The McGill International Review

This episode explores a few current trends around femininity on social media and beyond. Senior Editor Clare and Staff Writer Charlotte join hosts Alison and Teodor in discussing Sephora tweens and coquette “tradwives” and what kinds of femininity are valued and what this may say about the state of patriarchy today.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Substack writer, former Federal Reserve economist, and Bloomberg opinion columnist Claudia Sahm, to discuss inflation, consumer sentiment, Biden's stimulus package, and the Federal Reserve.   References "Decomposing Supply and Demand Driven Inflation" by Adam Shapiro, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco "Is the Landing Soft? Will It Stay That Way?" by Paul Krugman...

Host Anzhu Wei sits down with Sara Mbago-Bhunu, the Regional Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)'s East and Southern Africa Division. They discuss smallholder farmers, and the role of agricultural investment in adapting to climate change.  

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Melissa Kearney, the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland. They discuss her recent book The Two-Parent Privilege, which examines the economic advantages that two-parent households have over one-parent households.   References "The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind" by Melissa Kearney "...

The Best International Feature Film Oscar has a strange set of nomination rules that have resulted in intrigue, controversies, and international soft power plays. To unpack this awards season enigma, host Anzhu Wei sits down with Professor Laura Isabel Serna of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.   Correction: Totem was shortlisted for the 2024 Best International Feat...

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Matthew Rosenberg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning correspondent at the New York Times. They discuss the Afghanistan war, which Rosenberg reported on for many years, and the conflict between US forces and Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Finally, they discuss political violence in the United States and the upcoming presidential election.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Will Stancil, a research fellow on the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity. They discuss the state of the US economy, concerns surrounding Biden's age, and the incentives of mainstream journalism.

Host Theo Shouse sits down with Nadim Houry, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, a think tank advocating for social justice and democracy in the Middle East. They discuss Israel's offensive in Gaza, tensions between Iranian proxies and US forces, and American military interventionism.

From January 31st to February 2nd, 500 McGill students went on strike to oppose the Québec tuition hike. In this episode, host Anzhu Wei talks with striking students on the picket line and student leaders, to understand the situation.

Le 15 septembre, les dirigeants du United Automobile Workers (UAW) ont annoncé le début d’une grève syndicale. Le 20 octobre, 34,000 membres du syndicat étaient en grève et environ 5,000 employés avaient été mis à pied par le big three automobile américain. Vincent Guillotte revient sur cette grève syndicale avec Joseph Abounohra, éditeur principal.

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Jessica Grose, an opinion writer for The New York Times. They discuss the negative effects of pandemic-induced school closures, the increased prominence of grade inflation in schools, and other contributors to teacher demoralization in the United States.   References "The Rise and Fall of the Teaching Profession" from The Annenberg Institute "Has School Bec...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Yascha Mounk, the head of Persuasion and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. They discuss his new book The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, and the set of ideas, ideologies, and cultural attitudes which he dubs "the identity synthesis" in his book.   References "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" by Yascha Mounk "Yasch...

Host Andrew Xu sits down once again with Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the decline in student exchange programs between China and the US, the way that Chinese citizens feel about potentially living in the US, and the extent to which this issue serves as a useful barometer for understanding US-China relations.   References "Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with David French , a columnist for The New York Times. They discuss the potential dangers of a second Trump presidency, the internal politics of the pro-life movement in America, and how to frame rhetoric to persuade people of differing political dispositions.   References "What the Next Generation of Christians Needs (with David French)" from Good Faith "Donald Trump Tes...

Why have our favourite pop star and football player taken over the headlines with their relationship? Hosts Alison and Teodor, and guests Zach and Anya share their takes on Taylor Swift’s and Travis Kelce’s relationship in the very first episode of The Editors’ Desk podcast.

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Substack writer and podcast host Robert Wright, to discuss the concept of non-zero-sumness, the origins of early Christianity, and the evolution in the perception of the Abrahamic God as described in his book The Evolution of God.   References "The Evolution of God" by Robert Wright "The ‘River to the Sea’ Rorschach test" by Robert Wright, Nonzero Newsletter

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Substack writer and internet culture reporter Katherine Dee , to discuss the causes of sex negativity, the cultural landscapes of the digital ecosphere, and the underlying motivations of right-wing subcultures online.   References "The coming wave of sex negativity" by Katherine Dee, Default Wisdom "Among the Spiritual Psychotics"  by Katherine Dee, Tablet "Self-...

Host Zalan Teodor Gaspar sits down with Wojciech Przybylski and Agnieszka Homańska of Visegrad Insight to discuss the results of the 2023 Polish elections, the issues that defined the election, and what the results mean for the European Union.

Host Zalan Teodor Gaspar sits down with Henry Olsen , a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center . They discuss the winners and losers of the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate, the influences of Pierre Poilievre's brand of conservatism, and the sources of the rise in conservative support in Canada more broadly.   Special thanks to...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Jessica Grose, an opinion writer for The New York Times. They discuss modern society's lower participation rates in religious institutions, how that relates to a group that social scientists refer to as "nones," and how people are finding a sense of community outside of organized religion. References "Lots of Americans Are Losing Their Religion. Have You?" by Jessica...

Host Marion-Inès Le Pape presents an analysis of Russian President Putin's Federal Assembly address of February 2023, focusing on the parallels he draws between the war in Ukraine and World War II. In particular, she examines Putin's use and abuse of history and his rhetoric of "de-Nazification", questioning what renders it critical to the his narrative.

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Substack writer and housing policy analyst Darrell Owens, to discuss the causes of San Francisco's homelessness crisis, the non-partisan nature of NIMBYism, and the debate surrounding affirmative action. References "Seeking clarity in Cali’s homelessness crisis, with Darrell Owens" from Time to Say Goodbye "Unhoused and Unwell on Transit" by Darrell Owens, The Discour...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Tomiwa Owolade, the author of This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter. They discuss the ways in which discourse surrounding race relations in the US is often inaccurately transposed onto that of the UK, and how this often leads to an overly reductionist view of the situation.   References "The narcissism of America’s race politics" by Tomiwa Owolade, Un...

Host Andrew Xu sits down with Dylan Matthews, a senior correspondent for Vox and head writer for Future Perfect. They discuss Biden's resolution to the debt ceiling crisis, the intricacies of the US's tax system, and various aspects of the effective altruism movement.   References "It’s Great to Have a President Who Knows When to Shut Up" by Matt Yglesias, The New York Times "What doing other peop...

Host Blaise Brosnan sits down with Elizabeth Bruenig, a staff writer at The Atlantic. They discuss the philosophical underpinnings of the Christian left, the increasing secularization of the modern world, and the normalization of fear and violence in American society.   References "Christianity’s Got a Branding Problem" by Jessica Grose, The New York Times "A Country Governed By Fear" by Elizabeth...