You’ve probably seen the headlines this week: COVID-19 cases are on the rise in several provinces across the country. “The time to act is now,” according to Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam — but is that message actually getting through to anyone? Rosie and Elamin point out we haven’t seen a substantial shift in messaging from governments recently, and the power of that “flatten the curve” motto from the spring has dwindled. On top of that, the spike in cases is now truly hitting home for federal politicians: both Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet are self-isolating after staffers (and in the case of Blanchet, his wife) tested positive for COVID-19. How might this impact next week’s big Parliamentary event — the throne speech? Elamin and Rosie also take a look at whether that big speech from the government could lay some groundwork for a universal basic income, which has emerged as a big priority for members of the Liberal caucus.

It's become gospel in America: win the suburbs, win the election. These vast, rapidly changing communities have become the focus of both campaigns. Trump claims that a Biden administration would spread big city looting, chaos and crime. Biden is betting on a progressive shift in suburban values, including support for racial justice. Nowhere are these competing narratives more live than in Wisconsin, which has become an unexpected crossroads following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko joins Elamin from Kenosha to talk about what he’s hearing from voters on the ground and whether it’s even possible to predict which way the suburbs will swing. Also, we review last week’s bombshell revelations from Bob Woodward’s new book: Rage.

Okay, let’s catch you up: in the span of about a week last month, the finance minister resigned, the prime minister prorogued Parliament, and the Conservatives elected a new leader. Where does that leave things, heading into the fall? Rosie and Elamin break down some of August’s biggest political headlines, and build up what’s quickly becoming a highly anticipated fall session of Parliament — complete with a new Opposition Leader, Erin O’Toole. All eyes will be on the opposition parties as they decide whether to support the government in a confidence vote set to follow the Speech from the Throne, which the Liberals will unveil in less than two weeks’ time. It’ll be their first chance to lay out a whole new set of priorities, since the onset of the pandemic — priorities that could expand the multi-billion dollar federal deficit.

Let’s face it: whether or not you’ve been officially following the U.S. presidential race, you’ve been hearing about it. And the Trump vs. Biden talk is only going to ramp up this fall, as the whole world tunes in to the 2020 election. Enter Elamin: a curious global citizen who wants to be in the loop but not in the weeds. Starting next Tuesday, he’ll be hosting a Party Lines spin-off — Party in the U.S.A. — in addition to the Thursday show. What will that sound like? Here’s a chat with two of several savvy journalists Elamin will be calling on in coming months: Marissa Evans of the Star Tribune and Vox’s Sigal Samuel.

Call it a prorogation, call it a vacation — Party Lines is taking a summer break! Elamin runs through the political stories he and Rosie will be keeping an eye on, from the WE Charity controversy to the Conservative leadership race, and Party Lines producer Emma Godmere swings by to read through some of your responses to last week’s Last Call question. Rosie and Elamin will return at the end of the summer with brand new weekly episodes to bring you up to speed on the biggest headlines in Canadian politics before Parliament returns in the fall.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted this week he should have recused himself from discussions about WE Charity; specifically, whether they should have been contracted to run a multi-million dollar student service program. Last week, we learned that both Trudeau’s mother and brother had been previously paid to speak at WE events. Conservatives want the RCMP to investigate, the Bloc is asking Trudeau to step aside, and the federal ethics commissioner has launched an investigation — Trudeau’s third such investigation since becoming Prime Minister. Rosie and Elamin want to know: is there a pattern here? Plus, they’ll take a close look at the armed Canadian Forces member who drove his truck into the grounds of Rideau Hall. Corey Hurren is facing 22 charges, which include uttering a threat against the Prime Minister. Why isn’t this story garnering more attention?

Rosie and Elamin were pretty sure the federal government’s fiscal “snapshot” was going to present a rather bleak picture this week. Lo and behold, they were right on the money: Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled a projected deficit of $343 billion for the 2020–21 fiscal year, along with the expectation that Canada’s GDP will shrink by an amount not seen since the Great Depression. It all sounds pretty serious, but how worried should we be? Elamin and Rosie break down what you need to know about the Liberal government’s long-awaited economic update — and check in on how the opposition parties are feeling about it, too.

Get ready to make space on your home screen soon: July 2nd was supposed to be the day Canada’s “COVID Alert” app rolled out for testing across Ontario, with a wider cross-country release expected down the line. When the Prime Minister unveiled these plans a couple weeks back, he emphasized the app’s privacy measures and low-maintenance nature — but will that equate to an uptake significant enough to reap the public health benefits? Plus, Rosie and Elamin look south of the border as COVID-19 case numbers continue to spike in the U.S. What lessons can we learn from our southern neighbours, as the risks of reopening become clear?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit a milestone, if you will, on Monday: he completed his eightieth press conference since the pandemic was declared in mid-March. The majority of them have been held just off his front porch at Rideau Cottage, though a few recent briefings have become almost campaign-style visits to Ottawa-area businesses. And those big-impact announcements of border closures and emergency economic supports that dominated spring headlines? They’re now few and far between. With that in mind, Rosie and Elamin wonder: have these regular prime ministerial briefings run their course? Plus: the death of a third temporary foreign worker employed at an Ontario farm is raising serious concerns about working and living conditions of seasonal workers during this pandemic — though advocates have been flagging many of these concerns for years. Elamin and Rosie take a look at what steps can be taken, now and in the long-term.

You’ve probably heard a lot of discussion around systemic racism this past week — particularly when it comes to the RCMP. Commissioner Brenda Lucki acknowledged last Friday that it exists within the force she leads, after dodging questions days earlier and explaining she’d heard up to “15 or 20 definitions” of the term. Elamin sifts through several examples of systemic racism specifically involving Indigenous people, from the creation of the RCMP itself to current statistics illustrating how Indigenous people are treated in Canada’s justice system today. Plus, Rosie takes a close look at the government’s recent promise to deliver a “fiscal snapshot” early next month. Why did it take so long to commit to an economic update, when other countries — even other provinces here in Canada — have already laid theirs out?