Hub Podcasts

Samuel Hammond, director of artificial intelligence policy and chief economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, explores the tensions between the Old Right's free-market orthodoxy and the New Right's willingness to wield state power, and discusses how figures like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and JD Vance are forging a new political coalition around technology and national interests. He dives deep into artificial intelligence: why it's testing the coherence of conservative ideology, and what the administration's "accelerationist" agenda ultimately means for Canada's relationship with the United States.

This episode is produced in partnership with the New North America Initiative at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. From the shifting ideologies of the new Right and the new Left in the U.S., this multi-month series will bring Canadians inside debates on trade, globalization, and power that are likely to shape America’s policy direction—and Canada’s interests—for the years and decades to come.

The New North America Initiative is generously funded in part by the Government of Alberta.

Learn more about the initiative: https://newnorthamerica.org.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this multimedia content do not necessarily represent those of the New North America Initiative, the School of Public Policy, or the University of Calgary. This content has been made available for informational purposes, and our role in production does not constitute an endorsement.

The Hub is Canada’s fastest-growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

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Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Elia Gross - Producer and Editor

Sean Speer - Host

Carlo Dade and Alexander Giordano - New North America Initiative

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Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the Carney government's decision to purchase the GlobalEye AEW&C surveillance aircraft from Swedish manufacturer Saab rather than American suppliers. They debate whether this choice represents Canada operationalizing Carney's "rupture thesis" with the United States, potentially compromising future military interoperability for diversification. They then explore tensions between defence procurement and industrial policy, questioning whether political considerations and corporate welfare for companies like Bombardier should outweigh Canada's continental defence responsibilities and technological modernization needs.

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get our best content when you are on the go:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Editor

Rudyard Griffiths - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:21 - 2.7% growth in 2026: 5 charts explaining Alberta’s up and down (and up again) economy, by Alicia Planincic

6:11 - How Canada can actually succeed in space, by Dan Albas

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)x

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kim Brooks, president and vice-chancellor of Dalhousie University, discusses how Canada's historic defence investments can translate into genuine sovereign capability—and why universities need to be at the centre of that conversation. She explores how research partnerships with the Royal Canadian Navy actually work on the ground, what dual-use technologies mean for both civilian innovation and defence readiness, and how institutions like Dalhousie are stepping in to fill critical gaps in domestic naval capability.

Brooks argues that this moment is fundamentally about economic development—that getting defence spending right means deliberately building Canadian firms, talent, supply chains, and confidence, and that Canada is simply too small a country to leave those pieces disconnected.

This episode is presented in partnership with U15 Canada.

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Elia Gross - Producer and Editor

Sean Speer - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special episode of Hub Dialogues features publisher Rudyard Griffiths in conversation with veteran American journalist and political commentator Mark Halperin. He was the political director of ABC News, founded the influential political newsletter The Note, and co-authored the bestselling election books Game Change and Double Down with John Heilemann. He is also the founder of the interactive media platform 2WAY.

Halperin discusses the Trump administration's Iran strategy and domestic political challenges. He also examines President Trump's decision-making process, the influence of his inner circle including Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and the miscalculations surrounding the Iran conflict. Finally, Halperin analyzes how the war threatens Republican prospects in the upcoming midterms, explores potential Democratic and Republican 2028 presidential candidates, and considers whether a post-Trump America might return to traditional norms or remain fundamentally transformed.

This conversation was held on May 21st at Toronto's Gardiner Museum.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Sound Editor

Rudyard Griffiths - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:18 - Has Canada given up on its future?, by Derrick Hunter

8:43 - Bombshell report on Canada’s airports highlights our enforcement crisis, by Stephen Staley

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)x

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Staley, director of The Hub's Fault Lines initiative, discusses his recent commentary on the systemic enforcement crisis across Canada. He explains how federal regulations exist on paper but aren't followed in practice, citing examples from airport security failures enabling organized crime to refugee processing shortcuts and fraudulent truck driver training. Staley argues that the government prioritizes communications announcements over implementation, leaving enforcement gaps that criminals exploit.

You can read his commentary, "Bombshell report on Canada’s airports highlights our enforcement crisis," here: https://thehub.ca/2026/05/25/bombshell-report-on-canadas-airports-highlights-our-enforcement-crisis/

This episode is a part of The Hub's new Fault Lines initiative, which examines the pressures pulling Canadian society apart and the principles that can hold it together. Click here to learn more: https://thehub.ca/fault-lines/

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Video Editor

Harrison Lowman - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Zengerle, staff writer at The New Yorker examines Tucker Carlson's transformation from an idealistic neocon praising accuracy and The New York Times, to the Fox face of the highest rated show in U.S. cable news history, and finally to an online conspiracy theorist peddling stories about Jewish control and how he was attacked by a demon.

The author of the new book “Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind,” discusses Carlson's long and complex relationship with President Trump, his influence on conservative politics, and whether he might pursue the presidency as MAGA's self-proclaimed redeemer, after breaking off with the administration over the Iran war.

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Video Editor

Alex Gluch - Sound Editor 

Harrison Lowman - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:21 - Why the Liberal government’s Bill C-22 will spark a tech exodus out of Canada, by Michael Geist

8:47 - The world is relearning the value of reliable energy, by Falice Chin

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)x

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0:29 - It’s time to scrap the CRTC, by Sean Speer

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)x

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.