This Week's Round-Up: March 23, 2026

• CBSA is deporting 400 people a week

• Canada’s military and the far-right

• Canada's opioid crisis

• How to say ‘no’

• I broke my pelvis twice

How Will the Iran War End? Even Trump May Not Really Know

As the conflict drags on, it looks increasingly like the president is making it up as he goes

BY PETER JONES

The idea that a clean and surgical air campaign could lop off the head of the Iranian regime to permit a more pliable successor to emerge belies the reality of almost fifty years of the Islamic Republic. Perhaps it will work in Venezuela (though it remains to be seen if the remains of the Nicolás Maduro regime will ultimately have the last laugh), but Iran is very different.

How will this end? It seems increasingly likely Trump doesn’t really know. He may soon decide that it’s too costly, economically and politically, and just stop. He will then select a goal from the wide range of objectives he has put out there and declare that it has been achieved and that he is completely victorious. But there are at least two big problems with this.

With a specific focus on Ontario, on a topic that’s relevant across the country, The Walrus Talks Opioids brings together medical experts, frontline workers, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience with opioid use disorder to share evidence-based strategies for tackling the crisis, highlight proven policy solutions, and outline what we can do to end the opioid crisis.

A MESSAGE FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WILSON COLLEGE OF LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AT MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

The Human Side of the Future of Work

In the latest episode of Generations Ahead, a conversation on the future of work and leadership in a time of rapid technological change. The discussion explores the importance of trust, curiosity, and authentic relationships in building resilient teams.

Drawing on global leadership experience, the episode introduces the “ABCs of trust” framework and reflects on why soft skills and human connection will become even more important as AI and automation reshape workplaces. It also considers how leaders can foster inclusive, innovative cultures and approach challenges with curiosity and empathy while preparing for an evolving world.

In this episode of What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by Donna Jones Alward, whose most recent book, Ship of Dreams, was a national bestseller. They talk about the astonishingly fast pace with which she published books up until this year; about shifting from romance to historical fiction; and about the perils inherent in writing a novel about a story everyone feels they already know, which is the sinking of the Titanic.

— Carmine Starnino

Editor-in-Chief, The Walrus