The Sunday Magazine

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 reasons? Veteran WNBA journalist Tamryn Spruill reflects on how far the league has come, and what conversations surrounding players Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham say about its place in culture today.

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 professor Randy Boyagoda considers the future of civil discourse in higher education amid fraught campus politics.

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.

Plus: As Prime Minister Mark Carney courts the world in an effort to expand beyond the American market, The Economist's Rob Russo, The Toronto Star's Adam Radwanski and Bloomberg's Nojoud Al Mallees discuss whether the bet will pay off.

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 set out on a world tour... and went viral along the journey. The "Traveling Nanas" reflect on their adventures, and offer insights into longevity, lasting friendships and staying curious.

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 industry, and how it factors into our push to diversify trading partners.

Plus: Afghan-Canadian writer Jamaluddin Aram reflects on the personal and collective legacy of war for Afghanistan, and why he believes his country can overcome the upheaval that conflict has wrought.