Newsweek's Foreign Service

Newsweek's Josh Lowe and Mirren Gidda spoke to Chatham House's Xenia Wickett and the LSE's Brian Klaas to discuss.Obamacare has become more than a policy for the U.S. right. It has become a symbol of everything they hate about big government—and the man who gave the policy its name. But after seven years of railing against it, when the party finally got its time to repeal and replace the policy, they couldn't agree on how to do it. The party leadership was forced to pull their new healthcare bill at the last minute on Friday to avoid an embarassing defeat. The saga raises questions about the future of healthcare in America, but also holds lessons about President Donald Trump's ability to push through legislation with a divided party behind him.

Regular contributor, Leslie Vinjamuri from Chatham House and Executive Director of the Overseas Development Institute, Alex Thier, join Newsweek's Mirren Gidda and Josh Lowe for this week's episode. Donald Trump has announced proposals for his first budget, and they're predictably proving controversial. From hikes in America's already large defense spending to cuts in services like meals on wheels, Trump has pulled few punches. If the budget went through, it would see cuts in America's contributions to tackling climate change, boosting development, funding the U.N. and other global projects. So who would be worst hit around the world? What would be the impact on the United States? And can Trump actually get what he wants? Newsweek's Foreign Service is recorded and edited by Jordan Saville

Jason Murdock from the International Business Times joins Mirren and Josh to discuss the eponymous WikiLeaks, who's latest leak involved the C.I.A. and their espionage practices. Wikileaks was the future, once. Bursting onto the scene in 2006, the platform for whistleblowers and hackers, fronted by its charismatic Australian-born publisher Julian Assange, was involved in a series of disclosures that rocked the diplomatic and military establishment, particularly in the U.S. But along the way, the small group of activists behind the platform drew controversy. Their resistance to redacting controversial information was questioned. Assange was driven into hiding in London's Ecuadorian embassy after Swedish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest over a rape allegation (which he denies.) Now, with the C.I.A leak, it seems WikiLeaks is taking a more moderate, back-to-basics approach. So does this represent the start of a rehabilitation? And what's next?

Cristina Varriale from The Royal United Services Institute's and Newsweek's Asia Reporter, Eleanor Ross, join hosts Josh Lowe and Mirren Gidda to discuss the current hive of activity in North Korea, including the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother, Kim Jong Nam, who is in most danger from North Korea, what the U.S. can do and how Donald Trump's fractious relationship with China will affect the already tense situation.

Empire Magazine's Helen O'Hara and Newsweek's Tufayel Ahmed join Mirren Gidda and Josh Lowe to discuss this years Oscars. The Academy Awards are never without surprises, but this year was more surprising than most. After Faye Dunaway declared La La Land winner of the Best Picture category, an Oscars' producer dashed onto the stage to inform the film's producers—midway through their speeches—that Moonlight had actually won. After last year's awards, which were notable for their lack of diversity, people welcomed the success of Moonlight, a film about growing up black and gay in the U.S. That the best supporting actor and actress awards went to black actors—Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis—at least prevented the hashtag #oscarssowhite from trending as it did in 2016. But, this doesn't mean the Oscars are suddenly diverse. Nominations of and wins for LGBTQ people are still few and far between. Asians, Hispanics and women are other groups the awards show similarly overlooks. Newsweek's Foreign Service is recorded and edited by Jordan Saville. Please note, there is a mistake in the podcast. Helen O'Hara describes Kevin O'Connell as a sound editor. O'Connell is a sound mixer.

The Guardian's Alex Hern and Newsweek's Anthony Cuthbertson join Mirren and Josh this week to discuss the media behemoth that is Facebook—what it really is in 2017 and whether it can be a force for good. With the U.S. election and its onslaught of "fake news," people began to question whether Facebook might be harmful to its users. Last week founder, Mark Zuckerberg, posted an almost-6,000 word manifesto setting out what Facebook does for the world, and what more he wants it to do.

What is Putin's plan for the Middle East? How will he and President Donald Trump work with—or against—each other there? For the inside track on the issue, Josh Lowe and Mirren Gidda spoke to Newsweek reporters Damien Sharkov and Jack Moore, who've just published a cover story on Putin's activities. Newsweek's Foreign Service is recorded and edited by Jordan Saville.

Chatham House's Jacob Parakilas and writer Abi Wilkinson join Newsweek's Josh Lowe and Mirren Gidda to discuss the so-called "special relationship" between the U.K. and U.S. British Prime Minister Theresa May has made much of the fact that she got the first post-inauguration meeting with President Donald Trump. But how pleased should she be?

Women's Equality Party leader Sophie Walker and Fiorella Nash from the SPUC pro-life group join Newsweek's Josh Lowe and Mirren Gidda this week as they discuss Trump's reintroduction of the so-called "global gag rule" which denies U.S. funding to NGOs that promote or discuss abortion, will reverberate across the globe.. What will the impact of Trump's anti-abortion moves be? And what other women's rights might he seek to curtail? Newsweek's Foreign Service is recorded and edited by Jordan Saville.