The Sunday Magazine

For many Canadians, the May long weekend means the official kick-off of the summer travel season. And if you're out on a road trip, there's a good chance you may end up sailing down the Trans-Canada Highway. Mark Richardson wants us all to know the often overlooked stories that paved this roughly seven-and-a-half thousand kilometre road system. The automotive journalist speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about the history, people and politics that shaped "Canada's Main Street", as he explores in his book The Drive Across Canada.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The New York Times' Luke Broadwater and The Economist's Gregg Carlstrom about the impact of Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, WIRED's Louise Mataskis and University of British Columbia's Muhammad Abdul-Mageed look at how AI translation tools may affect language learning, the Atlantic Council's Michael Bociurkiw helps make sense of the latest talks between Russia and Ukraine, automotive journalist Mark Richardson shares a history of the Trans-Canada Highway, and linguist Sali Tagliamonte surveys the factors that have shaped the language we use to describe summertime escapes.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

If you've ever owned an iPhone, iPad or Mac, you may have noticed these words printed on the back: "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China." But there’s a bigger story behind that simple tagline. Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee tells Piya Chattopadhyay that few understand just how key China and Apple have been to each other's rise. His new book Apple in China explores a relationship that's central to the world as we know it, one which is facing new challenges from tariffs to tensions with Taiwan.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Vatican journalist Charles Collins about the path ahead for Pope Leo XIV, Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee gets to the core of Apple and China's symbiotic relationship, journalists Shannon Proudfoot, Rob Benzie and Jason Markusoff explore how Prime Minister Mark Carney might approach competing provincial priorities, and New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess delves into how tech culture is shaping modern parenting.Find more at at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

In the latest edition of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!, Piya Chattopadhyay competes against one familiar voice and one clever listener in a battle of brain games devised by puzzle master Peter Brown. Playing along this month are CBC News reporter and videojournalist Brett Ruskin in Halifax, and Dundas, Ont. listener Brenda Bjarnason.

In this engaging discussion, political commentator Andrew Coyne addresses the 'crisis' in Canadian democracy while experts Sean Speer, Emilie Nicolas, and Rob Russo unpack the implications of the recent federal election results. Science journalist Laura Spinney unveils the fascinating legacy of Proto-Indo-European, revealing how an ancient dialect shaped modern languages. The lighthearted segment featuring word puzzles adds a touch of fun, showcasing the importance of language and communication in both history and contemporary politics.

This Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. The conflict led to more than one million people fleeing the war-torn countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Canada accepted approximately 200,000 refugees from the region between 1975 and the 1990s. Canadian author Vinh Nguyen was among them. He speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about retracing his family’s journey in his memoir The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse, and how this moment in history resonates with diasporic experiences today.

Join Vin Nguyen, a Canadian writer reflecting on the Vietnam War's legacy, and Massimo Faggioli, a Vatican expert discussing the dynamics of the papal conclave. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson shares the vital role of water in Indigenous culture and the urgent need for environmental advocacy. Meanwhile, analysts Emilie Nicolas and Sean Speer delve into the Canadian federal election's evolving landscape. The discussion also highlights the significance of understanding election terminology to foster informed civic engagement.

For people who work in the business of political satire and news comedy, there’s no shortage of rich source material these days. But misinformation, disinformation and leaders who can seem stranger than fiction are complicating the craft. Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with two veterans of the scene – The Beaverton’s Luke Gordon Field and a founding member of The Onion, Christine Wenc – about the challenges of skewering the news today, and how satire can help people make sense of the absurdity of real life.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay sets up the final week of the federal election campaign with political journalists Rob Russo, Emilie Nicolas and Ryan Jespersen, The Beaverton's Luke Gordon Field and The Onion's Christine Wenc talk about the craft of satire in an age of misinformation, linguist Michael Erard reflects on what our first and last words say about us, and The Sunday Magazine's Howard Goldenthal looks at the legacy of the Cambodian genocide.Discover more at cbc.ca/sunday