Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

A Calgary medical clinic is charging $5,000 for annual memberships. Sinead O'Connor's gone. Kevin Spacey's acquitted from all charges. PMJT's blown up his cabinet. People are still talking about Jonah Hill's texts to Sarah Brady. And alien-piloted UFOs might really be real. We cover a lot of ground in this episode of Real Talk!  1:10 | Are you outraged or open-minded by the Marda Loop Medical Clin...

Why are so many Canadian cannabis growers and retailers closing up shop? Five years post-legalization, what's holding the industry back? Speaking of high-profile industries in Canada, new details are showing why Albertans are getting burned by oil and gas. We dig into both stories on this episode of Real Talk. But first... 6:00 | Kevin Spacey has been cleared by a London jury of all charges of sex...

How are the Hollywood strikes impacting Canadians? When can we expect a break on interest rates? Is Pierre Poilievre right or wrong about the Bank of Canada? Are angry protesters getting too close to Justin Trudeau? We dig into the country's top stories in this episode of Real Talk.  5:20 | Stephanie Hughes is covering the Hollywood strikes and the Bank of Canada rate increase for Bloomberg. She t...

This episode is perfect for road trips, bike rides, and dog walks. We check in with talented storytellers Charles Adler and Matt Cundill to get up to speed on Canada's top headlines. 6:00 | What does ketchup have to do with Twitt...er, X? Charles Adler explains, in analyzing Elon Musk's rebrand. Why do we allow the general public to get so close to our politicians? Chuck chimes in on the Prime Min...

Wayne's choked at Charles Adler and wants Ryan to put his money where his mouth's at in this week's Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services. KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Who'll be left standing in the Battle of the Billionaires - Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg? Will Zuck's Threads app ultimately take down Musk's Twitter? Bigger picture, what does the future of social media look like? Does Real Talk need to be streaming on Twitch? Are "Chinese surveillance" concerns around TikTok legitimate? What percentage of online angst actually manifests in real life? Profession...

Alberta has a significant and largely invisible methane measurement and management problem. Here's the thing: it doesn't have to be this way. There are a bunch of reasons why it makes sense to take methane emissions more seriously. As you'll learn in this episode of Real Talk, Canadians have every right to demand more from politicians and industry players.  6:00 | Jeff Gailus is an author and jour...

You don't have to work in oil and gas or journalism to know big changes are coming. Whether you're talking about a net-zero plan including emissions caps in the oil sands or big tech killing media outlets, disruption is all around us.  11:50 | Linda Solomon Wood is the founder and publisher of Canada's National Observer. She lays out how the media landscape has changed over the past 20 years, why...

It's hard to describe the power of an EF4 tornado, but Aaron Jayjack's videos speak for themselves. The professional storm chaser takes us into his wild world on this must-watch episode of Real Talk.  3:45 | Aaron Jayjack knew Mother Nature had something brewing in central Alberta ahead of Canada Day 2023. He packed up his car and headed straight for what wound up being Canada's strongest twister...

News is supposed to slow down in the summer, but lucky for us, that's not happening. Politicians are posing for controversial photos at the Calgary Stampede, Alberta's back to warring with Ottawa, and people are taking steps to stretch dollars further than ever before. We get into it all with Minister Randy Boissonnault and Charles Adler in our first episode back from summer vacation.  3:55 | Rand...

Garth's got strong feelings about snow clearing, Kristie's ticked at people taking shots at her town, and Janice has a warning about oil prices in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Should the feds order striking BC port workers back to work? How bad is the CBC vs. Danielle Smith situation? Did Canadians deserve a break from the carbon tax increase on July 1? Veteran TV hosts Lynda Steele and Jody Vance give us their hot takes on Canada's biggest stories on this week's Real Talk Round Table. But first... 0:10 | Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants the NDP to apologize for sug...

There's a clear winner in the standoff between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the CBC. Seven months after reporting Smith's office had emailed Crown Prosecutors in an attempt to influence proceedings relating to the Coutts border blockade, the CBC says it "regrets" including details that couldn't be confirmed. Earlier this spring, Smith threatened legal action against the news outlet if an apo...

Calgary is looking to convert six million square feet of vacant office space for new use. The city's already a third of the way there, capturing the attention of other cities around the world. How are they doing it? What's the secret to Calgary's success?  2:00 | Mayor Jyoti Gondek talks to Ryan about evolving Calgary's reputation, including downtown revitalization and reconciling a hot housing ma...

We're all about transparency...but are Sunshine Lists the right way to go about it? Alberta Health Services just released its annual list of employees earning over $140k/year. Ryan hashes it out with Charles Adler (46:40) in our first episode back from the Canada Day long weekend.  6:45 | Happy 4th of July to our American audience members! We kick off this episode with a trip down memory lane - Jo...

Frosty and Garry are upset at our Pride talk, while Lauren and Kat have a lot to say about the Titan sub disaster. Brace yourself for Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services!  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Alberta's former Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw was unceremoniously dismissed from a new position in Indigenous health, prompting the resignation of the program's medical director Dr. Esther Tailfeathers. The move prompted more than a hundred doctors to sign an open letter demanding a response from Premier Danielle Smith.  2:35 | Dr. Neeja Bakshi is one of the physicians who sig...

Canada's not "broken," but our communities are hurting. Crime rates are up, police are taking longer to respond to rural calls, many community supports are floundering, and important infrastructure is on the verge of collapse. It's time to talk.  Mayor Cathy Heron (St. Albert), Mayor Trina Jones (Legal), and Councillor Krista Gardner (Calmar) join Ryan in studio for a look at how their municipalit...

Unruly people spewing hateful conspiracy theories about the Pride flag forced Leduc Mayor Bob Young to abruptly cancel a recent council meeting. This, as RCMP are investigating vandalism of a Pride-themed crosswalk in the Alberta city. Incidents like these are making news throughout June (Pride month) across North America...not to mention the boycott campaign targeting Bud Light for partnering wit...

It's the most mind-boggling build in Edmonton's recent history. The Valley Line LRT, a $1.8 billion expansion to the city's light rail network, is now three years behind schedule after builder TransEd announced yet another delay. This time, it's because 140 km worth of corroded cables need to be replaced before trains can safely operate.  00:10 | Are Tim Cartmell and Andrew Knack worried Edmontoni...

The world watched over the weekend as tension between several of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most loyal lieutenants spilled into the streets, and one of them turned his guns on targets in his own country. What does the short-lived rebellion in Russia mean for the war in Ukraine, and Putin himself? What's the main takeaway for the West?  3:00 | Ian Bremmer is one of the world's foremost auth...

Anne's hot under the collar about the latest wildfire conspiracy theory, Tracey won't be muzzled over masks in senior's centres, and Jeff's got a message for Pride protestors. It's a loud and proud edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Lost at sea, will the passengers aboard a small vessel bound for Titanic's wreckage survive? Why haven't the 280 Canadians killed in the Air India 182 bombing in 1985 been properly remembered? Today's episode tackles a developing story, and a tragedy nearly 40 years ago.  1:00 | The outlook is grim for the five people aboard the lost Titan submarine. Ryan and Johnny have the latest details, and wo...

Ten years after the southern Alberta floods, what have we learned from one of the costliest natural disasters in Canadian history? How did the disaster impact individuals, families, and the way we build (or rebuild) communities?  Speaking of building relationships and communities, are we too reliant on technology? Are we asking the tough questions or riding blissfully down a road to ruin? This epi...

Canada's among the worst developed nations when it comes to government transparency. We're also in the beginning stages of a new century of fire that will forever alter the way we interact with the planet. You're guaranteed to learn something on both fronts in this episode of Real Talk. But first... 0:00 | Did you catch Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen on our June 19th episode? We open with h...