Is it even possible to budget for this economy?

What's it like to live with, or treat, long-Covid?: On its surface, "long-Covid" might seem self-explanatory — symptoms that linger following a COVID-19 infection. But beyond the prevalence of symptoms like extreme fatigue, chest pain, and loss of smell and taste, not much is known about what exactly causes the condition, or the best way to treat it. So how are health care professionals helping Covid long-haulers regain their quality of life? Can an already over-burdened healthcare system deal with the disturbingly high number of people struggling with this chronic illness? And what is day to day life actually like when you're living with long-Covid? Guests: Susie Goulding, COVID Long-Haulers Canada, and Dr. Marina Wasilewski, Sunnybrook Research Institute. by The Big Story

31 min listen

What we're learning about the RCMP's response to the Portapique massacre by The Big Story

23 min listen

Is screen time still bad for kids?: (This is the final part of a five-part series called Interconnected, detailing how technology is changing humanity.) When you were a child, did you have limits on the amount of TV you could watch? Or video or computer games you could play? Too much of that stuff "would rot your brain", right? It was universally accepted that too much screen time would hinder kids development. But is that still true in a world where children spent more than a year working, playing and learning online? In a world where my child will fall behind if she doesn't learn how to use a touchscreen? In a world where much of the rest of their lives will be spent online, how connected should children be? GUEST: Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin, chair of The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic. by The Big Story

22 min listen

The frustrating, darkly funny story of Ottawa's LRT mess: The City of Ottawa paid millions of dollars for train cars that wouldn't run in the winter. The doors stuck if people tried to open them to get out. One derailment shut down the system for weeks on end. The story of what should have been the crown jewel of Ottawa's transit system is a tragic comedy. But as an inquiry right now is demonstrating, it's also a lesson to other Canadian cities. Because there's nothing as valuable to a city as public transit done right, and nothing more demoralizing than public transit done wrong. So what sent Ottawa's train project so far (sorry) off the rails? GUEST: Fatima Syed, Ontario Reporter, The Narwhal by The Big Story

23 min listen

Saudi Arabia, "sportswashing" and the future of golf: Last week, LIV Golf held its first tournament, in London. Under normal circumstances, there would be no reason for anyone who isn't a diehard fan the sport to care. These, however, are anything but normal circumstances. LIV Golf is backed by a Saudi Arabian fund that invests in projects to help burnish the image of a regime that has a dismal record on human rights. That money has been used to lure away some star golfers, including Phil Mickelson, from the PGA Tour. And when Mickelson found himself defending his decision while asserting publicly that he has "deep, deep empathy" for the survivors of the 9/11 attacks, it became pretty clear something had gone badly wrong somewhere... GUEST: Donnovan Bennett, Sportsnet by The Big Story

28 min listen

The story of the Lomi, and how our technology handles death and decay: (This is part four in a five-part series called Interconnected, detailing how technology is changing humanity.) The Lomi is a high-tech composter made by a Canadian company. It looks elegant and sleek. It claims to turn your leftover organic waste into compost, with no mess, no smell and no need to feel "gross"—which is how it assumes everyone feels about garbage. But does it work? Will its compost actually do for your plants what regular, messy organic waste does? Or does it sanitize the process and remove the mess, but also the life? This is a look at how modern technology deals with death and decay, two things that humans have been trying to avoid for a very, very, very long time. GUEST: Tynan Stewart, independent journalist based in Fort Worth, Texas. Tynan wrote about how the Lomi, a plastic composting gadget exemplifies tech’s desire – and failure – to smooth away imperfections of life and death for Real Li by The Big Story

22 min listen

Was Wealthsimple wrong to bet on crypto?: Wealthsimple started with the goal of making investing, and long-term wealth building accessible to millennials. Then they became one of the first in Canada to become a regulated cryptocurrency exchange. And it went well for a while. The company made huge profits during the pandemic. But over the last month, cryptocurrencies have seen their value decrease substantially, and many investors saw their wealth evaporate. Was Wealthsimple wrong to make such a huge bet on crypto? And what does it mean for the future of the company? Guest: Jacob Lorinc, business reporter at the Toronto Star by The Big Story

22 min listen

Toronto police used more force against Black people, then gave an apology nobody asked for: According to race-based data released by the Toronto Police Service earlier this month, Black people and other people of colour are disproportionately over-policed compared to white people. The data found that people of colour were 1.2 to 1.6 times more likely to face force when engaging with Toronto police in 2020. Alongside the release of these findings, which the police service was mandated to conduct, was an apology from interim police chief James Ramer… that nobody asked for. For decades, Black and other racialized people have known that systemic racism exists within the police force. So, what will these findings mean for the future of policing in Canada’s largest city? Today, we speak to assistant professor in the department of health and society at the University of Toronto, Notisha Massaquoi who helped develop the framework for the Toronto Police Service’s race-based data policy. by The Big Story

15 min listen

The CPC Leadership Race: Who is Jean Charest?: For those who have been paying attention to Canadian politics for the past 3-4 decades, Jean Charest will be a familiar figure. Charest was first elected to the House of Commons in 1984, he lead the Progressive Conservative Party from 1993-1998, he also served as the 29th premier of Quebec... as a Liberal. After a 10-year political hiatus, Charest is running for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. His past affiliations, and some of his policies, have been touted by his rivals as proof that he's a Liberal in disguise. His chances at winning may hinge on his ability to convince party members otherwise. So what is Jean Charest's pitch? How do his politics stack up to the likely frontrunner, Pierre Poilievre? And does he actually stand a chance? GUEST: Catherine Cullen, Senior Reporter on Parliament Hill for CBC News. by The Big Story

24 min listen

Inside the Jacob Hoggard trial: Almost five years have passed since the start of the #MeToo movement, and just a few days ago, a verdict was reached in the trial of a famous Canadian musician accused of sexual assault. The Hoggard trial serves as a sort of litmus test for how far Canada has (and hasn't) come in terms of its approach to cases involving allegations of sexual violence. The results were decidedly mixed, and quite revealing. Today, we'll take an in-depth look at the trial, and explore some of the evidence the jury never heard. GUEST: Alyshah Hasham, crime and courts reporter, The Toronto Star by The Big Story

29 min listen

Why is a Canadian flight crew being held in the Dominican Republic?: And why isn't it a bigger story? Perhaps it's because the circumstances around their detention — the discovery of $25 million worth of cocaine in bags in a plane's maintenance bay — are so mysterious. But either way five Canadians have spent several weeks first in jail and then essentially under house arrest, without being charged with a crime. And even if they never are, it may still be months before they get home. So what has the Canadian government done for them? What do authorities in the Dominican Republic have to say? What is the airline doing about it? And what happened to the seven people the crew was supposed to fly back to Toronto before the plane flight was halted when the drugs were found? GUEST: Tracey Lindeman, writing in The Guardian by The Big Story

20 min listen

What happened to our attention spans?: (This is part one in a five-part series called Interconnected, detailing how technology is changing humanity.) Have you by any chance been struggling to focus recently? Maybe you used to read long books, or dive into old hobbies and learning new things, and now that feels a lot harder than it should. You are not alone. Research shows that we are suffering through a profound loss of attention, and it's getting worse every day. So what happened to us? Did we lose ourselves in our new devices, or has our attention been deliberately stolen? And what can we do to get it back? GUEST: Johann Hari, journalist and author of Stolen Focus by The Big Story

36 min listen

How a Canadian telescope found something in space we don't understand: We've known about fast radio bursts (or FRBs) for 15 years now. But nobody had seen one quite like this. A Canadian telescope detected an FRB that not only was much longer than usual, it had a distinct repeating pattern. We learn more and more about the universe every year, and we're finding more and more things we can't quite understand. What are FRBs? Why was this one so special? And what's at the end of the discovery trail? GUEST Marina Koren science writer, The Atlantic by The Big Story

19 min listen

How to handle your finances in the new era of inflation: At some point the "how did we get here?" questions about the current state of inflation become less relevant than "how do I deal with this?" With inflation reaching its highest point since the early 1980's this week, and little relief in sight, that time is now for many of us. We've done episodes about the Why and How and what happens next, but today we're trying to prepare for what we're going to be dealing with for the foreseeable future. So how should you handle your day-to-day expenses? Your savings and your investments, if you're lucky enough to have them? Your future retirement, or your next mortgage? Unless you're squarely in the top half of the 1%, you've probably been worrying about some of that, so let's ask some practical questions. GUEST: Jason Heath (no relation to the host), financial planner and personal finance columnist with The Financial Post and MoneySense by The Big Story

26 min listen

What should we expect from the "freedom" protests on Canada Day?: A leaked intelligence document suggests that the vast majority of protesters planning to be at Parliament Hill on Canada Day will be peaceful. Many of the organizers say the same. But not everyone... The document also warns of extremist elements that are trending towards hatred and violence. Will we see these people at what is usually a happy celebration? Are police prepared this time to prevent a situation from escalating? Should members of parliament meet with organizers? And ... with almost all covid restrictions gone, what are these protests about now, anyway? GUEST: Justin Ling, investigative journalist, writing in Vice, newsletter: bugeyedandshameless.com by The Big Story

27 min listen

The monkeypox outbreak and an era of emerging viruses: As the world continues to hope for the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization has declared an outbreak of monkeypox a "global health emergency". But what makes this monkeypox virus different from ones that have been under control for decades? As numbers rise around the world and here in Canada, public health messaging needs to walk a fine line between informing the public of the realities of the outbreak, while not contributing to the stigma attached to an outbreak that appears to centre on men who have sex with men. Oh, and monkeypox won't be the last outbreak the globe has to worry about. If you're curious, look up the Marburg virus... GUEST: Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, assistant professor in Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba, Canada Research Chair in the molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses by The Big Story

23 min listen

A new, easier way for officers to search your devices at customs: The new threshold, included in an amendment to the Customs Act, is a "reasonable general concern". What's the legal definition of that? Here's the thing: There isn't one. In an attempt to create a higher barrier to opening Canadians' devices on entry, the Alberta Court of Appeals struck down the previous threshold, but left it to the government to create a new one. That's where "reasonable general concern" comes into play—and privacy advocates as well as a Canadian Senator are very concerned about the implications. GUEST: Senator Paula Simons by The Big Story

28 min listen

Will the latest Liberal scandal take our eyes off a massacre inquiry?: You will no doubt be shocked to learn that the federal liberal government may have tried to politically influence an agency that should be independent. Who would have thought? Evidence released at an inquiry into the Portapique massacre seems to indicate that government officials the RCMP commissioner to release information about a weapon used by the shooter. We don't know yet if the request came from the government, or the commissioner herself. We don't know yet if the Prime Minister or Public Safety Minister were personally involved. But what do we know? What needs to happen next? And will this divert attention away from an incredibly important inquiry into the worst mass shooting in Canadian history? GUEST: Stephen Maher, Nova Scotian journalist and novelist, writing in The Line by The Big Story

21 min listen

What is the January 6 Committee revealing? And will it matter?: The more the public learns about the events in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021, the more disturbing it gets. And the public hearings currently running on (most) American networks are offering a deeper look than ever before. So what are we learning that we didn't know before the hearings began? Are they really non-partisan? Could they lead to criminal charges against Donald Trump or members of his administration? And the most crucial question of all: Will they matter to voters, who will vote, both in November and in 2024, at least in part on the issue of free and fair elections? GUEST: Aaron Rupar, American political journalist, author of Public Notice by The Big Story

30 min listen

Three killings, a coroner's inquest, and a wake-up call on intimate partner violence by The Big Story

37 min listen

How the government took over First Nations' finances. And made things worse.: It's called the Default Prevention and Management Policy. And for decades it was used to take control of budgets and finances away from First Nations leaders, and put them in the hands of "default managers" appointed by the government to supposedly better manage a community’s finances. Now an expansive investigation has examined just what happened in those communities that had financial control taken away. And in the vast majority of them...things got worse. In some cases, much worse. The government promised in 2017 to replace this policy — so far, without much action. Why? GUEST: Patti Sonntag, investigative and data journalist, working with a large team for Canada's National Observer by The Big Story

23 min listen

An investigation into an RCMP raid on Wet'suwet'en territory by The Big Story

27 min listen

Should "self-induced extreme intoxication" be a valid defence for murder or sexual assault?: Canada's Supreme Court said "yes," back in a May ruling. Now the federal government is tabling a bill to say "no," in June. The defence itself is narrow and nuanced, but the idea of allowing intoxicated people to to shirk responsibility in court is highly divisive. So what is the actual definition of "self-induced extreme intoxication"? What happened in the cases that set this precedent? And what would the impact be in the day-to-day operation of our justice system? GUEST: Pam Hrick, Executive Director & General Counsel at LEAF, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund by The Big Story

19 min listen

What happens when you track everything about yourself?: (This is part three in a five-part series called Interconnected, detailing how technology is changing humanity.) Do you know how much sleep you got last night? How much of it was REM sleep? What was your heart rate? Should you be worried if it was high? Just how fit are you, exactly? Many of us know more about ourselves—from exercise habits, to vital signs, to where we go and how fast we get there—than any humans in history. What are we doing with that knowledge? It can empower us to change our habits, or it can help us give into our more anxious impulses. What happens when we fully quantify ourselves? GUEST: Natasha Schull, cultural anthropologist and associate professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. Her second book, Keeping Track, explores the relationship between an individual self and her personal data by exploring the advance of digital data-gathering techniques, like wearab by The Big Story

29 min listen

Island Crime: Red Jag Guy: “Don't get into a vehicle with a driver you don't know.” This was the golden rule Don Young taught his daughter, Lisa Marie Young. But twenty years ago, on June 29th 2002, Lisa broke her father's rule. She got into a red Jaguar driven by a charming young man and was never seen alive again. by The Big Story

48 min listen

Doses and death threats: what it's like being a doctor and an advocate during Covid: Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth is a family physician in Ottawa who was thrust into the limelight early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, when she was vocal in advocating for greater PPE access for physicians. She later shifted her focus towards vaccine access, and recently threatened to sue the Ontario government if they continued to limit booster access to those above the age of 65. Dr. Kaplan-Myrth joined us to share her thoughts on healthcare worker burnout, booster access and the ways you can continue to protect yourself as infections continue to increase across Canada. She also spoke to us at length about the upsides and downsides to being a public figure, especially when it comes to vaccine advocacy. GUEST: Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, family physician. by The Big Story

32 min listen

Is it stress or burn out? by The Big Story

21 min listen

Africville Forever: Have you heard of Africville?: Under the shadow of the MacKay Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the protest camp of Eddy Carvery has stood firm as the longest civil rights protest in North American history. Eddy has remained in defiance for nearly half a century. In this episode, Eddy introduces us to the protest that has defined his adult life. The fight to claim the land of Africville back for its people. If you care about racism, displaced peoples, and social justice, then you need to know the story of Africville Forever. by The Big Story

31 min listen

How to build a safer internet: Scrolling through your social media feeds, especially if you work in any sort of public-facing position, can be hazardous to your mental health. A big portion of the blame belongs to the trolls, who capitalize on their online anonymity to hurl misogynistic or racist abuse at strangers. But a big part of the issue is the social media platforms themselves, and the opaque algorithms they employ that populate our feeds with derogatory posts or disinformation. What if we could wrest control of our online experience back from these media conglomerates and make sure that we're only being shown the things we want to see? How do we do that without reinforcing the filter bubbles that contribute to the social fragmentation of our societies? And could this be the first step towards a safer and more equitable online future? Guest: Tracy Chou, Founder and CEO of Block Party by The Big Story

26 min listen

It looks like the Conservative leadership race is over. What does that mean for Canada and the next election?: You may have missed the final Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate Wednesday night. No worries! Pierre Poilievre missed it, too. The frontrunner has such a huge lead according to every report, that he had nothing to gain by attending. How did this race go from competitive to ... not? Will Poilievre be different as CPC leader than he was as a candidate? How will this change both the Conservative party and the landscape of the next election, whenever that is? GUEST: David Moscrop, political analyst, columnist, author of Too Dumb For Democracy by The Big Story

25 min listen

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Is it even possible to budget for this economy?

Is it even possible to budget for this economy?

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