Trump invades Venezuela, grabs Nicolas Maduro and his wife, says he will run the country for a while, and he's going to fix the country's oil production while he's at it. He also makes it clear he will do the same to other countries in his orbit if he doesn't like what they do. Our first Monday of the new year and Dr Janice Stein is ready to talk about how worried Canada should be.

Encore Episode. James Moore and Gerald Butts are back with another one of their highly anticipated "Conversations". This time it centres around the possibility that the near future could see two referendums, one in Quebec and one in Alberta. Is Ottawa ready to handle that fight? Who would Captain Canada be if it came to that?

Encore Episode. Alberta and Canada seem close to a deal on a memorandum of understanding about a new pipeline to the west coast. But now how do you make that MOU become a real finalized deal because let's face it, pipelines in Canada are hard to build. James Moore and Gerald Butts talk pipelines and the shift topics to talk jet fighters and the intense lobbying going on for those.

Encore Episode. Last week was quite something, even for Canadian politics. A big-time Liberal budget with a huge deficit, while chaos ruled in the Conservative opposition. How do you explain that? That's the question for our extremely popular panel feature, a former top Liberal advisor and a former Conservative cabinet minister. Strap in for this one.

Encore Episode. How do two former Ottawa pros see the Trump, Carney, Ford story -- does it really matter? Will it make a real difference? Former Harper cabinet minister James Moore and former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts get together for their Conversation #26. In the program's second segment, they also talk about the importance of debt and deficit as we approach the upcoming federal budget.

Encore Episode. The country was founded on the principle that it's a confederation where both federal and provincial levels of government have powers and responsibilities. It's worked for 158 years, but does it still work? Another fascinating Moore-Butts Conversation, especially relevant to the times Canada is living in today

Encore Episode. For the last fifteen years different governments in Ottawa have known tough choices were going to have to be made about the Post Office. But those choices were delayed or postponed. Now it's tough-choice time again. Is there a better way to deal with situations like this? Just one of the angles faced in today's episode of Moore-Butts Conversation #24.

Encore Episode. After a week of soul searching in the United States and beyond, James Moore and Gerry Butts take on the question of how to "disagree better". Society is trying to understand if there is an answer to this dilemma of disagreeing with respect and not hate. In the 23rd of their conversations on The Bridge, two top political minds, from different parties, look for a way of achieving non-partisan talk.

Encore Episode. The U.S. Ambassador to Canada was in Banff yesterday for what turned out to be a tense conversation with former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson. The ambassador, a seasoned American politician, and Robertson, no stranger to Canada-U.S. relations, went at it over some of the things that have been said between the two countries this year.

Encore Presentation. She's the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, a great storyteller and a proud Canadian. Lyse Doucet has her first book out, and it's the story of Afghanistan, the country where she's been going to off and on since 1988. Covering that country has spanned her remarkable career. Her book is called "The Finest Hotel in Kabul".

Encore Presentation. Some of you have been writing, asking "where is Keith Boag?" Today the answer, as the former Washington correspondent brings us up to date on his latest thinking about Donald Trump. Throughout last year's campaign we relied on Keith's assessment of all things US political. And now, a year later, where are we?

With both Chantal and Bruce away this week, a special program for our final Good Talk of 2025. Bob Rae, fresh from his five years at the United Nations as Canada's Ambassador, and with his wealth of political experience, joins us to talk Canada and politics. It's a wide ranging discussion, so strap in for an engaging Good Talk.

This week's question was simple: What made you happy in 2025? It's been a difficult year but from across the country our listeners described moments that made them happy. They shared them with us for this week's Your Turn. Even the Random Ranter was asked to join us on the happy tone -- but some things are hard to do!

Some of the best of what was left over -- another Wednesday end bits special. More proof of how the rich get rich, how social media is not working for your kids, and what you didn't know about obits. But there's more: rules you should know about how airlines operate, and you'll never guess which nation wants to enter a curling team for the Olympics.

Days after the latest floor crossing it's still the talk of Ottawa. The discussion now centers around "will there be more?", and "can Pierre Poilievre survive?" Althia Raj and Rob Russo are back for their every second Tuesday, Reporter's Notebook, with the latest of what they are hearing in the nation's capital.

As the year ends, are we finally seeing some significant movement on a path to a ceasefire in Ukraine? Zelensky seems to be willing to make a concession, but how about Putin? Is he prepared to back off some of his original goals for his invasion of Ukraine? Dr. Janice Stein from the Munk School at the University of Toronto drops by for her final 2025 session on The Bridge.

For the third time in a month a Conservative jumps ship, with two of them joining the Liberals. Will there be more? The Liberals need at least one more to form a majority. All this is happening while the government struggles to pass new legislation. Ottawa starts to close down for the holidays and Good Talk assesses where things stand at the end of 2025.

It's Thursday and that means Your Turn ...the question this week is soft and cuddly -- are you looking forward to winter? But Thursdays also mean the Random Ranter and he is a modern day Paul Revere calling out "The Midterms are Coming". Could this be the beginning of the end of Donald Trump? Don't bet on it, says the Ranter.

Ottawa has been studying whether Canada should purchase up to a dozen submarines to help protect Canada's Arctic. It's a program that would cost dozens of billions of dollars. Is it worth it? What is the history of subs in the Arctic? Who's been there, and who hasn't? The answers may surprise you. Our guest is historian and author, Professor Adam Lajeunesse of ST FX University in Nova Scotia.

James Moore and Gerald Butts are back with another one of their highly anticipated "Conversations". This time it centres around the possibility that the near future could see two referendums, one in Quebec and one in Alberta. Is Ottawa ready to handle that fight? Who would Captain Canada be if it came to that?