Zoomer Week in Review

Blue Monday and research about Seasonal Affective Disorder Blue Monday has officially been called the most depressing day of the year. It was dreamed up to help advertisers cash in on everything from travel to gym memberships. But the broader Seasonal Affective Disorder is when the post holiday lull, stretched finances, and poor weather with less daylight all converge. We reached Laura Cavanagh Pr...

David Macdonald On Canada's highest-paid CEOs Almost 15 million dollars. That’s how much 100 of Canada’s top CEOs were paid in 2022--an all time high. And it's more than double what the top executives were paid in 2008. Compare that to the typical Canadian worker who got an average three per cent raise to just over 60 thousand a year. By comparison, the top CEOs made that in 8 hours. So, at a time...

Erika Buckman: Unveiling a Beatles' Secret: Erika Buckman reveals a surprising and bittersweet connection: her late daughter, Caroline Buckman unknowingly played a part in this last melody from the legendary Fab Four. With this revelation, Buckman shares a unique perspective on the song's significance and her daughter's unintended legacy. Dr. Allison Crawford: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis:...

Brain Canada researchers along with ones from the world renowned Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel are teaming up to better understand the brain and its disorders. One-and-a-half million dollars will support up to three team grants of half-a-million each over two-years. Professor Rony Paz of the Weizmann Institute from Israel and Brain Canada’s President and CEO Dr. Viviane Poupon’s in Montr...

Irwin Cotler is a former Canadian justice minister who served as Canada's special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism and is the focus of the cover story in the latest issue of "Zoomer Magazine". He's also under around-the-clock police protection because of a threat to his life. His daughter, Michal Cotler-Wunsh was named Israel's new special envoy to combat antisemitism jus...

There's no scenario where a former senior Israeli army officer sees Hamas freeing ALL remaining hostages. Moty Cristal served for several years in various official negotiation capacities in the prime minister's office and Israel's ministry of defense and for the past 22-years has been an expert negotiator in the private sector. AND The shriek of a boy or girl on Christmas morning when they open th...

The lead up to the holidays has begun. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday, when charities, companies and individuals rally for favourite causes. The world’s largest generosity movement, Giving Tuesday, encourages donation of time, talents, and resources to address various challenges. Charity Intelligence does the homework and is the go-to source for info so that donors can give intelli...

Sharon Avery: Lonely in Toronto Toronto could be one of the loneliest cities in Canada. A new report on the quality of life in this city paints a grim picture. Released this week, the Vital Signs Report by the Toronto Foundation finds residents more lonely, struggling more with mental health, and less civically engaged. We reached Foundation CEO Sharon Avery about the findings and how to remedy th...

Israel is receiving help of all kinds from all corners of the world and from all types of organizations, such as American humanitarian group HaYovel, whose volunteers include cowboys. The operations director is Joshua Waller and joined Bob Komsic from Israel. AND Following years of delay, the bronze sculpture of the late Queen Elizabeth II is finally on public display, joining a statue of her grea...

When medicine called, Brad Strauss answered. A cardiologist at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for years, he answered another call in early October when he, like the world, witnessed the terrorist attack against Israel and decided to head there to try to save lives. He joined Bob Komsic on the phone from Israel to share his experiences. AND For many, the only way to see your doctor or...

Shortly after the news of what happened in Israel, on October 7th, reached the eyes of the world condemnation followed but at least two American academics couldn’t believe what they were hearing and not hearing from leading universities in the U.S. The two wrote an article titled "Why Was It So Hard for Elite Universities to Condemn Hamas Terrorism?" One of their opening lines pulls no punches, "W...

With many in Canada and around the world having ties with Israel, families in the region whose relatives were taken hostage by Hamas are doing all they can to help the government secure the release of all captives. Among them is Malki Shemtov who recalls the day terrorist gunmen grabbed his 21-year-old son Omer. AND With Small Business Week now in the rearview mirror it’s not too late to recognize...

Simcha Jacobovici, the filmmaker behind "The Naked Archeologist" lives in the centre of Israel but one of his daughters was stuck in a shelter in the border town of Sderot for 30 hours and made a narrow escape while terrorists rampaged through the streets. His son’s best friend was killed in the fighting and his assistant’s nephew has been taken hostage. He joins Libby Znaimer on the phone from Is...

If Argentina was always known as the haven for Nazis then Canada is the unknown one. Canadians got a reminder that many Nazis fled to this country when 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was recognized in Parliament during the recent visit of Ukraine’s president. Among the many who’ve known for decades that ex-Nazis found safe harbour here is Steve Rambam, a war crimes investigator who joined Libby Znaime...

The restaurants that made it into this year’s Michelin Guide were announced with great fanfare earlier this week. But what is the benefit and what is the cost of that designation? I checked in with food writer and consultant Cory Mintz who is something of a contrarian when it comes to the hype around the world-famous Michelin stars. AND Saffron Cassaday’s Designer Shit is a documentary which follo...

The consequences have been mounting since Prime-Minister Justin Trudeau's bombshell accusation that India may be behind the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Diplomats from both countries have been expelled, India has issued a travel advisory against Canada, and India has suspended visa services in Canada. There are also growing concerns about whether it was the right move. Libby Znai...

The rates of opioid prescriptions in this country have steadily climbed the past 30-years as Canadians have become one of the top consumers of prescription opioids in the world. While the perception of the crisis focuses on the young, a new study found that it is older Canadians who have the largest overall consumption rate of opioids. All this is found in the latest report from the National Insti...

If you’re retired, how’d you make the transition, are you just starting to give it some thought, or maybe you're right in the midst of starting the next chapter? It’s not only a financial decision but an emotional and socially challenging one as well, as Mariella Hoy discovered on her journey to becoming a retirement coach. AND Which are some artists that come to mind who are on the soundtrack of...

In its 48 year history, the Toronto International Film Festival has had to face the challenges of 9-11, SARS, and the pandemic to name just a few. This year there’s a strike to contend with. Libby talked with TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. AND It’s hardly the kind of announcement that you’d think would inspire warm wishes, support, and personal stories - but that was the reaction Justin Trudeau got afte...

For the last 15 years or so, the increasingly wild and wacky selections of food at the CNE has taken centre stage. Libby Znaimer chats with the man behind them, the manager of midway concessions and outdoor exhibits at the CNE, Michael Knott. AND It's been a neighborhood gathering place and a local landmark for more than 40 years. The Acropolis Bakery on the danforth is being forced to move and to...

Her cells allowed researchers to develop vaccines for polio, the coronavirus, and treatments for disease including cancer, Parkinson’s, and the flu. But they were taken from Henrietta Lacks, a poor Black mother of five, who was dying of cervical cancer in 1951, without her knowledge or consent. Her descendants recently reached a settlement with a biotech company they claimed were profiting from he...

Should breast cancer screening start at 40? That’s a key recommendation in a new study from researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. Breast Cancer is among the leading causes of death for women in their 40’s and 50’s in Canada. But currently, only women 50 and older get routine screening through the Ontario Breast Screening Program. This new study published in the Journal o...

Jean Augustine made history in 1993, as the first African-Canadian woman elected a Canadian MP. The 85 year old attended this week’s Emancipation Day in Toronto kicking off a month of events as this city recognizes the struggle for human rights and the contributions by people of African descent. The annual event marks the freeing of slavery of more than 800-thousand Africans in British controlled...

Millions of people on three continents are baking under blistering temperatures and scientists are reporting that this month will be the planet’s hottest on record by far. One thing is certain, it is even riskier if you are older or have health problems. It is important to be cautious and get relief quickly when you are overheated. Dr. Samantha Green joined Libby Znaimer with some tips on staying...

Alzheimer’s disease experts are revamping the way doctors diagnose patients by creating a seven point rating scale based on cognitive and biological changes. Unveiled this week at the Alzheimer's Association Conference, the change promotes a numerical system to assess the disease progression similar to one used in a cancer diagnosis. These changes come as new treatments, including blood tests, off...