Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

14:10 | Decent Work and Health Network's Dr. Gaibrie Stephen unpacks how without paid sick leave many workers are forced to choose between protecting public health by staying home and going to work sick to support themselves and their families. 43:08 | Ryan welcomes members of the "former mayors club" to Real Talk. Calgary's 36th mayor Naheed Nenshi, the second woman to be Red Deer's mayor Tara Ve...

3:11 | Ryan and the team discuss baseball star Barry Bonds' unsuccessful final bid to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, plus what doping means in sport and athletes' legacies. 20:20 | McGill University's Dr. Maria Popova unpacks the rising Russia-Ukraine tensions, what the West can and should do about it and where Canada factors in. 39:59 | Long-haul truck driver Mike Duggan on the truck...

3:27 | Liberal MP George Chahal addresses the intimidation tactics used by protestors who came to his family home over the weekend, plus his election in Calgary Skyview, and paying a $500 fine for removing another candidate's flyer tapped to the door of a home on the campaign trail. 19:09 | The new CEO and president for the Elks, Victor Cui on why he's signed on to lead the Edmonton's CFL team, wh...

3:41 | Ryan gets the show rolling with his take on the #TruckersForFreedom protest driving across the country challenging the vaccine mandates in Canada.  15:56 | More than 30% of Alberta teachers are considering leaving the profession after this school year, according to a new report from Alberta Teachers’ Association. The research lead Dr. Phil McRae and a teacher who is retiring early, Darin Gi...

Ryan lets off a whole bunch of steam with emails from Real Talkers on what's grinding their gears. Presented by Local Waste.

16:52 | We look back at the career of Canadian politics trailblazer, Alexa McDonough. Author of Alexa!: Changing the Face of Canadian Politics, Stephen Kimber shares on the legacy of the Canadian politician who was the first woman to lead a major federal political party. She passed away on January 15, 2022. 38:15 | NBA reporter Seerat Sohi, Sportsnet host Tara Slone, and Toronto Star columnist Bru...

3:33 | Edmonton Public Schools board chairperson Trisha Estabrooks on the rising number of classes going online across the city and province as students and staff deal with the Omicron variant. 18:10 | Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Tyler Black explores how school, the pandemic, and online learning can affect children and youth mental health. 41:28 | Canadian fitness icons Hal Johnson and J...

2:12 | Ryan wonders if the heated "pissy" exchange between NHL reporter Jim Matheson and Oilers' player Leon Draisaitl is a reflection of what everyone is feeling—fed up with winter and the pandemic.   30:35 | Marketing consultant Laurie Kellough explains why personal branding isn’t narcissistic or something just for aspiring influencers. She explores the value of everyone cultivating their own br...

2:08 | Ryan clocks the troubling circumstances around Alberta’s Justice Minister Kaycee Madu calling the Edmonton Police Service’s Chief after the UCP MLA received a ticket for distracted driving in a school zone, and what the Premier says he's going to do about it.   13:40 | Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy Timothy Caulfield and Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences president D...

13:51 | Alberta-based physicians Dr. Neeja Bakshi and Dr. Shazma Mithani discuss the Omicron wave, why they don't refer to the variant as "mild", and how it's resulting in dire outcomes in hospitals and on health care staff.    51:54 | Psychotherapist Whitney Goodman encourages people to not be positive all the time and why that's good for our mental health. She details the problem of being upbeat...

Ryan goes G-rated for this round of riffs and rants from Real Talkers (because he's broadcasting from home with his 6-year-old in ear shot). Presented by Local Environmental

5:54 | Newsweek deputy opinion editor, Batya Ungar-Sargon on her new book, Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. She explains why she believes liberal elites are impacting mainstream news with negative results on US society. 35:38 | Following the medical first of a pig heart being transplanted into a patient, Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program director Dr. Lori Wes...

6:55 | Social justice advocate Matthew Behrens on the reduced sentence for abuse survivor Helen Naslund, who's been serving an 18-year sentence for killing her abusive husband. 30:06 | Eat Your Words | Ryan invites Manitoba politician Jon Reyes to put down his phone and shovel snow off his driveway instead of taking to Twitter to praise his wife for hauling the snow after she worked a 12-hour shif...

1:58 | Political analyst Supriya Dwivedi unpacks Quebec Premier François Legault's vague plan to impose a health tax on Quebecers who refuse to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 18:40 | The indie online magazine, The Local, created a citizen-powered tool for anonymous reporting of rapid antigen test results in Toronto public schools. The editor-in-chief, Tai Huynh, explains what they fou...

11:49 | VICE journalist Anya Zoledziowski and the Clinical Department Head for Emergency Medicine for the Calgary Zone, Dr. Eddy Lang discuss the growing frustration and exhaustion with the pandemic which is tempting people to get Omicron and get it over with. 39:14 | Cree-Metis archeologist Dr. Paulette Steeves on creating the first comprehensive database of Residential Schools, Indian Hospitals,...

13:46 | Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling on students and teachers returning to in-person learning on Monday, January 10 before all schools across the province receive rapid tests and medical-grade masks. 45:34 | Cook and contributing food editor for the Globe and Mail, Julie Van Rosendaal explains why she hosted a variety of free cooking classes for kids who were out of scho...

Ryan reads emails from real audience members about what's really pissing them off. Presented by Local Waste.

9:13 | A look back at 2021 through what made news over the last 12 months, with award-winning journalist Jana Pruden and political analyst Supriya Dwivedi. 39:40 | Eat Your Words | An anti-vaxxer gets put in their place for not understanding syphilis and COVID-19 are both viruses that can't simply be repelled by a healthy immune system. Presented by Prairie Catering. 42:07 | The original hockey in...

3:42 | Ryan discusses the escalating tensions between the City of Calgary and the Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corp. over the cost to redevelop the iconic Saddledome. Plus a rundown of the health measures changing in Alberta due to ballooning Omicron variant COVID cases.  17:42 | Health Sciences Association of Alberta's Mike Parker addresses the tragic death of a Calgary-area paramedic over the...

10:25 | Health law and policy expert Timothy Caulfield on misinformation being pushed by NFL stars, TV docs and pundits, and what can be done about it.  45:35 | Reddit is going up for sale on the stock market. Corporate finance expert Anthony Mayadunne explains what it means and if you should get in on it. 1:20:55 | Question of the Week | Ryan reviews Real Talkers thoughts on internet and cell ser...

19:03 | ICU physician Dr. Darren Markland addresses the emergence and expansion of the Omicron COVID variant in Alberta and around the world, amid the province's flawed rollout of rapid tests and the lack of health measures.  53:26 | UBC's Dr. Mari DeMarco explains how Canadians can access a new test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and what it means for patients and their families.  1:25:15 | Posi...

Ryan lets 'er rip on Real Talkers' emails about bad drivers, anti-vaxxers, and more as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com. Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste.

8:55 | Astronaut Chris Hadfield shares about his journey into writing books since retiring from space travel, including his new Cold War thriller, The Apollo Murders.  37:21 | #RealTalkRoundTable: Photo Radar, Urban Design & Road Safety We get evidence-based perspectives on how effective speed enforcement is, from City Planner and urbanist, Brent Toderian, City of Edmonton’s Director of Safe Mobil...

1:25 | Infectious disease physician Dr. Lynora Saxinger on the loosening of Alberta's COVID health restrictions for the holiday season despite the emergence of the Omicron variant.  13:05 | Maclean’s Magazine senior writer Paul Wells explains why federal party leaders can no longer avoid taking a position on Quebec's Bill 21, which forbids public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job....

13:07 | McGill University's finance professor Dr. Paul Beaumont explores what the proposed purchase of Shaw Communications by Rogers Communications (worth $26 billion) could mean for Canadians cell phone bills and services. 38:45 | #MyJasper Memories | Ryan gets psyched up for the Jasper Pond Hockey Challenge at one of the most scenic venues in Canada, Mildred Lake beside the Fairmont Jasper Park...