The Sunday Magazine

Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his government's second federal budget, with a focus on major investments in infrastructure, boosting economic growth and reducing Canada's dependence on the United States. The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles and The Economist’s Rob Russo unpack the politics of Carney's spending plan, and what the results of the U.S. midterm elections could mean for Canada a...

Researchers are warning that artificial intelligence could cause human extinction, swarms of AI agents are hacking illegally, and people are falling in love with their chatbots. And it's all happening while the tech world races toward artificial general intelligence – an even smarter form of AI – with few guardrails in the way. Tech journalist Kevin Roose traces how we got here, how to know when A...

CBC's Piya Chattopadhyay, Catherine Cullen and Salimah Shivji walk through the key moments of Tuesday's U.S. midterm results in this live CBC Radio special, bringing you immediate analysis on how the Democrats built their projected control of the House and Senate. Interviews with former diplomats, voters and stakeholders break down a new political reality in the U.S., with Republican strategist Ch...

Voters in the United States head to the polls Tuesday for midterm elections that could reshape the balance of power in Washington. The Atlantic's Elaine Godfrey and The Wall Street Journal's Cameron McWhirter have spent months traveling around battleground states in the run-up. They discuss what issues are driving voters' decisions, the key races to watch, and what the results could mean for the r...

CNN's chief political correspondent says it can sometimes take decades to understand how elections shape us. She walks through some of the historical races that she says have changed the world, and looks ahead to next month's consequential midterms in the United States.

CBC British Columbia's Katie DeRosa , Rob Shaw from CHEK News, and The Economist's Rob Russo break down why BC voters elected a Conservative majority government for the first time in nearly a century and where the NDP goes from here. They also discuss how the week's big political stories in Western Canada reverberate across the rest of the country.

As a former cabinet minister, Chrystia Freeland was a central figure in Canada's negotiations with United States President Donald Trump. Now, while Prime Minister Mark Carney sees a rupture in the U.S.-led world order, Freeland isn't giving up on the possibility of a unified Western alliance to keep adversaries at bay. She makes her case for rebuilding it – with America included, and Canada playin...

The celebrated Olympic athlete was rocked by menopause alongside a major knee injury. It set her on a path she didn't expect, including taking psychedelics and other drugs. Clara Hughes discusses how this experience led her to finally connect with and love her body and herself. Plus : Veteran journalist Carol Off explores how Canadians can embrace a renewed sense of national pride without slipping...

A new study suggests the holiday will be 10 per cent more expensive this year. Retail analyst Bruce Winder and economist Jim Stanford break down how everything from war in the Middle East to tariffs are driving the high cost of living, and what – if anything – Ottawa can do to ease the pain. Plus : It's been 10 years since Medical Assistance in Dying became legal in Canada. As the federal governme...

A student in Calgary, an electrician in Okotoks, and a new Canadian in Red Deer with a range of perspectives on the ballot questions talk about what's informing their decisions ahead of the big vote, and how they feel about building a future in Alberta – regardless of the referendum's results. Plus : Piya faces off against sports broadcaster Donnovan Bennett and Pemberton, B.C. listener Nina Morle...

Quebecers will choose their next provincial government on Monday. Polls have consistently shown the Parti Québécois leading, with a potential majority government in sight. A victory could bring their separation referendum promise to life – but is it what Quebecers want? La Presse Ottawa bureau chief Joël-Denis Bellavance and Le Devoir columnist Emilie Nicolas break down the stakes of the race ahea...

Laugh, cry, and play along as Piya squares off against Alberta country music star Brett Kissel and Redcliff, Alta. listener Gail Thompson in our monthly battle of brain games devised by Edmonton-based puzzle master, Peter Brown .

Piya heads to the prairies in the run-up to October's referendum to hear how neighbors on either side of the separation question are bridging their divide, discover how Banff National Park serves as an example of just how messy a potential provincial breakup would be, and unpacks the potential stakes of immigration questions with affected communities and Alberta's minister in charge of that file

Our understanding of common phrases doesn’t always line up with what they originally meant. Writer and humourist Eli Burnstein helps us discover the true origins behind "carpe diem," "you are what you eat," and "ignorance is bliss"... and reflects on what we can learn by putting their historical, literary and philosophical contexts back in place. Plus : David Suzuki says he has done everything he...

MPs head back to the House of Commons on Monday, with Canada embroiled in a trade war with the U.S. and a curious bond forming between our country and Europe. The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles , Politico's Nick Taylor-Vaisey and journalist and author Paul Wells break down the politics at play, both at home and abroad. Plus : After 30 years, the WNBA is making headlines. Is it for the right reaso...

The 20th century fascism you know is over – and a decidedly modern version is taking its place. So say Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor . The writers and activists discuss how they see today's far right defined by tech billionaires, religious fundamentalists, and ethnonationalists, and their prescription for fighting the threat this movement poses to democracies. Plus : University of Toronto English p...

It's been a big week in the trenches of the Canada-U.S. trade war. And Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations wants us to take a step back to reflect on what Canadians are fighting for. Bob Rae talks about how he thinks our country can best defend itself in this moment, and why Canada's values – including humanitarian assistance and Indigenous rights – should be central to that effort. P...

For more than 30 years, the show has been an unlikely cultural institution in the province. Its unique dubbed version, featuring local dialect and cultural references, was set to be axed last year. The Sunday Magazine 's Pete Mitton meets the players who brought it back, and explores the bigger story that its rise, fall and rebirth tells. Plus : In their eighties, Sandra Hazelip and Eleanor Hamby...

Harvard Kennedy School political economy professor Ricardo Hausmann discusses the potential and pitfalls of Venezuela's oil reserves, and the politics that could play into the deal's viability. Then, Macdonald-Laurier Institute energy expert Heather Exner-Pirot and Grant Sprague , a consultant and former Alberta deputy energy minister, explore how much it could really threaten Canada's oil industr...

This week marks two years since Gisèle Pelicot became known as the victim in one of the most notorious rape trials in France's history. Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was found guilty of drugging and raping his then-wife – and recruiting scores of men online to abuse her while she was unconscious, over the course of a decade. Fifty other men were also found guilty, most on rape charges. What m...

Prime Minister Mark Carney has received praise globally for walking away from trade talks with the United States. Will the world follow his show of defiance? Political economist John Rapley and Politico finance reporter Kathryn Carlson discuss how different countries are responding, and whether this saga could breathe new life into Carney's middle powers pitch to the world. Plus : CBC's Briar Stew...

His hobby list is long. His social calendar’s full. And while his mind and body aren’t immune to the effects of aging, the veteran journalist sees fragility as a kind of “enhanced humanity”. Ian Brown reflects on joining the ranks of Canada's "super-aged" society while that society changes rapidly around us. Plus : Sanna Marin steered Finland through the pandemic and neighbouring Russia's invasion...

Canada-U.S. trade negotiations fell apart on Friday night, leading to new American tariffs being imposed on tens of billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods. Piya Chattopadhyay explores the implications for Canadian industry. Then, The Economist's Canada correspondent Rob Russo and Inu Manak , a global trade law expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, discuss the political...

Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu argues liberalism has lost touch with the working people it once championed. He makes the case for what it will take to rebuild a politics of shared prosperity and defeat anti-democratic forces.  Plus : Sportscaster Hazel Mae on her journey from convincing her immigrant parents her career choice would work out to being inducted into Canada's baseba...

The narrow defeat of democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the primary for Wisconsin governor is the latest flashpoint in a divisive election season, pitting the Democrats' left flank against its centre. NPR's Tamara Keith and The Nation's John Nichols discuss the factions seeking to define the party's future. Plus : The clock is ticking on a trade deal with the U.S. The Globe and Mail's Marieke...