The Sunday Magazine for February 16, 2025
This week on The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay:
The Trump factor: How the US president is upending Canadian politics
Polling shows the Liberals gaining ground on the Conservative party since U.S. President Donald Trump's promised tariff threats and musings about annexing Canada. What do trade wars and threats to sovereignty mean for Canada's political parties – and voters? The Economist's Rob Russo and the Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles unpack another tumultuous week in politics.
Gossiping about gossip: Kelsey McKinney on the origins and value of spreading juicy rumours
As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, journalist and writer Kelsey McKinney was suddenly unable to collect the juicy stories she'd usually get over drinks with friends, so she started the popular Normal Gossip podcast… and it became an instant hit. After years of gossiping on the airwaves, McKinney joins Chattopadhyay to discuss her new book, You Didn't Hear this From Me, to break down the origins of gossip, the reason people everywhere love to to do it and the risks that come with spreading rumours if you don't know where they came from.
Is the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in jeopardy?
Middle East correspondent for the Economist, Gregg Carlstrom speaks about the latest developments on the Gaza ceasefire deal and what Donald Trump's comments about taking over Gaza mean for Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.
Cancelling cancel culture: Social activist Loretta Ross on the merits of "calling in" over calling out
After five decades as a social justice activist, Loretta Ross is no stranger to confrontation and debate. But years of working to deprogram white supremacists, reform perpetrators of sexual assault and advocating for reproductive rights has led her to rethink how she interacts with the people she disagrees with most. Ross joins Chattopadhyay to discuss her new book, Calling In, and her alternative idea to cancel culture that she believes works better at changing behaviours than public shaming does.