out of the...
-
33: Behind the Immigration Headlines
From day one of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has directed his ire at Mexico and raised questions about the motives and character of Mexicans seeking a life in the United States. As President, that focus on Mexico has only intensified. Trump frequently disparages the Mexican government,...
-
32: Is the EU in Crisis?
The headlines are filled with grave proclamations about the future of the European Union. Recent Italian elections swept eurosceptic parties into office, a vocal Front National in France is taking inspiration from President Trump while Eastern and Central European states band together to defy the...
-
31: The Politics of Travel
Tourism is diplomacy. A single tourist may not move markets or drive political change, but tourism responds to the times, rising and falling along with political rhetoric, immigration policy and cultural shifts. This week on Wake we're exploring recent trends in global and domestic travel,...
-
30: Freedom in Retreat
Freedom around the world is in retreat as "democracy faces its most serious crisis in decades." This week on Wake we'll try to get to the bottom of these worrying trends overseas and turn the focus on the U.S., to see what's changing here at home and what if anything, the U.S. can do to set a…
more -
29: China's 'Millennials' Make Waves
China's young generation is large, fiercely competitive and tapped into global education, commerce and tourism. This dynamic cohort is coming of age as China itself reawakens from a 'Century of Humiliation' and increasingly drives the world economy. This week on Wake we're looking at China's...
-
28: The Future of UN Peacekeeping
United Nations peacekeeping is at a crossroads. Under threat, over-extended and beset by scandal, perhaps is it's no surprise the Trump Administration made the U.N. peacekeeping budget an early target of funding cuts. This week on Wake we'll ask if reforms can modernize peacekeeping and whether...
-
27: The Social Costs of Offshore Finance
In 2015, the Panama Papers peeled back the lid on how the world's uber rich shelter money in offshore accounts. More revelations in 2017 known as the Paradise Papers showed us how little has changed. This week on Wake we're diving into the world of offshore finance and what the public needs to…
more -
26: Rethinking North Korea
At every stop along President Trump's state visit to Asia in November, he said the U.S. and its allies were stepping up pressure on North Korea. But months on, it seems not much has changed. In conversation with Cheon Seong-Whun this week we're taking a step back to consider if we're looking at...
-
25: Is There a Trump 'Africa Policy'?
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has just returned from a big trip to Africa. She visited refugee camps South Sudan, famine victims in Ethiopia, and in Congo, she insisted that long-postponed elections finally be held. Upon her return to New York, she announced $60 million in US funding to create an...
-
24: Can 'Impact Investing' Replace Charity?
U.S. stock market keep on hitting record highs. New technology promises to make us more connected, as medical breakthroughs raise hopes of better, longer lives. And yet by most accounts global wealth is as concentrated as ever. the psychological downsides of technology get more press than their...
-
23: Sizing Up Israel's Global 'Charm Offensive'
When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.N. General Assembly last month he said Israel's global standing has never been higher: "After 70 years, the world is embracing Israel, and Israel is embracing the world." Netanyahu said relations with the US are at new highs, and that in the...
-
22: How to Better Regulate the Internet
Earlier this month, Facebook said it was handing over information about suspicious advertising purchases made on its network by Russian companies and individuals. The disclosure raises questions about whether the world's largest social networks were used to influence the 2016 election. This week…
more -
21: Natural Disasters and Climate Resilience
From Hurricanes Irma to Jose to Maria, an active atlantic storm season has ravaged wide swaths of the Caribbean. The storms themselves receive wall-to-wall media coverage, but when they pass, the story of reconstruction quickly drops from the front page, and post-storm assessments become the…
more -
20: The Crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State
In recent weeks, a military campaign by Myanmar's Buddhist government in a remote corner of the country has displaced at least 400,000 people, most of them Rohingya Muslims. International observers are banned from visiting conflict areas, but there are reports of mass killings, perhaps an ethnic...
-
19: History's Warnings of a US-China War
It might seem unthinkable, but history suggests war between rising and ruling powers is far from unusual. What does that mean for the U.S. and China?
-
18: The Iran Deal in the Age of Trump
When the Iranian nuclear deal was signed two years ago in the summer of 2015, President Obama hailed the deal as preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, as a victory for multilateral diplomacy. The deal is technically still in effect, but it's under siege by President Trump, who's eager…
more -
17: Sanctions in All Shapes and Sizes
Read, watch or listen to the news and you're likely hear about a sanctions threat. With military action often too costly or politically unpopular, the sanction looms as the tool of choice to respond to events in North Korea, Iran, Russia or Venezuela. So how did we get here? Why are American...
-
16: Iraq After the Islamic State
The Iraqi city of Mosul has been liberated from Islamic State control. Iraq's Prime Minister walked through the rubble of the city streets and declared victory. But what's next? Could another terror group spring up in the Islamic State's place? Will Iraq's Kurds be rewarded for their gallantry on...
-
15: Rethinking Nuclear Weapons Policy
This month, 122 nations finished work on a nuclear weapons ban treaty. The goal, to rid the planet of nuclear weapons. The Cold War is over, but states with nuclear weapons remain very attached to their 15,000 warheads. Is it time to do away with those weapons or at least rethink nuclear weapons...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
A weekly dip into the waters of foreign policy to consider how events overseas affect our shores. Hosted by Luke Vargas at U.N. Headquarters in New York. Nationally syndicated by Talk Media News.
HOSTED BY
Luke N. Vargas
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does "Wake" with Luke Vargas have?
"Wake" with Luke Vargas currently has 64 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is "Wake" with Luke Vargas about?
A weekly dip into the waters of foreign policy to consider how events overseas affect our shores. Hosted by Luke Vargas at U.N. Headquarters in New York. Nationally syndicated by Talk Media News.
How often does "Wake" with Luke Vargas release new episodes?
"Wake" with Luke Vargas has 64 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to "Wake" with Luke Vargas?
You can listen to "Wake" with Luke Vargas on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts "Wake" with Luke Vargas?
"Wake" with Luke Vargas is created and hosted by Luke N. Vargas.
URL copied to clipboard!