Award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, national ideas-focused events, and podcasts. Stay connected: http://thewalrus.ca/newsletters
Writer Courtney Shea’s inbox has more than 61,000 unread emails—and she’s done apologizing for it. In this new essay, what starts as a personal confession becomes a broader look at how inbox anxiety has become a measure of productivity. https://ow.ly/CxiJ50ZuS9x
“The smartest thing [Donald] Trump can do is what he did last time: go away and leave the negotiating to the pros,” writes William A. Reinsch of USMCA talks. “Unfortunately, he does not appear to be doing that.” https://thewalrus.ca/canada-is-stuck-in-trumps-permanent-trade-war/
For decades, Canada liked to imagine itself as the world’s helpful fixer. Mark Carney aims to resurrect our status as a “middle power,” but Peter Jones writes that doing so successfully relies on a US-led order that no longer exists. What comes next? https://thewalrus.ca/canada-middle-power/
“I admire people who don’t need or seek society’s approval,” says photographer Sylvain Laquerre. “I knew I was dealing with history when I was by [Antonio’s] side, even if I didn’t know the significance our friendship would have after he was gone.” https://thewalrus.ca/the-great-antonio/
The main driver behind conspiracy theories may not be misinformation but loneliness. After revisiting Seattle’s 1954 “windshield epidemic,” authors Lee Kuhnle and Nathan Radke argue our emotional needs can make false narratives feel true. https://ow.ly/pwjQ50ZuS4Q
Canada’s relative luck with wildfires has obscured the depth of our vulnerability, says photojournalist Jesse Winter. “I worry that it allows us to continue seeing these disasters as not personal, as something that’s happened to someone else somewhere.” https://ow.ly/QTz450ZuvIl
Join us in Toronto for @oxfamcanada.bsky.social presents The Walrus Talks The Billionaire Problem to find out what the rise of the super-rich means for democracy, affordability, and Canada’s future. www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus...
Indigenous nations are creating child welfare laws grounded in their own legal traditions. As law professors Val Napoleon and Hadley Friedland note, the work ahead is about “recovering and then taking up an interrupted, intergenerational conversation.” https://ow.ly/oRA750ZuvGL
The US has rejected a simple renewal of the Canada–US–Mexico trade agreement, triggering a formal review process. As businesses weigh their next moves, trade expert William A. Reinsch explains why “the most popular word from all sides is uncertainty.” https://ow.ly/HpCz50ZuvFG
Antonio Barichievich, a.k.a. the Great Antonio, made a name for himself by pulling buses, wrestling bears, and telling impossible stories. Here, writer Daniel Allen Cox revisits the life—and lore—of a Montreal legend: https://thewalrus.ca/the-great-antonio/
“The spontaneous rage we are witnessing will dissipate unless some real political work begins,” writes Arundhati Roy of India’s student protests. “Unless adults and opposition parties stop their jockeying and petty squabbling and show some solidarity.” https://ow.ly/4c9h50Zu4jC
Wildfires are transforming Canadian forests and exposing the limits of Canada’s preparedness. Journalist Jesse Winter speaks to The Walrus senior editor Samia Madwar about why Canada needs to rethink its wildfire strategy: https://ow.ly/PPVv50Zu4jk
Mark Carney has revived the idea of Canada as a "middle power" to counter growing pressure from the US, China, and other global powers. But Peter Jones argues the label no longer fits—and clinging to it could distort Canada's foreign policy choices. https://thewalrus.ca/canada-middle-power/
Indigenous nations across Canada are taking back control of child welfare under Bill C-92. “Everyone wants kids to come home,” writes Linda Besner, but the path to making that possible is obstructed by complex legal, financial, and social challenges. https://ow.ly/Bjtz50Zu4hr
Swipe culture may dominate modern dating, but Treena Orchard refuses to believe it’s the end of intimacy. Even after countless dead-end matches, she argues “Eros hasn’t abandoned us”—real desire can survive beyond the algorithm. https://ow.ly/1Rcq50ZtHoQ
Inbox Zero has become a badge of productivity—but what if it’s just another impossible standard? Writer Courtney Shea explores why digital wellness looks different for every person and how optimization culture may be creating more stress than it relieves. https://ow.ly/sbTZ50ZtHm3
Has Canada’s closest ally become its greatest vulnerability? For decades, Canada built its economy around the assumption that the US was a stable, predictable partner. The Gordie Howe International Bridge suggests that assumption no longer holds. https://ow.ly/nxlS50ZtHkC
Millions of Indian students rallied behind the satirical Cockroach Janta Party after exam paper leaks and government contempt ignited nationwide anger. Writer Arundhati Roy details how this wave of resistance became a test of India’s democracy: https://ow.ly/SXQU50ZtHje
Donald Trump is threatening Canada with new tariffs. Meanwhile, First Nations are evacuating from wildfires, and smoke is choking cities on both sides of the border. Is one crisis distracting Ottawa from another? Journalist Olivia Bowden explores: https://ow.ly/mMtY50ZtHhS
In 1944, Regina chiropractor Joshua Haldeman described key features of the Manhattan Project on a Toronto convention stage. Mark Bourrie details how wartime censors rushed to contain the leak—and how Haldeman’s remarks connected to a much larger history. https://ow.ly/qtvs50Zt1Hf