The Rodgers Brief

This week, Paul and Adam are very pleased to welcome retired RCMP Deputy Commissioner, Curt Allen. Mr. Allen has continued to be involved in policing since his retirements, and here shares his thoughts on the RCMP response to the NS mass shootings, as well as the future of policing in Canada. Before the guest joins the show, Paul and Adam discuss the latest investees to the Order of Canada, includ...

This week, we are pleased to welcome citizen-investigator extrodinaire, Chad Jones. Chad has been working with Paul from the beginning, digging through forensics reports, interviewing witnesses, and whatever else is needed to get to the truth of what happened during the NS mass shootings. He joins Adam and Paul to discuss the death of Cst. Heidi Stevenson at the hands of Gabriel Wortman, and how t...

This week, Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers discuss the launch of Paul's latest book, "Anatomy of a Coverup - The Truth About the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Massacres", which took place at The Old Triangle in Halifax. There were some special guests on hand, and discussion on excerpts from the book. The chapter on the death of Corrie Ellison has attracted significant attention from readers...

In this special episode in advance of the June 10th book release, author Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers discuss Anatomy of a Cover-Up: The Truth about the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Massacres. This book is a follow-up to Paul's bestseller, 22 Murders, and can be ordered here;https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/anatomy-of-a-cover-up-the-truth-about-the-rcmp-and-the-nova-scotia-massacres/9781039010123.html...

This week, Paul Palango gives an update and preview of his upcoming book, and the guys discuss how podcasts are emerging as a trusted news source. In stories, Paul and Adam Rodgers discuss the London World Junior hockey trial, which is not going well for the prosecution. This week, the first defendant to testify, Carter Hart, explained his perspective. The judge also heard from the initial police...

This week, Paul Palango starts the show with a look at the cover of his upcoming book, Anatomy of a Coverup. The book will be released June 10th, and Paul is already taking interview requests. The World Junior hockey players trial featured Las Vegas Golden Knights forward, Brett Howden testifying by video. He was called by the Crown prosecutor, who then made an application to the judge to be permi...

This week, Paul and Adam discuss the continuing search for Jack and Lilly Sullivan, two children who have been missing for over two weeks in rural Nova Scotia, under very suspicious circumstances. Many signs point to an active police investigation, but authorities have not specified who might be under investigation, or whether they have any promising leads. The other main story for this week is th...

This week, Paul is joining the show from Raratonga, in the South Pacific. The guys discuss how justice issues may have affected the federal election results, and what comes next for the Conservatives after losing a 25 point lead. The BC Premier has (sort of) called for an inquiry into the mental health treatment and decisions surrounding the tragedy in Vancouver at the Lapu Lapu Festival. Should t...

This week marks five years since Gabriel Wortman murdered 22 Nova Scotians over the course of 13 hours. Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers are joined this week by Scott MacLeod, brother of Sean MacLeod, one of Wortman's victims. Scott was present for much of the Mass Casualty Commission hearing process, and is a part of the Progress Monitoring Committee that was established to track the implementat...

This Easter weekend marks the 5th anniversary of the NS mass shooting. I look at the changes since that time, focusing on the recommendations on the treatment of domestic violence. I preview this weekend's Dispersing the Fog episode, which will feature special guest, Scott MacLeod. In the Supreme Court of Canada, arguments were made on an interprovincial travel case that arose during the pande...

This week, Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers discuss the Conservative and Liberal justice proposals released this week in the Canadian federal election campaign. The Conservatives say “three strikes and you’re out”, while the Liberals look to tackle gun crimes. Related, this week the National Post published an excerpt of Tristin Hopper’s new book, Don’t Be Canada. The excerpt we analyse deals with Hop...

This week, Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers discuss stories from Ottawa, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, as well as a school shooting report from Nashville. Some US lawyers are reacting to being targeted by the Trump administration by refusing to take on cases against the government. The implications for the justice system are discussed. PM Carney delayed dropping candidate Paul Chiang despite h...

This week, Paul and Adam discuss the revelations that a reporter for The Atlantic was invited to join a high level group chat on Signal, which involved attack plans for Yemen. Also discussed, the case of Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk, a student on a study visa in the US being abducted by ICA agents and transferred out of state contrary to a court order. Paul has some sources telling him about op...

This week, Paul Palango and Adam Rodgers discuss the Federal election, which was called the day this podcast was recorded, and what to expect over the next few weeks of campaigning. The hit Netflix show, Adolescence, has been drawing interest for its portrayal of what might cause a young boy to commit serious violent offences. That same theme has been covered by the Fifth Estate in a story in Cana...

This week, the governments of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick reached an agreement on funding the protective infrastructure between NS and NB. This followed a Court of Appeal reference hearing, and is in advance of a federal election call. I discuss the legal issues, and how the appeal hearing may have lead to the funding announcement. Also this week, the National Judicial Institute visited...

This week, on his final day in office, Prime Minister Trudeau released a brief position paper on the future direction of the RCMP. This unexpected announcement called for a narrower mandate for the Force, with Provinces taking over responsibility for community policing when current contracts with the RCMP expire in 2032. Author Paul Palango and lawyer Adam Rodgers discuss the White Paper, its timi...

This week, Paul and Adam discuss the CBC story of the BlackHawk helicopters the RCMP has been renting to patrol the border, which have resulted in one non-fentanyl arrest. Also, there have been two recent in-custody deaths in Halifax involving police tasering. Why is that happening? Also discussed, NY Police are targeting crime hotspots. Is that racial profiling, or good policing? Finally, Paul ha...

This week, the Chief Justice of the Federal Court releasedhis decision on PM Trudeau's request to the Governor General to prorogueParliament. I discuss the case, and the intersection of law and politics it describes. Also, in Nova Scotia cases, a registered nurse at the NS Hospital wins adefamation case against the mother of a patient who slandered her on Facebook(Terris v. Meisner), elementar...

We unveil the name of the show, discuss Trump/border/fentanyl, Portapique civil suit update, Wayne Gretzky, Truro Police racism accusations, The Oscars, and more!

Paul Palango and I are back in action, with a new version of our analysis of stories dealing with policing and our courts. Join us live on YouTube at 8:30pm Sunday evenings, and the show will be posted to YouTube and be available on Apple and Spotify.

Here are some of the more significant stories that I have covered over the course of 2024. I hope you enjoy the recap, and I look forward to bringing you more content in the new year! 1. NS Mass Casualty Commission 'Progress' Monitoring Committee 2. Foreign Interference Inquiry (with final report expected early next week) 3. Eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Federal Electoral Boundaries Federal...

This week, I review the first annual report of the Progress Monitoring Committee of the Mass Casualty Commission, along with some critiques from a member of the Committee, and my thoughts on how the lack of change can be traced back to the MCC itself. I also cover two appeals from the Supreme Court of Canada, on police use of an accused's cell phone and instructions on unsavory witnesses. I discus...

This week, I start with an analysis of the Federal Court's affirmation of the new Federal electoral boundaries for Cape Breton's two seats. The First Nation of Eskasoni is switching ridings, and challenged the change in court after the Boundaries Commission rejected the appeal of MP Jaime Battiste. The judge hearing the case is an indigenous law expert, and rejected every single point raised by Es...

This week, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court declared that Chéticamp should have it's own provincial riding. The decision from Justice Pierre Muise is critical of the 2019 Dodds Report, and relies on the Supreme Court of Canada's interpretation of voting rights under section 3 of the Charter. One of the lawyers for the Fédération Acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse is now-Senator Rejean Aucoin. One of the...

With the provincial election campaign underway, I examined the party platforms and publications to see what is being presented in the justice sphere. The answer is very little, despite the efforts made to give good advice through the Desmond Inquiry and Mass Casualty Commission. I attended the Antigonish candidates forum on Wednesday, and saw a candidate do something that I have not seen before. T...