The North State

Over the past few days, every large news outlet has reported about the last-minute collapse of a trade deal between Canada and the USA. Despite the fact that details of the deal have only trickled out through anonymous or second-hand channels, the majority of legacy news rallied around Carney and commended the prime minister on doing the hard task of pulling out of a deal. But little critical coverage of the methods, details and process of the trade negotiations leads most outlets to sycophantic levels of deference to Carney. Isaac A. Peltz, award-winning independent journalist behind On the Trail, joins Scott to dissect the nationalistic news climate that buries critical capacity to hide behind the flag.Follow Isaac on InstagramOn the TrailFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/legacy-news-worship-carneys-trade-blowup-ft-isaac-a-peltz-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

In March 2025, provinces across Canada pulled US alcohol products off of their shelves in response to new tariffs announced by the US Trump administration. It's become such a sticking point that Trump specifically cited Canadian markets for US alcohol as a core reason for a new 50 per cent tariff against Canada. Have the booze bans worked? What has the effect been on the US alcohol industry? Can American brands recover after this debacle? Dave Infante, award-winning journalist and editor of the newsletter Fingers which covers drinking in the US, joins Scott to discuss these questions and more.Note: Trump announced he paused the 50 per cent tariff for three days late on August 18.Subscribe to FingersFollow Dave on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/canadian-booze-bans-rattle-the-us-ft-dave-infante-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Many Canadians have considered crossing the country to enjoy the sights, the communities and the people. Few end up doing it, but even less do the journey by hopping on their bikes and doing over 7k. Isaac A. Peltz and Blue Jay Walker are two best friends and journalists who did the bike-trip across the country during a political moment focused on sovereignty. Stopping off in every province, they spoke to people about what it means to be Canadian, the Alberta separation referendum and what matters to them. They join Scott to discuss their trip, what forest fire season means for the possibility of more in the future and how their gonzo journalism stands up against legacy news.Paper Rag on PatreonFollow Blue Jay on InstagramFollow Isaac on InstagramFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/journalists-bike-across-canada-ft-blue-jay-walker-and-isaac-peltz-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Since Carney won the federal election in 2025, he has prioritized resource extraction. Under the guise of "unlocking" economic potential, he has pursued a pipeline funded with public money, passed laws to fast-track similar projects and ignored Indigenous communities in pursuit of these goals. How does this reflect in the country's climate reporting? Natasha Bulowski, Acting Parliamentary Bureau Chief for Canada’s National Observer, and Taylor C. Noakes, investigative journalist with DeSmog, join Scott to discuss the change from Trudeau to Carney, how legacy news fails to hold fossil fuel to task and the influence of right-wing think tanks on reporting energy and climate stories.Follow Natasha on BlueskyFollow Taylor on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/climate-reporting-under-carney-ft-natasha-bulowski-taylor-c-noakes-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

When CBC announced it would establish five new international bureaus, initial reactions were positive. In a time of waning international coverage by Canadian news organizations, new bureaus to establish reporting closer to the issues are good news for the journalism industry. But when examined closer, serious cracks reveal themselves. No update on the contentious end of CBC's Beijing bureau in 2022, a vague gesture to cover an entire continent and, most harrowing, establishing a bureau in Jerusalem. All international news media in Israel must agree to abide by military censorship, which has increased dramatically since their recent attacks on Iran and since they began their genocide in October of 2023. In a monologue, Scott examines how this and absolutely no reckoning with Israel's violence against their colleagues betrays CBC's actual priorities.Follow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-israeli-military-censor-will-oversee-new-cbc-bureau-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Graham Platner, the former Maine Democratic candidate for senator, had a troubled campaign. He was a four-tour vet that served at Abu Ghraib prison, fought in Fallujah, bragged about killing people and signed up for the successor company to the infamous Blackwater mercenary group. Then, it was revealed he had a Nazi tattoo. Then, multiple women revealed his troubling and misogynistic outlook, with one claiming he physically assaulted her. Despite all this, he maintained support from a significant portion of journalists and media personalities... until a woman accused him of rape. In this extra episode, Julie S. Lalonde, award-winning women’s rights advocate and public educator, joins Scott to extrapolate the culture surrounding Platner that led to this point and how Canada maintains a similarly dismissive view of women's safety.Follow Julie on BlueskyBystander Intervention Seminars by Julie S. LalondeFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/misogyny-canada-graham-platner-ft-julie-s-lalonde-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

For those who pay close attention to the news media in Canada, one company becomes quickly notorious for its openly ideological project. Postmedia, a company owned by a New Jersey hedge fund, is the largest owner of newspaper outlets across the country. Their flagship publication, the National Post has increasingly pushed the bounds of acceptable political opinion to the far-right. From openly praising anti-trans sentiment, Zionist violence and laundering climate change denial, Postmedia has made its presence in Canada a known quantity. Journalist Jeremy Appel joins Scott to discuss his latest article on Postmedia's right-wing mission, how it affects Canadian politics and why we should all be worried about this behemoth's influence on news in local communities, as well as the national stage.‘Dumpster fire’: Postmedia’s decade of pushing Canada’s politics to the rightCheck out Jeremy's work at The Orchard.Follow Jeremy on Bluesky.Follow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/postmedia-is-dragging-us-all-to-the-far-right-ft-jeremy-appel-podcastIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

With legacy news outlets becoming increasingly out of touch and propagandistic, critics in the news media sphere have been more necessary than ever. While there's certainly a vacuum left by one of the largest outlets losing all credibility, there are still principled voices doing thoughtful critique. Toronto journalist Emma Paling has joined the sphere. Launching Second Scoop, a news media criticism newsletter with The Maple, Paling delivers thoughtful, witty critique of how news media has covered events with more context and thoughtful analysis not found anywhere else. Paling joins Scott to discuss the newsletter, two big news stories worthy of the critique and even for a reflection on their first discussion nearly two years ago, about where we are in regards to news media coverage of the ongoing Palestinian genocide.Sign up for Second Scoop hereEmma Paling on XFollow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/the-maples-second-scoop-vs-news-media-ft-emma-paling-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Cuba passed some of the most significant economic reforms since the 1960s in response to economic warfare waged on them by the US. Carney, and Canada more broadly, have been silent. So what is the relationship to Cuba in this country? Scott goes through Canada's economic relationship and the framework legacy news media operates in when covering the country.Follow Scott on BlueskySources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-on-canadas-role-in-cuba-podcastArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog