This Matters (Toronto Star)

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

Now that the election is done, our panel of columnists gathers one last time to assess what the heck happened and discuss Olivia Chow’s mandate, what her winning Scarborough means, what Ontario Premier Doug Ford (and others) lost by going against her and the hard work that lies ahead.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Emma Westecott, associate professor of game design at OCAD University and co-director of the Game: Play Lab

The Metaverse is coming. Long thought to be one of the next great leaps in shared digital spaces, the idea of the Metaverse recently got a boost from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg when he announced the company is investing $10 billion and rebranding its own platform with the name Meta. But Facebook is not alone. There are already game worlds and platforms like Fortnite and Roblox that are building elements of it. There is a long way to go before we get to something that’s been depicted in movies like “The Matrix” and “Ready Player One.” But as development really gets underway, now is the time to be asking what do we want the Metaverse to look like and how to make it beneficial for everyone?

"This Matters" would like to share an episode of the third season of the Toronto Star podcast "Millennial Money." The show includes millennials speaking about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors.

jes sachse has been fighting an eviction for about two years. And they’re not alone. As rent and property prices soar, eviction is a threat for many Torontonians.

"We have an opportunity to create a different reputation."

This episode is a rebroadcast from Thursday,  July 23, where Mahesh Prajapat, Chief Operating Officer of CAS Toronto, tells Saba Eitizaz it’s time for CAS to stop trying to bring children in to the child welfare system — and focus on supporting the family instead. Since that episode ran, the Ontario government has announced initiatives towards over-hauling children’s aid to focus more on prevention and keeping families together — and to address the over representation of Black and Indigenous youth in the child welfare system. 

According to Toronto Children’s Aid Society, Black Torontonians only represent 9 percent of the city’s population while Black children represent the highest percentage of children in their care. The most recent data shows 42 percent of children and youth in CAS-T’s care identify as Black, reflecting a number that hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Toronto’s Children’s Aid Society admits systemic racism is a problem, along with pre-conceived ideas about a parent’s ability to care for their child. So how do we fix this? 

Guest: Karon Liu, food reporter for the Toronto Star

What’s going on with Canadian butter? For more than a year, hawk-eyed bakers, chefs and food experts stuck at home have noticed something odd, a hypothesis that has morphed into a low-stakes but viral conspiracy theory: the butter we’re now using is physically firmer and melts slower. Is this true? How would we prove or disprove ‘Buttergate’? Toronto Star’s food reporter takes us down the winding path of food scientists, palm oil plantations, dairy farms and the ultimate arbiter of butter: his dad.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

The term “flattening the curve” is everywhere, in personal discussion and the media coverage of COVID-19. But how far away is everyone from actually flattening it, here in Canada and around the world? What lessons can we learn for when the worst of COVID-19 hits us and our healthcare system? Today, Adrian Cheung talks to two infectious disease doctors, Dr. Albert Ko from Yale’s School of Public Health and Dr. Susy Hota from the University Health Network – on how being proactive vs. reactive changes the impact of the virus, and what it will really take to flatten the curve for good.

Guests: Journalists Samira Mohyeddin and Christopher Curtis

Student protests that first erupted across the United States have now spread northward, igniting across Canada, including campuses at University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia and University of Alberta among others. The students say they want to end a war that’s claimed more than 34,000 Palestinian lives, according to local officials, destroyed or damaged every university in Gaza and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The recent Israeli offensive against Gaza began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants which killed almost 1,200 Israelis with dozens still held hostage. The students are specifically calling for universities to cut all financial and academic ties with any Israeli company or campus that supports the military or illegal West Bank settlements based on international law. In this episode we take a look at what's going inside the University of Toronto and McGill University campuses through the eyes of two independent journalists, Samira Mohiyeddin and Christopher Curtis, co-founder of The Rover, who have been reporting from within the encampments. 

Audio sources: CBC News, Samira Mohyeddin, Christopher Curtis, Lance McMillan

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

With files from Marco Chown Oved

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Dr. Allen Upton talks to "This Matters" host Saba Eitizaz about how Black health leaders pushed for a grounbreaking pilot project to find out why COVID-19 was disproportionately impacting Black communities and what the research has revealed so far. He also talks about his work on the Black Scientists Task Force launched by the City of Toronto to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Edward Keenan, city columnist

As municipal elections across Ontario enter their final week, the Toronto election has been bereft of interest. Sure, housing and affordability are big issues, but those will require all levels of government working together to tackle. There are a lot of small things that add up to big quality of life improvements when living in a city, and it’s some of those where it feels like the city is dropping the ball. The Star has been exploring these issues in the “Can’t We Do Better” series.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CARP

Guest: Alex McKeen, Toronto Star reporter

For much of the pandemic, New Zealand has avoided mass outbreaks, a large number of deaths and high case counts, and in doing so has been heralded by COVID-Zero supporters as the poster-child of the strategy to eliminate the virus. But that’s all come to an end as New Zealand, like a number of other nations, has all but abandoned the official strategy. The goal now is low rates of transmission, rather than total elimination. The COVID-Zero movement has drawn a number of supporters from epidemiologists and public health experts as well its share of criticism from people who compare the approach to the anti-vax movement. Where does the goal of eliminating COVID spread go now? Is it even possible to achieve? Why is the dream of eliminating COVID spread such a controversial one?

Guest: Hayden King, educator and director of the Yellowhead Institute

It was a powerful image seen across Canada: the statue of Egerton Ryerson, chief architect of the residential school system, torn down at the namesake university campus in Toronto. More than 300 signatures from students, faculty and associate deans from Ryerson University back the sentiment behind the event. They want the name to be abolished and (for now) replaced as “X University.” The pressure continues to mount after the discovery of remains of 215 Indigenous children at a former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C. We dive into why this fight at one university campus is a reflection of the much bigger reckoning of truth and decolonization in Canada.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Toronto Star reporter

In recent months, and in the wake of alarming killings like the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, some Canadian politicians say fear of violence has become a regular hazard of the job. We take a look at the tense political climate that’s forcing public officials to amp up their security, what this means for the future of politics in this country, and where all this rage is coming from.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn.

Audio sources: Global News and CityNews

Guest: Professor Nina Kohn, law professor at Syracuse University and expert on elder law and conservatorships

Britney Spears is fighting to free herself from a decade-long conservatorship under her father James and yesterday, she might have reached a milestone win when a California court judge agreed to let the pop star choose her own lawyer. Today on “This Matters,” we take a look at exactly how conservatorships work in the U.S. and whether a pop icon’s cry for help has started an important national conversation on the need for reform on conservatorship laws.

Guests: Dr. Grace Parraga, Tier 1 Canada research chair in lung imaging at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Dr. Michael Nicholson, a respirologist with the post-acute COVID-19 program at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ont.

An estimated one in ten COVID survivors suffer from long COVID. The cause of the condition has puzzled doctors and long COVID sufferers are frustrated by the lack of knowledge and support. With an estimated 200 symptoms associated with long COVID, it’s hard to diagnose and treat. Now, an Ontario research team has made a discovery that could be key in helping to diagnose it and potentially find treatments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

WARNING: This story contains sensitive subject matter, including suicide and self-harm, that could be triggering for some readers.

Guest: Sheila Wang, investigative reporter

A new study has revealed that tons of mercury dumped as industrial waste upstream of Grassy Narrows First Nations decades ago has contributed to the community’s youth attempting suicide at a rate three times higher than that of other First Nations in Canada. Residents of the community have long reported tremors, slurred speech, impaired hearing, tunnel vision and lost muscle co-ordination, but this is the first time a direct connection has been made between mercury contamination and the deteriorating mental health of the younger generation. We take a look at this new information and its significance.

Audio sources: Star files, Global News, APTN News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Guest: Jon Festinger, adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law

The federal government is changing how the internet is regulated in Canada. Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, is new legislation that will give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) the task of regulating companies like Netflix, YouTube and TikTok, similar to what it does with radio and television broadcasting. Many critics point out that internet streaming is very different and question if a similar approach is the right idea. There are also concerns about where user-generated content fits in. Jon Festinger, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and a faculty member in the Centre for Digital Media, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Lisa Brosseau, a bioaerosol scientist & industrial hygienist at the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 

With most of us interested in having the best level of protection against the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19, a growing number of doctors around North America say a cloth mask doesn’t cut it and medical masks or respirators (like an N95) should be worn for maximum protection. Which mask is the safest bet? Can we still get away with a cloth mask? Will N95 masks be mandatory? What are the most effective ones for kids? What are the best practices for handling your mask? We try to tackle some of these questions with a “mask expert” who has over 25 years of experience with respiratory protection and workplace health & safety. 

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter

Health Canada has authorized a new type of COVID shot from Moderna. It is a bivalent vaccine which means it is essentially two vaccines in one, in this case targeting the original virus and the Omicron variant BA.1. The new vaccines are arriving in Canada just ahead of a predicted COVID surge this fall. Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd tells us more about bivalent vaccines and what this means for the future in a world where the virus isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Noor Javed, city news reporter

At the peak of the pandemic, the Ford government turned to Minister’s Zoning Orders (known as MZOs) as the speediest solution to the housing crisis and direly needed construction of long-term-care facilities. Former housing minister Steve Clark issued more than 100 MZOs between 2019 and 2023. But in the wake of the Greenbelt scandal, scrutiny is now shifting to these MZOs and if they have actually fast-tracked development efforts. The Star did its own analysis and found little progress in the past four years to support that claim.

Audio sources: Ontario Nature, CHCH News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter for the Star

The start of the school year in Canada was in effect a real-time experiment of how COVID-19 could spread among a mostly unvaccinated population. Despite vaccine mandates among school staff, mask use, physical distancing and ventilation, the vast majority of elementary school-age children are unvaccinated with their vaccine rollout only now in its initial stages. COVID outbreaks have surged in Ontario schools since November leaving the question about what we can do to slow the spread before the holidays.

Food writer and editor Suresh Doss specializes in highlighting the culinary gems in Toronto’s strip malls and plazas. He joins the Star’s food reporter Karon Liu on “This Matters” to talk about the particular challenges of food businesses in the suburbs, how younger generations are keeping their parents’ businesses alive and, of course, where he’s been getting takeout.

The horrific discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation grounds is a glaring reminder of Canada’s racist legacy and a country’s shame. Cree/Iroquois/French human rights journalist Brandi Morin joins “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz to discuss the enduring trauma of Canada’s residential school system, why many Canadians didn’t grow up learning about it and whether truth and reconciliation can really take place without a reckoning with history and continuing racism.

A warning that the following discussion might be distressing to some listeners. 

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of a residential school experience. Support is available at 1-866-925-4419.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Research has revealed despite a steady growth in recent years, Canadian businesses owned by Indigenous women already up against systemic barriers have fallen prey to COVID. Tabatha Bull, an Anishinaabe woman from Nipissing First Nation and the president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, joins “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz to speak about how we level the playing field for Indigenous women in business and why it is essential for Canada’s economy to do so.

Guest: Lex Harvey, who has been fact checking the party leaders on the campaign trail for The Star

Are Canada’s leaders being honest on the campaign trail? Fact checking leaders has become en vogue over the past decade, in part due to former U.S. President Donald Trumps regular speeches filled with exaggerations, misinformation and false claims. In the pressure cooker of a campaign, fact checking leaders is a good barometer of our democracy, and no matter what you feel about this election, you may surprised at the results of The Star’s audit.

This episode originally aired January 9, 2023.

Guest: Jim Rankin, staff reporter

Twenty years ago, the Star published a landmark and controversial investigation examining data that showed police interaction with racialized people occurred at a higher rate, kicking of years of stories that reinforced this initial conclusion. This past year, after looking at their own data, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized for police interactions with the Black community. The problems persist through all areas of law enforcement despite the acknowledgments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC and Globe and Mail

Statistics Canada data shows more than 50,000 Toronto residents left between July 2019 and July 2020, while surrounding areas saw a population boom. The COVID pandemic had a big part in that. But what happens to Toronto now? David Rider, Toronto Star’s city hall bureau chief, joins “This Matters” about a shrinking Toronto and the opportunities for reinvention of how this city works in the long-haul.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

On Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service unveiled a landmark report that made clear there is systemic discrimination in their policing. Including use of force statistics from 2020, the results show that many racialized people face over policing, in particular, Black and Indigenous people. This comes as no surprise to many of Black and Indigenous communities, but now the police have acknowledged the problem with their own data and say they have started with recommendations to fix it. Will it make a difference?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

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. 

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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 much of his one-term presidency, Trump isn’t following convention. Before, and now after the election, he has claimed voter fraud, with no evidence. He claimed he won on election night, even though he didn’t. He and his campaign refuse to concede the presidency. Does that refusal mean anything?

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 legal checks and balances are to ensure the election winner serves as president.

Guest: Dr. Samantha Nutt, War Child Canada and War Child USA

It’s been exactly a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. According to the United Nations, more than three million people have been forced to flee. Half of those are children. In addition, Ukrainian officials say more than 100 children have been killed. Children have nothing to do with war and yet it impacts them more than anyone. One in every six children across the world continue to live in active conflict zones, caught up in violence not of their own making. In today’s episode, Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder and president of humanitarian organization War Child Canada and War Child USA, joins to look at how children are scarred by war.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Robert Benzie and Tonda MacCharles, Star reporters

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford signing on the dotted line confirming the province of Ontario is in, Canada will have a national child-care program for the first time in history. With the province having one of the highest child-care rates in Canada, the federal government has earmarked 13.2 billion for Ontario over six years. Parents could see fees reduced by up to 50 per cent by the end of the year, with costs dropping to as low as $10-a-day by September 2025. The timing couldn’t be better. The country’s fiscal year-end is this week and the province is just nine weeks out from an election. In this episode, we talked to reporters from the Star’s Queen’s Park and Ottawa bureaus to unpack the plan, why Ontario took so long and what it means for Canadians.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter for the Star

A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau has done an analysis of key mental health indicators for First Nations youth, including antidepressant prescriptions, suicide attempts, self-reported disorders and access to support, revealing a strained system of care failing to meet the needs of desperate young people. As Indigenous youth in Canada suffer from some of the highest rates of suicide in the world, culturally relevant counselling and community healing practises are few and hard to access. Star reporter Robert Cribb headed the Toronto Star series Generation Distress and joins “This Matters” to explain how mental health support tailored to Indigenous culture remains out of reach for youth in crisis and how the system is failing them.

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 story of being stuck in limbo after getting their permanent resident visas and packing up their old lives.

Guest: Larry Savage, professor of Labour Studies at Brock University

With organizing efforts underway at Starbucks, Amazon, Apple and many more employers, unions and the labour movement are having a moment. Unions are fighting for higher wages and benefits for workers as workplaces try to return to normal after COVID-19 and sky high inflation makes for a higher cost of living. With a tight job market, workers should have some leverage but as economic signs point toward things like a recession, the actions of the unions and the labour movement could become even more important for workers.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources in this episode: CHCH News, CNN, Global News, CBC

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter for the Star

The case of the MV Miner is a siren call to the question of what happens to “dead ships” that come from Canada and the dire consequences of neglect. Nova Scotians know the story well after the giant vessel full of chemicals and fuel became adrift and ended up in a protected area. It took $20 million and four years to remove. What happens to the rest of Canada’s “dead ships” that face a perilous journey across oceans? A Star investigation explains why a lack of oversight and big money has created an industry of potentially damaging and dangerous derelicts.

Guest: Ed Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief

This week New York City became the first city in the United States to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor spaces and activities. Just two months after Washington Bureau Chief Ed Keenan reported about the city’s reopening joy and successful vaccinations, COVID cases are rising in all 50 U.S. states, driven by the Delta variant and surging in places where vaccinations rates are low. What changed the game so quickly in the U.S.? Health experts said it comes down to who got vaccinated and who did not. Today on “This Matters,” we take a look at what happened and what this might mean for Canada.

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 legal checks and balances are to ensure the election winner serves as president.

For the political nerds listening (respect!), Geoffrey gets deep into the different simulations, at a state level, at an Electoral College level, how the Constitution gets wrapped up in what could a full-blown legal battle. A lot of that has been edited out of this version but you can find all of that in the What if Trump won’t leave? (FiveThirtyEight extended cut for political junkies) version of this episode on the “This Matters” podcast feed. Trust us, it’s fascinating stuff. But if you want to skip all of that, just keep listening right here. 

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.

Guest: Brandi Morin, French/Cree/Iroquois human rights journalist who lives in Treaty 6 territory

Last Friday, RCMP arrested award-winning journalist Amber Bracken and documentary maker Michael Toledano, as well as 15 others, as part of a raid on one of the camps set up to keep TransCanada Energy's Coastal GasLink gas pipeline out of Indigenous territory. Many say the multibillion-dollar gas project — one of the largest private sector investments in Canada — violates both Indigenous and international laws. The consequent standoff in the territory of the Wet'suwet'en is raising serious questions about the role of the RCMP when it comes to Indigenous communities, and what the current situation means for press freedom and access to information on this issue.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

Ottawa remains under siege and in a state of emergency, as declared by the city mayor on Sunday. There were other Freedom Convoy demonstrations across the country this weekend, including in Toronto, but their effect was mitigated as other police forces and other authorities learned from Ottawa police's missteps and managed to control protesters. Protesters and police from around the world are watching what is happening in Canada's capital and many wonder if a new playbook for civil disobedience and how to handle it are being written right before our eyes.

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

Building on Ontario’s Greenbelt has long been a hot-button political issue in this province, and one that many politicians have stayed away from. Now, citing the need for new housing, the Ontario government has backtracked on promises not to develop on it and proposed a land swap that could open up 15 areas and thousands of acres to new development. Advocates are concerned these moves could have damaging consequences to the environment and contribute to more urban sprawl, while the government says millions of people are moving to Ontario over the next decade and need a place to live.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News, Ontario Proud

Guest: Olivia Chow, mayor

News over the last couple of weeks around city hall has been heavy on tax worries and mix-ups — thousands of bills sent out for vacant home taxes for occupied properties and concerns about a proposed stormwater fee. Mayor Olivia Chow explains what she thinks went wrong and how she plans to fix it (and “start from scratch” on the vacant home system). She also discusses her plan to deal with the growing number of homeless encampments in parks that have spread around the city, recent Toronto Police Association criticism of her about a letter some councillors signed, provincial and federal announcements on housing, and what the city should be doing about dangerous dogs. Plus, Chow shares how she herself had to appeal a vacant home tax bill on her own house.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Bill Vigars, author of “Terry & Me”

It was 43 years ago when Terry Fox dipped his leg in the Atlantic Ocean and embarked on a run across the country to raise money for cancer research. He ran 5,373 kilometres in 143 days before his cancer would return and end his run in Thunder Bay, Ont. Fox’s dream of raising $1 for every Canadian would be realized, though. Canadians and others around the world run annually in his place and have raised over $850 million dollars for critical research. Bill Vigars, one of the people closest to Fox, is the author of the new book “Terry & Me” and joins “This Matters” to share more about the man behind the Marathon of Hope.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: Terry Fox Foundation, CHCH News, Global News

There have already been COVID-19 outbreaks in correctional institutions across the U.S., British Columbia and Quebec. In Ontario, the largest outbreak has centred on the Ontario Correctional Institute (OCI), where of 109 inmates, 80 have tested positive, as well as 21 correctional officers. But it’s not just inside the jails and prisons, as the government is letting many low-risk offenders out to ease the burden on the system, and many are entering a different world, with less post-release support facilities in place. To discuss the prison pandemic, Raju Mudhar is joined by Alyshah Hasham, the Star’s courts reporter who has been following this story. As well, he talks with Derrick Peachey, a former inmate at the OCI, who was released in early April, about his experience inside the prison, and dealing with a very different world outside.

In the early 1920s, the world began to transform. The job market exploded. Culture, nightlife and the arts flourished. Long-held beliefs about gender, race, religion and politics were being challenged. It was the Roaring Twenties. A century later, as we begin to climb out of the COVID-19 pandemic, could we be headed for a Roaring Twenties in the 2020s?

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

Commentator: Robert Benzie

It's likely Doug Ford will call a snap election nearly a year and a half before the province is due. Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie gives a brief analysis and explains why now is an ideal time for Ford to call this election: what's at stake, what issues are most pressing, what his opposition thinks, and what is the historical precedence in Ontario for snap elections.

Guest: Arif Husain, Chief Economist at World Food Programme

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Dr. Naheed Dosani, Toronto-based palliative care physician and health justice activist

Even as health care workers were being hailed by many as heroes for facing the deadly COVID-19 pandemic on the front line, many were also targets of online hate, racism and xenophobia. The digital harassment has seeped into real-life with anti-vaccination protests outside hospitals where there have been reports of violence and abuse. Dr. Naheed Dosani joins “This Matters” to talk about the nightmare that has been the last 18 months and what needs to happen next to protect them.

Peter Edwards is a crime reporter at the Star, who has covered organized crime for years. He has written over 15 non-fiction books on the subject. He joins This Matters to break down the two truck turf wars in the GTA and what happens next.

A brazen crime spree has gripped the Greater Toronto Area for almost three years. A turf war between towing companies that has resulted in murders, arson, gang violence, threats and intimidation.

This past week, a number of police forces working together in an operation called Project Platinum announced 20 arrests and over 200 charges filed against a number of individuals involved in these crimes. They also seized weapons, over one million dollars in various drugs, including Fentanyl, $500,000 in cash, 11 tow trucks and much more.

Police allege that four distinct criminal organizations were involved and were fighting over much more than turf. They had a sophisticated scheme that involved insurance fraud at auto centres, physiotherapy clinics and more. It’s also not over. Police expect to make 30 more arrests in this ongoing investigation.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter 

The investigations continue into what drove 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire last weekend, at former president Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before being shot dead by a Secret Service sniper. But moments after the shooting, social media platforms were flooded with conspiracy theories with both right and left-wing voices amplifying mis and disinformation. From claims that the blood on Trump's ear was fake and from a theatrical prop to allegations of a staged operation by the Secret Service, the internet was rife with speculation. We unpack how this incident reveals the growing reach of conspiracy theories beyond traditional political lines, how they spread so quickly and social media’s role in amplifying them. 

Audio sources: TikTok/The Daily Show 

Paul Burns is the managing director of Twitter Canada and he discusses why his company is letting employees choose if they want to come back to an office. We are also joined by Kennedy Gordon, managing editor of the Peterborough Examiner, which has announced it is leaving its office spaces and becoming a completely virtual newsroom. 

On the day the U.S. Congress voted to certify the ballots confirming Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, a pro-Trump mob stormed into the U.S. Capitol threatening to upend the results of the election. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, joins “This Matters” to talk about what he saw unfold at the insurrection and how it shook American democracy.

Guest: Raisa Patel, federal politics reporter

Bill C-11, Canada’s new Online Streaming Act, is now law. Considered a refresh to the outdated Broadcasting Act, there are still several questions about how this law will affect streaming platforms and what discoverability of Canadian-made content will look like. And what about cat videos? While the government insists the act doesn’t cover user-generated content, critics are not so sure.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: The Cat Academy/YouTube

Guest: Dr. Fahad Razak, internist at St. Michael’s Hospital

After more than three years, the World Health Organization has declared that COVID-19 is over as a global health emergency. However, the organization also said the virus remains a threat and can still get people very sick. For many people, the pandemic has been “over” for a while but there are also plenty of people for whom the effects linger and that’s something to remember as we navigate this next phase.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CBC and ABC

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, crime and court reporter

Jacob Hoggard, the former lead singer of the band Hedley, has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault. The Canadian rock star was sentenced by a Superior Court justice on Thursday, after a jury found him guilty following a trial that began last May. The case has opened up an important conversation around consent and how it is perceived by the justice system and our society. The sentencing of Hoggard may have larger implications in a country where only one in 15 reported cases of sexual assault end with a conviction.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Another lockdown, another stay-at-home order in Ontario. The third wave is hitting the province hard as COVID variants spread, the vaccination rollout buckles and a paid sick leave program remains a no-go for the Ontario government. Despite all the warnings from doctors and other medical professionals, how did we get here again? Will safety measures work this time around? 

Guest: Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist covering COVID-19

It’s been one year since John Tory announced his surprise resignation and what difference those 12 months have made at city hall, never more in evidence than in the budget scheduled to be passed next week. We discuss what’s changed, why Mayor Olivia Chow seemed so pleased with the federal refugee funding, a prebudget meeting of council and more. As well, Premier Doug Ford deserves (partial) credit where it is due.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter covering Canada-China relations and author of “China Unbound”

It’s been almost three years since former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor (collectively known as the “two Michaels”) were arrested by the Chinese Communist Party. The move was seen as retaliation against Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is currently standing trial for possible extradition to the United States. Now, just this month, Michael Spavor was found guilty of espionage charges and sentenced to 11 years in a Chinese prison, while another Chinese court rejected Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg’s appeal against a death sentence for drug trafficking. It all seems so shocking, but as Star reporter Joanna Chiu reports, this form of hostage taking diplomacy and death threat diplomacy is not new. Why is no one talking about other Canadians that have been taken as political prisoners by China?

Guests: Nagwa El Mamoun, Safiya Abbadi and Omar Mosleh

It’s been just over two weeks since violence erupted between two rival military factions in Khartoum, the Capital city of Sudan. The Canadian government has airlifted citizens out, but says that it may not be able to do so in the future. Nagwa El Mamoun, a Canadian who was in Sudan when the fighting broke out, her daughter Safiya Abbadi and Toronto Star journalist Omar Mosleh join to share the Canadian family’s story and discuss what led to this conflict.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: BBC

Guests: Anonymous member of 1500Tasvir and Pardis Mahdavi, author of “Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution”

A protest that erupted in the wake of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death allegedly at the hands of Iran’s so-called morality police is now spreading like wildfire across the country and creating a serious challenge for the Islamist government. It’s being called one of the largest and most inclusive resistance movements in the country as people revolt against an oppressive regime, growing inflation, and a total lack of social and political freedom. The protesting continues as state forces intensify a crackdown against protesters, scores are dead and the internet almost totally blacked out. We deep dive into a movement that is being led by the women of a new generation with the rallying slogan “Women, life, freedom.”

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Audio sources: The Guardian

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 4: Pandemic

As COVID-19 grips the city, Foodora couriers find themselves working under even riskier conditions. While they receive praise from the public who have gained new appreciation for the food delivered to their doors, their lack of job protections stand in stark contrast to their essential designation.

Listen here every week or subscribe to Hustled.

Guest: Diana Chan McNally, training and engagement co-ordinator for the Toronto Drop-in Network

Host: Jennifer Pagliaro

As the city grapples with another pandemic budget and how to pay for basic city services, there are calls for an increase to funding to help the city's most vulnerable. On one point, advocates approached the budget committee to plead for resources to provide menstrual and incontinence products to clients who use drop-in spaces all over the city — people who are low-income, precariously housed and those experiencing homelessness. Even though the city added over $220,000 in funding for free menstrual products in city-funded shelters and other spaces in 2020, that money has not benefited a network of over 50 drop-in sites that mostly rely on fundraising to provide their clients a place to rest, something to eat and access to other services. Now there is a push to increase the city's funding to make sure more people are served.

"This Matters" would like to share an episode of the third season of the Toronto Star podcast "Millennial Money." The show includes millennials speaking about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, reporter covering mental health issues, the Star

New data shows that the number of teachers taking sick leave during the pandemic has doubled over the past two years of the pandemic. Researchers at Brock University have done early research that shows teachers are dealing with higher levels of stress and burnout, in large part due to the disruptions to the education system brought on by COVID-19. From the demands of remote, virtual and hybrid schooling, to the ever-present threat of students and teachers catching COVID-19 in a classroom setting, it is has been an extraordinarily unsettling time for many educators, which also has an effect on the students and the system as whole.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Calgary-based reporter

The writ has dropped in Alberta and the campaign for premier is on. The NDP’s Rachel Notley would like to win back power, while UCP incumbent Danielle Smith must now see if voters agree with her vision for the province. It’s an election that will have ramifications for the rest of the country, as issues like energy and the environment are sure to be big factors.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CBC

Guest: Ben Spurr, city hall bureau chief 

Can you imagine Toronto without its public transit lifeline? A TTC strike might be looming for the first time in almost 16 years as thousands of transit workers might soon walk off the job and on to the picket line this Friday. Despite months of negotiations on job security, wages and benefits, the TTC management and the union representing about 12,000 workers seems to be in a deadlock. City hall bureau chief Ben Spurr explains the stakes on both sides and what this could mean for Torontonian's commute on Friday. 

Audio sources: CBC News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Jim Stanford, director at the Centre for Future Work

The Competition Bureau is investigating if the Canadian grocery industry is contributing to skyrocketing food prices. Coming on the heels of the news that Loblaws and Metro are freezing prices on their in-house brands as part of a goodwill gesture to consumers, there are reports pointing to corporate profiteering leading to higher prices. This is colloquially referred to as “greedflation,” and if it’s happening, the bigger question is what, if anything, can be done about it? Jim Stanford, director at the Centre for Future Work and contributing columnist at the Star, joins “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CPAC and CBC

Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work, talks to Adrian Cheung about the big picture of Canada’s economy, why re-opening too quickly could lead to further disaster and ideas on how we can begin recovering financially from this mess.

Canada’s economic numbers are staggering, for all the wrong reasons. In the span of two months, more than three million Canadians have lost their jobs and another 2.5 million have had their work hours reduced. Unemployment has soared to 13 per cent as businesses and corporations have taken on mass layoffs.

A record number of Canadians are turning to government aid to keep their families and businesses afloat. Meanwhile, the GDP is shrinking at a record rate, at levels unseen in more than a decade. Many economists say a plunge of this severity is comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In short: Canada, along with many parts of the world, have seen its economies devastated during the pandemic.

But where is the bottom? Have we seen the worst of it or is there more bad news to come?

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.

Guest: Richard Warnica, business feature writer

Ontario's Blue Box paper and plastic recycling program is in the midst of the overhaul, catching up with jurisdictions all over the world by putting more of the responsibility for getting rid of waste packaging on to producers. The made-in-Ontario solution has left no one happy, including industry stakeholders and environmental experts. Both are asking for clarity as deadlines loom to make proposed changes. Will the new regulations gets tossed to the curb, or will they be recycled into something that may work?

This episode discusses several parties, including the Ontario government and Green For Life. Below are their responses when asked for comment:

"From our perspective, there's no disagreement," he said. "They think that we are the big bad guys that are going to get in and drive up costs significantly once we control the market. And it couldn't be further from the truth." — Patrick Dovigi, founder and CEO of Green For Life Environmental, Ontario's largest waste management company

"We are working to deliver a blue box system that will make recycling easier by standardizing what goes in the blue box and expanding services to more communities across the province....We have made sure we have a process that ensures broad collaboration and brings all parties together in pursuit of the best possible recycling system, and one that will be a North American leader." — a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Guests: Rob Hickey and Erin Sheldon, parents of Maggie Hickey

The government has given the Hickey family an awful choice. Maggie Hickey has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes significant physical and intellectual disabilities. While she is non-verbal and developmentally delayed, she is a happy 19-year-old woman with a group behind her supporting her needs. The arrangement is called a Microboard, a group of individuals including her parents, personal support workers and others who all help take part in decisions about her care and help keep her independent. But now some of Maggie’s home care funding has been cut because some government agencies don’t recognize the arrangement. Her parents join “This Matters” to discuss why they are launching a human rights complaint to fight for their daughter’s rights.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Scientists all over the world are working on finding ways to test and develop vaccines for COVID-19. Raju Mudhar talks with a member of the team of researchers who collaborated to become one of the first to isolate the COVID-19 virus. Dr. Karen Mossman, now in self isolation and a professor of pathology and molecular medicine and VP of research at McMaster University, talks about what it took to isolate the virus, what creating a vaccine entails, and what is giving her hope.

This Matters is running today's opening day episode of Deep Left Field, the Toronto Star's baseball podcast, with host Mike Wilner. He gets down on the field with the Jays. It's a longer episode today but if you are a Jays fan, you'll want to stick around.

Guests: Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, pitchers Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano, catcher Danny Jansen and third base coach Luis Rivera. Plus 10 Questions with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

In today’s episode of This Matters, we discuss provincial re-opening plans, economic and health risks of opening vs. staying locked down, and the fact that this is a disease that will be around for some time.

Saba Eitizaz talks to Dr. Vivek Goel who is the University of Toronto’s Vice President Research and Initiatives. He’s also a professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the SARS outbreak.

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

Our political panel talks about the election race as Toronto enters the feverish debate season, and asks what to make of the polls, how a big lead can disappear, whether voters want hope or anger and which candidates are bringing real talk on taxes.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Michael Oscars, talent agent and theatre producer

Drag is increasingly a target of hate and criticism across the world, looped into far-right hysteria, “freedom” convoy protesting and narratives about child safety. It is an unusual turn of perspective when drag has always been part of our popular culture, including our local popular culture and arts scene in Toronto. Drag performers have also been part of causes for good, including activism and fundraising. Drag does have a place in the bar scene but it has also long-been in some of our most mainstream television, film and theatre productions. Michael Oscars, a Canadian talent agent and theatre producer, joins “This Matters” to share what the art form is about and some of its history.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CBC, USA Today, SuchisLifeVideos/YouTube, Soundstripe

Toronto Star columnists Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan co-host this episode of “This Matters” to discuss how Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, Josh Matlow and Mark Saunders performed at the Toronto Star-United Way sponsored debate at the Ted Rogers School of Management, a part of Toronto Metropolitan University. It was moderated by Keenan and held May 31.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel.

Audio source: CP24

Tenants and landlords in Ontario fight the same fights — an unsteady economy, unemployment and missed rent payments — and since the pandemic began, they have only gotten worse. The Star’s affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung on the precarious living situation of thousands, details of the second eviction moratorium and what a long-term fix to a long-standing problem could look like.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

Guests: Rachel Mendleson, investigative reporter at The Star and Steve Buist, investigative reporter at The Spec

A recent Torstar investigation found over 600 cases where a judge found police forces committed serious breaches and violations of people’s Charter rights. As well, nine forces were found to have systemic breaches of not respecting these rights. It is a national problem. The consequences of this are criminal cases being thrown out with alleged suspects walking free as some innocent people have their rights trampled on.

Guest: John Moores, associate professor and York University Research Chair in Space Exploration

In the future, we may say space tourism really began in July 2021. Following Virgin Galactic’s recent successful suborbital flight, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is set to blast off and achieve an even higher orbit. With estimates that space tourism could be worth $5 billion by 2025, both billionaires are not only looking to the stars, but also at an opportunity to make it a lot closer for people who can afford to pay for the incredibly expensive ticket price.

Guests: Justin Piché, University of Ottawa

A landmark report from the Ontario Chief Coroner’s Office has revealed there were almost 200 inmate deaths in Ontario jails in just eight years, almost all of which were preventable. There is an obvious need for reforms, but are more jails and more staffing the answers to a complex, systemic issue with roots that extend beyond our correctional facilities? Justin Piché, associate professor in the Department of Criminology at University of Ottawa, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, professor and satellite imaging specialist at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

Satellites and social media are working together to give new perspectives and viewpoints on the war in Ukraine. The amount and frequency of images, sophistication of technology and ever easier access for researchers and enthusiasts have created a new kind of theatre of war, that is already having ramifications, as it has exposed troop movements and war atrocities. The bigger questions are what kind of effect will it have on conflicts going forward and how could it change things like military tactics, intelligence gathering and how information about conflicts is verified.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace and Diana Zlomislic, investigative reporters

A new Star investigation has revealed that owners of some of Toronto’s cheapest homes might be paying disproportionately more in property taxes than those living in luxurious mansions. Analyzing roughly 12,000 homes sold in 2016, Star reporters found the burden of this tax inequality is shouldered by those with the least-expensive houses, while owners of some of the city’s richest homes in fancy neighbourhoods get a break. Who tallies up the bill? It is the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), a publicly funded agency, who carries the task of valuating properties for tax purposes. While the agency says their assessment process has already been extensively reviewed by several third-party evaluators, the Star’s data analysis revealed there are many over-assessed — and overtaxed — homeowners.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This podcast episode has been edited to clarify the deadlines involved in challenging a residential property assessment. In a non-reassessment year, the deadline to submit a request for reconsideration to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation is March 31. In a reassessment year, that deadline is 120 days after a homeowner receives their notice. While homeowners can submit a request for reconsideration every year, if they miss the submission deadline, they cannot seek an adjustment for a previous year, only the current year.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Healthcare professionals have been sounding the alarm about over-crowded Intensive Care Units and hospitals as Ontario is gripped by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fuelled by the more virulent variants of concerns, hospital patients are tending to be younger, with many families arriving sick with the disease. Ontario’s hospitals are already taking extraordinary measures, like transfering patients, creating field hospitals, suspending surgeries and more to ensure that the entire health care system does not buckle under the strain brought on by the third wave of COVID-19 patients.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter, Toronto Star

Guest: Dr. Sean B. Rourke, neuropsychologist at St. Michael’s Hospital

Smart vending machines have launched on Canada’s East coast. They’re the first of what will be 100 nationwide. But instead of dispensing chocolate or candy, these machines hold life-saving supplies like HIV tests, naloxone kits and unused needles. They’re called Our Healthbox and they’re designed to reach communities underserved by traditional health care. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sean Rourke, a clinical neuropsychologist and scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital, who is leading the initiative. You can learn more about OurHealthbox and whether your community is eligible for a Healthbox here: https://www.ourhealthbox.ca/

Sources: CBC

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Maurqes.

Guest: Francine Kopun, senior writer

Toronto is in the process of renaming Dundas Street, but some critics think it’s not worth the cost and trouble. Three years after City Hall acted on a petition to change the name due to the actions of its namesake, Henry Dundas, some mayoral candidates are pledging to reopen the debate. Much of it hinges on the role Dundas may have played in delaying the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: BBC, CNN

Guest: Dr. Dan Flanders, a pediatrician

COVID-19, cold and flu season, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are combining to create a three-headed monster that is making a lot of kids sick and overwhelming children’s hospitals across the province. Beyond that, a shortage of over-the-counter medications for children like acetaminophen (Tylenol), and ibuprofen (Advil), as well as the commonly-prescribed antibiotic amoxicillin, has plenty of kids needlessly suffering and parents stressed. Dr. Dan Flanders, a pediatrician and owner of Kindercare Pediatrics, joins “This Matters” to diagnose what brought us here and share what parents can do to get their kids through this sniffly season.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists

Mayor Olivia Chow spoke with John Baird, the former federal minister of foreign affairs, and they agreed Toronto needs a new deal. So far the federal government hasn’t played along, but maybe a scandal plagued Premier Doug Ford could be convinced to play along? Keenan and Teitel also discuss the Conservative party’s indulgence of anti-woke pandering, the late arrival of cellular service on the TTC, the late departure of the prime minister from a foreign meeting and other assorted news that caught their attention through the week.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CHCH News, CTV News, Empire Club of Canada

The airline industry is in a financial tailspin as travel remains limited and borders of many countries are restricted because of COVID-19. In Canada’s aviation industry, airlines are under more pressure than ever before. The largest airlines are laying off thousands, while smaller ones could face bankruptcy. Robert Kokonis, founder of aviation consulting firm AirTrav, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung on the dire state of the industry, why the costs will be passed onto flyers (eventually) and what the federal government should be doing to help.

There is a sense of uncertainty, fear and deep anxiety for Afghan women following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Many are afraid of a return to a repressive past and reversal of painstaking progress made. Many also feel betrayal about how the country has been treated over the years, and the abrupt departure by the west. Today on “This Matters,” we are joined by two Afghan women on opposite ends of the world as we try to process what is unfolding in Afghanistan and how they feel about it.

For more information on the featured Canadian Campaign for Afghan Peace with the goal of helping Afghans inside Afghanistan, you can visit: https://ayedi.ca/ccap/

Kaavan, once dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant, captured worldwide attention last month when he was rescued from miserable conditions at a zoo in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad where he was held for 35 years and sent to an animal sanctuary in Cambodia. There was one key person behind the effort to move him: pop star Cher. Secunder Kermani reports on Pakistan for the BBC, and he joins Saba Eitizaz to tell the story of how it took several animal rights organizations, a court order and a pop star to win the freedom of one lonely elephant.