Scott was on vacation last week, so he hasn't been keeping up with the news. Ontario reporter for PressProgress Eric Wickham was also on vacation last week, so he hasn't been keeping up with the news. So what happened? In a very casual episode, Eric and Scott discuss some important headlines they missed to return to the grind, what they mean and their first impressions.

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Check out his reporting for PressProgress.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/

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After Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement on combating antisemitism, right-wing Zionist rumblings in news media claimed he wasn't doing enough. Often cited as an example of the extreme state of antisemitism that Canada is the choice of Montreal professor Gad Saad to leave for Mississippi. Saad's book, often cited as a number one nonfiction seller in Canada, Suicidal Empathy is a fundamental component of the fascist outlook. This week, Eiynah, host of the Polite Conversations podcast and someone who covers the new atheist movement and the darlings of the right-wing media sphere joins Scott to discuss Saad, his impact and the state of media when he is treated seriously.

Note: This episode was recorded June 10, 2026.

Polite Conversations on Spotify

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/right-wing-news-media-loves-this-extremist-ft-eiynah-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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

On May 27 to 28, CANSEC, the country's biggest arms expo, brought together Carney ministers and top arms manufacturers in a time of vast military spending. The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the organization that puts it on, prevented some journalists from attending. The Maple was denied for unspecified reasons and another reporter was declined due to timelines, despite the fact that at least one other journalist was let in after the deadline. Christy Somos, award-winning Canadian journalist, producer, analyst and writer behind The State of Things, a newsletter focused on national security and extremism in Canada was that reporter. She joins Scott to discuss the process of her accreditation being denied, the worsening conditions for press freedom and how denying critical voices reveals a weakness in the arms industry.

The State of Things

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/barred-from-canadas-biggest-arms-expo-ft-christy-somos-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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