Chasing a romance scammer across the country

Why a no-fly zone won't happen, and what comes next in Ukraine?: It's been one request that absolutely nobody is willing to grant. While many NATO members are sending arms and aid to Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleas for a no-fly zone over his country have been rebuffed. And there's a good reason for that. Today: How a no-fly zone works, why allies are refusing to enact one and what happens next in Ukraine, where Russian forces continue to increase the destructiveness of their attacks... GUEST: Abbie Shull, junior military and defense reporter at Business Insider by The Big Story

19 min listen

How a Canadian citizen allegedly built one of the largest drug empires in history...twice: Tse Chi Lop immigrated to Toronto from Guangzhou in 1988. As part of a collection of criminal associates known as The Big Circle Boys, he worked alongside the Montreal-based Rizzuto crime family to allegedly build one of the biggest heroin smuggling operations in history. The effort would eventually earn him six years in an American Federal prison. In the years following his release, Tse allegedly turned his attention towards Asia, specifically the region's burgeoning appetite for methamphetamines. With ready access to cheap precursor materials, a global network of criminal organizations, and a business proposition that was just too enticing to turn down, Tse and his criminal network known as 'Sam Gor' allegedly dominated the Asian meth trade, and raked in billions of dollars while doing it. So how was Tse allegedly able to build not one, but two of the biggest drug smuggling rings the world by The Big Story

20 min listen

How ready is Canada for a nuclear attack?: This isn't intended to scare you. But with Vladimir Putin making clear threats towards potential nuclear warfare, it's certainly a question worth asking. And a question that not very many people have considered for decades now. So, what's the status of our nuclear defenses? How do they work? And what would it take to be ready for a worst-case scenario? GUEST: Dr. James Fergusson, Deputy Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies; Professor of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba. by The Big Story

22 min listen

Chasing a romance scammer across the country: When you trust someone with your heart, you have to accept that it might get broken. Things might not work out. You might grow apart. But at the least, you would hope for honesty. And if not honesty then ... maybe, at least not outright fraud and theft? Sadly though, not everyone gets that — which brings us to a group of Canadian women, all of whom, had their hearts broken and bank accounts emptied by a con artist. And their sadness and loss could have been the end of the story. But it's not... GUEST: Emilia King, host and co-creator of Catch Him If You Can by The Big Story

21 min listen

Lots of things are bad. But not the Blue Jays.: We almost didn't have baseball back. In a winter filled with loss and discontent, maybe that wouldn't have mattered much. But the return of the game mattered a lot to millions of people looking for signs of spring. And it mattered even more to a Toronto Blue Jays team that was counting on this season to make a big push towards a World Series. A labour deal got done at the 11th hour. A full 162-game season is on the books. And the Jays wasted no time in making more moves designed to load up a talented team with even more players. So, just how good can this team be? GUEST: Shi Davidi, senior baseball columnist, Sportsnet by The Big Story

23 min listen

What's really driving inflation in Canada?: The supply chain is a problem. The cost of raw materials is rising. The cost of labour is up, too. But while we tend to assume inflation is caused by companies hiking prices due to reasons that are beyond their control, the truth is much more complicated. So, how much of Canada's current price hikes are due to market factors, and how much is simply companies taking the opportunity to increase their profits? And what can we do about it? GUEST: Jacob Lorinc, business and economics reporter, Toronto Star. by The Big Story

22 min listen

As the world shuns Russia, what happens to the International Space Station?: The ISS has long been well above Earth's political squabbles. But since Russia invaded Ukraine, and most of the world began sanctioning Putin's regime, it seems less likely it will remain that way. On the station, Russian and American (and other countries') astronauts work together to research and problem solve. But on Earth the head of Russia's space agency says the US will be to blame for the death of the space station. Can The ISS even function without both sides cooperating? Does either side want it to, really? And with private companies like SpaceX pushing hard for increasing ISS access and work with space agencies—are we on the cusp of an entirely new era for humans in outer space? GUEST: Ivan Semeniuk, science reporter, The Globe and Mail by The Big Story

24 min listen

Why does nothing ever change in Thunder Bay? by The Big Story

26 min listen

Everything you need to know about the (sigh) sixth wave of Covid: Hospitalizations are climbing again in parts of the country, and cases are rising in others. It's deja vu all over again. It's clear we're in for at least some sort of Spring rise in Covid-19, driven by the BA.2 subvariant, but how bad could it be? Is it possible this is a sign of a virus playing itself out? What can people who are worried do to protect themselves? And ... haven't we done this enough by now? Will we ever figure this out? GUEST: Colin Furness, infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto by The Big Story

30 min listen

How TikTok is changing the music industry: For the first time, this year's JUNO's Fan Choice award will be decided in partnership with the social media platform. TikTok has allowed a new era of Canadian musicians to find their way into ears and hearts around the country in a space that has no CanCon requirements. At a time when artists are increasingly dissatisfied with streaming platforms like Spotify, traditional record sales are almost zero and the most notable independent music platform was just purchased by a gaming company, it's worth considering how the platforms we listen on shape the music that we hear. GUEST: Richard Trapunski, editor of music, tech and local business at NOW Magazine by The Big Story

26 min listen

What's going on in Antarctica? (And in the Arctic, too?) by The Big Story

21 min listen

The mysterious link between a murder in Thailand and a plane crash in Northern Ontario: The murder victim in Thailand was a known gangster who had spent years in and around Vancouver. One of the four men who died in the mysterious crash was wanted by Thai police for his alleged role in the killing. In between the two events is four months, multiple police investigations across the world, a second fugitive also on the run, two young pilots and dozens of unanswered questions. Who was Gene Lahrkamp? How did he end up dead near Sioux Lookout, Ontario? Why would he have travelled to Thailand to murder a gangster? What will happen when this story begins to be told? GUEST: Kim Bolan, crime reporter, Vancouver Sun by The Big Story

23 min listen

Rewind: It's real. Canada's going to the World Cup: For decades, Canada's men's soccer team was irrelevant at best, a punchline at worst. While the women's side went on to Olympic medals and World Cup runs, the Canadian men ... did nothing. Until a few years ago, when the tide began to turn. And then last year, when the unthinkable started to happen. Now Canada is not only headed to the World Cup for just the second time in its history, but the team also looks ready to do some damage when it gets there. How did the unthinkable happen? GUEST: John Molinaro, veteran Canadian soccer journalist, founder of TFC Republic (This episode originally aired on Feb. 2, 2022) by The Big Story

25 min listen

Why the future of covid vaccines might not require a needle: By now many people assume we'll be getting annual covid boosters for the rest of our lives. That's possible, but there are other possibilities, too. In the past two years we've learned so much about how to rapidly create and deliver vaccines that there are projects in front of us that could offer much more optimistic futures. At McMaster University, one of them involves no needles at all... and might eliminate the need for yearly updates. GUEST: Dr. Matthew Miller, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University by The Big Story

24 min listen

Inside a funding controversy, and the fight for the meaning of Pride: When anomalies arose about nearly $2 million in grant money obtained by Toronto Pride, it prompted the new guard running the organization to commit to a review and transparency around funding. But as it became clear how the grants were obtained, it has raised larger questions about who Pride events are for, why they have become such huge, corporate-money-friendly events and what Pride should be at its roots: A party or a protest? GUEST: Krishna Rau, writing for Xtra by The Big Story

24 min listen

The Liberal-NDP deal: A complete FAQ: When the federal Liberal and New Democratic Parties announced an agreement that would keep the Liberals in power until 2025 in exchange for advancing key policy initiatives, it turned Ottawa upside down.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his frequenct critic, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, are working together. The Conservatives, in the middle of a leadership race, are irate. And there are a ton of questions to answer. What kind of deal is this, and what are the precedents for it? What kinds of policy will it produce? How will Canadians lives change? What happens if one party breaks their word? Is this really "backdoor socialism"? And how does this change the federal political landscape, for the next few years and beyond? GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill Reporter by The Big Story

29 min listen

Instead of your carbon footprint, consider your climate shadow: One of the reasons the carbon footprint was created was to put personal responsibility for the climate crisis onto ordinary people, instead of large corporations. If we are constantly feeling guilty for eating red meat and driving, how can we possibly criticize companies who are hurting the planet but paying it off with carbon credits?! Today, a new way to think about your personal contributions to the climate fight. Should you still walk instead of drive? Of course. But the concept of a 'climate shadow' takes into account everything a person does to work on the climate crisis, not just what a calculator can attest to. If you've been searching for a better way to figure out what you can do, this one is for you. GUEST: Emma Pattee, creator of the climate shadow by The Big Story

20 min listen

Are you paying more online without ever knowing it?: Probably! It's called dynamic pricing, and it's very different than paying extra for premium matchups at the ballpark or seats on an airplane. Dynamic pricing in an online marketplace is an opaque system that uses an algorithm to determine how much to charge you (or someone else) for anything from milk and paper towels to books or even a Tinder subscription. Factors at play when a price is set can include your neighbourhood, shopping history, recorded preference and many others. If it sounds shady, well, it's impossible to determine just how shady it is because none of this is public to would-be consumers. And none of our existing regulations address it. Should they? And if so, how? GUEST: Vass Bednar, Executive Director, MPP in Digital Society at McMaster University, Author at Regs2Riches.com by The Big Story

28 min listen

Can Canada transition both drivers and automakers to electric vehicles?: The federal government has ambitious targets set for the percentage of cars in Canada that will be electric by 2030. We're a long way from meeting them. But research shows hundreds of thousands of Canadians would like to purchase one. They just can't find one, can't afford one, or don't have the access to charging to make it worth their time. Meanwhile, the country's auto manufacturing hub needs help transitioning to be ready for the demand of the next generation of cars. All this adds up to problems at both ends of the supply chain, and a ticking clock making each project and incentive count. GUEST: Zoe Long, Research Manager for SFU’s Sustainable Transportation Action Research Team (START) by The Big Story

24 min listen

Who is Pierre Poilievre?: He's the heavy favourite to be the next leader of the federal Conservatives. He's a relentless attack dog that loves a good partisan brawl. He's angry. Especially at Justin Trudeau. Just ask him. But that's not all there is to the man. Under the public persona is something else. The question is why it's mostly kept buried, and if Poilievre thinks it's better to keep it that way? GUEST: Shannon Proudfoot, Ottawa bureau chief, Maclean's magazine (Read Shannon's profile of Poilievre right here.) by The Big Story

26 min listen

The rise and fall of Canada's cannabis industry by The Big Story

27 min listen

Catch Him If You Can: Taking down March Vautour: March Vautour is a border-hopping Canadian con artist who's tricked women and men out of over a million dollars. He's been getting away with it for over 20 years, but now his survivors have teamed up to do everything they can to stop him. From Pink Moon Studio and Frequency Podcast Network, Catch Him if You Can mixes documentary and drama to tell the story of a man who thought he was untouchable and his survivors' real-time crusade to catch him. by The Big Story

51 min listen

Should your salary be public? Should mine?: Every year, most Canadian provinces release lists of the top wages among public servants. And every year, lots of people get mad about them. It's easy to say that it's unfair to publish these names and salaries, as it inevitably makes some people a target. But what if instead, we made more salaries public, not less? Secrecy around salaries is just another part of Canada's lack of transparency as a country. From government records to police investigations to any number of things, we prefer to keep things in the dark. And the darker things are, the easier it is for them to remain unequal. There are places in the world where everyone's salary is public. What would this country look like if your co-workers knew what you made, or vice versa? GUEST: Robyn Doolittle, investigative reporter, The Globe and Mail by The Big Story

24 min listen

How can Canadians help with the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine?: Discussion of Ukraine aid has focused mostly on military equipment—how NATO allies can aid the Ukrainians against Russia. Meanwhile, staggering numbers of Ukrainian civilians have either fled the country or are trapped in regions being devastated by Russian bombardment. The needs of the Ukrainian people are massive and varied. How can we help get them what they need, where they are, or aid those who do manage to make it to Canada? And what should we expect of our government to help us get it to them? GUEST: Orest Zakydalsky, Senior Policy Advisor for the Ukrainian Canadian Congress by The Big Story

22 min listen

What's up with these crazy gas prices?: These last few weeks, the war in Ukraine has been at the front of everyone’s mind, and rightfully so. And while we in Canada have so far been insulated from the conflict and its worst humanitarian and economic impacts, we are starting to feel its effects, at the pumps. Across Canada, gas prices have hit historic highs, and experts say they could, and likely will rise even more in the coming weeks and months. Even if you don’t drive to work every day, or even own a car for that matter, you will feel the rising cost of energy as it drives up the price of virtually all goods and services. So what’s really behind skyrocketing gas prices? How high could they go? And is there anything anyone can do to bring them back down? GUEST: Roger McKnight, Chief Petroleum Analyst at En-Pro International Inc. by The Big Story

22 min listen

Will Jason Kenney's career survive in Alberta?: He returned to the province as a conservative saviour, uniting the right under one banner and vanquishing the NDP. But just a few short years later, Jason Kenney's own party—or at least a substantial chunk of it—wants him gone. A leadership review attracted so many interested voters that it was moved from an in-person event to a mail-in ballot, which has only furthered the cries of skullduggery from his opponents within the UCP. It also probably didn't help that Kenney was taped referring to them as "kooks" and "lunatics" in a leaked audio clip. What happened to Kenney's conservative support in Alberta? And what happens next if his party ousts him? GUEST: Jason Markusoff, Alberta-based staff writer, Maclean's by The Big Story

21 min listen

Is there a better way to keep mosquitoes under control?: Typically, taking care of these pests has meant, well, pesticides. And sometimes, lots of them. But one Canadian city is working to curb the use of chemicals by deploying different tactics to control its mosquito population. What does Edmonton plan to do with all those bats and dragonflies, anyway? And as the weather warms up in most of the country, what can we all do to handle our own mosquito problems? It turns out there are some newer solutions than simply crowding the air with foul-smelling spray... though that still works in a pinch. Oh, and, couldn't we just exterminate all these little jerks and be done with them? No? Why not? GUEST: Sean Prager, assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan, research in insect ecology by The Big Story

25 min listen

As an election looms, will climate policy be an issue in Ontario?: Recently the Progressive Conservative government released a climate plan. Actually, they specifically said not to call it a "plan". It's a set of emissions targets and how they plan to hit them. It's not very long and thin on details, and the government's budget didn't add much to it. But does any party in Ontario have a serious climate plan? And with a pandemic, a housing crisis and an inflation spike blowing through household budgets, it's worth asking how big an issue the climate will be in the upcoming election campaign. But what happens to us if it isn't? GUEST: Fatima Syed, Ontario reporter, The Narwhal by The Big Story

29 min listen

Six weeks in, what's happening on the ground in Ukraine?: At the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two things became immediately clear. First, this would not go according to Putin's plans. Russia has met fierce resistance every step of the way and has been forced to retreat from its attempt to take the Ukrainian capital. Second, it became obvious that misinformation would play a role in what we learned and didn't learn about the situation on the ground. Russia, obviously, has some experience in that area. So how are Ukrainians surviving and resisting, and how long can they hold out? GUEST: Stewart Bell, Global News Online by The Big Story

25 min listen

Meet the west coast's Indigenous guardians: There are places on the coast of British Columbia that can go weeks without a visit from the coast guard or government official. But the land is cared for all the same, and so is anyone who finds themselves in danger while they're on it. The practice of Indigenous guardians goes back centuries, but recently it has been both formalized and funded by the government, giving First Nations the authority and resources to watch over their lands. It's an arrangement that may spread across the country and return more stewardship of forests, lakes and oceans to the people who have lived on them for so long... and this is how it works. GUEST: Jimmy Thomson, writing for The Narwhal by The Big Story

26 min listen

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Chasing a romance scammer across the country

Chasing a romance scammer across the country

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