This Matters

Whether it's Trump or Biden, whoever claims the Oval Office will be able to affect just how and when the border reopens —something which will have an impact on Canadian economy and community and Canada's traditional role as a close ally of the U.S. The Star's Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to discuss the US elections just around the corner —and what the ou...

The Ontario Government has upended the government by increasing the use of Minister's Zoning Order, a legislative tool that serves as the ultimate trump card in the development planning process. It's supposed to be a way to cut red tape, but is starting to raise red flags. Star reporters Noor Javed and Jennifer Pagliaro join This Matters to explain.

Halloween is going to be different this year, but let's not forget that the paranormal denizens of this city will also be missing out. Historian Bruce Bell takes a through some of Toronto's spookiest ghost stories, and explains the history behind them.

"Mr. Vice President, I am speaking." In a way, hearing Senator Kamala Harris call it out put every woman triumphantly in her shoes — and started a conversation. Toronto Star journalists Evy Kwong, Jenn Moon and Angelyn Francis reached out to women across professional and cultural spectrums and they're on This Matters to share those experiences and ask: Why do men interrupt women, why is it inappro...

The first wave of this deadly pandemic shone a glaring spotlight on how under-resourced and ill prepared Ontario's nursing homes were to cope with a situation like this. The Star's investigative reporter Moira Welsh covered this and she is on This Matters today to explain what's going on, what might be next —and, pandemic aside, are long term care homes making any systemic changes for the future?

The violence against Mi'kmaq fishers and community members stems from the interference of non-Indigenous fishers on the First Nations treaty right to fish for lobster in Nova Scotia waters. Pam Palmater, Mi'kmaq lawyer, professor and Chair of Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University, breaks down what the recent Supreme Court ruling means for the Mi'kmaq people, how this case is the latest examp...

COVID-19 control measures, size of city council, road tolls: who gets to call the shots? The city or the province? Jennifer Pagliaro, city hall reporter for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about the push-and-pull relationship between City Hall and Queen's Park, the powers Toronto has in controlling its fate and the case for "charter city" status for the economic recovery ahead.

How the Christine Jessop cold case was solved and keeps changing the justice system, from wrongful convictions to genetic genealogy. After over 35 years, Toronto Police say they have found the killer of Christine Jessop, a nine-year-old girl who cold case was one of most notorious in Canada. The Star's Alyshah Hasham explains how a new forensic technique helped break this case, and why it may offe...

Deborah Dundas, the Star's Books Editor joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to talk about some of the top contenders in Canadian literature, how the pandemic is affecting the business and gives some excellent book recommendations that are absolute must reads.

Toronto Star reporter May Warren had COVID-19 in March, but at the time, she was not eligible for a test to confirm the diagnosis. A recent antibody test finally confirmed that. Today she joins This Matters to tell us about how that test went, what the results mean and what the importance of antibodies are in the fight against the pandemic.

This episode is a rebroadcast from Monday, September 21.  From bread baking to meal kits to everyone cooking at home more, The Star's Karon Liu, a culture & food reporter, joins This Matters to talk about COVID-19 pandemic trends in food buying habits and how the industry is adapting.

COVID-19 has already taken out a few holidays, but now Thanksgiving, Halloween and even Christmas are lined up in its sights. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist, talks to This Matters about how to navigate the festivities, pandemic style.

Ontario allows for doctors to bill for up to eight nerve blocks per patient, per day, without a limit on a frequency of those visits, an exclusive Toronto Star investigation looking into how chronic pain management has become big business in Ontario reveals. The tax-funded health system has paid more than $420 million for these kinds of nerve blocks since 2011. Star reporters Theresa Boyle and Jes...

According to leaked data, positive coronavirus test result rates for over two-thirds of the neighbourhoods in Toronto are far above the threshold established by Public Health officials. Star reporters Kate Allen and Jennifer Yang join This Matters to discuss these alarming numbers.

When borders do reopen, what should that look like? Who should be allowed in? What public health protocols and benchmarks should Canada meet before we even consider it? Dr. Vivek Goel, professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and member of the federal government's COVID Immunity Task Force, talks to Adrian Cheung about the research of reopening borders and why a...

Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter at the Star, has been covering the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman since it occurred. This week, his investigation takes him to the Supreme Court of Canada, in an effort to get court documents that are pertinent to the case. He joins This Matters to discuss.

'This Matters' breaks down the second wave of the coronavirus on two fronts — with Ed Tubb, Toronto Star editor, on the meaning of the latest numbers and Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter, on what mental stress we are about to face and how we can beat the blues.

TikTok is embroiled in controversy over the U.S.-planned ban and forced sale. What does this mean for users in Canada? Emma Buchanan, a writer and researcher at Rogers CyberSecure Catalyst and a Ryerson Journalism student, joins This Matters to explain what's happening with the social video app.

Assistant Editor of Chatelaine magazine, Radiyah Chowdhury, speaks to This Matters about the urgent need for the country's mental health care to be more adaptive towards different races, cultures and communities.

Is a Chief Coroner the right man to lead Ontario's COVID-19 response? Dr. Dirk Huyer is the top man in Ontario to oversee and help minimize spread of the virus but some public health experts and doctors are questioning his appointment. In addition, his office has been under fire for, among several points, inadequate analysis of mortality data. Rachel Mendleson, investigative reporter for the Toron...

The University of Toronto's law school has been accused of blocking the hiring of an international candidate as Director of the prestigious International Human Rights Program. Shree Paradkar, the Star's Race and Gender columnist covered the story and is here to talk about what happened and how a university's internal hiring process has become a matter of national and international controversy.

Two of the world's biggest tech companies are about to face off in court. Epic Games picked a fight with Apple in August with a new feature on the popular game "Fortnite." Epic says what's at stake is how you download apps and pay on your device. Apple says this is about following the rules on the devices they make. Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, breaks down this business Battl...

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of election day in November. What if Trump loses the election but refuses to leave the White House? Today on This Matters, Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst for FiveThirtyEight, breaks down how Trump can dispute the results, why it could turn into an ugly fight at the Supreme Court level and what the leg...

EDITOR'S NOTE: This version is for you political nerds listening (respect!). This double-length episode goes deep into the different simulations, at a state level, at an Electoral College level, and how the Constitution gets wrapped up in what could a full-blown legal battle.  If you want to skip all of that, go to the 'This Matters' feed and just listen to the condensed What if Trump won't leave?...

COVID-19 case numbers are spiking in Ontario and across Canada. We talk with Ed Tubb, who has been following COVID-19 data for The Star. He tells us what the numbers mean, what they are pointing too and what information we still don't know.