How many times can Carney concede to Trump? (Probably lots)

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 7th, 2026, Matt Gurney is joined by guest host Scott Stinson, filling in for Jen Gerson. They begin with the latest twists in Canada-U.S. relations, asking just how much Prime Minister Mark Carney can concede to the Americans before the political costs become too high at home. Both hosts suspect the answer is probably more than many Canadians would expect. They also discuss how fortunate Carney is to be making these decisions while facing relatively weak opposition, with Pierre Poilievre enduring another difficult week. Matt explains why the Conservative leader continues to struggle to gain traction.

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The conversation then shifts to Ontario politics, where many of the same themes are playing out. It should be a quiet summer at Queen’s Park, but instead the Ford government finds itself taking hits from all directions, including from an opposition party that doesn’t currently have a permanent leader. Matt and Scott discuss why the Ontario NDP appears so adrift. New Democratic governments are commonplace elsewhere in Canada, so why does the party remain unable to break through in Ontario, even with Doug Ford leading the PCs and the Liberals still searching for direction? Matt has a theory.

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Finally, Scott brings listeners up to speed on the growing controversy surrounding Gianni Infantino and FIFA. The discussion broadens into a look at why major sports organizations seem almost inevitably to attract corruption—and why it’s so fascinating to watch the rare moments when those organizations actually decide to push back.

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All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:37 Can Carney keep conceding? (Yup!)
26:39 Fall of Ford
48:34 FIFA WTF

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