Some Politics is Local

In this episode, we talk about the vote in Parliament to call out China on committing genocide and, of course, the politics of it all for Erin O'Toole's Conservatives and the Trudeau government. We also provide a very 'hot-take' on the Alberta provincial budget which just dropped on the day of recording. Finally, we quickly talk about the latest 'faceplant' by the Kenney government with the vaccine appointment website (and call center) going down.

For PodReport, we both listened to the New York Times 'The Daily' podcast episode, "The Legacy of Rush Limbaugh". In addition to talking about the podcast itself, we also pontificate about Limbaugh's (crappy for the world) legacy.

In this episode, we talk about the verdict on the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump, the politics of why Senators voted the way they did and what might come next. We also talk about the new Liberal gun control legislation from both a policy and (of course) from a political perspective.

For BookReport, David read (with his eyes) and we discuss The Russian Job: The Forgotten Story of How America Saved the Soviet Union From Ruin by Douglas Smith. The book tells the story of the famine in the USSR that you probably didn't know about that Herbert Hoover (before being President) help to resolve. And no, we are not 'Putin' you on about this.

In this episode, we talk about the latest on the (second) impeachment trial of Donald Trump - including, as mentioned in the title - the similarities with the OJ trial in the 90s. We also have a double-dose of provincial politics with the Newfoundland election in COVID times and also as fierce of a debate as you'll hear over the just-announced 'Kenney-bucks' for critical workers.

For MovieReport, we discuss the documentary The Champions by acclaimed director, Donald Brittain. In this doc, Brittain examines the life and times of both Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Rene Levesque - from birth until 1986. This film covers a lot of ground, including the rise of the Parti Quebecois (PQ), the 1980 referendum and the repatriation of the constitution. Thrilling!

In this episode, we talk about the latest on the Republican Party civil war between people who believe in religiously-affiliated space lasers and the other side. We also talk about the latest setbacks in the vaccine distribution in Canada and whether hypothetical Prime Minister O'Toole would have done anything differently. Finally, for Alberta politics, we chat about possible issues with the latest reopening plan and the latest on the coal mining re-opening in the province.

For BookReport, we discuss Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (AKA DKG). This book centers mostly on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's time in office during the second world war, with some interesting insights into Elinor Roosevelt sprinkled in for good measure.

In this episode, we talk about President Joe Biden's first week in office (and ponder GameStop's value, for good measure). For Federal Canadian politics, we assess how the vaccine roll-out is going to date here at home - and, of course, the politics of it all (spoiler alert, David's belief in a spring election is waning). We also talk local politics this week, with the possible plebiscite on 40 KM/H speed limits in Calgary.

For BookReport, we talk about The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A Baker III by Peter Baker (no relation) and Susan Glasser. This book delves how one becomes (probably) the biggest political power broker of the 1980's and how to wield and maintain that power - all without a Twitter account.

In this episode, we talk about the inauguration of Joe Biden as President (and the associated sense of overwhelming relief that we all feel). We also talk about the (somewhat breaking) news of the Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette, resigning and, more importantly, David's chances on assuming that sweet, sweet role. On the provincial side of things, we talk about the latest missteps (and possible missteps) of the Kenney government in Alberta.

For PodReport, we talk about Rabbithole, an eight-part documentary podcast from the New York Times about the impact of YouTube (and its algorithms) in pushing people to the far right (and sometimes far left).

In this episode, we talk about the short and long-politics and policy implications for the Trump Impeachment (Part II), as well as where America is heading, more generally. We also talk about the latest to do with the travel scandal that has embroiled the United Conservatives Party (UCP) government in Alberta - Rachel Notley (obviously she is a listener), there is some good advice to be had in this one for you!

For PodReport, we talk about the Frost Tapes, a seven-part documentary podcast from produced by David Frost's son (Wilfred) on his dad's most famous interviews (including the multi-part, exclusive interview with Richard Nixon), how the show came to be, and the man himself.

In this special episode, we dedicate the entire podcast to discussing the events and implications on what happened in Washington on January 6th, 2021. This is a wide-ranging conversation that goes well beyond the headlines - hitting on everything from the role of race in policing demonstrations, to the benefits and costs of free speech in today's media landscape.

We also discuss the impact of the Georgia senate race results on Biden's agenda moving forward, the Republican party, and the power that each Democratic Senator now holds.

In this episode, we make bold and possibly incorrect predications of what is going to happen in politics in 2021. We do this for each level of politics - including Global, US and Canadian (federal, provincial and, of course, local). Who knows, maybe this will be our redemption from the ocean of wrong-ness that was US Fantasy Cabinet?

For ShowReport, we talk about the Reagans, a four-part documentary series from Showtime that chronicles the life and times of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. If you like actors and astrology, you'll want to listen.

In this episode, we talk about the latest Russian cyber antics and what it means for the US/Russian relationship. For Canadian/provincial politics, we judge the policy and ponder the politics of the new Liberal Carbon Tax plan.

For BookReport, we talk about the much anticipated new memoir from Barack Obama, A Promised Land. The book gives a play-by-play of Obama's first term in office, and 'the Coles Notes' of his life leading up to that point. Spoiler alert: it's amazing.