This Week's Round-Up: August 3, 2026

• Canada’s next steps for CUSMA

• What exactly is a middle power?

• We need to prevent wildfires, not just fight them

• Arundhati Roy on the Indian student protests

• Event: The Billionaire Problem

The Gordie Howe Bridge Is What American Betrayal Looks Like

Canada spent billions on the crossing. Trump turned it into a shakedown

BY DAVID MOSCROP

On foreign trips and through diplomatic efforts, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been making the case that the US is unreliable to the point of existential risk. Previously considered by global elites as the guarantor of the liberal world order, the home of the reserve currency, and the economic engine of the planet, the American empire is now sowing uncertainty that borders on chaos. So, Carney is organizing a middle-power strategy to adjust to, and thrive within, the new world order. Other countries are listening.

The Gordie Howe Bridge fiasco stands as a reminder why such a strategy is necessary.

The world’s twelve richest billionaires hold more wealth than the poorest half of humanity combined. The forty richest billionaires increased their fortunes by nearly $95 billion in one year, while millions face rising costs and growing economic pressures. At The Walrus Talks The Billionaire Problem, leading thinkers will explore the forces driving the concentration of economic power in Canada and beyond.

FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CANADA EXCELLENCE RESEARCH CHAIR IN HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING AT TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY.

A New Podcast Exploring Disability, Equity, and Change

Disability Dialogues explores what it means to move beyond survival in a world where too many people with disabilities and chronic conditions are forced to fight for basic care and support.

Through conversations with people with lived experience, disability justice advocates, community leaders, and researchers, the podcast examines the barriers embedded in our systems and the changes needed to help people thrive.