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- 1828 - TBS Listener Feedback: Objectivity, Pornography and Bagged Milk
It's time again for us to dip into our trove of listener emails and voicemails and share with you some of our favourite pieces of feedback we received over the past month or so. A special thanks to everyone who's taken the time to tell us how you feel. Even if your submission didn't make it into this episode, please keep writing and calling in. Your input helps us make the show better. Have a great long weekend!
Fri, 29 Mar 2024 - 21min - 1827 - Ontario's government fought public workers for years. And lost billions.
In November 2019, months before the pandemic made heroes of public sector workers like teachers and (especially) nurses, Ontario's government passed Bill 124, attempting to cap their pay increases at one percent for the next three years. It didn't go very well. Earlier this month, after years of protests and bad press, and a legal challenge that went to the highest court ion the province, the same government repealed the bill. And then announced in the budget that the entire fight, including years of back pay, has already cost the province $6 billion in taxpayer money, and could cost billions more. So...what happened here? Why did this fight drag on for years? And would the government have been better off just paying up in the first place? GUEST: Richard Southern, Queen's Park reporter, CityNews
Thu, 28 Mar 2024 - 19min - 1826 - How the government investigates "greenwashing" complaints
You may not know which ads meet the definition of greenwashing—but you know the type of ads in that discussion. Big corporations assuring you of how much they do for the environment, how sustainable their practices are and how much they've already done to make sure you can enjoy their products guilt-free. As the climate crisis worsens, convincing your customers your business is part of the solution, not the problem, can translate to a lot of revenue. The question is, how legitimate are those claims, and what happens when someone reports you for not meeting your own lofty standards? GUEST: Carl Meyer, climate investigations reporter, The Narwhal
Wed, 27 Mar 2024 - 20min - 1825 - How Loblaw became Canada's "company store"
You have to work pretty hard, in most of the country, to avoid spending money with a Loblaw-owned business. From its origins in groceries to market dominance there, the ubiquity of Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix, and everything from finance to clothing also under its umbrella, the Weston family has built a staggering retail empire. How did they do it? What happens when one company controls so much of the market for essential goods? What does it mean for us? Should the government take action here, and what could they do about it if they were so inclined? After all, isn't Loblaw just...successful? GUEST: David Moscrop, writer, author and political commentator (Read David's piece on Loblaw right here.)
Tue, 26 Mar 2024 - 25min - 1824 - How AI takes workplace surveillance to another level
We all know that companies track what we do on work devices. If, for example, you're listening to this show right now on a company phone or laptop, your boss could probably find that out, assuming they wanted to.But he’s where it gets darker: your boss might not have to bother finding out. An AI-driven worker surveillance program may be logging everything you do, completely automatically. And then judging your performance based on whatever it's been told to look for... GUEST: Valerio de Stefano, Canada Research Chair in Innovation, Law and Society
Mon, 25 Mar 2024 - 24min - 1823 - In This Economy: How subscription fees spiraled out of control
Netflix. Disney+. Prime. Apple TV+. Spotify. Newspapers. Magazines. Video games. Substacks. A secret caller (hint: you know him!) has a minor subscription addiction and needs help getting his spending under control. Jordan asks Barry Hertz, Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and Mail, to explain the subscription boom we're living in, and learn a few tips to avoid high fees. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.
Sat, 23 Mar 2024 - 35min - 1822 - The past, present and perilous future of bagged milk in Canada
It's a Canadian institution. Or at least, a piece of Canadian culture. OK, fine, it's an interesting quirk that visitors to Eastern and Atlantic Canada are often flummoxed by, but residents have lived with all their lives. Until, perhaps, one day soon when bags of milk may vanish from grocery stores. That's the speculation, at least, as milk consumption declines. But it offers a chance to take a little dive into the world's most interesting form of dairy delivery and see ... why? How? And for how long? GUEST: Andy Takagi, reporter, The Toronto Star
Fri, 22 Mar 2024 - 17min - 1821 - Measles are back. How worried should we be?
Canada has already seen more cases of measles in 2024 than in all of 2023. And rates of the disease in Europe and the United States are also rising. Meanwhile, vaccine uptake for the MMR shot, which protects against measles, has collapsed in recent years. So how worried should we be about what is—for now—still just a handful of cases? Why have vaccine rates for a decades-old and proven vaccine fallen so quickly? What do you need to know about a disease that, just a few years ago, was all but eradicated in Canada? GUEST: Dr. Raywat Deonandan, epidemiologist, associate professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences
Thu, 21 Mar 2024 - 23min - 1820 - Why has Canada's program brought zero Gazans to safety?
When announced in December, it seemed like a new immigration program would allow Canadians with extended family in Gaza to finally bring them to safety. More than three months later, not a single person has arrived in the country. And it's not for lack of trying. Thousands have applied, and hundreds of applications are stuck in bureaucratic purgatory. Even Canada's minister of immigration has said Canada is "failing" Gazans. So what's gone wrong? Is the government to blame? Or is this the fog of war at work? GUEST: Yara El Murr, reporting in The Guardian CORRECTION: Eman al-Atbash is 29, not 20.
Wed, 20 Mar 2024 - 17min - 1819 - Explaining the ArriveCan scandal
You might have used the app during the pandemic. It may have saved you time at the airport. It may have cost you an unnecessary quarantine. Either way, even if you never downloaded it, you paid for it. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars went into developing, releasing and updating (dozens and dozens of times) the government's pandemic travel app. The question now is about how that money was spent, who received it, and how much work they did for it. The scandal has twists and turns and detail upon detail, but it really boils down to this: Was this a government in a hurry, wasting money but with good intentions in an emergency? Or something worse than that? GUEST: Irem Koca, journalist, The Hill Times
Tue, 19 Mar 2024 - 22min - 1818 - Women are gambling, too. Why don't we see them?
With the rise in both legality and popularity of gambling, it can seem like images of both winners and losers are everywhere. Images of men, that is. Take a look at gambling advertising on TV, or even promotions offering help for problem gamblers. Men. Picture gamblers in your own head. They're probably men, too. This even extends to research, where numbers show that women do indeed gamble, nearly as much as men in some cases. And they may even develop gambling problems faster than men do. But almost no research exists to explore it. This is because women gamble in secret, in silence, and often with little help when things go wrong. Almost everyone can gamble these days. Why does the world ignore nearly half of them? GUEST: Rob Csernyik, 2022 Michener-Deacon Investigative Journalism fellow, freelance journalist.
Mon, 18 Mar 2024 - 24min - 1817 - Are smartphones the new cigarettes?
Not too long ago, cigarettes were everywhere. Lighting up in a restaurant, on a flight, or even in a doctor’s office was just part of the smoky fabric of Canadian life. Until it wasn’t. Now smartphones are the constant thing we carry. We can’t seem to put them down. Will we ever? What does our culture’s current addiction to smartphones have in common with cigarettes? GUEST: Richard Warnica, business reporter and opinions writer for the Toronto Star
Sun, 17 Mar 2024 - 21min - 1816 - Change Jobs?! In This Economy?!
Cody wants to find a new job, in a new industry, but doesn't have the qualifications listed on the job postings he's seeing. Alan feels trapped in his current job by an unstable and unpredictable market. They both want to know if now is a good time to change careers, and how they should go about the transition. To find out, Jordan reaches Alan Kearns, founder of CareerJoy, a firm that helps guide people through career transitions. Together they outline the costs that need to be considered when planning a career change.
Sat, 16 Mar 2024 - 33min - 1815 - Can you still trust Google's search results?
If you've tried to use Google to research a purchase recently, you've probably encountered—right at the top of the rankings—a whole lot of extremely similar Best Of lists published by familiar brands, even trusted names like Forbes, Popular Science or even Rolling Stone. Big names...but unlikely to have suddenly started thoroughly product testing things like air purifiers or humidifiers. What's happening here is a tangled story of a collapsing media industry, affiliate marketing gone mad and an algorithm that's incapable, or unwilling, to stop it. What's happening to Google results in the age of sold-off legacy brands, artificial intelligence and sponsored content? Nothing good. GUEST: Gisele Navarro, managing editor, HouseFresh
Fri, 15 Mar 2024 - 23min - 1814 - What we do (and don't) know about the mass killing of an Ottawa family
On March 6th, six people, including four children, were killed in their home in Barrhaven ,O.N., a suburb of Ottawa. The man accused of committing the alleged mass murder shared a home with the family. The killing has left their community and the public at large with many questions. So who was the family, and what did they mean to their community? Who stands accused? And what do we know about what happened inside that house, and why? GUEST: Marlo Glass, reporter, The Ottawa Citizen
Thu, 14 Mar 2024 - 15min - 1813 - So, where's Kate Middleton?
Officially known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton has not been seen in months, aside from a quick glimpse in a dark car. Officially, she's recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery. Unofficially, if you follow the conspiracy theories, she's somewhere between divorced and dead. On Sunday, a picture she posted showing her with her children on the UK's Mother's Day, was killed by wire services, diagnosed as a "manipulated" image. Obviously, that hasn't done much to quell speculation. Where is Kate? Why does the world care so much and suspect such trickery? What does this all say about both the royal couple's press strategy and the world in general's ability to trust? GUEST: Patricia Treble, royal family expert, author of WriteRoyalty on Substack
Wed, 13 Mar 2024 - 25min - 1812 - Culture Cancelled: Are Canada's festivals destined to disappear?
Last week, Juste Pour Rire announced that it would not hold Just For Laughs festivals in Montreal and Toronto in 2024, and that it was entering creditor protection. Toronto has already seen the cancellation of its Taste of The Danforth food festival, as well as scaled down versions of the Fringe and Luminato festivals. Hot Docs is struggling to survive and other major festivals like Shaw are facing record deficits. Meanwhile, government help for arts institutions during the pandemic era is all but gone, while crowds have still not returned to their pre-pandemic levels. What's happening? Could it be the end of many long-running Canadian festivals? And what will we lose if it is? GUEST: Joshua Chong, culture reporter and arts critic, the Toronto Star
Tue, 12 Mar 2024 - 20min - 1811 - How are other countries dealing with the housing crisis?
Canada is not the only country in the world experiencing skyrocketing costs and a shortage of available housing options. Across the world nations are coming up with creative solutions to deal with their own housing crises. There’s no silver bullet for fixing the Canadian housing market, and addressing the issue will require a whole slough of short and long-term strategies to alleviate the current crunch, and accommodate future population growth. It does seem as though most governments at all levels are waking up (albeit, slowly) to the fact that real action is needed to address our housing woes, but we’re in desperate need of ideas. So how are other countries coping? And what can Canada learn from them? Gregor Craigie, host of CBC's On The Island and author of Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve the Housing Crisis
Mon, 11 Mar 2024 - 31min - 1810 - Get Divorced?! In This Economy?!
Olivia is going through a divorce. And while it has been amicable, splitting assets feels impossible, especially when it comes to the home they share. Jordan talks to Eva Sachs, the financial expert at The Modern Divorce, a Toronto company that helps couples reach divorce settlements without going to court.
Sat, 9 Mar 2024 - 41min - 1809 - Could we learn to talk to whales?
There’s a chance that one day, we humans could have a conversation with whales. Seriously. Scientists are working on a way to make it happen. If technology does eventually allow us to talk to these majestic mammals, what should we say? And what message will they send back? Ross Andersen, a staff writer at The Atlantic, is exploring those questions by reaching out to experts who specialize in paleontology, philosophy, animal-rights law, and beyond for their take.Now, he’s sharing his intriguing findings. GUEST: Ross Andersen, staff writer at The Atlantic
Fri, 8 Mar 2024 - 19min - 1808 - The crisis in Haiti, explained
Haiti is in the grip of a deepening crisis. Armed gangs are expanding their control of the Caribbean nation through increasingly violent attacks. A state of emergency was declared on Sunday after gangs raided two prisons, freeing thousands of inmates. Hours later, they launched an assault on the country’s main airport.One gang leader is warning of a “civil war that will end in genocide” if Haiti’s Prime Minister remains in power. Will a planned Kenya-led security mission bring calm to Haiti? Or is the country on the verge of plunging into worsening chaos? GUEST: Robert Fatton Jr. is the Ambassador Taylor Professor of Politics in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia.
Thu, 7 Mar 2024 - 26min - 1807 - Has the battle over Ottawa’s carbon pricing reached a boiling point?
In some parts of Canada, carbon pricing is a four-letter word. Now, one province is taking a dramatic stand against the federal government’s carbon levy. Saskatchewan’s government says it’s refusing to remit carbon tax funds to Ottawa. “This is a decision that we do not take lightly and we recognize that it may come with consequences,” SaskEnergy Minister Dustin Duncan said in video posted to social media announcing the move last week. What consequences could Saskatchewan face? Will other provinces follow suit? And what could this mean for the Trudeau government’s controversial policy? GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill Reporter for CityNews
Wed, 6 Mar 2024 - 17min - 1806 - Is ultra-low cost air travel doomed to fail in Canada?
Lynx Air is no more. The ultralow-cost airline abruptly announced its exit from Canadian skies just ahead of busy March Break travel. Customers were left scrambling to make new – and likely more expensive – bookings. The company now joins a growing list of failed discount airlines in the country. Why can’t they seem to stick around for the long haul? Are Canadians just doomed to always pay more for our air travel? GUEST: Jonah Prousky, Management consultant and freelance writer who focuses on business, technology and society
Tue, 5 Mar 2024 - 16min - 1805 - Why dynamic pricing isn’t off the menu entirely
Last week, it came out that Wendy’s was considering using dynamic pricing, which sparked concern that would mean increased prices during peak hours. Immediately, the company was met with a deluge of criticism and they reversed their decision. While dynamic pricing is off Wendy’s menu for now, the practice is still common in everything from ride hailing services to air fare and even concert tickets. What does the heated backlash reveal about what customers will accept? And where could dynamic pricing sneak in next? GUEST: Corey Mintz, freelance food reporter and author of The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After
Mon, 4 Mar 2024 - 19min - 1804 - Pay for Heating?! In This Economy?!
Matt is struggling to keep up with the cost of heating his home. And he's not alone, Canadians are reporting higher energy consumption costs across the country. Jordan calls Violet Kopperson, a registered energy advisor from the Windfall Ecology Centre, to find out how Canadians can pay less to heat and cool their homes.
Sat, 2 Mar 2024 - 33min - 1803 - Everything you never wanted to know about bed bugs
Just 20 years ago, Canadian cities were seeing a few dozen bed bug infestation reports a year. Now they get thousands—and in Toronto, tens of thousands. In Canada and around the world, the terrifying creatures are back, and they're getting stronger. (Seriously, they're becoming harder to kill, we told you this was stuff you "never wanted to know".) How did bed bugs come back to become such a huge problem? What works against them and what doesn't? How can you recognize them, prevent infestations and how should you handle one it it happens? Also: Why are these bugs, of all the things that crawl on this Earth, the ones that make us so nauseatingly uncomfortable and paranoid? GUEST: Lauren McKeon, journalist and author, deputy editor at Toronto Life (Read Lauren's bed bugs opus right here.)
Fri, 1 Mar 2024 - 28min - 1802 - Quebec has a new housing law. Nobody likes it.
Usually when both sides are mad, it's a sign of a good political compromise. But when your new housing law manages to anger both tenants and landlords over completely different parts of the same bill, that's less of a compromise and more of a mess. But Quebec's housing minister maintains the new legislation will help ease the province's growing rental and housing crisis. What's in this bill? Why do tenant advocates think it will send rents skyrocketing? Why do landlords say it will cost them money? And is it better, in a crisis like this, to simply try something, even if nobody can agree on whether it'll work or not? GUEST: Erika Morris, CBC Montreal
Thu, 29 Feb 2024 - 16min - 1801 - Why is syphilis surging in Canada?
Whatever we've been taught, it seems like the lessons aren't sticking these days. And the most obvious result is the dramatic resurgence of a sexually transmitted infection that was once rare in this country: Syphilis. It's not the only STI with rates on the rise, but it is the most troubling—especially cases of congenital syphilis, in which a pregnant mother transfers the infection to her unborn baby. Why have syphilis and other STIs returned with a vengeance? Is it a matter of education and prevention? Or is it a symptom of a larger problem? GUEST: Dr. Vanessa Allen, Medical Microbiologist and Infectious Diseases Physician at Sinai Health; Associate Professor at the University of Toronto
Wed, 28 Feb 2024 - 20min - 1800 - A father's fall takes us inside a broken healthcare system
Elizabeth Payne is a longtime health reporter. She knows the ins and outs of Canada's healthcare system—its triumphs and tragedies. At least, intellectually. But when her father suffered a fall that brought him first to the emergency room, and then deeper and deeper into an overcrowded, short-staffed system that failed him even as it tried its best, she got a different kind of look at what's wrong, and what it means for every senior who might suffer an extremely common accident. GUEST: Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen (You can read Elizabeth's detailed chronicle of her father's experience right here.)
Tue, 27 Feb 2024 - 24min - 1799 - After two years of resistance, is Ukraine losing the war?
Recent reports have seen Russian forces make some of their biggest gains into Ukrainian territory in recent weeks, while aid for Ukraine from western allies has become harder and harder to come by. Does that mean a Russian victory is inevitable? Or does it merely signal a new phase of a conflict that will continue for some time? If Ukraine can't get help from its allies as it has since Russia's invasion, what happens to its forces? And what happens to NATO and other allies if Russia is able to scale up its aggression? Two years into this war, so much of the world's future still hangs in the balance... GUEST: Oleksa Drachewych, Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Western University, lecturer in History at King’s University College
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 - 25min - 1798 - Peter Mansbridge on how Canadians lost trust in media
When the longtime CBC news anchor began his career as a reporter in the early 1970's, giving people the news was among the most trusted and important occupations in the country. When he retired in 2017, it was the era of "fake news", as trust in the media was at an all-time low. Seven years later, it's even lower than that. So what happened? Did the media lose people's trust? Did the internet do it for them? How does a legendary face of Canadian news grapple with the fact that, if he were in the chair today, less than half of Canadians would trust the news he delivered? Can anything be done to fix it? Or is it already too late? GUEST: Peter Mansbridge, former anchor of CBC's The National, host of The Bridge podcast
Fri, 23 Feb 2024 - 29min - 1797 - Canadian politicians vs... PornHub?
Most people would support the concept of preventing children from accessing online pornography. But the devil is in the details. How exactly do you do that? And what level of privacy will you ask adults to give up to make it happen. A bill currently sitting in committee has this very goal, but no details yet to go with it. It may involve asking sites like industry leader PornHub to take access users' identification. It may even require facial recognition software. Nobody knows. PornHub, meanwhile, is saying it won't break the law, but it also might just decide to block all Canadians from the site, just to be safe. When politicians staret legislation pornography, it can get messy pretty quickly. And here we are... GUEST: Stephanie Taylor, Parliament Hill reporter, The Canadian Press
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 - 20min - 1796 - Illegal rooming houses and the hidden side of the housing crisis
In early February, a man was stabbed at what was believed to be an illegal rooming house in Toronto. A few weeks earlier, a fire at another left one person dead. The city says it can't count the number of illegal rooming houses that exist right now. And the people who live in them often pay a lot of money for a small room and what can be unsafe living conditions. And they don't have a lot of options if something goes wrong -- which it often does. The city plans to tackle the problem by allowing legal rooming houses across the city, but advocates are unsure if this will help or hurt the problem. How do these houses exist? Who lives in them? And what can illegal homes do to their tenants, and the neighbourhoods where they sit? GUEST: Pat Taney, CityNews
Wed, 21 Feb 2024 - 23min - 1795 - What's behind Canada's critical shortage of judges?
Every criminal case up for trial needs a judge. But in Canada, not every case gets one. Recent years have seen a severe and growing shortage of judges across many levels of the justice system—in some cases this means cases that have waited years for a trial must be thrown out. Not only does this mean people accused of serious crimes simply walk free, it means that potentially innocent people are spending years waiting for a trial that never comes. How did we end up in this mess? Why hasn't the government appointed more judges? How many more cases will be tossed in the meantime? GUEST: Jacques Gallant, courts and legal affairs reporter, The Toronto Star
Tue, 20 Feb 2024 - 21min - 1794 - Listener feedback: From kids to cars to a solution to the housing crisis...
Welcome to the first feedback episode of The Big Story. Today lead producer Joe Fish and host Jordan Heath-Rawlings go through your comments, questions and concerns to shed a little light on TBS listeners, how we make the show and what you think of some of our topics and guests.
Mon, 19 Feb 2024 - 28min - 1793 - Buy a Condo?! In This Economy?!!
Jennie has been searching for a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver for over two years. Despite having money for a downpayment, her search has been largely unsuccessful. Now, she's wondering if home ownership is really the best option. Jordan calls Dr. Tom Davidoff, housing economist and real estate development expert, to find out if buying a condo is a good investment in today's market.
Sat, 17 Feb 2024 - 34min - 1792 - Can your DNA create a sketch of your face?
It can -- but the better question might be: Is it something that could be used against you? The technology does exist to use a sample to create a sketch of a person's face, but there are doubts about its accuracy, and how much value it provides. But that hasn't stopped police from taking these sketches and running them through facial recognition software. Searching for ... someone who looks like the a drawing a computer made when it was given your DNA? Welcome to the next level of investigative technology. As you might imagine, the experts have concerns... GUEST: Dhruv Mehrotra, staff writer at WIRED
Fri, 16 Feb 2024 - 19min - 1791 - Police budgets, car theft and the spectre of 'public safety'
When Toronto's mayor presented her budget on Wednesday, the city's police services got everything they had asked for, with Olivia Chow retreating from her original plans to fund a smaller increase. Across Canada, police budgets continue to increase by millions of dollars per year, as the associations representing the police effectively lobby politicians and the public—often with vague warnings about rising crime and public safety. So let's look at the numbers. What is the correlation between police spending and crime rates? Why do police say it's taking them longer to respond to calls? Will more officers actually improve the force's efficiency? And ... is crime, including car thefts, really spiking in Canada right now? GUEST: Ted Rutland, associate professor at Concordia University, research focusing on policing in Canada.
Thu, 15 Feb 2024 - 25min - 1790 - An unprecedented look inside the sex lives of Canadians
There's simply never been a Canadian sex survey that's comprehensive, scientific and intimate all at once. For decades we've relied on data from the United States, unscientific surveys thrown together by brands around Valentine's Day or specific looks at one narrow aspect of sexuality—such as contraception or monogamy. In her new book released today, Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North, McMaster University sociology professor Tina Fetner examines every aspect of how we do it, who we do it with, how often and ... if it's good. As well as everything else you always wondered about your neighbours in the bedroom... GUEST: Tina Fetner, professor, McMaster University
Wed, 14 Feb 2024 - 21min - 1789 - A story about how anyone (yes, even you) can get scammed
Cory Doctorow is one of the world's leading technology journalists and activists. Some of his specialties include information security, fraud and technology. He's written books about these things. And a little while ago...he got scammed. Totally ripped off. The lesson is an old one: If it can happen to him, it can happen to you. But it's also bigger than that. How quickly are fraudsters evolving their approaches? What is "swiss-cheese security"? How did one of the internet's leading experts get duped, and how can you learn from his example? GUEST: Cory Doctorow, technology journalist and activist, author of many books, including The Bezzle, releasing Feb. 20, 2024
Tue, 13 Feb 2024 - 25min - 1788 - As pandemic bills come due, are Canada's small businesses in danger?
Last year, small business insolvencies hit a level not seen in more than a decade. And that was before this January's deadline to repay pandemic relief loans in order to have some portion of them forgiven. Most businesses haven't seen pre-pandemic levels of business return—and inflation coupled with high interest rates mean consumers have less and less money to spend. How precarious are the independent businesses in your neighbourhood right now? If they close up shop, will anything replace them? Why has the government declined to extend loan repayment further? And what happens to our neighbourhoods if these businesses keep vanishing? GUEST: Ryan Mallough, Ontario vice president with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 24min - 1787 - Have a Kid?! In This Economy?!
Kacey and her partner just welcomed a new baby girl into their lives. And with this bundle of joy has also come a ton of new expenses. Jordan talks to money expert and mom of two, Melissa Leong, to find out how new parents are making it work.
Sat, 10 Feb 2024 - 36min - 1786 - Can a prescription cure loneliness and isolation?
It would have to be quite the drug, right? Actually, no. While these are real health problems, with many of the impacts of a chronic physical illness, the fix isn't a new pharmaceutical. It's a new approach to a cure as old as society itself—social interaction with one's community. The problem is, lots of people who struggle with isolation might not have the means or ability to simply get out and do it. That's where the prescriptions come in... GUEST: Sonia Hsiung, director, Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing
Fri, 9 Feb 2024 - 19min - 1785 - What is Canada's role in a chaotic world?
There was once a memorable slogan, used by everyone from booksellers to presidents, that proclaimed "the world needs more Canada". Now, in an era defined by chaos and conflicts, climate change and a return of authoritarian politics, what role should Canada play? Traditionally, our country has had an outsized presence on the global stage—at least when compared to our population and our tiny military—but is that still true? As the world changes, and new players rise to power, does Canada still have an important part to play? Do we even have a coherent approach to the current combination of crises? GUEST: Louise Blais, foreign policy analyst; formerly senior diplomat and Canada's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations
Thu, 8 Feb 2024 - 23min - 1784 - Inside the massive ideological split between young men and women
Men are this way, and women are that way. Entire careers in industries ranging from self-help to advertising to standup comedy have been based on this premise. Superficially, it can sometimes be sort of true. But generally, when it comes to political ideology, it hasn't been. Until now. It's a very recent phenomenon, but it's pronounced. And it's accelerating—the percentage of young men and women who describe themselves as liberal and conservative is breaking wide apart in many countries, including here in Canada. We don't know why this is happening, but we do have some good ideas. And we don't know what the implications are, but most of them seem pretty bad... GUEST: John Burn-Murdoch, columnist and chief data journalist for the Financial Times
Wed, 7 Feb 2024 - 27min - 1783 - Canada's fertility rate is at an all-time low. What should we do about it?
In much of the world, fertility rates are falling—but very few countries have seen theirs fall as far and as fast as Canada. With just 1.33 children per woman, we're not close to a stable level, meaning that without immigration Canada's population will decline. Why aren't Canadians having more kids? Do we need to? How did fertility rate become such a polarizing statistic? And if we did want Canadians to have more children, what could we do? GUEST: Don Kerr, Demographer, Kings University College at Western University; formerly Statistics Canada
Tue, 6 Feb 2024 - 21min - 1782 - What you're not hearing when you hear about Gaza
Since October 7, there has been no shortage of reporting about Israel's invasion of Gaza. And the death toll keeps climbing. But what has been rare are firsthand accounts of daily life in the region. Today, our guests describes being in Gaza on October 7, the days that followed, as well as what's missing from the mainstream reporting and why. GUEST: Louis Baudoin-Laarman, Doctors Without Borders Communications Manager for Palestine
Mon, 5 Feb 2024 - 23min - 1781 - A Health Emergency?! In This Economy?!
Lynda has a dental emergency and is struggling to cover the cost of treatment. Jordan speaks with Dr. Carlos Quiñonez to figure out how Canadians can get the dental care they need right now.
Sat, 3 Feb 2024 - 38min - 1780 - Cats: Cuddly fluff balls or world's worst invasive species?
A study published in December offered science's most complete look at what domestic cats around the globe hunt and consume. The short answer? Absolutely everything, with no regard for any prey's place on endangered species lists. Some of the species found in cats' diets over the past few decades are now extinct, as outdoor domestic cats have spread to every place on earth save for Antartica. We've long been told to keep cats indoors to save the lives of thousands of birds. But what if they need to be kept indoors to save the lives of ecosystems themselves? What if cats—yes, like the small, purring cutie on your couch right now—were the worst invasive species the world has known? And what if we were their willing accomplices? GUEST: Christopher Lepczyk, ecologist and professor at Auburn University in Alabama; lead author of "A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet"
Fri, 2 Feb 2024 - 23min - 1779 - Are we hurting our kids by protecting them too much?
Recently, in an effort to keep children from hurting themselves, the City of Toronto banned tobogganing at 45 parks it deemed too risky for kids. This is the latest example, but it's not a one-off. For decades now, parents, schools and governments have taken action on all sorts of things, to make things safer for kids. But is it really helping them? New research shows that "risky play" is part of the building blocks of childhood, and teaches children how to process and redirect feelings like fear and anxiety into healthier places. As we've worked to make things "as safe as possible" for kids, have we been denying them the tools they need to handle adult life when they grow up? GUEST: Dr. Marianna Brussoni, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership; professor at the University of British Columbia; leader of the Play Outside UBC Lab
Thu, 1 Feb 2024 - 28min - 1778 - The Panama Canal is running dry, sending global shipping into chaos (again)
It hasn't been an easy few years for global shipping—to say the least. From the pandemic to multiple conflicts, to accidents and disasters, getting products from point A to point B has never been less reliable or more expensive. And now a prolonged drought has the Panama Canal operating at a fraction of its usual capacity. What kind of price hikes or product shortages are at stake here? Is this temporary, or a new normal in the climate era? And if it is a new normal, what other shipping lanes might open as southern ones dry up? Should Canada be looking North? GUEST: Mie Højris Dahl, reporting in Foreign Policy
Wed, 31 Jan 2024 - 19min - 1777 - All eyes on London as NHL players expected to surrender to police
The names aren't official yet, but a look at a roster and a little research will tell you that the four remaining players who have yet to surrender to police to face charges in a 2018 sex assault case play in hockey's biggest league. There has long been talk of a 'reckoning' for hockey culture—which has usually referenced perception, culture and lessons that are imparted behind locker room doors. This case, which will result in household names in major professional markets facing courts and consequences, has the potential to blow all that wide open. What do we know about what happened that day? Who will be charged, and with what? Has anything changed in the six years since the attack allegedly occurred? GUEST: Laura Robinson, investigative reporter and author of the 1998 book Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada’s National Sport
Tue, 30 Jan 2024 - 22min - 1776 - Is Florida coming for Canada's cheap drugs?
The state recently asked the US FDA for approval to purchase Canadian pharmaceuticals wholesale, and the US regulator said, "sure." And why not? As many Americans who live near the border know, it can be significantly cheaper to fill prescriptions in Canada. But while we may not mind doing it for a few folks making the trip, supplying a state of 21 million people, when we already have our own drug shortages, is pretty much impossible. Canada has passed regulations against foreigners buying in bulk, but there are grey areas and loopholes to contend with—not to mention the US-Canada relationship in general to keep in mind. But Florida isn't the only state that wants to try this gambit, so it will be up to Health Canada to say no, and then enforce that no. What happens next? GUEST: Joelle Walker, Vice President, Public Affairs, Canadian Pharmacists Association
Mon, 29 Jan 2024 - 20min - 1775 - Rent an Apartment?! In This Economy?!
Rachael feels trapped in her Toronto rental because she can't afford to move. She has no plans of ever owning a home and wants to know what, if any, rental protections exist to curb rising rates. Jordan talks to political economist and author Ricardo Tranjan about how policy can help protect renters in Canada.
Sat, 27 Jan 2024 - 35min - 1774 - How Sunrise Records became the last music chain standing
Most of the large record chains of the heyday of physical music are gone now. If the chains haven't vanished entirely, most of their stores have, and the last few are disappearing one by one. But somehow...not Sunrise Records. In recent years the chain has been expanding across Canada, buying up Canadian HMV outlets and now boasts more than 80 stores and hundreds of employees. But ... why? And how? What made Sunrise the last Canadian music chain standing, even as music industry revenues crashed, streaming services swallowed the market and much of physical retail in general began struggling? The result is a fascinating look at what distressed businesses are worth, and what consumers really want from their retailers... GUEST: Richard Trapunski, digital editor at Billboard Canada, writing in The Walrus
Fri, 26 Jan 2024 - 25min - 1773 - Is the Bank of Canada courting disaster for many Canadians?
Experts predict the Bank of Canada will begin to lower interest rates later this year—just not Wednesday when it held the rate flat. But as inflation has slowed in many areas, it's created an interesting problem for the bank and a troubling one for many Canadians. One of the main factors driving inflation right now is the cost of shelter—otherwise known as rising rents and mortgage costs. Those increases are driven by ... the high interest rates the bank is waiting to lower. The BoC wants to follow through on its "soft landing" by taking a cautious approach to lowering rates. But by waiting too long, are they courting disaster for millions of Canadians trying to make their monthly home payments? GUEST: David Macdonald, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ National Office
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 - 20min - 1772 - How hard is it to right a wrongful conviction in Canada?
You would expect that advances in forensics and genetic technology would lead to fewer and fewer wrongful convictions. The truth is that we have no idea how many people are in prison for crimes they didn't commit—we only know that we keep finding them. How do wrongful convictions happen in the age of DNA evidence? How hard are they to overturn? And what about all the wrongful convictions that aren't murders? Do we ever try to grapple with those? GUEST: Kelly Lauzon, PhD student in the department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University; cohost of Real Life Wrongs
Wed, 24 Jan 2024 - 23min - 1771 - Canada is capping student visas. Why now? And will it help?
Over the past several years, the number of international students Canada admits has exploded—to more than one million in 2023. While these students have struggled to find housing and work, they've also often been deceived by marketers in their home country, promising a top-tier education that they don't actually get. Will the federal government's cap, announced Monday, help ease the burden, both on students themselves and the Canadian rental market? What does it mean for schools that rely on these students for revenue? And how did they problem become so massive the government thought this action needed to be taken? GUEST: Laura Dhillon Kane, Ottawa bureau chief, Bloomberg News
Tue, 23 Jan 2024 - 19min - 1770 - The legal fight for the future of artificial intelligence
The New York Times is suing the creator of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot the Times alleges was trained on millions of its copyrighted articles. It's not the only such lawsuit, but it is the biggest. What this all boils down to are questions that will determine the future of a technology that has the potential to change the world, for good or ill. How different are a human and a computer, when each is learning from example? As machines become able to mimic the creative endeavours humans have mastered, what compensation is owed to the creators they learned from? And can bots like ChatGPT even survive without free access to a world of copyrighted material? GUEST: James Grimmelmann, Tessler Family Professor of Digital and Information Law, Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School
Mon, 22 Jan 2024 - 22min - 1769 - A Wedding?! In This Economy?!
This year, Erica is getting married! Together, with her fiancé, they set a budget of $50,000, however, she's a few months away from the big day and the actual cost is closer to $75,000. Erica blames the inflated budget on hidden fees from vendors and wants to know if she's being charged fairly. Jordan talks to wedding planner, Shalini Misri, to figure out what's behind these hidden fees and how how to avoid them.
Sat, 20 Jan 2024 - 22min - 1768 - Why this women's hockey league is truly different
There have been previous attempts to launch a professional league for the best women skaters in the world—the stars we've all watched at the Olympics, who have had to work second and third jobs to keep their careers going. Those attempts have all failed. In the hopes of finally, at long last, securing a stable league, with real funding and actual, professional treatment (long lacking in other women's leagues) some of the game's best players formed an association first, and only then went looking for a league to play in. This year, they got it. And the early returns have been incredible. This is the story of the long road to a real women's league, and why this time, really, is different. GUEST: Maitreyi Anantharaman, reporter, Defector
Fri, 19 Jan 2024 - 22min - 1767 - Why Canada's infrastructure planning phase never ends
In 2021, then-Infrastructure minister Catherine McKenna announced a process to assess all of Canada's existing infrastructure in order to better use $180 billion to fix, modernize and improve it over the next dozen years. After that announcement the government began a consultation process on how to do the assessment. At some point in the process there were roundtable discussions, written submissions, a report summarizing those submissions and discussions and ... everything but an infrastructure assessment. What do we know and what don't we know about the state of Canada's roads and bridges, pipes and public places? Why hasn't the assessment even begun, years later? Why does the saga of the infrastructure assessment seem to explain so much of how our governments can operate, and why is it so darkly funny? GUEST: David Reevely, Ottawa reporter, The Logic
Thu, 18 Jan 2024 - 25min - 1766 - A strange truck and an ambitious target: EVs in 2024
It's shaping up to be a very strange year for electric vehicles. The market leader by a mile has just launched a much-ridiculed truck. Despite growing market penetration, analysts worry the share of EVs is no longer rising fast enough. And in Canada, governments face a tough choice between offering incentives to get drivers in the cars, or to the factories to make them. We have incredibly ambitious goals for electric vehicles in this country. We're off to a good start. Can we keep the momentum going when the people who really want them, and can afford them, all have them? GUEST: David Booth, senior writer, Driving
Wed, 17 Jan 2024 - 28min - 1765 - Will Saskatchewan's fight with Ottawa end in handcuffs?
Starting this month, Saskatchewan has stopped collecting a carbon levy on home heating. This is, of course, against the carbon tax legislation passed by the federal Liberal government. Premier Scott Moe acknowledges the Liberals will "say it's illegal". The Liberals say they expect the province to follow the law. Once the bill comes due in February, Saskatchewan will have a choice to make: Back down and pay, or risk fines and even charges against its energy minister for ignoring federal policy. Is this a stunt? Will Moe Flinch? And if he doesn't, is the federal government prepared to follow through? GUEST: Larissa Kurz, reporter, Regina Leader-Post
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 - 20min - 1764 - Canada's Dry: "We’re in a new game here"
Winter on the prairies is not usually a time to worry about drought, and fire. At least, it wasn't. But large swaths of the country, from BC through Ontario, are currently seeing a lack of snow and water accumulation that is "unprecedented in modern times," according to an expert. In one BC town, the drought is so severe residents are using bottled water. The Alberta government is already making water restriction plans for the spring and summer to come. The conditions will be perfect for a wildfire season that could eclipse last year's records. And farmers will be making choices on which crops to keep, and which to let die. Welcome to the new world, where a large chunk of Canada ... simply doesn't have enough water. GUEST: John Pomeroy, hydrologist, Professor in the department of Geography and Planning at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change
Mon, 15 Jan 2024 - 23min - 1763 - Pay Back CERB...or Go Bankrupt?! In This Economy?!
Kara is being asked to pay back all the money she received from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit back in 2020. But she’s making less now than she was before the pandemic and all of her expenses have gone up. She doesn't have the means to pay the Canada Revenue Agency and might have to file bankruptcy as a result. Jordan talks to Elizabeth Mulholland to find out why the CRA is going after this money now. Then speaks with licensed insolvency trustee, Doug Hoyes, to learn more about what it means to go bankrupt in Canada.
Sat, 13 Jan 2024 - 53min - 1762 - Why are Canada's passenger trains so slow?
If you compare us to peer countries, it's an embarrassment. Other nations have high-speed rail corridors shuttling thousands of people across distances between cities at speeds of up to 300 km/h. They are fast, sleek and almost always on time. Even the United States, which hasn't bothered to do much of anything with its vast resources, has better, faster trains than we do. If you ride Via Rail on its busiest corridors, you're planning for a delay—or at least, you should be. The trains and tracks we're using now haven't changed much in decades. If anything, thanks to more traffic, they've gotten slower. Canada has had many opportunities to fix our nearly-broken passenger rail system. We've even made real plans to do it. So why hasn't it happened? GUEST: Gabrielle Drolet, writing in Mainsonnneauve magazine
Fri, 12 Jan 2024 - 19min - 1761 - A "miraculous" landing raises systemic airline safety questions
None of the 177 passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight was seriously hurt, despite a panel blowing out of the middle of the aircraft at 16,000 feet shortly after takeoff. The emergency landing is a credit to the people involved. What we've since learned about this series of aircraft, though, is deeply troubling. Outsourcing is a growing trend in the aircraft industry. The company the built the key part of this aircraft—as well as others that have since been grounded—was already mired in an ongoing court case for allegedly cutting corners. This is not the first time a large chunk of Boeing planes have been grounded over safety concerns. What's happening in the airplane industry? And what do you need to know if you're flying? GUEST: Katya Schwenk, reporter at The Lever
Thu, 11 Jan 2024 - 16min - 1760 - Why tent cities are becoming more permanent
They're in every city and town in Canada—the visible evidence of overlapping crises and a lack of resources to help people in need. In the past, most governments and police have dealt with encampments by tearing them down and moving their residents on. But recently courts have become more inclined to grant injunctions against that, in some cases even requiring governments to provide working bathrooms or water. As this trend continues, one expert on the legal fight over these tent cities believes we'll see more courts refusing to let cities destroy the encampments. Which will leave most communities and governments with two options: Find the resources to safely house their most vulnerable residents, or accept that tent cities will become a fixture in many public parks and spaces—and everything that entails. GUEST: Stepan Wood, Professor at the Peter Allard school of law at the University of British Columbia; Canada Research Chair in Law, Society and Sustainability
Wed, 10 Jan 2024 - 22min - 1759 - The pay-for-care loophole that hands out Ozempic prescriptions
You're not supposed to be paying to be prescribed drugs in Canada. You're also not generally supposed to get those prescriptions without being examined and, you know, speaking to a real live human being. But a recent investigation found that it's possible to be prescribed the country's hottest drug, which is currently facing a shortage, by using an online portal and paying $99. Where did this loophole come from? Who's exploiting it and why? Why do government regulations allow this? And what does this kind of process say about our current system as a whole, and the future of for-profit health care in Canada? GUEST: Morgan Bocknek, investigative reporter at the Toronto Star
Tue, 9 Jan 2024 - 19min - 1758 - How conspiracy theories went mainstream
Conspiracy theories used to be weird, and kinda fun. Now they're everywhere, and pretty dangerous. Last year marked a significant evolution in the mainstreaming of fringe beliefs—and we're not talking about "The moon landing was faked". These conspiracy theories are often hateful, and frequently cited as a call to arms. With 2024 being a key year for elections around the globe—headlined by an American presidential campaign that will feature these theories at its core—what do you need to know about how these theories spread, where they go from here, and what new fringe beliefs will enter the mainstream conversation this year? GUEST: Amarnath Amarasingam, Assistant Professor in the School of Religion as well as Department of Political Studies at Queen's University; research focus on conspiracy theories, terrorism and online communities
Mon, 8 Jan 2024 - 24min - 1757 - Stick to a Budget?! In This Economy?!
The Big Story has been telling the stories that matter to Canadians for over five years, and through all of our coverage, one thing has become abundantly clear: A growing percent of the population can't afford to live basic, comfortable lives — and they want answers. In Frequency's newest show, In This Economy?! Jordan attempts to get to the bottom of how we got to this point, and share tips for how to achieve your goals despite living in a time of extreme economic uncertainty. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: Frances has been a freelancer for the past 10 years. In that time she's never been able to stick to a budget. This year, she wants to change that, but an unpredictable payment schedule mixed with the rising cost of goods is making that goal more difficult. Jordan talks to small business accountant, Joe Collins, about how to build and maintain a budget when nothing in your financial world is predictable.
Sat, 6 Jan 2024 - 32min - 1756 - Seeking superyachts. Signed, Sydney, Nova Scotia
Now that Sydney—a town of 30,000 people on Cape Breton Island—has put its toxic sludge behind it, it's looking for a fresh economic start. Many towns in Atlantic Canada have found that in tourism, which usually comes from advertising to fellow Canadians in other provinces that the east coast is affordable, beautiful and perfect for a family vacation. Sydney, however, is taking a different path. A path that hopes to encourage the 1% of the world's 1% to bring themselves, and especially their outrageously expansive, ridiculously extravagant and, yes, environmentally sketchy mega vessels to its harbour. And, of course, their untold wealth to local businesses. Will this plan work? Is it a massively ambitious way to boost the economy? Is it a little ridiculous and perhaps foolishly careless of its environmental impact? Is the answer to all of those questions is "yes"? GUEST: Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
Fri, 5 Jan 2024 - 23min - 1755 - Why is everyone so sick this winter?
It certainly seems like this season has been worse for illness than most previous years. But has it? If it has, is it the pandemic? Is it the "triple-demic"? Or is it a normal pre-pandemic cold and flu season that we use to just live through, or do we know it's worse? Whatever the reasons, hospitals are crammed, polls say nurses and doctors are fleeing their professions and we're trying to figure out: Will winters just be like this now? If they are, what do we do about that? GUEST: Dr. Raywat Deonandan, epidemiologist, science communicator specializing in global health, Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences
Thu, 4 Jan 2024 - 20min - 1754 - From polling to populism: A 2024 Canadian political primer
For the first time in years, 2023 saw Canadian voters shift their federal vote intention in a meaningful way, giving the Conservative Party a huge lead in the fall, before the Liberals clawed back a few points in December. With a federal election a year or less away, the race in more volatile than it's been in recent memory—so what might make a difference this year? Meanwhile, three provinces will also go to the polls, and we'll learn a lot from the results of those elections as well. From the man who watches every riding, poll and election across the country, we take you through what could be a year of big changes in Canada's political landscape. GUEST: Philippe J. Fournier, Editor In Chief and creator of 338Canada.com
Wed, 3 Jan 2024 - 20min - 1753 - Why do food prices keep rising?
Canadian grocery giants have long claimed that they've only raised food prices to offset their increased expenses. But now, with many supply chain issues having been resolved, and energy prices coming down, the Canadian consumer still isn't feeling any relief, and the grocers continue to post record profits. With many Canadians already struggling to feed themselves and their families, and food prices projected to rise even further in 2024, restoring food affordability has become an absolute necessity. So how do we do that? GUEST: Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work
Tue, 2 Jan 2024 - 25min - 1752 - Staff Pick: Can humans hibernate their way to Mars?
To mark the end of 2023, we're taking a look back at some of our favourite episodes from this past year. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, and please stay tuned to the feed for new episodes coming in 2024. Happy new year! ---------------------------------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: One of the biggest problems facing humans attempting to travel anywhere in space that's farther than the moon is the years it will take to get there. A small ship simply can't support normal human life for that long. We need too much food, water, exercise and stimulation. But ... what if we didn't? What if we could shut ourselves down, the way animals do in the middle of winter, needing limited supplies and passing months as though they were days? This used to be the realm of science fiction. It's not anymore. GUEST: Brendan I. Koerner, contributing editor at WIRED, author of The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking
Fri, 29 Dec 2023 - 28min - 1751 - Staff Pick: The "parental rights" debate, and the fight over the notwithstanding clause
To mark the end of 2023, we're taking a look back at some of our favourite episodes from this past year. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, and please stay tuned to the feed for new episodes coming in 2024. Happy new year! -------------------------------------------------------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: Over the next few months, we're likely to find out how well Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms actually protects marginalized groups. A divisive policy enacted in Saskatchewan would require students to obtain parental consent before using a different name or pronouns at school. Advocates say the policy will out transgender kids in potentially dangerous homes. A challenge to the policy is currently before the courts, but rather than wait for an answer, Premier Scott Moe plans to use the "nuclear option"—the notwithstanding clause—to push the policy through. This will likely spark protests, court challenges and perhaps even an escalating response from the federal government. It's a complex and compelling governmental battle—with some of the country's most vulnerable kids caught in the middle of it... GUEST: Charlotte Dalwood, freelance journalist specializing in legal issues, writing in Xtra magazine
Thu, 28 Dec 2023 - 26min - 1750 - Staff Pick: Why are some orcas suddenly attacking boats?
To mark the end of 2023, we're taking a look back at some of our favourite episodes from this past year. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, and please stay tuned to the feed for new episodes coming in 2024. Happy new year! ----------------------------------- ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: For the past few years, orcas off the coast of Portugal and Spain have been attacking, and sinking, small boats. At least three boats have been completely sunk, and many more have needed urgent rescue. This behaviour doesn't occur in other orcas, and nobody can figure out exactly what's changed. There are some theories regarding trauma, or differences in their habitat. There are very real things called "orca fads"—like that time they wore dead salmon on their heads. And there is, always, humanity's endless desire to use our own narratives to explain animal motives—which is why you see people asking if the orcas are fighting back. But what's really at the heart of this behaviour? And what happens if it spreads? GUEST: Stephanie Pappas, science journalist, writing in Scientific American
Wed, 27 Dec 2023 - 20min - 1749 - Good News: We're learning how to save the coral reefs
Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn't mean that's all the world is. Coral is disappearing across the world. As much as 50 percent of it is gone. But technology we've been working on for decades is beginning to pay off, allowing us to thaw cryogenically preserved coral and mature it to adulthood. It won't fix everything overnight, but it's a major breakthrough for our hopes of regrowing the reefs we've lost, and preserving other sorts of vanishing biology. GUEST: Brent Foster, independent science writer, in Hakai Magazine
Fri, 22 Dec 2023 - 19min - 1748 - Good News: You can fix your broken stuff
Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn't mean that's all the world is. Lots of companies make a tidy profit from the notion that you'll throw out their products and buy new ones every so often. This applies to everything from clothes to appliances to electronics. They don't really want you wearing that shirt you like forever, or installing the latest software on your phone from six years ago. But...tough luck. A growing community of millions of DIYers is rediscovering the lost art of repair, teaching others how to do it and fighting for the access and tools needed to make our stuff last, at long last. GUEST: Allie Volpe, senior reporter for Vox
Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 22min - 1747 - Good News: We're finally finding new antibiotics
Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn't mean that's all the world is. "Superbugs" are antibiotic resistant bacteria that have for years now been winning the war against medicine. Part of that is because we haven't been able to find any new drugs that work against them. But a new antibiotic, and a new way of funding the creation of these drugs, may have just swung the war drastically in humanity's favour. GUEST: Dr. Gerry Wright, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University
Wed, 20 Dec 2023 - 23min - 1746 - Good News: Plovers in a dangerous time
Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn't mean that's all the world is. Today: A story about birds that might as well be a Netflix reality show. No spoilers here. You have to trust us. GUEST: Fatima Syed, Ontario Reporter, The Narwhal
Tue, 19 Dec 2023 - 24min - 1745 - Good News: The pandemic didn't make us meaner
Before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It might be our job to often deliver bad news, but that doesn't mean that's all the world is. Today: You might have thought—based on everything you've seen and heard in the media and through your social channels—that the pandemic turned us all into angry lunatics, yelling at one another and throwing tantrums. We're delighted to inform you that's simply not remotely true, and we have the data to prove it. GUEST: Dr. John Helliwell, professor emeritus at The Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia; a founding editor of The World Happiness report
Mon, 18 Dec 2023 - 21min - 1744 - Avoiding Debt?! In This Economy?!
The Big Story has been telling the stories that matter to Canadians for over five years, and through all of our coverage, one thing has become abundantly clear: A growing percent of the population can't afford to live basic, comfortable lives — and they want answers. In Frequency's newest show, In This Economy?! Jordan attempts to get to the bottom of how we got to this point, and share tips for how to achieve your goals despite living in a time of extreme economic uncertainty. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------ Anna has $9000 in credit card debt and needs help getting her spending under control. Jordan talks to money expert, Tori Dunlap, about why our collective credit card debt is rising and how users can avoid accumulating more debt than they can handle. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.
Sat, 16 Dec 2023 - 37min - 1743 - How a Canadian prepares for a stint on the ISS
In 2025, Canadian astronaut Josh Kutryk will take to the stars for a stint on the International Space Station, the latest in a long string of examples of Canada punching above its weight in space exploration. What will he be doing there? How does the ISS manage to stay above the global geopolitical fray? How on Earth (literally) do you prepare for months in space? And just how far beyond the ISS will Canadian astronauts one day travel? GUEST: Josh Kutryk, Canadian astronaut, engineer and pilot, and occupant of the International Space Station in 2025
Fri, 15 Dec 2023 - 20min - 1742 - The mystery of a Canadian visionary killed in Dominica
Even if you didn't know his name, you knew Daniel Langlois' work. Everyone who likes movies did. Langlois was the man who ushered Hollywood into an era of 3-D special effects, including on films like Jurassic Park and The Matrix. On Dec. 1 he and his partner, Dominique Marchand, were found dead in Dominica, in a burnt out car. Police say they were shot. Their neighbour and another man have been charged with the crime, and court documents reveal a previous dispute between Langlois and the neighbour. What do we know about Langlois' life, his death and the potential story behind it? What might we still learn as police investigate? GUEST: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter, The Toronto Star
Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 23min - 1741 - Toronto vs. Uber, and the future of rideshares everywhere
It started as a way to earn a few extra bucks on the side—or at least that's how Uber was pitched to potential drivers when it came to Canada in 2014. But now for many it's way to (try to) earn a living, one that's been getting tougher for years, and streets become crowded with empty Ubers hunting their next fares. That's one of many reasons Toronto placed a cap on handing out new rideshare licenses this fall, a move that's prompted Uber to sue the city. The fight between Toronto an Uber offers a perfect window into ridesharing grew beyond what cities prepared for, and where it will go next, win or lose. GUEST: Thorben Wieditz, urban geographer and the co-founder of MetStrat, a research and campaign firm that specializes in public interest campaigns, including RideFairTO (Read his piece in Ricochet.)
Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 24min - 1740 - How to tell fact from fiction in reports from Gaza
If you've been fooled by a viral photo or video out of Gaza in the past two months, you're far from alone. In fact you're in the company of journalists and media outlets as well, that's how fogged with mis and disinformation this conflict has become. You may not even know you were fooled, because the debunking of the information didn't travel nearly as far and wide as the initial report. Why is Israel's invasion of Gaza more difficult to parse than even the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia? Why is it so hard to get on-the-ground reporting from inside the region? How does this problem keep getting worse and what can you do to protect yourself from bad information? GUEST: Dr. Valerie Wirtschafter, fellow at the Brookings Institution in Foreign Policy, and the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative.
Tue, 12 Dec 2023 - 25min - 1739 - Is climate-friendly beef even a possibility?
If you know one food that's bad for the planet, it's probably beef. It's one of the worst polluters in the entire food industry, and its popularity means the scale of the beef industry is enormous. So much so that convincing people to give up beef has been a staple of the climate movement. But people who like beef don't want to forego their steaks and hamburgers, so one of the world's largest producers is now selling "climate-friendly" beef, and its been USDA approved. But how "friendly" is it? Is it enough to offset the damage? And will we ever be able to enjoy both prime rib and a stable climate future? GUEST: Kenny Torrella, staff reporter at Vox
Mon, 11 Dec 2023 - 20min - 1738 - Hosting a Party?! In This Economy?!
The Big Story has been telling the stories that matter to Canadians for over five years, and through all of our coverage, one thing has become abundantly clear: A growing percent of the population can't afford to live basic, comfortable lives — and they want answers. In Frequency's newest show, In This Economy?! Jordan attempts to get to the bottom of how we got to this point, and share tips for how to achieve your goals despite living in a time of extreme economic uncertainty. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------ Sal is getting ready to host family and friends for the holidays but is worried about how much food, drinks and gifts will cost this year. Jordan talks to retail analyst, Bruce Winder, to breakdown the cost of hosting and find creative ways to save. Then, he talks to financial expert, Kelley Keehn, about how to handle tricky money conversations with your guests. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.
Sat, 9 Dec 2023 - 34min - 1737 - Normal Gossip's Kelsey McKinney unwraps Spotify's strategy
Most of you probably at least glanced at it. And many of you were excited and eager to share your Spotify Wrapped details with your friends and followers. After all, isn't that the whole point? To show off your musical taste, connect with others who share it and provide free marketing for a streaming behemoth? Spotify's Wrapped is the biggest and most popular of algorithmically created personal year-end lists, but it isn't alone. Why do these things always suck us in? How has Spotify managed to convince us to pay them, instead of the artists we love directly? And if Spotify is getting all our money, why isn't it turning much of a profit? GUEST: Kelsey McKinney, reporter and writer at Defector, host of Normal Gossip
Fri, 8 Dec 2023 - 22min - 1736 - The past, present and future of birth control
"The pill" has been around for more than 60 years now. And while it changed society, sparked a sexual revolution and helped reshape the workforce ... it still kind of sucks for a lot of people who take it. The past six decades have seen incredible medical advancements, but somehow hormonal birth control remains the go-to for a lot of people who menstruate—even though we keep discovering new side effects even today. Why hasn't the pill gotten much better over six decades? Why haven't better alternatives come to market? What is possible in the world of birth control and science pushes further? And why, despite promising research, is there still no proper birth control for men? GUEST: Nicole Schmidt, writing in The Walrus
Thu, 7 Dec 2023 - 19min - 1735 - Can Alberta just refuse to follow federal regulations?
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith doesn't think the federal government's proposed clean energy regulations are fair, and last year she gave herself the tool she needs to fight them. The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act is designed to allow the province to refuse to enforce specific federal laws or policies "that violate the jurisdictional rights of Alberta." Of course, the act hasn't been tested in court, and it's difficult to know if Smith is doing this because she intends to fight these regulations all the way, or as a bargaining chip, since Ottawa has not officially confirmed the specifics of the regulations. Either way, the use of the act sets a precedent that the country should be watching closely on every issue that divides federal and provincial governments... GUEST: Rod Nickel, Reporter, Reuters, covering energy, agriculture and politics in Western Canada, focusing on energy transition
Wed, 6 Dec 2023 - 20min - 1734 - Will carbon capture save the climate, or just let us keep burning fuel?
Very soon, Canada will introduce legislation to offer massive tax credits for projects that include a significant amount of carbon capture. In theory, this is a good way to make sure new projects don't add much in emissions. But in practice, most carbon capture projects are used to allow us to keep harvesting fossil fuels, which will then be burned somewhere else, adding to emissions in Canada and beyond. What is carbon capture technology and how does it work? Could it be a powerful tool to help us cut emissions? Why is it mostly used by fossil fuel companies? And why does so much of the discussion of saving the planet these days feel like haggling over bookkeeping? GUEST: Dr. Emily Eaton, professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Regina
Tue, 5 Dec 2023 - 20min - 1733 - Are we witnessing the end of retirement?
The concept of retirement used to be a few years at the end of your life, between when you stopped working and when you died. But the average lifespan kept increasing, while the retirement age stayed at 65. Now Canadians believe they'll need $1/7 million to retire in comfort, and most of the 1,000 people retiring each day in this country don't have it. When you combine that with the economic turmoil, high interest rates and increasing cost of living, the savings they do have aren't stretching as far as expected, either. So many "retirees" are going back to work. How did we end up here? And given what we've learned about aging recently, is working during "retirement" really a bad outcome? GUEST: Cathrin Bradbury, formerly "retired" journalist, writing in The Walrus
Mon, 4 Dec 2023 - 25min - 1732 - A Social Life?! In This Economy?!
The Big Story has been telling the stories that matter to Canadians for over five years, and through all of our coverage, one thing has become abundantly clear: A growing percent of the population can't afford to live basic, comfortable lives — and they want answers. In Frequency's newest show, In This Economy?! Jordan attempts to get to the bottom of how we got to this point, and share tips for how to achieve your goals despite living in a time of extreme economic uncertainty. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------ Mo feels guilty spending money on social events like concerts, restaurant outings and shopping trips. But they are tired of missing memorable moments with friends. Jordan interviews personal finance expert, Shannon Lee Simmons, to determine if there’s a way to have fun without ditching your financial goals or racking up credit card debt. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.
Sat, 2 Dec 2023 - 34min - 1731 - Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on cutting deals with Doug Ford, fixing a broken city and putting pressure on Ottawa
When Olivia Chow was running for mayor, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said a Chow victory would be an "unmitigated disaster". Almost six months later, he was on stage with her, thanking her on working with him on a historic deal. He called their collaboration "amazing" and the deal "one-sided" in the mayor's favour. How has the most important relationship in Ontario politics evolved? How did this deal come together? Why isn't the federal government involved? How soon will Torontonians see the impact of it? And how does Chow plan to prioritize the many problems her city faces? GUEST: Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto
Fri, 1 Dec 2023 - 40min - 1730 - "Super pigs" took over the prairies. Now they're spreading further, quickly.
For years, some researchers have been sounding the alarm, about the spread of wild boars—called 'super pigs" for reasons that will become clear—on Canada's prairies. A few years ago, the situation was bad. Now it's critical. The pigs are multiplying and becoming harder to hunt or capture. They've now been seen in British Columbia and Ontario. And the US media is now reporting on the threat of Canadian super pigs. So yeah, not good. How did we end up here? How did the pigs become "super" in the first place, and what have we done about them so far? What could we do, and would it work? And what's the worst-case scenario here if we don't get their spread under control? GUEST: Dr. Ryan Brook, professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan
Thu, 30 Nov 2023 - 26min - 1729 - Why are magic mushroom retail stores popping up across the country?
If you squint, it could be a trip back to 2017, when cannabis was on the cusp of becoming legal and most cities in Canada were inundated with 'dispensaries'—unlicensed retail storefronts selling pot as if it were already just fine. Mostly, crackdowns on those failed, pot became legal and everyone stopped caring. Until this year, when the cycle began again with a much different drug... Now, stores with names like "Fun Guyz" and "Shroomyz" have opened across the country, and the enforcement, or lack thereof, seems similar to 2017. But how are these two situations—and two substances—different from the cannabis experience? What does the rise of retail 'shrooms' tell us about psychedelics in general? And is psilocybin really on track to become the next legal, recreational drug? GUEST: Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, PhD Candidate at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Fellow at the Canadian Centre for Health Economics
Wed, 29 Nov 2023 - 25min
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