The Sunday Magazine for April 20, 2025

This week on The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay:

The federal election campaign enters its final stretch

With two debates down and one week to go in the federal election campaign, The Economist's Rob Russo, Le Devoir's Emilie Nicolas and Real Talk's Ryan Jespersen join Chattopadhyay to break down the state of the race and stakes for major party leaders as the 2025 election nears the finish line.

The Sunday Magazine22:38The federal election campaign enters its final stretch

With two debates down and one week to go in the federal election campaign, The Economist's Rob Russo, Le Devoir's Emilie Nicolas and Real Talk's Ryan Jespersen join Piya Chattopadhyay to break down the state of the race and stakes for major party leaders as the 2025 election nears the finish line.

Finding the funny in news satire when real life is no joke

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. 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.

The Sunday Magazine22:39Finding the funny in news satire when real life is no joke

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.

What the first and last words we speak say about us

We may think of them as the most cherished or meaningful words we'll ever speak: Our first words as a baby, and our last words before we die. But as linguist Michael Erard explores in his book Bye Bye, I Love You, the significance of them varies according to culture and history, and their meaning is often supplied more by the listener than the speaker. He tells Chattopadhyay that they are nevertheless truly powerful, marking the beginning and end of our life connecting with others.

The Sunday Magazine18:41What the first and last words we speak say about us

We may think of them as the most cherished or meaningful words we’ll ever speak: Our first words as a baby, and our last words before we die. But as linguist Michael Erard explores in his book Bye Bye, I Love You, the significance of them varies according to culture and history, and their meaning is often supplied more by the listener than the speaker. He tells Piya Chattopadhyay that they are nevertheless truly powerful, marking the beginning and end of our life connecting with others.

50 years ago, the Khmer Rouge began its reign of terror in Cambodia. Justice remains elusive

April 17, 1975, marked the start of Year Zero, the attempt by the Khmer Rouge and its leader Pol Pot to "reset" Cambodia and fashion it into a new Communist society by purging swaths of culture, traditions and people. An estimated 1.5 to two million Cambodians were killed and hundreds of thousands fled to other countries, including Canada. The Sunday Magazine senior producer Howard Goldenthal looks at the legacy of that time, and how far we've come in attempts to pursue justice for war crimes since then.

The Sunday Magazine33:0650 years ago, the Khmer Rouge began its reign of terror in Cambodia. Justice remains elusive

April 17, 1975, marked the start of Year Zero, the attempt by the Khmer Rouge and its leader Pol Pot to "reset" Cambodia and fashion it into a new Communist society by purging swaths of culture, traditions and people. An estimated 1.5 to two million Cambodians were killed and hundreds of thousands fled to other countries, including Canada. The Sunday Magazine senior producer Howard Goldenthal looks at the legacy of that time, and how far we've come in attempts to pursue justice for war crimes since then.