Podcasts about canadian ambassador

After calling for an emergency debate at Parliament Hill about the state of Canada's economy, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre held a press conference this morning, accusing Prime Minister Carney of hiding from the issue. What do the numbers really say about Canada's 'technical recession'? Vassy Kapelos picks the brain of Don Drummond, an Economist and Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute. Prior to that, he was a Chief Economist with TD Bank. On today's show: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is kicking off next Thursday in Toronto. TSN Senior Correspondent Rick Westhead prepares to pack his bags, as he follows Team Canada all tournament long. Kirstin Hillman, a former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, joins us one month before CUSMA's expiration date. Where do things stand today, and what's the level of optimism that a deal can be reached ahead of July 1st? Tech Check with tech analyst Carmi Levy: Prime Minister Carney says a national A.I. strategy will be unveiled next week. The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Sharan Kaur, Tom Mulcair, and Tim Powers. Vassy speaks with Stephen Fuhr, Canada's Secretary of State for Defense Procurement, about last week's GlobalEye early warning radar announcement and the long-delayed decision on buying F-35s. Hamish Telford, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Fraser Valley, gives us the political 4-1-1 on Kerry-Lynne Findlay. She claimed victory in last week's B.C. Conservative Party leadership race.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Gordon Holden, Howard Balloch and Stewart Beck to the discuss the Xi-Trump Summit. // Participants' bios: Gordon Houlden is Director Emeritus of the China Institute, Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta.. Howard Balloch served as the Canadian Ambassador to China and then in the private sector in Beijing and Hong Kong. Stewart Beck served as the Canadian Consul General in Shanghai and San Francisco and High Commissioner to India before heading the Asia-Pacific Foundation. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "Apple in China" by Patrick Mcgee - "Coming Up Short" by Robert Reich -"Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China's Superpower Future" by Chun Han Wong // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Release date: May 25, 2026

Tom Mulcair can be heard every weekday morning at 7:40 on The Andrew Carter Morning Show.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with The Honourable Peter MacKay, The Honourable Jean Charest and Gary Doer to talk about Mark Carney's first year as the Prime Minister of Canada. // Participants' bios: The Honourable Peter MacKay is the former Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice and Attorney Governor General of Canada The Honourable Jean Charest is the former Deputy Prime Minister and 29th Premier of Quebec Gary Doer is the former Canadian Ambassador to the United States and 20th Premier of Manitoba // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "Breaking Point" by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson - "The Prime Ministers: Canada's Leaders and the Nation They Shaped" by J.D.M. Stewart - "De Gaulle Une Vie" by Jean-Luc Barré // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Release date: April 13, 2026

Ralph welcomes international security expert Paul Rogers to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to constitutional law experts Bruce Fein and John Bonifaz about their upcoming impeachment symposium.Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. He is open Democracy's international security correspondent.I think if you look at the war overall, then essentially of the three (I use the term as a crude term) participants, the one that is basically doing most badly is the United States, followed by Israel, followed least by Iran. Relatively speaking, the Iranians (particularly the Revolutionary Guard Corps) are closer to where they wanted to be, which is not true of the United States and certainly isn't true to a very large extent of the Israelis as well. In other words, the war is going badly. for the people who are determined to try and defeat Iran.Paul RogersPeople tend to think Iran is on its own against these huge odds. Well, it isn't. In many ways, certainly Russia and certainly China have a real interest in what is happening. But as far as China is concerned, they will not help directly. They will not, in other words, as far as we know, arm Iran without payment. They will see them as a reasonable customer. I think (more widely than we realize) as far as you get away from D.C., then I think you see the world in a rather different way, particularly across the global south it is certainly seen in a different way…And I would come back to a point which I think is a fair point made earlier—essentially, the Iranian Republican Revolutionary Guard Corps has been working towards this time for decades. And they will not be easily dislodged. It could happen eventually, but I think it's highly unlikely.Paul RogersJohn Bonifaz is a constitutional attorney and the co-founder and president of Free Speech For People. Mr. Bonifaz previously served as the executive director and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, and as the legal director of Voter Action. He is the author of Warrior-King: The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush and the co-author (with Ron Fein and Ben Clements) of The Constitution Demands It: The Case For The Impeachment of Donald Trump.Threatening to execute members of Congress is unique to Trump. Kidnapping people off the streets and sending them to foreign torture prisons is unique to Trump. Freezing public funds that have been duly appropriated by the United States Congress and not distributing those funds is unique to Trump. Attacking the United States judiciary, refusing to comply with multiple court orders issued by federal courts across the country is unique to Trump. Engaging in these murders on the high seas…these paramilitary attacks on people in the Pacific and in the Caribbean is unique to Trump. Now, it's true that there have been other violations of the War Powers Clause…But the scale of the War Powers violations today is unique to Trump. And this current new, illegal, and unconstitutional war against Iran is threatening the entire world. And so I think that whether they be Democrats or Republicans or Independents, they have to wake up and recognize they have a duty here.John BonifazBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Ralph, me and John have been trying to impeach Presidents—Democrat, Republican—for decades for these illegalities. The idea that we picked out Trump is absurd. Look at my history. Half of my life has been devoted to getting Presidents impeached and removed from office…So the idea that this is partisan, at least among us, is factually absurd.Bruce FeinI think we need to be even more candid about the nature of the crimes. This is not just illegal wars under the Constitution. He is committing the crime of aggression, the same crime that we sentence Nazis to death at Nuremberg for committing aggression against Poland, against Denmark, against Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, etc.Bruce FeinThis is what is defined as a dictator by any ordinary use of the English language. We need to get away from “authoritarian,” “Oh, he's pushing the envelope.” This is what dictators do. He stated, “I can do anything I want.” And he does it. He kills people. He deports them without due process. He spies on them. He suppresses free speech by using the government to penalize anyone who says anything that's critical, detracts from Mr. Trump. I mean, it is impossible to conceive of the framers thinking anyone like Donald Trump, given his words and his actions, would remain in office more than a fortnight if Congress was doing its duty.Bruce FeinNews 4/3/26* This week, the Trump administration backed down and allowed the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin to pass through the American blockade and deliver a shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. The AP writes, the shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba's daily energy demand for nine or 10 days. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío commented on the situation, “The arrival of an oil tanker to a country has likely never generated so much news as the Russian one to Cuba…It's a sign of the brutal siege Cubans endure with heroism and stoicism. It's a demonstration of the criminal cruelty of imperialism against a nation that refuses to be dominated.” Trump's public statements on the matter however loom ominously over the island nation. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters “Cuba's finished…whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter.”* In more news of Trump backing down, or “chickening out” as the saying goes, the Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is telling his inner circle that he is willing to end the military operation in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he wants the U.S. to stick to its original 4-6 week timeline and focus on “hobbling Iran's navy and its missile stocks…while pressuring Tehran diplomatically.” This report adds that if this fails, Trump plans to “press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait.” This aligns with Trump's recent statements on Truth Social, telling allies like the UK to “Go get your own oil!” With all of this said, Trump has sent the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, is weighing the deployment of another 10,000 ground troops, and is considering a “complex and risky mission to seize the regime's uranium,” all while calling the war an “excursion” and “a lovely stay.”* Meanwhile, 25 Senate Democrats have signed a letter by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia requesting that Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican Chairman of the Armed Services Committee launch a bipartisan probe – complete with hearings and a report – into the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School for girls in Minab, Iran at the beginning of the war. This letter notes that the majority of those killed were girls between ages seven and 12. Moreover, this letter implies that the Pentagon chose this target based on wildly outdated intelligence, raising grave questions about the competence of the military apparatus. While several high-ranking Democrats signed this letter, including Dick Durbin and Cory Booker, along with progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's name is nowhere to be found.* Elsewhere in the region, the Israeli Knesset has passed a new law effectively proscribing the death penalty exclusively to Palestinians. Human Rights Watch states “the bill imposes the death penalty for the deliberate killing of a person with the intention of negating the existence of the State of Israel.'” HRW adds that the new law “mandates execution by hanging, restricts access to legal counsel and visits from family members, limits external oversight, and grants immunity to those involved in carrying out executions.” In a piece calling for the immediate repeal of this law, Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International writes “By authorizing military courts, which have a conviction rate of over 99% for Palestinian defendants and which are notorious for disregarding due process and fair trial safeguards, to impose effectively mandatory death sentences and ordering the execution within just 90 days of the final ruling, Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards.” In an interview with CNN, Mustafa Barghouti said this law “confirms very serious fascist tendencies in Israel” and “consolidates further the system of apartheid.”* Anti-Palestinian extremism continues to grow within the United States as well. Al Jazeera reports that last week, domestic law enforcement “foiled a plot against prominent Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani in New York City.” Kiswani is the founder of Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist group active in the City. The suspect, apprehended by the FBI in an undercover operation, has been identified as a New Jersey man named Andrew Heifler, a young man affiliated with an offshoot of the far-right Jewish Defense League (JDL), described as an extremist group with a history of violent attacks targeting Arab American activists during the 1970s and 1980s. Heifler was reportedly planning to target Kiswani's home with Molotov cocktails. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the plot, saying “We will not tolerate violent extremism in our city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or their advocacy…Our city must meet hate with solidarity, and meet fear with an unshakable commitment to justice and to one another.” Kiswani vowed that she “will not stop speaking up for the people of Palestine.”* Also in New York, Congresswoman and possible 2028 presidential candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a private meeting with the powerful local branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. During this meeting AOC was asked whether she would support the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel. According to City and State NY, AOC affirmed that she would and stated that “The Israeli government should be able to finance their own weapons if they seek to arm themselves.” Pressed on whether she would vote against so-called defensive capabilities – namely the Iron Dome – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez definitively answered “yes.” This marks an evolution of her position; AOC previously voted “present” on a bill to provide $1 billion in funding for the Iron Dome in 2021. Many read this as an acknowledgment from AOC that the politics of this issue have shifted, particularly on the Left, and in order to shore up her progressive support she needs to stake out a bold position now.* Turning to the international progressive movement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has led Spain in a Leftward direction since 2018 despite the rise of the European Right is convening a summit of progressive forces in Barcelona slated for April 17th and 18th. Sánchez, who has chaired the Socialist International since 2022, emphasized that the Right has “for years woven a network of alliances to propagate their national populist discourses adapted to each country,” and stressed that the Left must do the same to remain politically viable, per El País. Notable attendees include Brazilian President Lula, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. There have been many attempts to unite the international Left, with mixed results, but it is never too late to try.* In our final story on the international Left, the New Democratic Party of Canada – the country's third largest and most progressive major party – has selected former journalist and activist Avi Lewis as their new leader, the BBC reports. This story notes that Lewis' elevation comes in the context of the NDP suffering a steep decline in recent years, going from the main opposition party in 2011, to holding just six seats in Canada's House of Commons today. Lewis – grandson of one of the party's founding members and son of Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP and served as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations – ran on a platform designed to revive the struggling party by “prioritising worker rights in the age of artificial intelligence, ending new oil and gas pipelines and projects, and exploring state-owned, non-profit grocery stores.” Despite his illustrious lineage, Lewis holds no seat in parliament and therefore cannot participate in official debates. The NDP faces an uphill climb not only back to power but even to relevance. According to this story, “a quarter of past voters…see the party as ‘irrelevant'...and 40% say its best days are behind it.”* In Los Angeles, a shocking new poll shows City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who entered the race at the last possible moment, in a commanding lead. In this poll, Raman drew 33% support, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass trailing at 17%, statistically tied with another insurgent progressive candidate, Rae Huang. Other candidates – tech executive Adam Miller and former reality television personality and registered Republican Spencer Pratt – round out the field with 13% and 12% respectively. This poll appears to be an outlier. Other recent polls have shown Bass at 20% to Raman's 9%, and Bass at 25% with Raman at 17%. But, if this poll is accurate, it would be a stunning testament to the success of Raman's campaign thus far and a massive warning signal to Bass. If the Mayor slips any further, she could find herself locked out of the general election by Los Angeles' top-two “jungle primary” structure. This from the LA Times.* Finally, we turn to the world of professional sports. This week, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Home Team Act, which, if passed, would require the owners of major league sports teams to allow local communities the option to buy a team before unilaterally relocating across state lines or to a different metro area. This announcement sent ripples through the sports world, with many fans excited by the prospect of keeping their home teams at home. ABC7 Chicago notes that “Sanders specifically mentioned the Bears' threat to leave Chicago,” while the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this bill could keep the Padres in San Diego despite multiple offers to sell. San Diego has been particularly sensitive to this threat since the Chargers left for LA in 2017. In the press conference announcing this bill, Bernie unsubtly displayed the jerseys of the Brooklyn Dodgers, his hometown team, which famously relocated to Los Angeles ahead of the 1958 baseball season.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Prime Minister Carney is denying reports that he's considered proroguing Parliament if the Liberals secure a majority government in the upcoming byelections. They are slated to be held on April 13th in Ontario and Quebec. Bob Fife from The Globe And Mail joins us with the inside scoop. On today's show: Vassy goes 1-on-1 with newly-named Federal NDP leader Avi Lewis. Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson discusses the government's move to eliminate the HST from all new home sales. Money Talk with John Klotz: Is the financial system more fragile that it used to be? The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Graham Richardson, Laryssa Waller, and Sharan Kaur. B.C. Deputy Premier Nikki Sharma discusses the province's push for the federal government to do more on A.I. safety. The life and legacy of Stephen Lewis, a former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and the father of NDP leader Avi Lewis.

CTV’s Rachel Aiello; Interim NDP Leader Don Davies; A panel with Vina Nadjibulla, Asia Pacific Foundation and Guy Saint-Jacques, former Canadian Ambassador to China; The Front Bench panel with Sabrina Grover, Melanie Paradis & Karl Bélanger.

Inward investment from Canada in Shannon could be on the cards following an ambassadorial visit this week. Addressing an event organised by the Shannon Chamber on Tuesday, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Dennis King has commended Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland as globally unique assets while encouraging Irish companies to view Canada as a strategic partner and gateway to North America. There are currently 70 Canadian companies supported by IDA Ireland who employ approximately 27,000 people across the country, both directly and indirectly. CEO of Shannon Chamber Helen Downes says the visit has highlight the opportunities for collaboration between the two locations.

Former Power Play host Don Martin, who is stranded in Puerto Vallarta; Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Cameron MacKay; Conservative Immigration Critic Michelle Rempel Garner; The Front Bench with Brian Gallant, Lisa Raitt, Tom Mulcair & Robert Benzie.

A third Conservative MP has crossed the floor to join Mark Carney's Liberal government. CTV's Mike LeCouteur dissects the latest developments. We also hear from Jeneroux himself, as well as Prime Minister Carney, following today's floor-crossing. On today's show: Vassy speaks with Industry Minister Melanie Joly about the federal government's new Defense Industrial Strategy. The Explainer with former Canadian Ambassador to Cuba Mark Entwistle: What's going on with the U.S. and Cuba these days? The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Saeed Selvam, Jeff Rutledge, and Stephanie Levitz. Stephen Poloz, a former Bank of Canada Governor, talks inflation and tariff uncertainty.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with The Honourable Bob Rae to discuss middle powers and multilateralism. // Participants' bios: The Honourable Bob Rae served at the former Premier of Ontario, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and Interim Leader of the Liberal Party. From 2020-2025, he served as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "The Paranoid Style in American Politics" by Richard Hofstadter // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: January 30, 2026 Release date: February 17, 2026

Dennis King, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland

Outgoing Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman spoke with Face the Nation as she prepares to leave her post. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was an honor to welcome David MacNaughton, Strategic Advisor at CIBC and former Canadian Ambassador to the United States. David joined CIBC earlier in January (press release linked here) and will provide insights to senior business leaders across public policy, regulatory developments, global trade, and stakeholder relations. David served as Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. from 2016 to 2019, a pivotal period that included the renegotiation of NAFTA. Earlier in his career, David served as Chairman of StrategyCorp and as a Senior Advisor to CIBC Capital Markets, and he previously served as President of Palantir Canada. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and political strategist, having founded and built multiple public affairs and advisory firms. We were thrilled to host David ahead of CIBC's Annual Institutional Investor Conference taking place this week in Whistler and to hear his perspective on the evolving dynamics shaping the U.S.-Canada relationship. In our conversation, we discuss David's experience spanning business and government, the highly dynamic geopolitical environment, the need for renewed public-private collaboration, and why politics feel increasingly interventionist today, with populist pressure pushing governments toward protectionism and isolationism. We explore the implications of AI-driven white-collar job disruption, why businesses must treat geopolitics and public policy as core risk drivers, Canada's role in AI innovation and adoption, and how Canada is rebalancing its resource economy amid global energy and trade shifts. David shares his perspective on Canada's prior reluctance to embrace LNG exports and its renewed push to be an “energy superpower,” how to interpret volatility from the Trump Administration, and how tariffs have strained, but not broken, the U.S.-Canada relationship, highlighting the importance of the integrated North American energy system and the need for Canada to diversify markets. We discuss how David's Strategic Advisor role will help clients think about using government support appropriately, his cautious optimism on recent geopolitical shifts, and why maintaining dialogue among allies matters, as misinterpretation and retreating into corners can quickly spiral into escalation. It was a broad-based discussion and we're thankful to David for sharing his time and unique insights. Mike Bradley opened the show by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield had spiked to ~4.3% amid concerns that Europeans could sell U.S. Treasuries in response to President Trump's Greenland overtures, as well as growing questions about what a spike in Japanese bond yields might mean for global bond yields. Consensus appears firmly in the camp that the Fed will not cut interest rates at the January 28 FOMC meeting. In the broader equity market, the S&P 500 was down modestly (~0.5%) over the last week, with cyclical sectors (Energy and Industrials) leading and Financials lagging. In energy commodities, WTI price appears to have stabilized at ~$60/bbl. U.S. natural gas price recently spiked ~$0.80/MMBtu (to ~$4.00/MMBtu) due to an Arctic blast forecast in the weeks ahead. On the energy news front, Q4 earnings season begins this week with Halliburton and SLB reporting. Discussion on those calls is likely to be dominated by 1H26 international oil spending trends. Mike also noted Mitsubishi Corp's $5.2 billion deal to acquire Aethon Energy, and his expectation for many more deals across the energy value chain in 2026. He ended by highlighting that President Trump, along with a handful of Northeast governors, are asking PJM Interconnection to hold an emergency energy auction that would allow Big Tech companies to bid on 15-year contracts to supply ~$15 billion of new power plants. IPP equities were the most negatively impacted by this proposal late last week.

The death toll continues to rise in Iran, as the regime cracks down on nationwide protests. Meantime, the White House isn't ruling out U.S. military strikes on the country. On today's show: Prime Minister Carney meets with the B.C. Coastal First Nations before heading to China. Vassy Kapelos speaks with Iranian-Canadian Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi. The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Laryssa Waler, Sharan Kaur, and George Soule. Dennis Horak, a former Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former Head of the Mission/Charge D'Affaires in Iran, discusses the likelihood of U.S. intervention in Iran. According to Stats Canada, fewer Canadians traveled to America across all 12 months of 2025. How does it impact the Travel industry as a whole?

Tim Powers guest hosts for Vassy Kapelos this afternoon. As the situation in Venezuela continues to develop, the Trump administration is ramping up its rhetoric around taking over Greenland. We deliver the latest developments as they become available. We also pick the brain of Retired Major-General David Fraser. On today's show: Dawn Desjardins, a Chief Economist at Deloitte Canada, chimes in on the economic outlook for 2026. Marco Mendicino, a former federal prosecutor and Public Safety Minister, on how the trial of Nicolas Maduro will play out. The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Stephanie Levitz, Jeff Rutledge, and Laura D'Angelo. Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian Ambassador to China, on Prime Minister Carney's upcoming state visit to Beijing. TSN's Michaela Schreiter previews Team Canada's upcoming announcement, as the Women's Olympic Hockey roster is soon to be unveiled.

Political analyst David Heurtel is a counsel at Fasken with experience in Government and Public Relations, Environment, Climate Change and Immigration. He can be heard regularly on Montreal Now with Aaron Rand.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) explains his decision to join Democrats to force a vote to extend the Obamacare subsidies. Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman discusses why she's stepping down from her role amid trade tensions between both countries. Officials provide an update on the manhunt for the Brown University shooter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, I rate the movies and streaming shows I saw in Autumn 2025. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store: GHOSTS2025 The coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 278 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 21st, 2025, and today I am sharing my reviews of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Fall 2025. We also have a Coupon of the Week and an update my current writing, audiobook, and publishing projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off all the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store, and that is GHOSTS2025. And as always, we'll have the link to my Payhip store and the coupon code in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this fall, we have got you covered. Now for my current writing and publishing projects: I'm very pleased to report that Blade of Shadows, the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series, is now out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. By the time this episode goes live, all those stores should be available and you can get the book at any one of them and I hope you will read and enjoy it. I'm also 15,000 words into what will be my next main project Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, and if all goes well, I want that to be out before Christmas. I'm also working on the outline for what will be the third book in the Blades of Ruin series, Blade of Storms, and that will hopefully, if all goes well, be the first book I publish in 2026. In audiobook news, as I mentioned last week, the audiobook of Blade of Flames is done and I believe as of this recording, you can get at my Payhip store, Google Play, Kobo, and I think Spotify. It's not up on Audible or Apple yet, but that should be soon, if all goes well. That is excellently narrated by Brad Wills. Hollis McCarthy is still working on Cloak of Embers. I believe main recording is done for that and it just has to be edited and proofed, so hopefully we'll get both audiobooks to you before the end of the year. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:08 Main Topic of the Week: Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup Now on to this week's main project, the Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup. I watched a lot of classic horror movies this time around. The old Universal black and white monster movies from the '30s and '40s turned up on Prime for Halloween and I hadn't seen them since I was a kid, so I watched a bunch of them in October and November, which seemed an appropriate thing to do for Halloween. They mostly held up as well as I remembered from when I was a kid, which was a nice surprise. As ever, the grades I give these movies are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions and thoughts. With that, let's take a look at the movies from least favorite to most favorite. First up is The Other Guys, which came out in 2010 and this is a parody of the buddy cop/ cowboy cop movie along with a heavy critique of the reckless and corrupt culture of late 2000s Wall Street. "Dumb funny" movies I've noticed tend to fall on either side of the "dumb but actually funny" or "dumb and not funny" line. And this one definitely landed on "dumb but actually funny". Danson and Highsmith, played by The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, are two maverick popular detectives who never do paperwork. Their paperwork is always done by Allen Gamble, who's played by Will Ferrell and Terry Hoitz, played by Mark Wahlberg. Gamble is a mild-mannered forensic accountant, while Hoitz desperately wants to be as cool as either Danson or Highsmith, but since he accidentally shot Yankees player Derek Jeter (in a recurring gag), he's a pariah within the New York Police Department. However, Danon and Highsmith's plot armor suddenly run out and they accidentally kill themselves in a darkly hilarious scene that made me laugh so much I hurt a little. Hoitz wants to step into their shoes, but Gamble has stumbled onto potentially dangerous case and soon Hoitz and Gamble have to overcome their difficulties and unravel a complicated financial crime. This was pretty funny and I enjoyed it. Amusingly in real life, someone like Gamble would be massively respected in whatever law enforcement agency he works for, since someone who prepares ironclad paperwork and correct documentation that stands up in court is an invaluable asset in law enforcement work. Overall Grade: B Next up is Fantastic Four: First Steps, which came out in 2025. I like this though, to be honest, I liked Thunderbolts and Superman 2025 better. I think my difficulty is I never really understood The Fantastic Four as a concept and why they're appealing. Maybe the Fantastic Four are one of those things you just have to imprint on when you're a kid to really enjoy or maybe at my age, the sort of retro futurism of the Four, the idea that science, technology, and rational thought will solve all our problems does seem a bit naive after the last 65 years of history or so. Additionally, the idea of a naked silver space alien riding a surfboard does seem kind of ridiculous. Anyway, the movie glides over the origin story of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm and gets right into it. To their surprise, Reed and Sue find out that Sue is pregnant, which seemed unlikely due to their superpower induced genetic mutations. Shortly after that, the Silver Surfer arrives and announces that Earth will be devoured by Galactus. The Four travel in their spaceship to confront Galactus and realize that he's a foe far beyond their power, but Galactus offers them a bargain. If Reed and Sue give him their son, he will leave Earth in peace. They refuse and so it's up to the Four to figure out a way to save Earth and Reed and Sue's son. Pretty solid superhero movie all told, but it is amusing how in every version of the character, Reed Richards is allegedly the smartest man on Earth but still can't keep his mouth shut to save his life. Overall Grade: B The next movie is Superman, which came out in 1978. After seeing the 2025 version of Superman, I decided to watch the old one from the '70s. It's kind of a classic because it was one of the progenitors of the modern superhero film. Interestingly, it was one of the most expensive films ever made at that time, costing about $55 million in '70s-era dollars, which are much less inflated than today. A rough back of the envelope calculation would put 55 million in the '70s worth at about $272 million today, give or take. Anyway, this was a big gamble, but it paid off for the producers since they got $300 million back, which would be like around $1.4 billion in 2025 money. Anyway, the movie tells the origin story of Superman, how his father Jor-El knows that Krypton is doomed, so he sends Kal-El to Earth. Kal-El is raised as Clark Kent by his adoptive Kansas parents and uses his powers to become Superman- defender of truth, justice, and the American way. Superman must balance his growing feelings for ace reporter Lois Lane with his need for a secret identity and the necessity of stopping Lex Luthor's dangerous schemes. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman and the special effects were impressive by the standards of 1978, but I think the weakest part of the movie were the villains. Lex Luthor just seemed comedic and not at all that threatening. Unexpected fun fact: Mario Puzio, author of The Godfather, wrote the screenplay. Overall Grade: B Next up is Superman II, which came out in 1980. This is a direct sequel to the previous movie. When Superman stops terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb by throwing it into space, the blast releases the evil Kryptonian General Zod and his minions from their prison and they decide to conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Superman is falling deeper in love with the Lois Lane and unknowing of the threat from Zod, decides to renounce his powers to live with Lois as an ordinary man. I think this had the same strengths and weaknesses as the first movie. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman. The special effects were impressive by the standards of the 1980s, but the villains remained kind of comedic goofballs. Additionally, and while this will sound harsh, this version of Lois Lane was kind of dumb and her main function in the plot was to generate problems for Superman via her questionable decisions. Like at the end, Superman has to wipe her memory because she can't keep his secret identity to herself. If this version of Lois Lane lived today, she'd be oversharing everything she ever thought or heard on TikTok. The 2025 movie version of Lois, by contrast, bullies Mr. Terrific into lending her his flying saucer so she can rescue Superman when he's in trouble and is instrumental in destroying Lex Luthor's public image and triggering his downfall. 1970s Louis would've just had a meltdown and made things worse until Superman could get around to rescuing her. Overall, I would say the 1978 movie was too goofy, the Zac Snyder Superman movies were too grimdark, but the 2025 Superman hit the right balance between goofy and serious. Overall Grade: B Next up is Dracula, which came out in 1931, and this was one of the earliest horror movies ever made and also one of the earliest movies ever produced with sound. It is a very compressed adaptation of the stage version of Dracula. Imagine the theatrical stage version of Dracula, but then imagine that the movie was only 70 minutes long, so you have to cut a lot to fit the story into those 70 minutes. So if you haven't read the book, Dracula the movie from 1931 will not make a lot of sense. It's almost like the "Cliff's Notes Fast Run" version of Dracula. That said, Bela Lugosi's famous performance as Dracula really carries the movie. Like Boris Karloff in Frankenstein and The Mummy (which we'll talk about shortly), Bela Lugosi really captures the uncanny valley aspect of Dracula because the count isn't human anymore and has all these little tics of a creature that isn't human but only pretending to be one. Edward Van Sloan's performance as Dr. Van Helsing is likewise good and helped define the character in the public eye. So worth watching as a historical artifact, but I think some of the other Universal monster movies (which we'll discuss shortly) are much stronger. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Horror of Dracula, which came out in 1958. This is one of the first of the Hammer Horror movies from the '50s, starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Count Dracula. It's also apparently the first vampire movie ever made in color. Like the 1931 version of Dracula, it's a condensed version of the story, though frankly, I think it hangs together a little better. Van Helsing is a bit more of an action hero in this one, since in the end he engages Dracula in fisticuffs. The movie is essentially carried by the charisma of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and worth watching as a good example of a classic '50s horror movie. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Wolf Man, which came out in 1941. This is another one of the classic Universal horror movies. This one features Lon Cheney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the younger son of Sir John Talbot. Larry's older brother died in a hunting accident, so Larry comes home to reconcile with his father and take up his duties as the family heir. Larry is kind of an amiable Average Joe and is immediately smitten with the prettiest girl in the village, but when he takes her out for a walk, they're attacked by a werewolf, who bites Larry. Larry and everyone else in the village do not believe in werewolves, but they're about to have their minds changed the hard way. The transformation sequences where Larry turns into the Wolfman were cutting edge of the time, though poor Lon Chaney Jr had to stay motionless for hours as they gradually glued yak hair to him. I think Claude Rains had the best performance in the movie as Sir John and he's almost the co-protagonist. Overall Grade: B Next up is Jurassic World: Rebirth, which came out in 2025, which I thought was a perfectly straightforward but nonetheless enjoyable adventure film. After all the many disasters caused by various genetic engineering experiments in the previous movies, dinosaurs mostly live in relatively compatible ecosystems and tropical zones near the equator. No one's looking to create a theme park with dinosaurs or create bioengineered dinosaurs as military assets any longer. However, the dinosaurs are still valuable for research and a pharmaceutical company is developing a revolutionary drug for treating cardiac disease. They just need some dinosaur blood from three of the largest species to finish it, and so the company hires a team of mercenaries to retrieve the blood. We have the usual Jurassic Park style story tropes: the savvy mercenary leader, the scientist protesting the ethics of it all, the sinister corporate executive, the troubled family getting sucked into the chaos. And of course, it all goes wrong and there are lots and lots of dinosaurs running around. It's all been done before of course, but this was done well and was entertaining. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Thursday Murder Club, which came out in 2025, and this is a cozy mystery set in a very high-end retirement home. Retired nurse Joyce moves into Coopers Chase, the aforementioned high end retirement home. Looking to make new friends, she falls in with a former MI6 agent named Liz, a retired trade unionist named Ron, and psychiatrist Ibrahim, who have what they call The Thursday Murder Club, where they look into cold cases and attempt to solve them. However, things are not all sunshine and light at Coopers Chase as the two owners of the building have fallen out. When one of them is murdered, The Thursday Murder Club has to solve a real murder before Coopers Chase is bulldozed to make high-end apartments. A good cozy mystery with high caliber acting talent. Both Pierce Brosnan and Jonathan Price are in the movie and regrettably do not share a scene together, because that would've been hilarious since they were both in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies in the '90s with Brosnan as Bond and Price as the Bond villain for the movie. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which came out in 1954 and is one of the last of the black and white classic horror movies since in the '50s, color film was just around the corner. When a scientist finds the unusual half fish, half human fossil on a riverbank in Brazil, he decides to organize an expedition upriver to see if he can find the rest of the fossil. The trail leads his expedition to the mysterious Black Lagoon, which all the locals avoid because of its bad reputation, but a living member of the species that produce the fossils lurking the lagoon while it normally doesn't welcome visitors, it does like the one female member of the expedition and decides to claim her for its own. The creature was good monster and the underwater water sequences were impressive by the standards of the 1950s. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Invisible Man, which came out in 1933, and this is another of the classic Universal black and white horror movies. Jack Griffin is a scientist who discovered a chemical formula for invisibility. Unfortunately, one of the drugs in his formula causes homicidal insanity, so he becomes a megalomaniac who wants to use his invisibility to rule the world. This causes Griffin to overlook the numerous weaknesses of his invisibility, which allow the police to hunt him down. The Invisible Man's special effects were state of the art at the time and definitely hold up nearly a hundred years later. It's worth watching as another classic of the genre. Claude Rains plays Griffin, and as with The Wolf Man, his performance as Griffin descends into homicidal insanity is one of the strengths of the movie. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Mummy, which came out in 1932, and this is another of the original Universal black and white horror movies. Boris Karloff plays the Mummy, who is the ancient Egyptian priest Imhotep, who was mummified alive for the crime of desiring the Pharaoh's daughter Ankh-es-en-Amon. After 3,000 years, Imhotep is accidentally brought back to life when an archeologist reads a magical spell and Imhotep sets out immediately to find the reincarnation of his beloved and transform her into a mummy as well so they can live together forever as undead. Edward Van Sloan plays Dr. Mueller, who is basically Edward Van Sloan's Van Helsing from Dracula if Van Helsing specialized in mummy hunting rather than vampire hunting. This version of the Mummy acts more like a Dungeons and Dragons lich instead of the now classic image of a shambling mummy in dragging bandages. That said, Boris Karloff is an excellent physical actor. As he does with Frankenstein, he brings Imhotep to life. His performance captures the essence of a creature that hasn't been human for a very long time, is trying to pretend to be human, and isn't quite getting there. Of course, the plot was reused for the 1999 version of The Mummy with Brendan Fraser. That was excellent and this is as well. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Wedding Singer, which came out in 1998, and this is basically the Adam Sandler version of a Hallmark movie. Adam Sandler plays Robbie, a formerly famous musician whose career has lapsed and has become a wedding singer and a venue singer. He befriends the new waitress Julia at the venue, played by Drew Barrymore. The day after that, Robbie's abandoned at the altar by his fiancée, which is understandably devastating. Meanwhile, Julia's fiancé Glenn proposes to her and Robbie agrees to help her with the wedding planning since he's an expert in the area and knows all the local vendors. However, in the process, Robbie and Julia fall in love, but are in denial about the fact, a situation made more tense when Robbie realizes Glenn is cheating on Julia and intends to continue to do so after the wedding. So it's basically a Hallmark movie filtered through the comedic sensibilities of Adam Sandler. It was very funny and Steve Buscemi always does great side characters in Adam Sandler movies. Overall Grade: A Next up is Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which came out in 2025. This movie was sort of a self-indulgent victory lap, but it was earned. The writers of the sitcom Community used to joke that they wanted "six seasons and a movie" and Downton Abbey got "six seasons and three movies". Anyway, this movie is about handing off things to the next generation. Lord Grantham is reluctant to fully retire as his daughter goes through a scandal related to her divorce. The next generation of servants take over as the previous ones ease into retirement. What's interesting is both the nobles and the servants are fully aware that they're sort of LARPing a historical relic by this point because by 1930, grand country houses like Downton were increasingly rare in the UK since World War I wiped out most of them and crippling post-war taxes and economic disruption finished off many more. Anyway, if you like Downton Abbey, you like this movie. Overall Grade: A Next up is Argo, which came out in 2012, a very tense thriller about the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. During that particular crisis, six Americans escaped the embassy and hid out at the Canadian Ambassador's house in Tehran. For obvious reasons, the Canadian ambassador wanted them out as quickly as possible, so the CIA and the State Department needed to cook up a plan to get the six out while the rest of the government tried to figure out what to do about the larger group of hostages. Finally, the government comes with "Argo." A CIA operative will create a fake film crew, a fake film company, and smuggle the six out of Tehran as part of the production. The movie was very tense and very well constructed, even if you know the outcome in advance if you know a little bit of history. Ben Affleck directed and starred, and this was in my opinion one of his best performances. It did take some liberties with historical accuracy, but nonetheless, a very tense political thriller/heist movie with some moments of very dark comedy. Overall Grade: A Next up is The Naked Gun, which came out in 2025, and this is a pitch perfect parody of the gritty cop movie with a lot of absurdist humor, which works well because Liam Neeson brings his grim action persona to the movie and it works really well with the comedy. Neeson plays Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the original Frank Drebin from The Naked Gun movies back in the '80s. After stopping a bank robbery, Drebin finds himself investigating the suicide of an engineer for the sinister tech mogul Richard Cane. Naturally, the suicide isn't what it appears and when the engineer's mysterious but seductive sister asks for Drebin's help, he pushes deeper into the case. Richard Cane was a hilarious villain because the writers couldn't decide which tech billionaire to parody with him, so they kind of parodied all the tech billionaires at once, and I kid you not, the original Frank Drebin makes an appearance as a magical owl. It was hilarious. Overall Grade: A Now for my two favorite things I saw in Autumn 2025. The first is the combination of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, which came out in 1931 and 1935. These are two separate movies, but Frankenstein leads directly to Bride of Frankenstein, so I'm going to treat them as one movie. Honestly, I think they're two halves of the same story the way that Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would be two halves of the same story 90 years later, so I'll review them as one. Frankenstein by itself on its own will get a B. Colin Clive's performance is Dr. Henry Frankenstein was great, and Boris Karloff gives the Creature a suitable air of menace and uncanny valley. You really feel like he's something that's been brought to life but isn't quite right and still extremely dangerous. The movie does have a very pat ending that implies everyone will live happily ever after, with Dr. Frankenstein's father giving a toast to his son. But Bride of Frankenstein takes everything from the first movie and improves on it. It's one of those sequels that actually makes the preceding movie better. In Bride, Henry is recovering from his ordeal and swears off his experiments of trying to create artificial humans, but the Creature survived the fire at the windmill at the end of the last movie and is seeking for a new purpose. Meanwhile, Henry receives a visit from his previous mentor, the sinister Dr. Pretorius. Like Henry, Pretorius succeeded in creating artificial life and now he wants to work with Henry to perfect their work, but Henry refuses, horrified by the consequences of his previous experiments. Pretorius, undaunted, makes an alliance with the Creature, who then kidnaps Henry's wife. This will let Pretorius force Henry to work on their ultimate work together-a bride for the Creature. Bride of Frankenstein is a lot tighter than Frankenstein. It was surprising to see how rapidly filmmaking techniques evolved over just four years. Pretorius is an excellent villain, more evil wizard than mad scientist, and the scene where he calmly and effortlessly persuades the Creature to his side was excellent. One amusing note, Bride was framed as Mary Shelley telling the second half of the story to her friends, and then the actress playing Mary Shelley, Elsa Lancaster, also played the Bride. So that was a funny bit of meta humor. Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein combined is one of my two favorite movies of Fall 2025. Overall Grade: A+ And now for my second favorite movie of Autumn 2025, which as it turns out is also Frankenstein, but Guillermo del Toro's version that came out in 2025. And honestly, I think Guillermo del Toro's version of Frankenstein is the best version put to screen so far and even does the rarest of all feats, it improves a little on the original novel. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein as a brilliant, driven scientist with something of a sociopathic edge. In other words, he's a man who's utterly inadequate to the task when his experiment succeeds and he actually creates an artificial human that have assembled dead body parts. Jacob Elordi does a good job as the Creature, playing him is essentially a good hearted man who's driven to violence and despair by the cruelty and rejection of the world. The recurring question of the Frankenstein mythos is whether or not Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. In this version, he definitely is, though he gets a chance to repent of his evil by the end. Honestly, everything about this was good. The performances, the cinematography, everything. How good was it? It was so good that I will waive my usual one grade penalty for unnecessary nudity since there were a few brief scenes of it. Overall Grade: A+ So that was the Autumn 2025 Movie Roundup. A lot of good movies this time around. While some movies of course were better than others, I didn't see anything I actively disliked, which is always nice. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Ann Fitz-Gerald, Ben Rowswell, Guy St. Jacques, Thomas J. Timmins and Don McCutchan to discuss their takeaways from the 2025 Ditchley Conference. // Participants' bios - Ann Fitz-Gerald is a Professor of International Security and the Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Canada - Ben Rowswell is a Principal with Catalyze4. He served as Ambassador to Venezuela and was an early architect of digital diplomacy in Global Affairs Canada - Guy St. Jacques is former Canadian Ambassador to China and Fellow at the China Institute of the University of Alberta - Thomas J. Timmins is the Leader of Gowling WLG's Canadian Energy Practice Don McCutchan is Partner and Policy Advisor with Gowling WLG // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions" by Geoff Woods - "Does the Elephant Dance?: Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy" by David Malone - "King of Kings" by Scott Anderson - "Sun Tzu's The Art of War Plus Its Amazing Secrets: The Keys to Strategy" by Sun Tau - "A School for Tomorrow" by Mark Dickinson - "How to Win an Information War" by Peter Pomerantsev // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: November 03, 2025 Release date: November 10, 2025

Ben Pascoe meets Canadian Ambassador to Slovakia, Karen Elizabeth Mollica, to discuss Canada-Slovak relations as well as what it is like for a Canadian in Slovakia Today. REPEAT

Canada and Mexico are not only the United States' top trading partners – they are also indispensable players in North American supply chains, but have historically, approached Washington separately, preferring bilateral negotiations. Yet, as trade tensions rise with the Trump Administration's tariffs intended to reshore manufacturing to the United States, raising questions about competitiveness, supply chains and the resilience of trilateral relations in the region, both Canada and Mexico appear to be discovering common ground, reshaping political calculations and opening new avenues for cooperation. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Graeme Clark, former Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and the OAS. Together, they discuss the history of Canada-Mexico relations, the tensions that have put the relationship under pressure, and windows for potential collaboration.

Andy in B.C. says "Hell no" to a new bitumen pipeline; Robert, Thomas, Justin, Chris and Kimberly have hot takes on the Alberta Next town hall debacle in Calgary, Aaron might be the next Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Brendan calls Ryan to the carpet, and Tobias sniffs out hypocrisy. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Tim Cartmell, Andrew Knack, and Michael Walters want to be Edmonton's next mayor. In this special episode, you'll hear details of their vision for the capital city's future, criticism of their opponents platforms, and their Big Promise to Edmontonians, in the Real Talk Edmonton Mayoral Debate presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com  MBEW: https://www.mercedes-benz-edmontonwest.ca/ CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH RAHIM JAFFER: https://rtrj.info/082825Jaffer CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH DR. OMAR MOHAMMAD: https://rtrj.info/091725Omar 1:10:00 | Jespo and Johnny debrief after the debate, and chat about Taylor Swift's new album (how could we not??). 1:13:45 | Andy in B.C. says "Hell no" to a new bitumen pipeline; Robert, Thomas, Justin, Chris and Kimberly have hot takes on the Alberta Next town hall debacle in Calgary, Aaron might be the next Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Brendan calls Ryan to the carpet, and Tobias sniffs out hypocrisy. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!  FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com  When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Vassy Kapelos is joined by Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae, strategists Kathleen Monk, Kory Teneycke, and Scott Reid, journalism experts Stephanie Levitz and Joel-Denis Bellavance, and data expert David Coletto.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Carlo Dade and Graeme Clark to discuss the status of the Canada-Mexico trade relationship, following Prime Minister Carney's trip to Mexico. // Participants' bios - Carlo Dade is the Director of International Policy at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. - Graeme Clark is the former Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, as well as Peru and Bolivia. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "The Prince: The Rise and Fall of Justin Trudeau" by Stephen Maher - "Abundance" by Ezra Klein // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: September 22, 2025 Release date: September 22, 2025

It was eight years ago since the EU and Canada signed a comprehensive economic trade agreement, otherwise known as CETA, however Ireland is yet to ratify this agreement. In a time when Donald Trump's tariffs continue to bring uncertainty and upheaval to the global economy, resulting in countries seeking trade outside of the US. Tánaiste Simon Harris has secured cabinet approval for the drafting of legislation which will allow for the ratification of the CETA. Dennis King, Canadian ambassador to Ireland, joined Pat Kenny on the show to discuss.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Dr. Meredith Lilly, Jonathan Fried and Thomas d'Aquino to discuss their new paper as members of The Canada-U.S. Expert Group, "Between the Eagle and the Dragon: Managing Canada-China Relations in a Shifting Geopolitical Reality". This paper is a collaboration between The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. // Participants' bios - Dr. Meredith Lilly is Professor and Simon Reisman Chair in International Economic Policy at Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. - Jonathan Fried served as Canadian Ambassador to Japan and the WTO, and the personal representative of the Prime Minister for the G20 and deputy minister and coordinator for international economic relations on Canada-Asia and global trade and economic policy. - Thomas d'Aquino the founding CEO and president of what is now the Business Council of Canada. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "Between the Eagle and the Dragon: Managing Canada-China Relations in a Shifting Geopolitical Reality" by The Canada-U.S. Expert Group - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder - The Crisis of Canadian Democracy by Andrew Coyne - "Andrew Coyne's ‘Cri de Coeur' for Canadian Democracy" by Thomas d'Aquino - The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State by Elizabeth C. Economy - Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada's Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade by Ryan Manucha - Outrageous on Netflix // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: August 21, 2025 Release date: August 26, 2025

We reach former Canadian Ambassador to Russia Jeremy Kinsman for a breakdown of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's meeting.Tariffs are keeping Bick's pickles off the shelves of some Canadian retailers … and the company's CEO says that's putting him in a real pickle. A negotiator from Palau tells us what the collapse of plastics treaty talks in Geneva mean for vulnerable Pacific island nations like hers.A would-be-bride explains what inspired her to go prospecting for her own engagement ring diamond. And why the whole experience really rocked.School is back in LA. And on top of making sure students stay on top of their classwork, a high school teacher is also trying to ease their fears about ICE raids.The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games kick off in Beijing, showcasing the athletic prowess of robots. And their limitations too -- after one runner's head -- falls off, mid-race. As It Happens, the Friday edition, radio that declares the results of the race null and droid

Peter R. Mac Isaac is a Canadian author, retired game warden, forest firefighter, and TV host/producer of a hunting and fishing series. Based in Nova Scotia, he wrote the Amazon bestseller The Redneck Conservative: How Conservatives Are Made, which outlines his conservative philosophy and critiques political corruption. A survivalist, firearms expert, and libertarian, he has over a decade of experience in political party management. He serves as President of the Independent Nova Scotia Initiative, promoting independent political candidates, and is a Canadian Ambassador for Freedom Train International.To watch the Full Cornerstone Forum: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcastGet your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500Silver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: SNP@silvergoldbull.comText Grahame: (587) 441-9100Bow Valley Credit UnionBitcoin: www.bowvalleycu.com/en/personal/investing-wealth/bitcoin-gatewayEmail: welcome@BowValleycu.com Use the code “SNP” on all ordersProphet River Links:Website: store.prophetriver.com/Email: SNP@prophetriver.comExpat Money SummitWebsite: ExpatMoneySummit.com

Ben Pascoe meets Canadian Ambassador to Slovakia, Karen Elizabeth Mollica, to discuss Canada-Slovak relations as well as what it is like for a Canadian in Slovakia Today.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Marius Grinius and James Trottier to discuss North and South Korea. // Participants' bios - Marius Grinius is a CGAI Fellow and was the former Canadian Ambassador to North and South Korea, Vietnam and the U.N. in Geneva. - James Trottier is a CGAI Fellow, a former Canadian Foreign Service Officer and served in Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson // Reading Recommendations: - "Imperial Boredom" by Jeffrey A. Auerbach - "The Thinking Machine" by Stephen Witt - "Focus: The Asml Way" by Marc Hijink - "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: June 17, 2025 Release date: June 23, 2025

Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the United Stakes; Political Panel with: Jason Kenney, Derek Burney & John Manley; Susan Holt, New Brunswick Premier; The Front Bench with: Colton Praill & Matina Stevis-Gridneff.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt; Former senior advisor to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Supriya Dwivedi; former Canadian Ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques; The Front Bench with Sabrina Grover, Melanie Paradis, Rachel Aiello.

Rachel Aiello, CTV News; Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.; Rebecca Shulz, Alberta Environment Minister; The Front Bench with: Dan Moulton, Shakir Chambers, Kathleen Monk & Laura Stone.

Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney came face to face with US President Donald Trump at the White House today. The old, steady alliance is now more fraught than ever, with President Trump slapping tariffs on his neighbor and threatening to make it the 51st state. Frank McKenna is former Canadian Ambassador to the US, and he joins the show from Toronto.   Also on today's show: Mujib Mashal, South Asia bureau chief, The New York Times; author Catherine Coleman Flowers ("Holy Ground")  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney will make his first trip to the White House to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Tariffs, the economy, and military defense will be the key focus for Carney as he looks to set Canada on a path to negotiations to end the trade war between our countries.This first face to face meeting between the leaders will be crucial to set the tone of the relationship for the next four years. Will they get along? How should Carney address Trump's "51st state" comments? Could this meeting backfire? And what will Trump and Carney be able to achieve?Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Jon Allen, a former Canadian Ambassador and diplomat who is now a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Katie Heid, Michigan News Source, Assistant News Director. Whitmer Visit to White House Hoekstra Confirmed as Canadian Ambassador More Stories out of Michigan, Visit MichiganNewsSource.com to stay up to date

Michael Kovrig, Fmr. Canadian Diplomat; David MacNaughton, Fmr. Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. & Jody Thomas, Fmr. National Security Adviser to Justin Trudeau; The Front Bench with: Sharan Kaur, Jamie Ellerton, Karl Bélanger & Hannah Thibedeau.

Legal questions loom after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act. Democrats express frustration at Sen. Chuck Schumer after government shutdown votes, as Democratic party popularity hits new low in a new NBC News poll. Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss President Trump's vow to enact reciprocal tariffs against Canada.

This week on Face the Nation, President Trump's tariff threats rattle allies and adversaries alike, plus, the latest on the administration's immigration crackdown. The administration hopes the tariffs will pressure Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants into the U.S. We ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem if it's working, and the latest on the president's mass deportation mission. Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the US also weighs in and breaks down the costs and consequences of the growing trade war. Plus, with just days to go before a possible government shutdown, lawmakers unveil a new bill to avoid it. We hear a bipartisan conversation from the co-chairs of the congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and New York Democrat Tom Suozzi. Finally, Russia expert Fiona Hill, who served as a top National Security Council official during the first Trump administration, joins us to discuss Trump's diplomatic pivot on Ukraine. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Le Couteur, CTV News; Scott Moe, Saskatchewan Premier; Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations; Jim Blanchard, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada & Former Governor of Michigan; The Front Bench with: Dan Moulton, Shakir Chambers, Kathleen Monk & Laura Stone; David McGuinty, Public Safety Minister.

1-on-1 with Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump said Sunday that Americans may feel "some pain" as a result of the North American trade war that's emerging after he imposed sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Retaliatory tariffs were quickly announced by Mexico, Canada and China, which the president also targeted with import duties. John Yang speaks to Kirsten Hillman, Canadian ambassador to the U.S., for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump said Sunday that Americans may feel “some pain” as a result of the North American trade war that’s emerging after he imposed sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Retaliatory tariffs were quickly announced by Mexico, Canada and China, which the president also targeted with import duties. John Yang speaks to Kirsten Hillman, Canadian ambassador to the U.S., for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.; Scott Moe, Saskatchewan Premier; Andrew Furey, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier; The Front Bench with: Saeed Selvam, Jamie Ellerton, Karl Bélanger & Marieke Walsh.

America's close relationship with Canada is on full display in California where Canadian firefighters and water-dropping airplanes are helping with the wildfires. The assistance comes at a unique time as President-elect Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian imports and is dismissively calling Canada the 51st state. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

America's close relationship with Canada is on full display in California where Canadian firefighters and water-dropping airplanes are helping with the wildfires. The assistance comes at a unique time as President-elect Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian imports and is dismissively calling Canada the 51st state. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Bo talks about the Canadian Ambassador's reaction to President Elect Trump's joke concerning Canada, Senator Mitt Romney's Senate farewell speech, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bo talks about the Canadian Ambassador's reaction to President Elect Trump's joke concerning Canada, Senator Mitt Romney's Senate farewell speech, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices