Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

| Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s Sovereignty Act is being described as “undemocratic,” “an overreach,” and “crazy”. Ryan tees up today’s interviews with a few key points.  | She’ll kick off 2023 as the new host of CTV’s Power Play, Question Period, and an afternoon radio show. The talented Vassy Kapelos returns to her roots as an Alberta Legislative correspondent, and digs into Premier Smith’s B...

0:25 | Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government won't table a bill to "protect" the unvaccinated, walking back a promise she made on the campaign trail. Is it too soon to call this a flip flop? What does this say about the dynamic between the premier and her caucus?  HAVE YOUR SAY: talk@ryanjespersen.com  15:01 | Anna Maria Tremonti will never forget December 6, 1989. News of a gunman ta...

0:41 | What the hell were Canadian coach John Herdman and TSN broadcaster James Duthie thinking?! With Canada's hopes evaporated, we open the show with a couple significant storylines off the pitch.   10:20 | Alberta's representative in the federal cabinet, Minister Randy Boissonnault, gives us his takeaways from the public inquiry into the Emergencies Act, the horrific nightclub shooting in Color...

Gerry's pissed off about the new season of Yellowstone, and "Michele with one l" has had enough of her friends' obsession with Twitter. They star in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services!  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

0:20 | Could today be Twitter's last? If so, do you care? Ryan and Johnny open the show with rumours the "global town square" could cease operations by Friday evening.  9:50 | Classrooms are half-full due to illness and children's hospitals are slammed, as RSV, Influenza and COVID continue to wreak havoc on our youngest citizens. We feature Supriya Dwivedi's comments from this week's episode of Se...

10:39 | "Woman. Life. Freedom." The world has watched as thousands of Iranians have demonstrated remarkable courage, protesting across their nation since mid-September. The demonstrations are largely led by women and school girls who have marched - and burned their hijabs - in the weeks since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died suspiciously in police custody. Iranian-Canadian organizer Nazanin Moghadami...

0:18 | Would you use a high-speed rail line between Calgary and Banff? How about Calgary and Edmonton? Ryan opens the show with a look at the top headlines: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's plan to run trains to the Rockies (3:00), a shocking revelation from Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek re: disgraced councillor Sean Chu (3:30), and the return of Donald Trump to the "presidential picture" (8:00).  CH...

0:00 | Classrooms are more sparse while children's hospitals fill up, Alberta's got a new Chief Medical Officer of Health (but did the government hire who they meant to hire?), and a suspicious house fire in Saskatchewan has big implications. There's a lot of ground to cover in this episode of Real Talk!  4:23 | Are you already in the holiday spirit? Johnny's singing Christmas tunes in the studio,...

0:00 | Before we check in with rockstar climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe at COP27 in Egypt, Ryan and John talk about the devastating crash that claimed six lives at an air show in Dallas. Should these types of events continue, considering the risk?  9:25 | Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is among the most respected climate scientists in the world. The author of "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case fo...

Health care is front and centre in a fired-up edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services!  SUBMIT YOUR TRASH TALK: talk@ryanjespersen.com KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/  

1:07 | It's a special Remembrance Day edition of Real Talk, lest we forget. Ryan and Johnny start the show by reflecting on their personal connections to November 11, along with what Real Talkers are sharing in the live chat.  11:56 | Dr. Suzette Brémault-Phillips works with veterans and active members of the Canadian military as director of the Heroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium (Hi...

15:00 | Political satirist and lawyer Caryma Sa'd was arrested by Hamilton police while attending an Ontario PC campaign stop back in May. Yesterday, prosecutors dropped a trespassing charge, citing "no reasonable likelihood of conviction". She tells us about the impact of the arrest, and concerns about politically-influenced police action. 38:40 | Cheryl Oates knows what makes Rachel Notley tick....

0:22 | Premier Danielle Smith wins a seat in the Alberta Legislature with a by-election win in Brooks-Medicine Hat. Further south, forecasts for a "red wave" through the US midterm elections failed to materialize, but some Republicans still saw big wins. Ryan opens the show with a few key storylines we're following. 3:24 | Environmental activist Tzeporah Berman steps out of meetings at COP27 to jo...

0:22 | Voters in Alberta and the USA go to the polls today. Locally, the Brooks-Medicine Hat by-election will determine whether or not Alberta Premier Danielle Smith earns a seat in the Alberta legislature. Down south, the 2022 US midterm elections will determine the balance of power in the House and Senate, and set the stage for the 2024 presidential election. We open the show with a look at what...

0:28 | Finance minster Chrystia Freeland faced fire over the weekend after suggesting Canadians manage inflation by doing what her family did: cancel their subscription to Disney+. Was this a Marie Antoinette "Let them eat cake" moment, or are people overreacting? Let us know what you think. EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  13:20 | Disgraced Calgary councillor Sean Chu is facing new allegat...

Real Talker "Kevin" is not a fan of religious-themed Halloween costumes. He kicks off this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services.   EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com

0:22 | Is it "ageism" to question whether or not an 81 year old politician is fit for office? Ryan and John pick up the conversation that closed out Thursday's show.  12:43 | Supriya Dwivedi, the better half of the dynamic Seriously podcast duo, chimes in on the "ageism" debate and the David Wallace fixer story out of Calgary, then picks a few highlights from the federal fall economic statement. ...

0:20 | New polling shows Premier Danielle Smith's got an uphill climb to win the next Alberta provincial election. Plus, buffoonery abounds in Calgary, as details emerge around a scheme to disgrace former Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Ryan opens the show shining a light on these two developing stories.  14:47 | What does Leela Aheer's political future look like? Why was the the only UCP leadership candidat...

0:20 | Trevor Anderson had a goal: the celebrated Canadian director wanted to release his first feature film by his 50th birthday. On November 3, his 50th birthday (!), his film "Before I Change My Mind" will open the Rainbow Visions Film Festival in his hometown of Edmonton. It's enough to give you chills. In this special edition of Real Talk, Anderson and co-writer Fish Griwkowsky join Ryan in s...

7:11 | Real Talker "JC" says user fees for social media sites like Twitter might be the only way to combat bots, trolls, and scams. Ryan reads JC's email in response to Charles Adler to kick off today's show.  EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  11:49 | Kristin Raworth is calling for consistent moral leadership on domestic abuse. November 1st marks the beginning of Family Violence Prevention M...

0:40 | Happy Halloween! We get into some of the top Halloween costumes for 2022, including what Johnny saw behind the wheel during his morning commute. Send your Halloween photos to talk@ryanjespersen.com or tag @RealTalkRJ on Twitter or Instagram - we'll feature the best on Tuesday's show!  6:25 | The Bank of Canada's sixth rate hike of the year is just days old, and everybody's already talking a...

Real Talkers are alllllllll fired up this week! We take on poachers, Alberta's premier, and Charles Adler (??) in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by our friends at Local Environmental Services. KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/ SEND US YOUR TRASH TALK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

0:28 | Real Talk's about more than *just* news and politics. We kick off today's show with a Real Life scenario: pet hair on your clothing. Of course, the impromptu conversation ramps up until we're feeling all the feels, grateful for the impact our pets make on our lives.  11:25 | It's a social media-themed conversation with Seriously podcast star Supriya Dwivedi. Elon Musk officially owns Twitte...

0:30 | We focus on the powder keg that is Alberta politics throughout today's Real Talk. With so many storylines to follow, political scientist Lisa Young and former legislature correspondent Tom Vernon have a lot to talk about. But, we kick off the show with an homage to the teachers that made a huge impression on us (or not). Who was your "difference maker" growing up? Shoot us an email and let...

6:50 | For the sixth time this year, Canada's central bank has raised interest rates. Aside from the obvious, what does this mean for the average Canadian? How close are we to getting back on track, with inflation under control? What might the next year look like? Economist Todd Hirsch takes us into the most important details. Plus, Todd talks provincial politics, including a report he's preparing...