Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics

Mid-Atlantic: Gaza—Moral Clarity and Complicity

Guests: Dave Smith (North London), Michael Donahue (Los Angeles), Tonye “T” Trade (East London), Safana “Saf” Monajed (East London) Host: Roifield Brown

Episode summary

Roifield opens with a stark personal statement: Gaza is a genocide, and Britain’s leadership—particularly the Labour government—has failed morally and politically. The panel examines the col...

This week’s Mid-Atlantic served up a blistering transatlantic roundup, with host Roifield Brown and a sharp panel of commentators dissecting political dysfunction from the White House to Westminster. First, Elon Musk’s abrupt departure from the Trump administration drew collective side-eye. Denise Hamilton called it a “planned grift,” while Michael Donahue reminded us Musk’s firms are still swimming in government contracts. As for ...

British politics post-local elections resembles less a democracy in action and more a therapy session with occasional shouting. In this episode of Mid-Atlantic, the panel tears into the latest electoral results, with Reform UK bulldozing their way through local councils, Labour sleepwalking through governance, and the Tories doing their best impression of a political hospice.

Dave Smith kicks things off with a cold, hard look at...

In this post-election special of Mid-Atlantic, host Roifield Brown and Canadian political analyst Adam Schaan break down what might be the most consequential Canadian election in recent memory—not just for the results, but for what they signal about the country’s identity. In a week where Donald Trump’s bombastic threats of annexation echoed from below the 49th parallel, Canada’s electorate responded with an unmistakable rejection ...

In Washington, a rare flicker of institutional resistance is lighting up the political gloom. As the Supreme Court sides 7-2 against mass deportations and Harvard takes legal aim at executive power, Roifield Brown and his panel ask the awkward but necessary question: Is the American Republic finally growing a spine? Panelists Denise Hamilton and Mike Donahue agree that while Trump’s pressure tactics aren’t new, the scale of legal a...

This week on Mid-Atlantic, Roifield Brown hosts a packed panel to break down Donald Trump's latest economic gamble: a 10% blanket import tariff and steeper levies on select countries, with China squarely in the crosshairs. The result? Global market chaos, retaliatory threats, and international alarm bells over the US’s role in the rules-based economic order.

Joining from across the Atlantic and the US are Logan Phillips in D.C.,...

This week’s Mid-Atlantic felt like reading classified memos in the group chat, except the group chat accidentally included a journalist and the memos were about bombing Yemen. Host Roifield Brown and his panel of sharp minds, Aram Fischer in Oakland, Denise Hamilton in Houston, Steve O’Neill in London, and Leah Brown in Broadstairs, looked at two transatlantic absurdities: national security leaks from Team Trump 2.0, and a British ...

Mark Carney is Canada’s new prime minister, the Liberals are surging in the polls, and the country is locked in an escalating trade war with its unpredictable southern neighbour. At the centre of it all? Donald Trump. Since returning to the White House, Trump has hit Canada with aggressive tariffs and even floated the outrageous idea of annexation. The result? A nationalist backlash, a boycott of U.S. goods, and a shifting politica...

On this episode of Mid Atlantic, host Roifield Brown, broadcasting from sunny Oakland, takes on a transatlantic feast of political intrigue with guests Aram Fischer, Cory Bernard, Denise Hamilton, and Mike Donahue.

In the U.S., Kash Patel’s confirmation as FBI director raises alarm bells about the erosion of institutional integrity. Denise calls it “catastrophic,” while Aram points out the grim normalization of political weaponi...

This episode of Mid Atlantic tackles two seismic geopolitical issues shaping transatlantic discourse. First, Donald Trump’s alarming suggestion that the U.S. should take control of Gaza sparks global outrage, raising questions about America’s stance on foreign intervention and human rights. The panel—featuring host Royfield Brown, progressive organizer Aram Fischer, polling expert Logan Phillips, mediator Leah Brown, and tech entre...

This episode of Mid-Atlantic examines the latest political and economic turmoil on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, Trump’s sweeping executive orders, including plans for an immigration detention center at Guantanamo Bay, signal a hard-line second-term agenda. His tariffs threaten global trade, while his federal appointments prioritize loyalty over competence. Across the UK, immigration dominates headlines as the population s...

The second Trump inauguration was more than just a political spectacle—it was a clear signal of Silicon Valley’s growing entrenchment in American governance. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and other tech moguls sat front and center, ahead of cabinet secretaries, embodying a stark new reality: the marriage of big tech and the state is no longer subtle, it's explicit. This week’s Mid Atlantic dissects what this means for dem...

Labour’s Tulip Siddiq has resigned as Economic Secretary to the Treasury amid corruption allegations, marking the first major scandal to hit Keir Starmer’s government. The panel dissects what this means for Labour’s credibility, with some suggesting it’s merely the growing pains of governance, while others argue it could be an easy attack line for opponents eager to undermine Starmer’s promise of clean politics.

Meanwhile, Refor...

Justin Trudeau’s decade-long run as Canada’s Prime Minister is ending, marking a dramatic shift in Canadian politics. Once a symbol of progressive optimism, Trudeau is now grappling with plummeting popularity, a fractured Liberal Party, and mounting challenges from a surging Conservative opposition under Pierre Poilievre. In this episode, Roy Field Brown speaks with political commentators Laura Babcock and Adam Khan to dissect Trud...

This week’s Mid Atlantic explores the passing of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who lived to 100 and left an indelible mark on American politics and humanitarian work. The panel examines his role as a symbol of a bygone era, bridging the post-war optimism of the mid-20th century and the rise of Reagan-era conservatism. Michael Donohue, Zee Cohen Sanchez, and Olisa Jones discuss Carter’s moral leadership and ...

This episode of Mid Atlantic tackled the seismic aftermath of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's assassination in Manhattan—a shocking act that's ignited a visceral debate around corporate greed, healthcare inequality, and public anger in the United States. Panelists Roifield Brown, Steve O’Neill, Mike Donahue, and first-time guest Jimmy the Giant dissected the complex implications of this event and its broader societal resonanc...

In this episode of Mid Atlantic, host Roifield Brown sits down with Sangeeta Pillai, feminist changemaker and host of Masala Podcast, to tackle a troubling facet of artificial intelligence: its impact on body image. The conversation centers around AI-generated beauty standards and their capacity to amplify already damaging ideals perpetuated by social media and advertising.

Sangeeta's recent article sparked the discussion, highl...

In this episode of *MidAtlantic*, host Roifield Brown, joined by panelists from both sides of the Atlantic, unpacks the political reverberations of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election and shifts in British leadership. From the Democratic Party’s introspection post-Kamala Harris’s defeat to the implications of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, the discussion spans populist movements, neoliberal woes, and institutional complacency.

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In this episode, host Roifield Brown leads a riveting discussion on America’s political landscape after a historic and divisive election. Joined by political activist Zee Cohen Sanchez, tech entrepreneur Mike Donoghue, and author Jarett Kobek, the group dissects the surprising return of Donald Trump to the presidency and the ramifications for the Democratic Party, American democracy, and global stability. The analysis doesn’t just ...