In the maelstrom that is modern life, we’ve lost any sense of seasonality. These days, the summer is as non-stop as any other time of the year and the long, sun-drenched days can come and go without any real rest or relaxation. But we remember a time in the not-too-distant past when July and August offered a welcome lull — a time to retreat, to recharge, to reinvent. To dream, even. The summer felt expansive, wondrous. We're convinced that this annual reprieve was essential for maintaining sanity.

So this year, we’ve decided to bring back the slow summer.

It’s been a busy 2026 so far at Lean Out, during our fifth year in operation. The newsletter has surpassed eight million views and has been on the Substack bestseller list. The podcast, meanwhile, has just published its 256th episode. Not bad for a niche Canadian outlet dedicated to heterodox non-fiction current affairs books (and sometimes articles). That’s all down to you, Lean Out’s wonderful subscribers, and we can’t thank you enough for your support.

Tara's latest book, based on the work that we’ve been doing here — and on the 2024 Massey Essay — will be released in North America at the end of this month. (Pre-orders are helpful, should you be so inclined.) The Trust Spiral: Why the Media Needs Objectivity is already getting a great response and it has been especially gratifying to field interview requests from across the political spectrum.

Lean Out normally goes dark for three weeks in the summer, but this year we are taking an extended break as Tara promotes her new book and then takes a few weeks of much-needed time offline — hopefully in the wilds of British Columbia. All monthly payments have been paused as of today, and yearly subscriptions will be extended when we resume production in the fall.

As we slow down and reflect on the year so far — and mull over where Lean Out might go next — we'd love to hear from you on what is working and not working about this newsletter and podcast. Your feedback is most welcome.

In the meantime, our hope for all of you is that you are also able to unplug at least a bit this summer, rediscovering all of the things that make life most worth living, from nature and travel to food and family and friendship and community. And of course, good books!

We'll be doing our best to recapture that same spirit of adventure and discovery, and will share it with you all when we return in the fall.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

One of the themes of the Lean Out podcast is a crisis in confidence in the mainstream media. In a few weeks, Tara's new book on this topic will be released in the United States and Canada. The Trust Spiral: Why the Media Needs Objectivity unpacks where the press has gone wrong — and what it needs to do to regain the public’s trust. Cardus in Ottawa hosted Tara for an event on June 9, where she was joined on-stage by a fellow Canadian journalist. We are happy to share a portion of that discussion this week.

Stuart Thomson is a Canadian journalist and the Parliamentary bureau chief for The National Post.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

It has now five years since the Kamloops band made an announcement of the discovery of the "remains of 215 children” at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, kicking off an intense period of national grief and anger. A month ago, The Globe and Mail editorial board made news around the world, declaring the national press’s lack of scrutiny of the claim a “failure of journalism.” Our guest on the program this week is an award-winning journalist who was early on this story — and he’s here to unpack its aftermath.

Terry Glavin is a Canadian journalist, an author, and a columnist for The National Post.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com