What’s next for business, jobs, education, families and our health and well being? The Next Normal will take a 100,000-foot-view of what’s on the horizon, what we should expect and how we will prepare for the next wave of this pandemic. Produced by Newstalk1010
Why Mark doesn’t feel bad for Kentucky liquor production. Plus – The 10 Worst Movies of 2025 GUESTS: Cal Bricker - CEO of Spirits Canada Barry Hertz - Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and Mail
2025 was a bad year for bears… or actually it was a good year for bears. Not so good for people. Plus – Why did a local sex toy store get a letter from the U.S. Department of War? GUESTS: Dr. Clifford Redford - Owner and operator of Wellington Veterinary Hospital Grace Bennett - cofounder of Bonjibon Monte McGregor - criminal lawyer
Mark takes your calls. Plus - Do you have any sympathy for Ontario public servants being forced back into the office full-time next week?
Mark doesn’t think so. Plus – What is the future of AI? GUESTS: Gitane DeSilva- President GD Strategic, former Consul General of Canada in Chicago and CEO of Canada Energy Regulator and Alberta’s Deputy Minister International and Inter-governmental relations Robert Sawyer - Hugo and Nebula Award winning SF writer, whose novel Flashforward was made into a popular TV series
Mark Towhey in for Jim Richards, this hour featured whisky expert Stuart Brown on what bottles pair with hope or heartbreak, how U.S. liquor bans are reshaping the market, and what whisky lovers can expect in 2026, followed by Matt Cauz on Canada’s surprising new struggle to stay competitive in junior hockey. Economist Moshe Lander then unpacked whether Star Trek’s philosophy can actually teach us how to “live long and prosper,” before a behind‑the‑scenes chat with 1010’s David Hunter about life in radio.
Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards, and this hour starts with Mark tackling Toronto’s debate over high‑visibility police cars with TPA President Clayton Campbell, explored how the Toronto Zoo helps animals handle Canada’s seasons, and dug into Sylvain Charlebois’ research on whether dynamic pricing and loyalty programs are secretly costing shoppers more. Listeners wrapped the hour by calling in with the specific changes they’d make to their mayor and council.
Mark Towhey digs in with Gaving Tighe, Senior Partner with Gardiner Roberts LLP, into revising the Crominal Code to outlaw intimidation and harassment. And Candy Ho HR Expert, Chair of Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling and a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University breaks down the effects of the new wage transparency law that takes effect January 1, 2026.
Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards and asks John Wright, CEO of Canada Pulse Insight if the Conservatives are now the party of the working class. Daniel Lauzon from Food For Now, shares his story about feeding those in his own backyard of Etobicoke. Jeff Chatteron from Checkmate Public Affairs, shares how to adapt to a crisis at work. And Brian Lilley explains why he thinks Liberal policies have destroyed Canada's justice system.
Mark Towhey brings back the discussion on Barrie’s bold high‑visibility police‑car redesign—talking with former TPS cop Mark Mendelson—and opens the phones on whether police uniforms, gear, and presentation have become too aggressive for a profession built mostly on trust, not combat. The hour then shifts to callers debating Ontario’s new pay‑transparency laws taking effect January 1, before wrapping with a look at how AI chatbots may influence Canadian voters and the news that TikTok’s U.S. operations will move to American ownership.
Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richard, and the final hour of today's show opened with podcasting leader Amanda Cupido, who shared the story of selling her podcast company, what the deal means for her future with The Walrus, and whether anyone who isn’t Joe Rogan can still make real money in podcasting. She also dug into the big question facing the industry: what radio can learn from podcasting—and whether traditional live radio can still be saved. Listeners then weighed in with how podcasts fit into their lives, followed by a feel‑good update on Purolator donating a much‑needed delivery truck to the North York Harvest food bank, and a conversation with retail analyst Bruce Winder about what should fill the massive empty spaces in today’s struggling malls.
Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards and the hour opened with Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Research and co-author of a number of books — discussing the themes of his new book Breaking Point, exploring the widening divides in Canada—urban vs. rural, east vs. west, young vs. old—and whether anything still binds the country together. Listeners then weighed in on a provocative question: if Canada vanished tomorrow, who would miss us and why? The hour closed with food economist Sylvain Charlebois, who broke down how much grocery prices have risen in 2025, what to expect in 2026, and how inflation is forcing Canadians to rethink how they eat and feed their families.
It is time for the Airing of Grievances Plus – Some feel good stories ahead of the holidays
How did we as a country fare during a tumultuous year?Plus – The meaning of human connection over the holidays GUESTS: Moshe Lander - economics professor at Concordia University Pete Bombaci - Founder and CEO of GenWell Mubin Shaikh - former undercover for CSIS and the RCMP in terrorism related investigations
Jim talks to the founder. Plus – The Year in Toronto Sports GUESTS: Ryan Donais - Founder of Tiny Tiny Homes Bruce Arthur - Toronto Star columnist Jen Kirsch - dating expert
Jim hosts the return of The Draft Plus – How often are you supposed to wash a bra?GUESTS: Scott Reid - CTV Political Commentator and advisor to a number of Prime Ministers, premiers and political leaders Tim Powers - Chairman of Summa Strategies
Cats, chairs and even more. Plus - Jim’s thoughts on the Skate Canada story
Why fake videos after major news events are spreading online. Plus – Wrapping paper vs. Gift bags. GUEST: Carmi Levy - tech expert
How many Bobs and Dorises are out there?Plus – Remembering Rob Reiner
Jim talks to a youth addiction expert Plus – The Voice of the Maple Leafs joins the show GUEST: Joe Bowen - The Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs Dr. Shawn Kelly - pediatrician and addiction specialist
Jim talks to a broadcaster there Plus - Jim’s thoughts on Trump’s response to the killing of Rob Reiner GUESTS: Lisa Raitt - Former Federal Cabinet Minister Archie Arenson - Drive announcer at MIX FM in Australia
Why you should always go to one Plus - Should drivers have to be retested every few years? GUEST: Kevin Donovan - Chief Investigative Reporter for the Toronto Star
Should the US commentator be weighing in on Canadian healthcare? Plus – Are these Christmas movies or not?GUESTS: Lisa Raitt - Former Federal Cabinet Minister Mike Wilner - Toronto Star columnist and host of the podcast Deep Left Field
Jim weighs in on the floor crossing Plus - 33 weeks? Give me a break GUEST: John Wright - veteran pollster and head of the polling firm Canada Pulse Insights
Jim gets to the bottom of a very important debate Plus – Are you in a Christmas Arm Race? GUESTS: Aurel Braun - professor of international relations and political science at U of T John Tory Jr. - aviation expert Jeff Marek - host of The Sheet
From ‘Baby Shark’ to ‘Skinamarink’, Jim breaks down why they can annoy us so much Plus – Was this meet-cute actually creepy?
GUESTS: Amanda Galbraith - co-founder and partner at reputation management company Oyster Group and host of Free For All Fridays Melody Jackson - Executive Director of the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish Tim Hudak - Former leader of the Ontario Conservatives now a Partner with Counsel Public Affairs, one of Canada’s leading public affairs agencies
GUESTS: Scott Reid - CTV Political Commentator and advisor to a number of Prime Ministers, premiers and political leadersGeorge Ruiter - trade show manager at Outset Media Jerry Agar
We take your calls Plus – Sydney Sweeney responds to criticisms of that American Eagle ad GUESTS: Monte McGregor - Criminal defence lawyer Erin Morrison - Vice President of Texture Communications
The surprising answer Plus - Have your parents told you something very relaxed about their health that terrified you?
The most common arguments you get in to while driving Plus – Why FIFA gave that peace prize to Trump GUESTS: Bruce Arthur - Toronto Star columnist
Jim weighs in on a viral video Plus – Introducing Christmas Movie Madness GUESTS: Barry Hertz - Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and Mail
We now know more about the picture Plus - Do young people actually go to the movies anymore? GUESTS: Gareth Wheeler - Canadian sports broadcaster Scott Reid - CTV Political Analyst and former advisor to a Prime Minister
How will this impact going to the movies?Plus - Jim talks about a clip he saw about online anger GUESTS: Moshe Lander - economics professor at Concordia University Amber Dowling - writer and critic
Would you be annoyed if someone wrote you a wedding speech using AI?Plus – The debate around Canada selling trucks to ICE GUEST: Lisa Raitt - Former federal cabinet minister
Jim takes your calls Plus - What can we do better to prevent food waste from grocery stores this holiday season? GUEST: Megan Czerpak from Love Food Hate Waste
Jim chats with him about the op-ed Plus – Residents still don’t know when they can go home after fire GUEST: Bill Marra - president and CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace in Windsor
Jim weighs in on the national debate Plus – The Bathroom Stages of Relationships GUEST: MPP John Fraser - Ontario Liberal Party Critic for Education
Is this the right strategy?Plus – Analysis of today’s Ontario Auditor General report GUEST: Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman - president of the Ontario Medical Association
Jim takes your calls Plus - What do you set your thermostat to during the winter?
Deb speaks with a senior correspondent with CTV News Plus – Why Toronto schools are sharing a principal GUEST: Adrian Ghobrial - Senior Correspondent with CTV National News
How spending habits are changing Plus - Where are you politically right now? GUESTS: John Wright - veteran pollster and head of the polling firm Canada Pulse Insights Ryan Mallough - VP of legislative affairs at CFIB
Jim talks to experts about the major pipeline story Plus - What’s the holdup on signing Bo Bichette? GUESTS: Lori Williams - political scientist with Mount Royal University in Calgary Ritesh Kotak - cybersecurity expert Mike Wilner - baseball columnist for the Star and host of the podcast “Deep Left Field” John Tory Jr. - aviation expert
Which takes precedent right now? Plus - Is it a bad idea to ‘follow your passion’ in your career? GUESTS: Keith Brooks - Programs Director with Environmental Defence Moshe Lander - economics professor at Concordia University
Inside the changing look of Carney’s team. Plus - If you’re a ‘green’ person, does this feel like a sellout, or part of the reality that facts change for people? GUEST: Scott Reid - CTV Political Analyst and former advisor to a Prime Minister
He takes your calls about what he should do. Plus - When an American wishes you Happy Thanksgiving, what do you say? GUESTS: Mark Robinson - Storm chaser with The Weather Network Matt Cauz - TSN 1050
Do more cops make you feel safer? Plus – Doug Ford says he will audit ‘left wing radical groups’ GUEST: Steve Ryan - CP24 Crime Reporter and former homicide detective Brian Karem - American journalist and author working at the White House, Host of podcast… “Just Ask The Question!”
With the holidays approaching, who is making tough calls this year? Plus – Penny Oleksiak gets a two year suspension. GUEST: Bruce Arthur - Toronto Star columnist
Jim has another behind the scenes debate. Plus – Inside the battle between rental activists and the Ford government. GUESTS: Mohit Rajans - Media and technology writer at thinkstart.ca Matti Siemiatycki - a housing and city planning expert with the University of Toronto
Jim takes your calls. GUESTS: Monte McGregor - Criminal defence lawyer Carmi Levy - tech expert
A behind the scenes debate keeps going. Plus - What qualifies as ‘finders keepers’?
Jim saw some weird things on the way home. Plus - If you don’t own a car, how do you get around? GUEST: Monte McGregor - criminal defence lawyer
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