What would it take to reboot Canada's relationship with China? Is it even possible, with Canadians in Chinese custody, the Huawei extradition case pending, to say nothing of events in Hong Kong? We examine the case for and feasibility of a new foreign policy with the Middle Kingdom.

This past summer, Russian president Vladimir Putin won a referendum to remain in office until the year 2036. Having already put his indelible stamp on Russia, what does Putin want to do with all that time and opportunity? Steve Paikin speaks to Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank and regional affiliate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

It used to be that supply and demand applied to workers and wages within Canada. But globalization has changed that, argues economist Jeff Rubin. When the whole world is your market, there is never a dearth of workers willing to do the same job for less money. On the Agenda, he lays out his arguments for how free trade ruined the middle class, the topic of his new book, "The Expendables: How the Middle Class Got Screwed by Globalization."

Doug Ford promised to create incentives for more registered nurses and personal support workers in Ontario. But what does it take to attract people to study for the jobs needed in health care? The Agenda discusses how to train people for the right jobs, and what role the government plays in getting people into post-secondary institutions.

Personal support workers have had to adjust to a new reality as the COVID-19 pandemic has worn on. But what about those who were in the midst of their training to become PSWs? Southwestern Ontario Hub journalist Mary Baxter spoke to some students about their experiences, and what drove them to seek the uneasy road of caring for ill patients in the first place.

The Agenda this week looked at why urban dwellers are seeking to live in smaller communities; considered how policing might evolve; checked in with some American expats after the U.S. presidential debate; and heard the case for citizens helping to bolster democracy.

Earlier this week, Premier Doug Ford officially declared that COVID-19's second wave has hit Ontario. Raywat Deonandan is a Global Health epidemiologist and associate professor with the University of Ottawa's Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences. He talks to Nam Kiwanuka about what we can expect to see in the coming weeks and whether Ontario is on the right track in its approach to the current situation.

The Agenda examines the federal Liberal government's latest salvo as they go after web giants such as Google and Facebook, pledging to impose new taxes and regulations on the companies. All this while Canada's media landscape continues to shrink. Fenwick Mckelvey, an associate professor in Communication Studies at Concordia University, provides context.

Steve Paikin speaks to the editor and contributors of the new book, "Constitutional Democracy Under Stress: A Time for Heroic Citizenship." They discuss the fragile state of democracies around the world, the existential threats they face, and the "civic serum" needed to cure what ails them.

What is it like to be an American living in Canada in one of the most contentious times in political history for that country. Americans living in Canada discuss the pending election, social justice movements, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova reveals what poker taught her about luck, skill, and decision-making in everyday life, the topic of her new book, "The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win."

A new report from Citizen Lab warns about the risks posed by algorithmic policing. What does this technology mean for law enforcement in Canada? To provide context, we invite Ryan Prox, an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Criminology, and Officer in Charge of Crime Analytics for Vancouver Police Department; Cynthia Khoo, research fellow at the Citizen Lab; and Kate Robertson, a criminal lawyer at Markson Law and a research fellow at U of T's Citizen Lab.

Protests over police brutality that started in May continue to make headlines as protestors continue to make the case for defunding or abolition. Do the police still have a role to play in keeping the public safe? To discuss this, The Agenda welcomes former RCMP officer Chad Haggerty; London police chief Stephen Williams; Fareeda Adam, staff lawyer at Black Legal Action Centre; and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, assistant professor, Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto.

Science and sacred knowledge don't usually go hand-in-hand. But botanist and medical biochemist Diana Beresford-Kroeger is forging a path built on their collective wisdom, which she believes could help lead the way out of the growing climate crisis. She joins Steve Paikin to share her vision that's outlined in her latest book, "To Speak for the Trees: My Life's Journey from Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest."

Torontonians have been leaving the city for years, in search of more affordable housing options and more space. So, is the wave of people moving out of the urban core during the COVID-19 pandemic any different? The Agenda examines what this recognized pattern could mean for the future of the city and the communities that are apparently being inundated with urban ex-pats.

The new federal Rural and Northern Immigration pilot is helping to encourage new Canadians to live and work outside of the Ontario's bigger cities. But some newcomers want to be in more established centres where friends and relatives have settled before them. The advent of COVID-19 is making rural communities more attractive due to fewer cases and more employment opportunities. Ashley Okwuosa, an assistant editor at TVO.org, discusses how this program and others are working to help newcomers...

Will an unsettled United States affect Canada, especially with the election looming. Then, what's behind the current surge in COVID-19 cases. And, what's the progress toward a Canadian vaccine?

Katie O'Connor, manager of podcasting at TVO, discusses news seasons of Word Bomb, OnDocs, and #onpoli, and announces a new series in celebration of TVO's 50th birthday.

Harnarayan Singh is a trailblazer in the hockey world but you don't know him from his scoring or stick handling. Instead of tuning in to Hockey Night in Canada, thousands of Sikh hockey fans turn to Punjabi Hockey Night in Canada, to hear Singh's play-by-play. He discusses his career and book, "One Game at a Time: My Journey from Small-Town Alberta to Hockey's Biggest Stage."

Science journalist Latif Nasser discusses his latest Netflix documentary series "Connected," in which he travels the world, exploring the fascinating connections between seemingly disparate ideas and objects such as migratory bird patterns, musical frequencies, and lunar bacteria. Nasser is also director of research for WNYC's Radiolab.

In the global race to find a vaccine, is Canada well-positioned to ensure its citizens will be inoculated as quickly as possible? What will happen to poorer countries in this race? To discuss these issues, The Agenda welcomes by Alan Bernstein, president and CEO, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; Jason Nickerson, humanitarian affairs advisor, Doctors Without Borders; and the Toronto Star's Alex Boyd.

As the United States heads into an election the possibility of increased instability looms large. Some have even used the term civil war. The Agenda asks: What would that mean for Canada? What are the dangers posed by a more unstable America? And how can we prepare?

Amid the backdrop of rising inequality, the belief in merit has lead to condescension among the winners and a harsh sense of humiliation among those left behind. This is destroying the common good, according to Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel. He makes the case for a new way of thinking about success and failure in, "The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?"

Just days after the province declared a state of emergency for this COVID-19 crisis, Michael Sabia argued in the pages of the Globe and Mail that now is the time for governments to take bold action to reshape the economy. Six months in, are governments getting it right? Sabia, the director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and chair of Canada's Infrastructure Bank, discusses this with Steve Paikin.

Guaranteed annual income or a basic income is a policy idea that's been considered for decades. Under the previous government, Ontario undertook a partial pilot project to see how it could work. But the arrival of this pandemic, and the introduction of CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) has accelerated the conversation around whether it's an idea whose time has come.