The Heat

March 26, 2025

The Heat: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Hours after a ceasefire agreement was announced between Russia and Ukraine to halt military strikes in the Black Sea, Moscow said it wants Western economic sanctions lifted before agreeing to the deal.  Joining the discussion:  Marcus Papadopoulos is a historian, analyst, and author specializing in […]

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March 25, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Growing Isolationism?

The Trump administration’s tariffs, rising geopolitical tensions, and foreign aid cuts are shifting America’s role in the world. With trade disputes straining alliances and diplomatic tensions growing, are we seeing a more inward turn in U.S. policy? Joining the discussion: Jose Luis Bernal is a […]

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March 24, 2025

The Heat: China’s Technological Innovation

China is transforming into an innovation powerhouse as it continues to make major advances with cutting-edge technologies. It has made significant progress in areas like artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing and 6G telecommunications, as it solidifies its position as a global leader in innovation. Joining […]

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March 21, 2025

The Heat: Israel-Hamas Conflict

Health officials in Gaza say nearly 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since Tuesday, after Israel resumed its assault on Gaza and broke a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal with Hamas. Jerusalem is now threatening to formally annex the besieged enclave. Joining the discussion:  Khalil […]

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March 20, 2025

The Heat: The Future Of NATO

When NATO’s founding members signed the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, they declared themselves “resolved to unite their efforts for collective defense and for the preservation of peace and security.” Now, nearly 76 years later, the alliance faces unprecedented uncertainty, with serious doubts […]

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March 19, 2025

The Heat: Canada Politics

Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister on Friday. He now faces the challenge of navigating a trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump, while preparing for an upcoming election. Joining the discussion:  Lori Williams is an Associate Professor at the […]

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March 18, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Politics

Over the weekend, the Trump administration transported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members by plane to a prison in El Salvador. A U.S. federal judge intervened, blocking the deportations and issuing an order to return the flights, but the White House did not do so. […]

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March 17, 2025

The Heat: China’s Economy

China is reporting positive growth momentum for the first two months of 2025 with GDP expected to grow about 5% this year. Retail sales are up 4% and employment remains steady. The industrial and service sectors are among those that enjoyed significant increases. Officials hope […]

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March 13, 2025

The Heat: South Africa – U.S. Relations

Relations between South Africa and the United States deteriorated last month after President Trump made accusations that centered on a new South African land law that he says discriminates against white farmers. President Trump is also critical of South Africa because it has brought a […]

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March 12, 2025

The Heat: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-brokered 30-day ceasefire proposal during peace talks in Saudi Arabia. It is a first step by Ukraine toward ending its conflict with Russia.   The U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia this week as Moscow awaits […]

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March 11, 2025

The Heat: Two Sessions

Nearly 3,000 delegates gathered in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People for the conclusion of the 3rd session of the 14th National People’s Congress.  Collectively known as Two Sessions, each spring China’s top legislature NPC meets alongside the country’s political advisory body the Chinese People’s […]

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March 10, 2025

The Heat: One-on-one with Jeffrey Sachs

With so many big stories making news across the world, we spoke to the acclaimed economist and global analyst Jeffrey Sachs for his insight and perspective. We discussed China, its economy, and Beijing’s relations with Washington. We also got his views on the Trump presidency, […]

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March 7, 2025

The Heat: Two Sessions

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held his annual press conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress, and answered questions on China’s foreign policy and international diplomacy.   Our guests:  Luis Miguel Castilla is former Peruvian Minister of […]

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March 6, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Politics

Two days after imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, U.S. President Donald Trump rolled them back citing market instability and backlash. This move followed a fiery speech to Congress in which he had previously defended the tariffs. Joining the discussion:  Jadan Horyn is a […]

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March 5, 2025

The Heat: Two Sessions

China’s highly-anticipated Two Sessions got underway in Beijing as the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference opened its annual session. On Wednesday, the National People’s Congress began its meetings and Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered the Government Work Report.  Our guests:  Marcos Caramuru is Former Brazilian […]

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March 5, 2025

The Heat: Arab Summit

Arab leaders meeting in Cairo unanimously approved Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza without relocating some two-million Palestinians. The plan presented by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi calls for the removal of unexploded ordnance, the clearing of more than 50 million tons of rubble and building […]

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March 3, 2025

The Heat: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Western leaders met in London for a security summit after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s visit with U.S. President Donald. A number of EU members have now pledged to continue support for Kyiv and to ramp up defense spending. Britain, France, Ukraine and other nations are now […]

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February 28, 2025

The Heat: Global Economy

According to U.S. President Trump, trade barriers will go up starting Tuesday marking an increase in tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada. Washington will also implement a 10% tariff on Chinese products. In response, Beijing said it will take countermeasures if the tariffs […]

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February 27, 2025

The Heat: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

Hamas says it’s ready to negotiate the next phase of negotiations in hopes of reaching a permanent end to the conflict, after the latest exchange of hostages and prisoners.  On Wednesday, Hamas returned the bodies of four Israelis who died in captivity, and Israel released […]

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February 26, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump held the first cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday. The meeting took place as his new administration is dealing with several critical issues including government cuts, the economy and immigration.  Joining the discussion: Adolfo Franco is an attorney and […]

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February 26, 2025

The Heat: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Monday marked the third anniversary of Russia military operations in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke during a summit with world leaders in Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin honored soldiers on Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day. Since the conflict, 10.6 million Ukrainians have […]

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February 24, 2025

The Heat: Germany Elections

More than 82% of German voters went to the poll this Sunday, the largest turnout in almost 40 years. The results show traditional parties losing votes to far-right and far-left ones. The conservative center-right CDU was declared the winner of this snap elections and its […]

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February 20, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Politics

Under his “America first” agenda, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed off on a flurry of actions to change how the U.S. government operates. Several of his executive orders including birthright citizenship, suspending foreign aid and the new Department of Government Efficiency are facing legal […]

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February 19, 2025

The Heat: Middle East Conflict

Hamas proposed the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza as part of Phase Two of its ceasefire deal with Israel. It is in exchange for a permanent truce and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory. Earlier this week, the militant group announced that […]

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February 18, 2025

The Heat: Multilateralism

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promoted peace and multilateralism at the United Nations Security Council. How important is multilateralism to solve the world’s conflicts and also to promote economic development?  Joining the discussion:  Peter Szijjarto is Hungarian Foreign Minister. Zoon Ahmed Khan is a Research […]

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February 17, 2025

The Heat: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S. and Russian delegations are meeting to discuss improving ties between the two countries and negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The meeting will mark a significant shift in ties following the U.S. diplomatic isolation of Russia after it began its operations in […]

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February 14, 2025

The Heat: Munich Security Conference

Leaders, diplomats and representatives from around the world have gathered in Munich for its major, annual security conference. The meetings are taking place at a time of significant global tensions and challenges over how to resolve ongoing conflicts. Joining the discussion: Wang Huiyao is the […]

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February 13, 2025

The Heat: Black History Month

It has been 99 years since the African American historian and author Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week, a yearly event that would later grow to become Black History Month, marked every February. Over decades, Black pride swelled in tandem with increased opportunities though […]

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February 11, 2025

The Heat: Middle East Crisis

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and expel Palestinians continues to reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are threatening to call off the ceasefire unless all hostages are released by Saturday.  Joining the discussion: Joel […]

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February 10, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump promised shock and awe when he returned to the White House, and three weeks into his second term  his actions and initiatives continue at a hectic pace including efforts to transform government in Washington DC. Controversially, he is also reaffirming a […]

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February 7, 2025

The Heat: China-Pakistan Relations

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has wrapped up his official state visit to China. During his trip, he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, where they discussed the partnership between their two countries and issued a joint statement. Beijing stated that its relationship […]

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February 6, 2025

The Heat: Europe Economic Challenges

The European Union is bracing for a possible trade war with the United States. On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump called the trade relationship an “atrocity,” complaining that the EU exports far more to the United States than it imports. European Commission President Ursula von […]

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February 5, 2025

The Heat: Global Impact of U.S. Tariffs

Though Donald Trump has been in office for less than a month, he has already plunged the U.S. into a new era of trade battles. He is targeting China with additional tariffs, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own tariffs on select American imports. Meanwhile, […]

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February 4, 2025

The Heat: Middle East Crisis

U.S President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for his first in-person meeting with another world leader since returning to power two weeks ago. On the agenda, negotiations for the second phase of a ceasefire with Hamas, Iran’s nuclear […]

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February 3, 2025

The Heat: U.S. Immigration

Fear and outrage across the U.S. as President Donald Trump cracks down on immigration. Many businesses in the United States closed on Monday to support “A Day Without Immigrants.” More than 8,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since President Trump took office. How might these […]

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January 31, 2025

The Heat: Global Economy

From automobile sales to home appliances and travel, consumer spending is helping drive the world’s two largest economies. We’ll discuss the latest economic numbers and expectations for the year ahead.

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January 27, 2025

The Heat: U.S. immigration

Hundreds of illegal immigrants are being arrested and flown out of the United States, as President Donald Trump fulfills a campaign promise of mass deportations.

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January 17, 2025

The Heat: China Tourism

In 2024, international tourism achieved one of its best years in recent memory reaching over 90% of pre-pandemic level. The Chinese government has rolled out a series of preferential policies for inbound tourism, including the relaxation to a 10-day visa-free period. Joining the discussion:  John […]

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January 16, 2025

The Heat: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

One day after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Israeli leaders say it is not yet a done deal. An Israeli cabinet vote on the pending ceasefire deal was delayed as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Hamas of ‘reneging’ on parts of the […]

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January 16, 2025

The Heat: BRICS 2025

Indonesia has formally joined the BRICS as a full member, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to join the group. There are now ten full members and eight new partner countries in the bloc, making up 41.4% of global GDP and half the world population. […]

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January 14, 2025

The Heat: Israel-Hamas Conflict

After more than 15 months of death and destruction in Gaza there is new hope that Israel and Hamas are about to reach a ceasefire deal and release of hostages. Qatar and Egypt are the lead mediators in the talks and they have been exchanging […]

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