The Rundown

Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump likely has at least some Canadians wondering, what if we did become the 51st state? How would our lives be different? Could we maintain our distinctive and different customs? For insight into this hypothetical, we welcome Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, a self-described bi-national organization promoting a cohesive vision of the U.S.-Canada border based on the principles of efficiency, safety, and security; Jeffrey Simpson, for more than three decades, the national affairs columnist at the Globe and Mail, and author of eight books; and Kathleen Wynne, 25th premier of Ontario, now teaching public policy at the University of Toronto's Victoria and Trinity Colleges.

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Canada's bail system is once again being questioned following the shooting of a police officer in Ontario's capital city last fall where the accused was out on bail at the time. The Ontario government has called on the feds to get tougher on repeat offenders, while advocacy groups have raised concerns over overcrowding in provincial jails. The Agenda invites with experts from across the board to discuss whether our bail system is failing.

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In his latest book: "The Jesuit Disruptor: a Personal Portrait of Pope Francis" Michael W. Higgins offers a nuanced look at a complex pope with a simple agenda: radically reforming the Catholic Church. He is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at the University of Toronto's St. Michael's College.

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With the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria, the story of a daring diplomatic mission undertaken more than a decade-and-a-half ago can now be told. Syria and Israel have been implacable foes for more than three-quarters of a century. But in 2007, a resident of Thornhill, Ontario met secretly with Assad for two-and-a-half hours in hopes of beginning a peace process with Israel. That man was Moshe Ronen, who has never previously publicly discussed his peace mission, and he joins Steve Paikin to talk about this experience and more.

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How many 16-year-olds these days love Ella Fitzgerald? Young musician Ellie Maxwell sure does. After being adopted from South Africa, Ellie now lives with her family on Manitoulin Island. She joins us in studio to share her story and to sing an original song.

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Coming off a five-week national tour, country rocker Devin Cuddy joins us in studio to talk about his inspirations, his upbringing, and how he lost his writing voice and found it again. He also performs an acoustic version of "Dear Jane," the title track from his latest album.

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Many Ontarians likely took lessons from the Royal Conservatory of Music as children. Alexander Brose is the new president and CEO of the Royal Conservatory, which has headquarters in Toronto. He joins us in studio to share his vision for Canada's most prominent music education institution.

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How did Pan-African thought spread through North America in the twentieth century? The proliferation of Black liberation movements is explored in a new book called "Cross-Border Cosmopolitans: The Making of a Pan-African North America" written by McGill University historian Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey (Nii Laryea Osabu I, Atrékor Wé Oblahii kè Oblayéé Mantsè).

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Howie Mooney does have a day job that has nothing to do with reporting on football and hockey, podcasting, or writing books. But the day job doesn't float this Ottawa native's boat like sports does. And so we thought we'd get him in here to tell us about a couple of his books: "Crazy Days & Wild Nights", and "The Consequences of Chance", where he indulges in his passion for all things sports.

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The longest-serving prime minister in the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth is Canada's very own, William Lyon Mackenzie King. This year, to celebrate 150 years of King and his legacy, The Agenda invites experts and historians to dive into his past.

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