Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Karen Gosbee's "glittering marriage" nearly ended her life. The author of "A Perfect Nightmare," now co-chair of Calgary's Mental Health and Addiction Community Strategy and Action Plan, joins Mayor Naheed Nenshi to explain how this new approach changes the landscape (and how it can work in cities around the world). Renowned climatologist and geophysicist Dr. Michael E. Mann, author of "The New Cl...

As CEO of Invest Alberta, David Knight Legg's job is to attract investment to the province. Formerly Premier Jason Kenney's principal secretary, he's now tasked with finding ways to boost energy, agriculture, tourism, tech, and other sectors. He joins Ryan off the top of the show to explain what hasn't worked in past, and what he thinks will work now. Dr. Alexander Wong is an infectious disease sp...

LGBTQ Catholics may not have been surprised by the Vatican's declaration that same-sex unions are a sin it cannot bless, but that doesn't mean the message didn't sting. Rev. Michael Coren, an Anglican cleric, columnist, and broadcaster, shares his response, including why he ultimately left the Catholicism. Jamie Manson, president of Catholics 4 Choice, and one of the few LGBTQ columnists in religi...

It's been a year since the WHO declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, and people are tired. We've seen generosity and altrusm abound, but there are signs people are losing patience, too. VICE health and wellness journalist Katie Way joins from Brooklyn to reveal "Why Everyone Is Acting Like An Asshole Lately". With Premier Jason Kenney trailing Rachel Notley's NDP in several recent polls, Albe...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

After Thursday's "ornery" start, Ryan welcomes Dr. Melanee Thomas and Dr. Lise Gotell to respond, and expand the conversation around bias on university campuses. Our long-anticipated "Solar Panel" features Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon, Heather MacKenzie, and Jake Kubiski, who take your questions on battery storage, cost barriers, government incentives, climate justice, and more. Plus, it's Friday, so b...

Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced six books deemed racist are going out of print, and their online asking price immediately jumped. What does this say? We talk to University of Central Arkansas philosophy professor Dr. Jacob Held, editor of "Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" Are universities in Canada inherently biased against conservatives? Trent University's Dr. Christopher...

Ryan and Sam have some fun out of the gates, completing a light-hearted edition of the Real Talk Question of the Week, presented by Y Station. Family lawyers Jo-Anne Stark and Marcus Sixta talk divorce, child custody, and steps to eliminate stress through family court proceedings. Osmundsen Holdings CEO Kelly Thompson digs into his recent Twitter thread, explaining why United Conservative governme...

She was so convinced Lethbridge Police officers were monitoring her movements, she filed a Freedom of Information request. What former Environment Minister Shannon Phillips discovered was a chilling trend. The NDP MLA from Lethbridge West joins us for an exclusive interview on her first suspicions, the implications of the surveillance, and what she wants to see done about it. On the heels of Inter...

Happy International Women's Day! Emmy Award-winning ESPN host/reporter Jen Lada joins us from Milwaukee to share insights on her double-duty job, covering college football and hosting a morning radio show. Entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors Shelley Kuipers, Rhiannon Davies, and Amanda Hall form a Real Talk Round Table you won't want to miss. We cover financial feminism, funding gaps for wome...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

Between vaccines and new variants and businesses re-opening and health experts sounding alarms, it can be tough for the average person to know how to feel about proper COVID protocols. Dr. Gosia Gasperowicz, a developmental biologist, spells out what the numbers say, and describes a road to "COVID Zero". They're women who've held elected office, and decided to leave on their own terms. Our Real Ta...

For years, researchers have drawn a line from oil sands activity to recurring rare forms of cancer in Fort Chipewyan and Fort McKay. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, whistleblower Dr. John O'Connor, and James Turk from Ryerson University's Centre for Free Expression explain why they think provincial and federal governments haven't taken this health threat seriously. How much do y...

What on earth are NFTs, and why are collectors paying millions of dollars for ten-second digital video clips? Reuters finance journalist Elizabeth Howcroft joins us from London to get into her recent feature on art collector Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile. Is the entire Christian community getting a bad rap as select churches continue to defy public health orders? Pastor Greg Hochhalter gets into how they...

Why are 18-30 year olds proving to be most susceptible to investment fraud? We talk to Hilary McKeekin from the Alberta Securities Commission about desperation, and how "get rich quick" schemes target young professionals. We heard from (literally) more than a hundred of you who reached out to talk@ryanjespersen.com and told us you wanted Real Talkers to hear Les Landry's story. We check in with th...

Can the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta really be as positive and collaborative as Minister Seamus O'Regan portrayed it to be on Friday's show? We ask longtime pollster and political commentator David Herle, former top advisor to Prime Minister Paul Martin, to chime in. The host of The Herle Burly podcast tells us why he thinks CPC leader Erin O'Toole has problems brewing within his party,...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

The Hon. Seamus O'Regan oversees one of the federal government's busiest portfolios. Canada's Minister of Natural Resources chimes in on what Ottawa's doing or has done on Keystone XL, Enbridge Line Five, abandoned and orphaned wells, wind and solar, and more (including questions submitted by Alberta Mayors Alanna Hnatiw and Barry Morishita on hydrogen and a national energy corridor). On the heels...

Albertans are bracing for a tough budget today. Official Opposition finance critic Shannon Phillips lays out what she's expecting to see from the UCP, and what the NDP would do differently. Tens of thousands of seniors (and their families) were unable to successfully schedule vaccinations online yesterday, as Alberta Health Services' website couldn't keep up to demand. Enter the brilliant Dr. Kory...

If you had a hard time finding Real Talk on your favourite podcast platform yesterday, you weren't alone. Podboard100 managing director Stephen Brogarth explains why some of the most prominent platforms have recently come under "DDoS" attack. Calgary Police Constable Tad Milmine's personal survival story is both troubling and remarkable. On Pink Shirt Day, he explains how he overcame child abuse a...

There's no question racist language, signage, and symbolism was on full display at an "anti-lockdown" rally in Edmonton over the weekend. Senator Paula Simons and former federal cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi clearly agree it needs to be addressed, but have different thoughts on how. They join Ryan for a great back-and-forth out of the gates. Alberta's upcoming provincial budget promises to be a t...

With their pastor still sitting in jail for defying public health orders, congregants at GraceLife Church west of Edmonton packed the house to capacity yet again Sunday morning. Ryan reviews some of the messaging from the pulpit, and reads emails describing how Real Talkers would respond to the situation. Now-former talk show host Danielle Smith walked away from a prominent radio gig on Friday, an...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

The world watched as NASA's Perseverance rover touched down on Mars. World-renowned theoretical astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack, author of The End of Everything, joins us for a wonderfully-captivating conversation about this huge accomplishment. We observe and discuss Black History Month with conservative strategist Semhar Tekeste, photographer Eric Domond, and educator Andrew Parker. You won't want...

As Portland police officers guarded dumpsters full of food outside the Fred Meyer grocery store, Dr. Juniper Simonis was there documenting it. They join us out of the gates to talk about policing, community activism, social supports, and food waste. Real Talk viewer Darren, a grain farmer, took issue with viewer Jared's Trash Talk email on Friday (which essentially called "sustainable beef" an oxy...