In Bed with the Elephant

Why the U.S. always gets Iran wrong w/ Nader Hashemi

Nader Hashemi is Director of the Al-Waleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and an Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University in Washing ton DC.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario he is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Carleton University and the University of Toronto . His books include,  The Syrian Dilemma, and Islam Secularism and Liberal Democracy: Toward A Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies.  

David Suzuki at 90: On Canada, Climate and the Future

2026 marks a milestone for David Suzuki. In March the renowned Canadian geneticist, academic, author and environmentalist turned 90 years old.  An iconic broadcaster, and uncompromising advocate for the sustainable future of the planet, he’s been Canada’s most charismatic and influential public intellectual on television and radio for the better part of 6 decades.
 
He and his family were forced to endure the hardship and humiliation of spending the Second World War in an internment camp along with tens of thousands of their fellow Japanese Canadians.
Suzuki first gained prominence in the early 1960s as a hotshot Canadian-born but American trained scientist.  He eventually made the transition to become one of Canada’s most articulate and passionate science communicators.
In the early 1970s he became a broadcasting superstar as the host of the CBC Radio science program Quirks and Quarks and then CBC television’s The Nature of Things which he hosted for 44 years.
For decades David Suzuki has been unwavering in his commitment to speaking out about the unsustainability of the impact of human beings on the biosphere. He’s urged politicians and citizens, alike to act to preserve the earth for the generations to come .
While Suzuki has been called one of the greatest Canadians in history, he’s also been pilloried and vilified by his critics who have labelled him Dr. Doom and Gloom.  An enemy of progress.  An economic saboteur dedicated to destroying the country’s lucrative logging and fossil fuel industries. Suzuki insists that the ongoing reckless development of these extractive industries imperils our collective future as a species.
For a private person David Suzuki has lived a very public life. His most recent book is a memoir in which he reflects on his remarkable journey. It’s called Lessons From a Lifetime: Ninety Years of Inspiration and Activism.

One Year of Mark Carney: Liberal? Polite Conservative? Pragmatist? w/ Andrew Cohen

Andrew Cohen is a journalist, author, and historian. He was a  professor of journalism at Carleton University's School of Journalism and Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Cohen has writ His books include A Deal Undone: The Making and Breaking of the Meech Lake Accord and Trudeau's Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. He also wrote a biography of Lester B. Pearson. He has worked as a journalist for the Ottawa Citizen, United Press International, Time, the Financial Post, Saturday Night, and The Globe and Mail. At the Globe and Mail, he was a member of the editorial board and a columnist and foreign correspondent in Washington, D.C. Cohen has won two Canadian National Newspaper Awards, three National Magazine Awards, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.

Report from Iran: w/ Canadian Journalist Dimitri Lascaris

Dimitri Lascaris is a lawyer, activist, independent journalist and host of the YouTube Channel “Reason to Resist” He’s the only Canadian-based journalist who has been actively reporting from Iran since war began in February.  Lascaris spent 11 days in Iran between March 20- March 31st travelling to 7 cities across a country the size of Western Europe.  We spoke to him just after he'd left Iran, from an airport terminal in Cyprus. Dimitri Lascaris. 
Since the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February 2026 over 5,000 Iranians have been killed. Thousands more have been injured.
 
The people of Iran like people everywhere are more than numbers They are human beings with thoughts, feelings, and fears, ordinary folks with hopes, aspirations and dreams. Complex, imperfect, individuals who are mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, fathers and brothers, all with unique stories to tell.  
 
What has been the impact of war on the people of Iran. How have they been coping?   I’m Adrian Harewood and this is In bed with the Elephant.
 
Journalism matters.  Particularly at a time of conflict and war. Having eyes and ears and feet on the ground to listen, to watch, to feel, to bear witness can help us to make better sense of our world. The stories that reporters bring back from the field can provide context, perspective, nuance and depth. They can help us to ask better questions and help us see the humanity of the other.
 
 

PANEL: Reaction to Avi Lewis' NDP Victory

Adrian is joined by: 
Nora Loreto is a writer, organizer, podcaster and journalist. She is the author of a number of books including “Take Back the Fight: Organizing Feminism in the Digital Age (Fernwood 2020)” and “From Demonized to Organized: Building the New Union Movement” (CCPA 2013). She’s the host of Sandy And Nora Talk politics with Sandy Hudson.
Judy Rebick is a writer, academic,  commentator and former TV host.  She is the former president of Canada’s leading feminist organization the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.
Matt Fodor is an author and political scientist. He is the author of From Layton to Singh: The 20-Year Conflict Behind the NDP’s Deal With the Trudeau Liberals.’

Press Freedom on Trial in Canada w/ Justin Brake

Ground-breaking Journalist Justin Brake sits down with Adrian to discuss the Amber Bracken case against the RCMP, and the fight for real press freedom in Canada.

What Trump means for Canada & The World w/ Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for the US – based  The Nation Magazine and host of the weekly  NATION podcast, The Time of Monsters. Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The Guardian, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” We spoke to Jeet Heer shortly before the US and Israel attacked Iran. 

Navigating life post-October 7th as a Jewish journalist w/ Marsha Lederman

Globe and Mail columnist Marsha Lederman joins Adrian to discuss navigating her love for Israel, her disdain for its leader, and her horror at Israel’s destruction of Gaza. 
Marsha Lederman’s first book “Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed” was a national bestseller. “October 7th: Searching for the Humanitarian Middle” is her latest release.
This episode is brought to you by our founding local partner, Perfect Books Ottawa. 
You can find more from Ricochet at ricochet.media and support the show at ricochet.media/donate. 

Iran: the Islamic republic on the brink? w/ Amir Ahmadi Arian

Iranian journalist Amir Ahmadi Arian sits down with Adrian to discuss the escalating horrors in Iran.
 
While living in Iran in the 2000s, Amir Ahmadi Arian was a regular contributor to reformist newspapers. Arian’s essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, The Paris Review and the New York Review of Books. He is currently an assistant professor of creative writing at Binghamton University in upstate New York.
 
This episode is brought to you by our founding local partner, Perfect Books Ottawa. 
 
You can find more from Ricochet at ricochet.media and support the show at ricochet.media/donate.

A 50-year fight for the climate, Canada & the future w/ Elizabeth May

Canada’s Green Party Leader Elizabeth May joins Adrian to discuss her long history as politician and environmental activist and her views on Canada’s current climate leadership. 
 
2026 marks 20 years since Elizabeth May became leader of Canada’s Green Party. She is the longest serving female leader of a federal party in Canada’s history. In 2011, May became the first Green Party member to be elected to the House of Commons. She remains the MP for the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding in British Columbia.
 
This episode is brought to you by our founding local partner, Perfect Books Ottawa. 
You can find more from Ricochet at ricochet.media and support the show at ricochet.media/donate.