Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down to discuss the stories behind the week’s stories in our politics podcast, On The Hill. They also gather in the OMNI studios to talk about the stories that matter. This week, the bureau chats about the criminal trial of Sen. Mike Duffy, whose defence of 31 charges—including bribery—opened in court on April 7. Freelance journalist Nick Köhler, who’s reporting from court every day for Maclean’s, joins John Geddes and Cormac Mac Sweeney.

THE HEADLINES

• ON DUFFY Nick Köhler’s in the courtroom

• ON ELIGIBILITY Can Duffy represent PEI?

• ON HEALTHCARE Wells tallies swords and shields

• ON IRAN Why a nuke deal won’t help Iranians

• ON ALBERTA Jim Prentice goes to the polls

• ON BUDGETS Joe Oliver talks to a luncheon