This Matters

Until yesterday, despite cases rising and out-numbering bigger provinces, Albertans were free to dine out, shop and gather in groups even as Ontario went into lockdown and other provinces tightened restrictions. Alex Boyd, a Toronto Star reporter in Calgary, joins This Matters to explain what's going on in Alberta, what the new measures mean and what the consequences might be for Albertans as the...

WARNING: This podcast contains sensitive subject matter, including suicide and self-harm, that could be triggering for some readers. Young people are in crisis more than ever, often asking for help, with many having trouble accessing. The Star's Generation Distress series looks at the many issues surrounding mental health, youth and the barriers they face. Robert Cribb is an investigative reporter...

Governments have been criticized for confusing, and at times, contradictory messaging and policies on COVID-19 restrictions. Roxanne Khamsi, science journalist and contributor to WIRED Magazine, joins This Matters to talk about the muddied waters of public health messaging and why that makes controlling COVID in the second wave that much harder.

Nearly two million school-age children in the UK, who qualify for government-subsidized school meals, were facing hunger due to schools closing during pandemic lockdowns, until Manchester United's Marcus Rashford stepped in. Shireen Ahmed, writer and co-host of the 'Burn It All Down' podcast joins Adrian Cheung to talk about Rashford, how he represents a new generation of athletes refusing to 'shu...

As concert halls and live music venues sit empty during this pandemic, the Canadian Live Music Coalition says 90 per cent of them are at risk of closing forever. Can they be saved through government support, some crazy scheme or is the hope of a vaccine their best bet? Jonny Dovercourt, co-founder and artistic director of Wavelength Music Series and author of "Any Night of the Week: A D.I.Y. Histo...

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, about 15 per cent of Canadians experience a wave of low emotions during the upcoming cold and dark days, or as we know it, the winter blues. Some experience a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as SAD. It can actually impair daily life and  lead to medical treatment. Dr. JianLi Wang, the Director of the Work and Mental Health Re...

The Toronto Star's business reporter Rosa Saba joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to talk about the government's dangling promise of nationalized child-care, what will it look like and how it can help regain lost ground and equal participation in an economy that will really need it now more than ever.

Since mid-March, Ottawa has imposed strict travel restrictions against foreign nationals, including holders of permanent resident visas. Meanwhile the clock is ticking for many whose permanent visas have expired or are near expiry. In today's episode, the Star's immigration reporter Nicholas Keung explains what is going on. Fatima Camara, a teacher from Belarus, also joins to share her family's st...

Karon Liu, Toronto Star's food and culture reporter, talks to Adrian Cheung about the inventive ways restaurants are changing for the long-term and how many small business owners are refusing to give up in an unprecedented crisis for their industry.

As many people have been forced to work from home and conduct their business remotely, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of high-speed internet for all Canadians. Access to fast, reliable internet in pandemic times and the digital age is not just about downloading files or streaming Netflix. It is about getting access to education, health and equal opportunities. Alex Boutilier, a nat...

People are calling Pfizer's announcement of a potential COVID-19 vaccine a light at the end of the tunnel. But right now, it's just an announcement that some say is "science by press release" and there are a lot of logistical hurdles to be passed before we get this particular shot in the arm. Alex Boyd is a Star Reporter who's been following the Road to a Vaccine. She returns to This Matters to di...

Ontario's COVID-19 case counts are reaching record numbers, but some health officials say they might be stabilizing. The Star's Ed Tubb has been focusing on the data and takes This Matters through what the numbers are telling us, where things are looking up and where there's cause for concern.

Edward Keenan, Toronto Star's Washington bureau chief, returns to 'This Matters' to talk about the election win, the fallout for the US and what a Biden presidency means for the Canada-US relationship, for the next four years.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This version was originally broadcast on September 24, but much of what Geoffrey Skelley, of FiveThirtyEight, predicted could happen, happened. The presidency is settled. But Skelley discusses what could come next.  --- Joe Biden is the President-Elect, capturing more than 270 electoral college votes, with more than 4 million votes cast in his favour over Donald Trump. But like so m...

This week in the U.S. Electoral vote, in Washington, D.C., and Oregon, voters chose to get on the path to decriminalize psilocybin for therapeutic use. This past August in Canada, four terminally ill cancer patients were given approval to use psilocybin as part of their end of life treatment. Psilocybin is the main psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms." Mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs...

April 23, 2018, marks one of the darkest days in Toronto's history. On a sunny afternoon, 25-year-old Alek Minassian drove a full-size van down Yonge Street and onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians. 10 people were killed and another 16 people were seriously injured in the attack. Toronto fell into a state of mourning, struggling to understand the violence. Minassian told police officers that his...

Joe Biden told his supporters, "it ain't over until every vote is counted." But incumbent Donald Trump falsely claimed he won the election and with no evidence, claimed electoral fraud was afoot. In a year like no other, an election like no other, in a haze of disinformation and bogus claims,  'This Matters' parses through the facts of the US election. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star's Washington bure...

It's now officially the day after the U.S. election. As many expected, the race is still too close to call. "Everybody was really eager to vote. Those who support Donald Trump really support him and those who want to be rid of him, really were eager to vote to be rid of him." That was the Star's Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan who was a block away from the White House, speaking to Saba Eitiz...

Experts are warning people watching the U.S. election to be prepared for a deluge of disinformation. Today, This Matters looks at two perspectives that Star reporters have recently covered regarding this huge problem. Alex McKeen joins to talk about the surprising role Canadian's play in creating and sharing disinformation, and then, Douglas Quans tells us what online platforms like Facebook and T...

Jared Yates Sexton, host of 'The Muckrake Political Podcast' and the author of 'American Rule' says America is built on what he calls "foundational myths," and how stories the United States tells itself, about itself, have often been used as justification for violence and abuse, for generations. Adrian Cheung talks to Sexton about how the doctrine of 'American exceptionalism' has led to this momen...

Edward Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief, joins This Matters to discuss the upcoming U.S. election — in particular the view from up here and what Canadians are looking and hoping for after the big day in November.

Edward Keenan, Toronto Star's Washington bureau chief, talks to Adrian Cheung about the state of the Canada/U.S. economic relationship. Together they parse through the promises and policies to figure out if Trump or Biden is better for the Canadian economy.

Donald Trump's aggressive immigration policies have had blow back effects on Canada. Will that change depending on who wins the U.S. election on Nov. 3? Today, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief Ed Keenan joins us on This Matters to discuss the upcoming U.S. elections through the lens of immigration policy and how Canada could be impacted.

The environmental protections (or lack of) that are proposed and acted on by the next U.S. president will have serious consequences for Canada and the rest of the world. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star's Washington bureau chief, talks to Adrian Cheung about how the two presidential candidates view the threat of climate change, their promises on renewable energy and what it all means for Canada.

For Donald Trump, sewing confusion and chaos is part of the plan. As the election nears, the question is if this will work, and if he wins, what that could mean for Canada's future in the world. Edward Keenan is the Star's Washington Bureau Chief and he joins This Matters to discuss.