Friday Focus: US warships move into the Middle East and does Canada need to pick a trade lane?
Friday Focus: US warships move into the Middle East and does Canada need to pick a trade lane?
Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to full length editions of the Friday Focus podcast with Janice Stein. Your donor membership comes with other great perks like a livestream pass to our mainstage debates and advanced access to full length episodes of our other weekly podcast with Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne.
Rudyard and Janice begin today’s show with the dangerous escalation between Iran and America. Trump has moved an Armada into the Middle East following his demands that Iran cease enrichment of uranium and limit its ballistic missile program. Will Trump use force if Iran does not comply? And what are the targets? Turkey and Qatar are trying to broker an agreement but the Ayatollah, a fervent idealogue, does not want a deal. This is a very dangerous situation that could easily escalate without a clear plan. In the second half of the program they discuss the fallout from Mark Carney’s Davos speech and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s suggestion of a North America customs union. This would build a wall of tariffs around the continent and lead to much deeper integration with the U.S., in opposition to Carney’s plans for trade diversification. Why would America want this? And will Trump stoke the flames of Alberta separatism to influence upcoming trade negotiations?
You may also like
October 13, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Trump’s gift to Putin and Alberta’s grievance referendum
November 12, 2026
– Watch
America’s Liberal Reckoning Debate
October 21, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: France’s unrest and the West’s growth problem
August 14, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: the Canada-US trade deadline looms and Iran calls Trump’s bluff
September 16, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Carney opens Canada for business and courts a new European alliance
October 6, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Canada’s separatist moment
September 22, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Is Carney’s momentum pointing to a spring election?
August 25, 2026
– Listen
Special Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Carney walks away from Trump and turns his Davos speech into action
September 29, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Is Mark Carney governing like a Conservative?
August 7, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Carney considers concessions to Trump as U.S. Power wanes abroad
August 21, 2026
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: how far is Carney willing to bend for Trump?
August 28, 2026