Inside the Village - A weekly podcast featuring newsmakers in Ontario

Send us a textU.S. President Donald Trump is floating a controversial idea to help more Americans achieve home ownership: 50-year mortgages.On the front end, such loans would lower people's monthly payments by stretching out the principal over a much longer period. But in the end, the interest payments would be way higher — more than double the amount forked over during a typical 30-year mortgage.North of the border, Trump's proposal raises the obvious question: Should Canada consider allowing 50-year mortgages?Don't bank on it. On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we break down the pros and cons — and a lot more — with Dan Eisner, founder and CEO of True North Mortgage.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textLeery of AI chatbots? This podcast episode definitely won't dispel your fears.OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has been slapped with multiple lawsuits alleging the wildly popular chatbot has a glaring dark side: it plunges users into AI-fuelled delusions, mental health crises, and even suicide.One of the plaintiffs is a Canadian: Allan Brooks of Cobourg, Ont., who claims ChatGPT convinced him he'd created a novel mathematical theory that could hack sophisticated encryption algorithms. The chatbot told him he was a “genius” — and said his amazing discovery presented such a risk to global cybersecurity that he must immediately warn authorities.Brooks frantically complied.All told, Brooks spent three full weeks (300 hours) conversing with ChatGPT about his so-called discovery until he finally realized the truth.In a revealing interview on tonight's Closer Look, Brooks talks about how tumbled down the rabbit hole, why he's suing, and what he's doing now to help others headed down the same path.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIt's true what they say: records are meant to be broken.Over the summer, the Ontario Provincial Police announced the largest fentanyl seizure in the force's history: 38 kg, or more than 380,000 street doses of the lethal drug. The massive bust was the result of Project Golden, a multi-jurisdictional investigation that spanned 11 months and multiple communities.Today, the force announced an even bigger bust: 46 kg of fentanyl taken off the streets in Windsor, all part of an extensive investigation — Project Rotherham — that the OPP alleges is linked to organized crime.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit two previous interviews that shed light on how fentanyl is produced and trafficked across Ontario: one with OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, the other with renowned organized crime expert and author Antonio Nicaso.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIt's definitely not something to be proud of.This week, Canada was officially stripped of its “measles elimination status” by the Pan American Health Organization — marking the first time in 27 years that our country was deemed not to be free of the highly contagious disease.Public health experts were hardly surprised by the announcement. For more than a year now, an outbreak of the virus has spread to several provinces, including Ontario, leading to more than 5,000 confirmed cases.What led to such a huge spike? Vaccine hesitancy certainly played a huge role. Ontario has recorded a steady decline in the number of children under 7 receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, with only 70 per cent immunized in 2023-24.But that's not the only culprit. Many experts — including Dr. Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist at McMaster University — say this week's news exposes other flaws that need immediate fixing, including the province's lingering doctor shortage.Dr. Bowdish is our guest on tonight's episode of Closer Look. If you want to understand the many layers of this story, her interview is a must-watch.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIronically enough, David Chilton did something he would never advise a client to do: he cashed out his RRSPs early to help fund his dream.In his case, the dream was to write a book: The Wealthy Barber. Thankfully for him, the risk paid off — countless times over.Released 36 years ago, The Wealthy Barber helped a generation of readers understand money management and sound investing strategies. At last count, the personal-finance guide has sold more than 2.1 million copies.  Chilton's iconic book is still on the shelves — but with a fresh rewrite for a new generation. Released Nov. 4, the updated version explores a lot of subjects that simply didn't exist back in the late-1980s, including TFSAs, FHSAs, and the massive impact of social media on people's spending decisions.David Chilton is our guest on tonight's Closer Look podcast.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textPremier Doug Ford has made no secret of his dream to build a massive tunnel underneath Highway 401. But is the idea even possible?We're about to find out — at a hefty cost to taxpayers.The province confirmed this week it has awarded a $9.1-million contract to WSP Canada Inc. to conduct a detailed feasibility study."Our government is making significant progress on the transformational project to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that will get people and goods moving across the province faster," said a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit some of our previous coverage of Ford's tunnel vision. Is it safe to build? How much would this massive project actually cost? How many years would it take to finish? Would those billions be better spent on other traffic-fighting measures, including public transit?Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textThe Carney government tabled its first-ever budget this week — and like the recent federal election, the spectre of Donald Trump looms large over the entire thing.Although the U.S. President's name doesn't actually appear anywhere in the 493-page document, the budget lays out the Liberal government's detailed plan to defend Canada from America's ramped-up trade aggressions.The key figure is $78.3 billion — the total projected deficit for 2025-2026 — with targeted spending on defence, infrastructure and attracting investment to Canada. The budget also includes major cuts to the country's civil service.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to break down all the specifics are three Village Media journalists who were on Parliament Hill for the budget's release: Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief of The Trillium, and Katherine DeClerq and Palak Mangat of Parliament Today.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textLast week, Health Canada gave the green light to a long-awaited drug that slows the progression of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.Lecanemab is the first approved medication that targets the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, believed to be an underlying cause of Alzheimer's.For patients and their loved ones across the country, the approval could not have come fast enough. According to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada, there are close to 800,000 people in the country living with some form of dementia right now — a number that's expected to hit 1 million by 2030.Dr. Howard Chertkow is a senior scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, and one of Canada's leading experts on dementia. He joins us on tonight's Closer Look to discuss the new drug — but also why he believes this could be a “turnaround decade” in the treatment, prevention and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textShould alcohol bottles contain cancer warning labels?That controversial question was at the heart of a recent Senate debate over Bill S-202, which, if passed, would require liquor packaging in Canada to feature cigarette-style warnings.The Canadian Cancer Society says consuming approximately three drinks per day could double the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus, and increase the risk of colorectal and breast cancer by one-and-a-half times.But is that risk serious enough to warrant warning labels on all alcohol products?Dan Malleck doesn't think so. The chair of Health Sciences at Brock University, and a leading researcher on alcohol policy in Canada, says warning labels would “present a highly unbalanced and distorted understanding of the effects of alcohol on the human body and, more importantly, on human life.”Malleck, who recently testified at the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, is our guest on tonight's Closer Look podcast.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textLast week, Amazon announced the elimination of 14,000 jobs worldwide as the retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. "Some may ask why we're reducing roles when the company is performing well," wrote Beth Galetti, a senior vice-president at the company. "What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”For many, the Amazon cuts underscore the imminent threat posed by AI, especially for entry-level and other white-collar corporate positions. To borrow the lead of a recent Wall Street Journal article: “The nation's largest employers have a new message for office workers: help not wanted.”But in the long run, will AI actually lead to more jobs? Some high-profile CEOs are going one step further. They predict productivity gains from artificial intelligence will actually usher in an age of shorter work weeks.Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said last week that people could be working four days a week — maybe even three — within five years. Microsoft's Bill Gates said two days a week is even a possibility.Joe O'Connor has been a champion of shorter work weeks for years. The founder and CEO of Toronto-based Work Time Revolution, he has helped many organizations implement the concept.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit our recent conversation with O'Connor.“The future of work is probably going to look a little bit more fractional,” he told the podcast. “We're going to see lots of different things happening. But I think one thing is for sure: in the next five to 10 years, the idea of a four-day work week, even if it's not the new normal, it's going to be a lot more normal than it is today. It's going to be something that is much more routine.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textWill this be the night?The Toronto Blue Jays are one win away from their first World Series title in more than three decades, and they're hosting Game 6 Friday night at Rogers Centre.Win, and they're the champs. Lose, and it will all come down to Game 7 Saturday night.Whatever happens, this has already been a World Series for the ages — a politically charged match-up that featured two international superstars, an 18-inning marathon, and some heartwarming side stories.Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look are two people who've been glued to every at-bat: TorontoToday reporter Daniel Ramos, and Matt Betts, a CambridgeToday reporter who also hosts the Canadian Baseball Network podcast.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a text“Canadians have changed the way they use the postal service, and we must change with them.”That was the message this week from Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger, after dozens of managers were laid off as part of an ongoing overhaul at the Crown corporation — which has racked up massive annual losses since 2018 and needed a $1-billion federal loan earlier this year just to stay afloat.“We need to ensure our costs better align to our financial realities, which means our organization will be leaner at all levels going forward,” Ettinger wrote in his note to staff.News of the layoffs come as Canada Post continues to work toward a new contract with its 50,000-plus unionized employees. Both sides said they planned to meet this week with a mediator to try to advance negotiations, which have dragged on for nearly two years.Key sticking points include wages, job security, and the federal government's recent announcement that allows Canada Post to usher in controversial cost-cutting measures — including ending home-to-home delivery and shuttering some rural post offices. “The most important thing right now is to get a collective agreement that's ratifiable by the membership, which means there needs to be raises, there needs to be job protection, there needs to be health and safety concerns dealt with,” said Jim Gallant, a negotiator with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), during a recent interview on our Closer Look podcast.As for ending home-to-home delivery, Gallant said it's just another example of Canada Post leadership “screwing this corporation into the ground.”  “If we were to look at every other delivery outfit in Canada, who else delivers down the street?” he said. “Does that make any sense? It's supposed to be a service. We're supposed to take care of the elderly and people that can't make it out of their house.”Asked about Canada Post's promise to be "leaner," Gallant did not mince words."I can tell you, they can't be any meaner," he told the podcast. "That's the first thing that I tell you, because these people are a--holes from sunup to sundown. They go out of their way to screw with workers — every day. There's thousands of grievances in the system."You can watch the full interview HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel

Send us a textDoug Ford's anti-tariff commercial has stopped airing on U.S. networks, but the controversial ad is still getting plenty of attention.According to multiple reports published today, Donald Trump's Ambassador to Canada was so furious over the ad that he angrily confronted Ontario's representative to Washington at a Monday event.Pete Hoekstra reportedly dropped some f-bombs while scolding David Paterson. The Globe and Mail reported that the ambassador was overheard saying Canada was close to a tariff deal on steel, aluminum and energy — but that Ford derailed all the progress made.Last weekend, President Trump abruptly called off trade talks with Canada and threatened to introduce an additional 10 per cent tariff after seeing the Ontario government's commercial during the World Series broadcast.Speaking to reporters today, Premier Ford called on Hoekstra to apologize to Paterson, describing his profane tirade as “absolutely unacceptable” and “unbecoming of an ambassador.” “Pete, you gotta call Dave up and apologize,” Ford said. “It's simple. The cheese slipped off the cracker. I get it. But call the guy up because you're a good guy, and Dave's my champion.”Who is Pete Hoekstra, Trump's man in Canada?The longtime former Congressman from Michigan was a guest last month on Village Media's Closer Look podcast. He spoke at length about why the Trump Administration has embraced tariffs, his stern belief that Canada enjoys “the best trade deal” of any country in the world, and what he thinks of Canadians who have decided to boycott the U.S.Hoekstra was also asked about his relationship with Ford.“Doug's a great guy,” he told the podcast. “He gave me one of your slightly odd-shaped Canadian footballs.”Hoekstra called Ford's team “a very media-savvy bunch,” and said he and the Trump Administration are very aware of his stances on certain subjects.“Obviously, Doug is on a different page than where the U.S. Administration is,” he said. “I haven't moved Doug to a point where I can get him to be a strong advocate for the Canadian-American relationship.”You can watch the full interview with Hoekstra HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed —

Send us a textHave you tried returning any empties lately? It's not as easy as it used to be.Nearly 100 Beer Stores have permanently shut down since the Ford government expanded alcohol sales to corner stores and grocery stores, and more are expected to close in the coming months.But here's the problem: although all grocery stores with a license to sell liquor will be required to accept empty bottles and cans as of Jan. 1, only a small percentage have actually started collecting.And as the deadline looms, some independent grocers are adamant they'd rather hand back their licenses than deal with such a health and safety hazard.“Where do you suggest in the store that customers bring these dirty bottles and cans?” said Gary Sands of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, during a recent interview on our Closer Look podcast. “The stuff that comes crawling out of those cans and bottles should not be anywhere in a food environment. So where should it go? By the bakery section? The fruit and vegetables? By the meat section?”You can watch the full episode HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textLast week, we told you about a new rule impacting Canadian snowbirds: if you plan to stay in the U.S. for more than 30 days, prepare to be photographed and fingerprinted at the border.This week, another new rule that impacts all U.S.-bound travellers — not just snowbirds: the American government has announced plans to photograph every foreign visitor when they enter and exit the country by all modes of transport.The regulation is set to take effect on Dec. 26, and will likely take years to fully implement. But the message is clear: if Canadians want to cross the border, they will eventually have to comply with America's facial biometrics program."In select cases, fingerprints may also need to be collected, but only as required to better establish links to previously collected traveller biometric records," the department said.Oh, and your photo could be held by the U.S. for up to 75 years.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to help explain the new rules is Len Saunders, a dual citizen and prominent immigration lawyer based in Washington State.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textDoug Ford never did secure a one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump — but the U.S. president definitely knows who he is.In a fiery social media post late Thursday night, Trump abruptly cancelled all trade talks with Canada because of the Ontario government's anti-tariff commercial featuring the voice of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.Trump said the ad “fraudulently” claimed that Reagan opposed tariffs “when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY.”Ford announced Friday afternoon that the province will run the ads as planned this weekend — including during the World Series — but then hit the pause button.“Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Ford said in a statement. “We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”VIDEO: Why Doug Ford is spending $75M on U.S. ads starring Ronald ReaganJoining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is Julian Karaguesian, an economics professor at McGill University and former special advisor at the federal Finance Ministry. The episode was recorded Friday afternoon, right before Ford announced the ads would be paused.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textThe Carney government is promising to create Canada's first-ever national anti-fraud strategy, including a new financial crime agency aimed at cracking down on sophisticated scammers.Fraud has taken a massive toll on Canadians in recent years — not only on their wallets, but on their emotional well-being.According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, more than 23,000 people this year have already reported losses totalling $544 million. And that's only the fraction of people who actually come forward to report they've been scammed.Our guest on tonight's episode of Closer Look is Vanessa Iafolla, a financial crimes expert who operates Anti-Fraud Intelligence Consulting.She weighs in on the government's new plan, how people can better protect themselves against the endless stream of online scammers — and why a victim should never feel ashamed for getting duped.Spoiler alert: artificial intelligence is only making it easier for the bad guys to rip you off.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textBig bats equal big bucks.The Blue Jays' thrilling comeback victory in Game 7 of the ALCS didn't just propel the team into the World Series. It set up the city of Toronto for a huge economic score.Hotels, restaurants, transit services and local tourist hot spots will rake in millions of dollars in extra revenue when fans flock to Toronto for Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic, which starts Friday night at Rogers Centre.Will it compare to the massive economic spinoffs from Taylor Swift's Toronto concerts last November? We'll soon find out.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look podcast is Kelly Jackson, vice-president of Destination Development with Destination Toronto. She also happens to be a massive Jays fan.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textCanadian snowbirds are starting to flock south for the winter — but many are getting quite the surprise when they reach the American border. U.S. officials have confirmed that anyone entering the country for more than 30 days, via land, must agree to be photographed and fingerprinted. The new regulations stem from U.S. President Donald Trump's recent executive order that requires many foreign visitors staying a month or longer to register with the government.How are snowbirds reacting to the new rules? Are any refusing to be fingerprinted, choosing instead to turn around at the border and head home? Do they really have any other option?Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is a person who knows the rules as well as anyone: Stephen Fine, president of the company Snowbird Advisor. As you can imagine, he's been inundated with questions in recent days.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textNot so fast.That's the message from a growing number of Ontarians trying hard to convince Premier Doug Ford to ditch his plan to outlaw speed cameras.Protesters in cities across the province rallied against Ford's proposed speed camera ban on Monday morning, just as MPPs returned to Queen's Park for a new legislative session. Ford has called the devices nothing but a “cash grab,” and his government is promising to introduce legislation that prevents cities and towns from operating automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras.But research shows the cameras are not only effective at reducing speeds, they are actually widely supported by the general public. Many municipalities also point out that the bulk of revenue from the devices gets reinvested in road safety measures.Last week, more than a dozen former law enforcement leaders — including retired police chiefs from Peel, Halton, Niagara and Ottawa — joined the chorus of critics calling on Ford to change his mind.“The results are clear: when drivers know that automated speed enforcement cameras are in place, they slow down,” reads a letter from the group. “This means fewer tickets, lower costs, and safer roads for everyone.”On tonight's Closer Look, we revisit a recent episode that featured a panel of expert guests: Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of the injury prevention charity Parachute; Michael Stewart of the Canadian Automobile Association; and Jack Hauen, a reporter at Village Media's The Trillium.You can watch the full episode HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is

Send us a textIn the face of so much economic uncertainty, is it time to rethink how we deliver postsecondary education in Canada? A new report says yes — and that the necessary changes must be “urgent and coordinated.”Released this week by the Royal Bank of Canada, the report calls for a “postsecondary pivot” to advance national goals, including a focus on defence and space exploration, artificial intelligence and major energy projects.Some of the notable proposals include retraining auto workers for the shipbuilding and space sectors, teaching AI skills across all academic disciplines, and positioning Canada as NATO's “firefighting nation.”Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to discuss the report is Jackie Pichette, director of skills policy for RBC Thought Leadership.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textAn American has been sentenced to four years in prison for a mass cyberattack that targeted school boards across Canada, including Ontario.Matthew D. Lane appeared in a Massachusetts court this week, where he pleaded guilty to charges relating to the cyber extortion of two companies. One was PowerSchool, a software and cloud storage firm used by school boards across the province. The cyberattack breached the personal data of millions of students and teachers, including names, email addresses, phone numbers and medical information. PowerSchool has confirmed it paid a ransom in the hopes of preventing any stolen data from being released, but the specific dollar figure was not revealed.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we explore the recent surge in ransomware attacks, and how criminal hackers are using AI to up their game.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textThe Skipper and The Gipper? That's one way of putting it.Ontario Premier Doug Ford is spending big bucks to try to convince Americans that tariffs aren't the way to go — and he's enlisting the unmistakable voice of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to help in the fight.Ford revealed Tuesday that his government is launching a $75-million advertising campaign across most major U.S. networks, highlighting the pitfalls of protectionism for American workers and consumers.The first ad, found HERE, features Reagan's famous 1987 radio address, in which he says that “high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.”“Then the worst happens,” Reagan goes on to say in the ad. “Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs. Throughout the world, there's a growing realization that the weight of prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.”Will the commercial blitz make any difference? Will average Americans even notice the ads? Or could all those millions be better spent somewhere else?Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is Katherine DeClerq, a journalist at The Trillium who has spent a lot of time covering Doug Ford's fight against Donald Trump's tariffs.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textLeafs tickets, a Parisian wedding, Rob Ford's favourite nightclub owner — even Drake. This evolving story out of Queen's Park has it all.Last week, Ontario's auditor general had some scathing words for the Ford government's $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund (SDF), which supports “innovative projects” aimed at hiring, training and retraining Ontario workers.Shelley Spence found that the selection process was “not fair, transparent or accountable” — and that provincial labour ministers handpicked groups to receive hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars against the advice of civil servants.The auditor general's findings followed exclusive reporting from Village Media's The Trillium, which revealed that multiple groups connected to the Ford government received generous SDF grants.Beneficiaries included a restaurant business with connections to a former key aide to the premier; a centre that trains people to work in clubs run by a longtime Ford associate; and a dental practice brokerage whose CEO worked closely with the wife of the former labour minister.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to connect all the dots are three of The Trillium journalists who've been following the money: editor-in-chief Jessica Smith Cross and reporters Charlier Pinkerton and Jack Hauen.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our

Send us a textCanada's Bolo program — “Be on the Lookout” — has released its latest list of the country's most-wanted fugitives.But if you scroll through the website, you'll notice a modern twist to the mug shots: artificial intelligence was used to make the heads move and the eyes blink.The list of 25 fugitives includes alleged murderers, drug trafficking and gang members who are wanted by various police services across the country.If you spot any of these individuals, do not approach them. Tipsters are urged to contact police immediately.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look podcast is Max Langlois, executive director of the Bolo program.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textThe Princess of Wales has added her prominent voice to the urgent discussion around kids and their cellphones.In an essay co-authored by a Harvard Medical School professor, Kate warns that smartphones and other digital devices are responsible for an “epidemic of disconnection” that threatens the development of young children. “We're raising a generation that may be more ‘connected' than any in history while simultaneously being more isolated, more lonely, and less equipped to form the warm, meaningful relationships that research tells us are the foundation of a healthy life,” reads the essay, published by the Royal Foundation's Centre for Early Childhood.Kate's essay comes amid mounting evidence of the harms associated with cellphone use by kids, including increased anxiety and depression, loneliness and suicidal thoughts.“Data from Ontario now indicates that over one in four teens now report being in serious psychological distress, which is pretty alarming,” says Sachin Maharaj, a University of Ottawa education professor who researches the impact of cellphones in schools. “And the number of kids reporting poor or fair mental health has more than tripled over the past 15 years, and there's a lot of reason to suggest that increased time on social media is contributing to this.”On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit Maharaj's interview on our podcast — including the important role parents play in limiting their children's screen time.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textMarit Stiles is still the face of the Ontario NDP after surviving a leadership review at her party's September convention. But she is the first to admit that the result — 68 per cent support — wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement.“I'm not satisfied with that, and the message I got very clearly in talking to NDP members at our convention a couple weeks ago was people want to defeat Doug Ford in the next election, and they were not happy that we weren't able to do that in that snap election,” Stiles said today, during an interview on Village Media's Closer Look podcast. “I think they understand what we were up against, but they need us to do better…We have to do better. I have to do better.”Stiles spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie, where local MPP Chris Scott was recently booted from Premier Doug Ford's PC caucus after police charged him with spousal assault. Now sitting as an Independent MPP, Scott has faced numerous calls to resign in order to pave the way for a by-election.“I do think he should resign,” Stiles told the podcast. “And I don't say that lightly. Those are very serious allegations and charges. But you know, really importantly — and this is what I'm hearing as I've been in town — is the people of Sault Ste. Marie need somebody who's there right now fighting for them.”Stiles also had some things to say about The Trillium's latest scoop surrounding the Ford government's controversial Skills Development Fund.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textFor many Blue Jays fans across the country, Jamie Campbell is the face of the franchise.The longtime host of Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet, Campbell is the first person viewers see when every game broadcast kicks off. He occupies a special place in fans' hearts — and at Rogers Centre, in his trademark desk behind the left field stands.In advance of tonight's Game 3 match-up against the New York Yankees, Campbell was kind enough to carve out some time for a chat with Village Media's Closer Look podcast.He talked about his lifelong passion for baseball, the prep work he puts in before each broadcast, and why this year's playoff run — including two straight blowouts against the Yankees over the weekend — means a little more in light of U.S. tariffs and all the 51st state rhetoric.“Here are the Blue Jays, Canada's last remaining major league team, beating the New York Yankees and doing so handily,” Campbell told the podcast. "And maybe there was way more to it than just baseball. Maybe there was a political edge to the way people were feeling about it, and if that's the release some of us need — some of us who, you know, are uneasy and pissed off about some of what we're hearing from south of the border — then let it continue. Let's see more of it.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textEveryone loves Marineland? That famous jingle hasn't been true for years — and even less so after this weekend's disturbing headlines.The now-shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls says it will have no choice but to euthanize 30 beluga whales unless the federal government steps in with emergency funds to help pay for food and care.The cash-strapped aquarium blames Ottawa for its predicament, calling the “devastating decision” a “direct consequence” of the federal government's refusal to issue export permits for the belugas, allowing them to be moved to a facility in China. Canadian law prohibits anyone from using whales or dolphins in performances, or importing or exporting marine mammals — unless it's in the creature's best interest. In this case, Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied the move to China because it would subject the belugas to future performing in captivity.Thompson said all whales belong in the ocean, but that she's open to “looking at other decisions that really speak to the health and well-being of the whales.”What happens now? Will Marineland really destroy its belugas — the last remaining whales in captivity anywhere in Canada? Should Doug Ford step in to help find a solution?Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is someone who knows the file very well: Erin Ryan, the wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textOK Blue Jays? We shall see.Toronto is prepped for some October baseball, hosting the New York Yankees Saturday afternoon in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.The Rogers Centre will be rocking — and fans across the country will be watching (mostly on the edge of their seats).Is this the magical year for Canada's baseball team? Can the Jays beat Aaron Judge and the Yankees in a best-of-five? How deep will Toronto go this postseason?Joining us on tonight's Closer Look podcast is Matt Betts, a journalist at CambridgeToday and host of the Canadian Baseball Network podcast.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textAfter years of red ink, Canada Post insists it has a plan to finally deliver a major turnaround.Last week, the federal government paved the way for Canada Post to adopt a list of controversial cost-cutting measures, including ending home-to-home delivery and shuttering some rural post offices.Unionized postal workers responded to the news with another country-wide strike — the second labour disruption in less than a year. A week later, they remain off the job.In an open letter released yesterday, Doug Ettinger, the president and CEO of Canada Post, said “our goal is to provide an affordable, reliable and sustainable service to every Canadian — one that lifts our national pride by strengthening our connections to each other.”“While our labour situation is extremely challenging, we also remain committed to reaching new agreements at the bargaining table,” the letter continued. “It's vital these agreements reflect our financial reality and support the changes we need to make — while helping us stand on our own, without taxpayer funding.”Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is Jim Gallant, a negotiator with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).He has plenty to say about the CEO's letter, the federal government's announcement — and why he believes the corporation's latest decisions will only “further drive Canada Post customers into the arms of its competitors.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textCrime is out of control at stores across the country.A new report released by the Retail Council of Canada says the problem “has escalated into a national crisis, impacting profitability, employee safety, and consumer trust.”The report found that the level of shrink — loss of inventory due to theft and other reasons — has nearly doubled over the past five years to $9 billion.More than one-quarter of retailers (76.2 per cent) are reporting increased levels of violence during theft incidents, and repeat offenders account for nearly 18 per cent of arrests.The report also exposes the “rapid evolution of organized retail crime, its financial strain on retailers, and critical gaps in law enforcement response.”Our guest on tonight's Closer Look is Rui Rodrigues, an executive advisor at the Retail Council of Canada.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textA grieving family from Burlington, Ont. is trying to turn their immeasurable loss into a force for change.Finlay van der Werken was 16 years old when his mother, Hazel, rushed him to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on Feb. 7, 2024. The teen was in such severe pain on his right side that his mom left the car in front of the emergency department and took him straight in.What happened next was a “complete state of terror,” his mother said.While waiting more than eight agonizing hours to be treated at the hospital, Finlay suffered cardiac arrest and was eventually diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis and hypoxia. Transferred to SickKids in Toronto, he was placed on life support.“It just didn't feel real,” Hazel said, during an interview with Village Media's Closer Look podcast. “It was a living nightmare, just the shock, the disbelief. I don't know that I can put it into words.”Finlay's family is now laser-focused on making sure others don't endure the same heartbreak.Along with demanding a coroner's inquest, they are calling on the Ford government to introduce legislation — “Finlay's Law” — that would establish maximum emergency room wait times for children.They have also launched a lawsuit against Halton Healthcare Services, which operates the Oakville hospital, alleging the facility had an “inadequate system” in place to ensure patients like Finlay were seen in an appropriate amount of time. (In a statement of defence, the hospital operator denies any wrongdoing and says staff provided “reasonable” care that night.)“We have the possibility to ensure that another family does not have to go through this,” Hazel told the podcast. “That will give us a little bit of a feeling of comfort — that we've done something, and that we used our voices for something good to come out of something that is so tragic.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textDoug Ford is making good on his promise to ban speed cameras, calling the devices nothing but a “cash grab” by Ontario municipalities.Premier Ford said when the house returns in October, his Progressive Conservatives will introduce legislation that prevents cities and towns from operating automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras.In their place, the government is promising to create a new fund for other traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks, curb extensions and signage. Ford's announcement flies in the face of advice provided by numerous expert organizations, including SickKids Hospital, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Ontario Traffic Council.Research shows that automated cameras are not only effective at reducing speeds, they are actually widely supported by the general public. Many municipalities also reject the argument that the cameras are a “cash grab,” saying the bulk of revenue gets reinvested in road safety measures.Joining us on tonight's Closer Look podcast is a panel of guests with plenty to say about Ford's speed camera plan: Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of the injury prevention charity Parachute; Michael Stewart of the Canadian Automobile Association; and Jack Hauen, a reporter at Village Media's The Trillium.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIt's known as "Hope's Cradle": a place for desperate mothers and caregivers to safely — and anonymously — drop off babies they cannot raise. The idea was triggered by the high-profile death of an Alberta newborn discovered in a dumpster on Christmas Eve 2017.Canada's first drop-off site, a temperature-controlled bassinet box, was installed at a fire station in Strathmore. The concept has since spread to Manitoba and Clarington, Ont., and this week, city councillors in Sault Ste. Marie contemplated whether to bring the idea to their community.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIt's easy to feel like wild dogs have taken over the neighbourhood.Communities across the province are struggling to deal with problem coyotes that are venturing scarily close to people and pets.In Orillia last week, two cats were attacked in different neighbourhoods. One did not survive.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit a previous interview with Lesley Sampson, co-founder of the not-for-profit organization Coyote Watch Canada.She offers practical tips on how to stay safe if you spot a coyote, but also some important perspective on why the animals might be approaching us.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a text“Doctor” Trump is at it again.This week, the U.S. president warned pregnant women to limit their use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — because of unsubstantiated links to autism. “Fight like hell not to take it,” was the president's message.Experts around the world were quick to counter Trump's medical advice, insisting there is no evidence linking autism in children to the use of Tylenol by pregnant women.Health Canada issued a public advisory reiterating that the over-the-counter drug has “been used safely by millions of Canadians for decades, including during pregnancy and while breastfeeding,” while the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) called the autism link “weak” and “consistently refuted by scientific and regulatory bodies.”“In an age of growing misinformation and disinformation, the SOGC strongly urges all Canadians to ensure decisions about their health care is guided by evidence-based science and clinical expertise,” the society said.Joining us on Closer Look tonight to discuss Trump's comments is Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal fetal medicine physician at The Ottawa Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textCatch and release? Chris Scott now knows the process firsthand. The rookie MPP for Sault Ste. Marie was arrested Sunday night for alleged spousal abuse and released on bail the following day. He is charged with one count of assault and one count of assault with a weapon — the weapon being “a high chair,” according to court documents. (None of the allegations have been tested in court and Scott is presumed innocent until proven guilty).The 35-year-old was promptly booted from Doug Ford's PC caucus and is now an Independent MPP (at least for the time being). Although the NDP is demanding his resignation, Scott has yet to answer questions about the criminal case or his future as a politician.Should he step down? Can fellow MPPs force him to resign? And what do we know about Chris Scott, a one-time senior Ford staffer handpicked by the Premier to run in February's provincial election?Joining us on tonight's Closer Look are two Village Media journalists who covered the breaking story: Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief at The Trillium, and Kenneth Armstrong, a reporter at SooToday.You can watch the full episode in the above YouTube video. Earlier this year, Scott sat down with SooToday for a one-on-one interview during the provincial election race.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textA big battle is brewing between the Ford government and some independent grocery store owners over who should be responsible for collecting people's empty booze bottles.By Jan. 1, 2026, all grocery stores licensed to sell beer and wine in Ontario must accept bottle returns as part of Premier Doug Ford's vision of speeding up the availability of alcohol.But a growing number of independent grocers are deciding to ditch booze sales altogether rather than deal with the mess and hassle of accepting people's empties. They say they don't have the space or resources to accept large amounts of empty bottles, and that the unsanitary containers don't belong anywhere near food items people buy.Joining us to talk about the issue on tonight's Closer Look podcast is Gary Sands, vice-president of government relations at the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.Bottles aside, we also explore some other pressing topics, including U.S. tariffs, inter-provincial trade, and what you really need to know in order to “Buy Canadian.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textOntario Premier Doug Ford says he has faith that Prime Minister Mark Carney will back his dream of a massive tunnel underneath Highway 401.Carney recently revealed the first five projects in the national interest that will be fast-tracked, which is intended to strengthen the country's economy in the face of U.S. tariffs.Ford's highway tunnel was not on the initial list, but he told reporters this week he's confident the PM will eventually get on board."I just believe he will," Ford said. "Considering it's the busiest highway in North America, and 50 per cent of the GDP comes through Toronto, and [gridlock is] costing us $58 billion of lost productivity, I think it's pretty national."Village Media's new Closer Look podcast dug a little deeper into Ford's tunnel vision during a recent episode with guests Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief of The Trillium, and Professor Matti Siemiatycki, director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto.“I think we can start from the basic premise that this is likely build-able, that you likely could build a tunnel of this length in this location,” Siemiatycki told the podcast. “The question isn't just: ‘Can we build it?' The question is: ‘Should we? Does this actually solve the congestion problem? How much does it cost? And are there better alternatives that we could address this issue at a lower cost?”You can watch the full episode HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIt's been 10 days since Barrie mayor Alex Nuttall declared a state of emergency over homeless encampments in his city — and communities across the province are watching closely to see how the situation unfolds.“The mayors I'm hearing from are asking: ‘How's it going? How did you do it? What effect is it having?' Nuttall said today, during an appearance on our Closer Look podcast. “The response has been very supportive...I think you'll continue to see more and more municipalities take the same approach that we are."Along with declaring a state of emergency, Nuttall also sent open letters this week to Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney, requesting provincial and federal help to tackle the “real and urgent” crisis facing his city.On the podcast, Nuttall answered a wide range of questions about why the state of emergency was necessary, what it allows the city to do that it couldn't do before, and what his team is specifically doing to help vulnerable people being evicted as encampments are dismantled.“I've been very clear: if you want help and support in the city of Barrie, we want to provide it to you,” he said. “If you want to live in addictions and you want to live in encampments, we need you to find somewhere that accepts that, because we don't.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textIf you bought a loaf of bread sometime over the past 20 years — and really, who didn't? — you're entitled to some dough.Claim forms are now open for the $500-million class-action settlement over the alleged price-fixing of bread products in Canada. Any Canadian resident who purchased packaged bread for personal use between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2021 — including buns, rolls, bagels, naan bread, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortilla — is eligible for compensation. No proof of purchase is required.Claims must be submitted before Dec. 12 at www.canadianbreadsettlement.ca.How did we reach this point? Which grocery giants participated in this elaborate conspiracy to inflate prices and gouge customers? And how much money will you actually receive if you sign up?Jay Strosberg has all those answers, and many more, on tonight's episode of Closer Look. A Windsor-based lawyer at the firm Strosberg Wingfield Sasso, he launched the class-action lawsuit that ultimately led to the half-billion-dollar settlement with Loblaw Companies Ltd. and George Weston.As Strosberg tells us, this is one of those shocking court cases worthy of a movie script.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textBy every measure, our population of senior citizens is about to get a whole lot bigger.According to Statistics Canada, the number of people aged 85 and older is expected to triple by 2073 — to as many as 4.3 million.Not surprisingly, experts say the spike in elderly Canadians will put increasing pressure on many aspects of society, including the labour market and healthcare systems.Joining us on Closer Look to break down all the data is Doug Norris, one of Canada's leading experts on demographics.Norris spent nearly 30 years with Statistics Canada — where he earned the nickname “Mr. Census” — and is now Senior Vice President and Chief Demographer at Environics Analytics.He describes the expected surge in Canada's senior population as “a bit of a sleeper issue that hasn't received the attention we're going to need to pay to it.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textPete Hoekstra, the United States Ambassador to Canada, joined our Closer Look podcast last week for a wide-ranging discussion about trade, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump's musings about a 51st state, and a whole lot more. In case you missed it, the full interview is HERE.Hoekstra defended the Trump Administration's global tariff push, saying it's a necessary step after some “not-so-bright decisions” that have contributed to America's ever-growing deficit.“It would have been negligent on the part of American leadership to not address the problems that we faced,” Hoekstra said on the podcast. “We had a long-term issue in terms of ensuring prosperity for the American people, a long-term issue with security and safety. And if the Canadians want to be mad about us addressing the internal issues that we had, they can do that.”Despite the negative impact of Trump's new tariffs, Hoekstra was adamant that Canada still has the “best trade deal of any country in the world right now with the United States of America.”“Everybody wants to blame everything on the tariffs,” he said. “The effective tariff rate of Canadian goods going into the U.S. — again, as outlined by your government, not the U.S. claiming something — is around 5.5 per cent. That's not a huge number. We had to do the stuff on steel, aluminum, copper and some of these types of things because the President wants our country to be secure, and we need the capability to produce those kinds of products in the United States.”Hoekstra was asked about Canadian travellers who are choosing not to visit the U.S.“I sometimes have a little bit of a hard time understanding this,” he said. “You have the best trade relationship of anybody in the world — the best trade tariff rate of anybody in the world — and in the coming days we're going to see that the process is going to evolve to reviewing the USMCA. Banning American alcohol? Does that help? ‘You know, we're not going to America.' Does that help? Hey, those are decisions for Canadians on an individual basis to make. We're doing everything we can to strengthen this relationship, to grow this relationship.”The full interview is HERE.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram,

Send us a textPete Hoekstra is Donald Trump's U.S. Ambassador to Canada, which means he spends a lot of time answering questions about the pressing issue of the day on this side of the border: tariffs.The President's musings about Canada becoming the 51st state? He's had to answer for those comments, too — but Hoekstra insists that's all behind us.“I've told people I don't talk about it, so I'm not really going to talk about it with you either,” the Ambassador said during a wide-ranging interview on our Closer Look podcast. “I ask myself the question: ‘If we're talking about the 51st state, am I improving the prosperity of Americans or Canadians? Am I improving the safety or security of either one of our countries?' The answer is no.”That topic aside, Hoekstra was very candid about a lot of other issues — including the close bond between our two countries, his relationships with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and why the Trump Administration is all-in on tariffs.“We had to do the stuff on steel, aluminum, copper and some of these types of things because the President wants our country to be secure, and we need the capability to produce those kinds of products in the United States,” Hoekstra said.“You continue to still have a better tariff deal than any of these countries in the world today,” he continued. “Is there uncertainty? Yes, but it would have been negligent on the part of American leadership to not address the problems that we faced. We had a long-term issue in terms of ensuring prosperity for the American people, a long-term issue with security and safety. And if the Canadians want to be mad about us addressing the internal issues that we had, they can do that.”Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textJudgment day looms for Bonnie Crombie.The Ontario Liberal leader faces a mandatory leadership review at the party's annual general meeting this weekend, and it's certainly not certain which way the vote will go.Although Crombie has admitted to being caught off guard by Doug Ford's snap election call — and faced criticism for making health care the centrepiece of her party's platform — the Liberals did win enough seats to regain official party status.We'll know by Sunday night if the party faithful still have faith.SEE: Should she stay or should she go? Liberals split on Bonnie Crombie ahead of voteJoining us on tonight's Closer Look podcast are two journalists from The Trillium who will be covering this weekend's Liberal get-together: Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross and reporter Steve Cornwell.In case you missed it, tonight's show also includes snippets from our recent interviews with both Crombie and Nate Erskine-Smith, a former leadership rival who has been very vocal about the need for a new voice at the top of the party.VIDEO: Nate Erskine-Smith tells us why Bonnie Crombie needs to goVIDEO: ‘I'm not going anywhere': Bonnie Crombie tells us why she should keep her jobHosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textHere's a sure bet: If you watch a sporting event tonight, you're going to see a gambling ad. They've become ubiquitous ever since the Ontario government legalized sports betting across the province in 2022.But doctors are sounding the alarm, warning parents that all those gambling commercials pose a major risk to children and teens.“Such advertising insidiously normalizes a harmful activity, and children are being exposed, to their detriment,” reads an editorial in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “Canadian jurisdictions should act to eliminate all commercials that promote sports betting during broadcasts where minors are likely to see them.”Joining us on tonight's episode of Closer Look is Dr. Shannon Charlebois, a family physician and editor who co-authored the editorial.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textBy every measure, violence is skyrocketing inside Ontario schools.According to a survey released earlier this year by the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), nearly 75 per cent of education workers experience violent or disruptive incidents in their work area, with more than a third facing these incidents daily. Among educational assistants and child and youth workers, the numbers are even more alarming: 95.8 per cent — nearly every single one — say they experience violence at work.Data recently released to Global News under freedom of information legislation was equally shocking: the level of violence reported by school boards to the Ministry of Education has risen by 77 per cent since Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives took office, with more than 4,400 incidents reported in the 2023-24 year alone.This exclusive story from Sudbury.com, published just a few hours ago, is even more evidence of the crisis facing school boards across the province.On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we speak to two experts who understand the problem as well as anyone: Joe Tigani, the president OSBCU, and Darby Mallory, co-author of a University of Ottawa report titled ‘Running on Fumes: Violence, Austerity, and Institutional Neglect in Ontario Schools.'Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textForty years later, it remains one of Canada's most perplexing unsolved mysteries: What happened to Nicole Morin?On July 30, 1985, the eight-year-old girl left her penthouse apartment in west-end Toronto to meet a friend for a swim. She was never seen again — and not a single piece of physical evidence linked to her disappearance has ever been found.Earlier this summer, the Toronto Police Service marked the 40th anniversary of Nicole's case by announcing a $50,000 reward for new information that leads to her location.Police also released a new forensic age-progression sketch that shows what Morin could possibly look like today, at 48 years old. “This case is not closed,” Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith told reporters, standing outside Morin's former building on the day of the anniversary. “It has never been forgotten, and it only takes one piece of new information to make that difference.”On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we are joined by two people who continue to hold out hope that someone will come forward with the elusive clue that will crack the case: Melissa Elaschuk, a childhood friend of Nicole who went on to become a police officer, and Amanda Pick, CEO of the Missing Children Society of Canada.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show's dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textTonight on Village Media's 'Closer Look' podcast: One of the greatest curlers of all time stops by our house for a sweeping conversation about her legendary career and new autobiography.One of the greatest curlers of all time is in our house tonight.Jennifer Jones — six-time national champ, two-time world champ, Olympic gold medallist — is set to release an autobiography that promises to leave no stone unturned about her legendary career.The book is called Rock Star: My Life On and Off the Ice, and it hits store shelves Aug. 26.In advance of the book launch, Jones was kind enough to sweep aside some time in her busy schedule and chat with the hacks who host our Closer Look podcast.If you're a fan of Jennifer Jones, you'll definitely want to hit the button on this video.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.New episodes of Closer Look drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. across the Village Media network, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? You can reach us at closerlook@villagemedia.ca.

Send us a textTonight on our new 'Closer Look' podcast: After multiple legal challenges, years of complaints and thousands in fines, the Town of Pelham is still grappling with the stench from local cannabis facilities.In this case, residents can be forgiven for their blunt opinions.For years, people in the Town of Pelham have lamented the incessant stench of weed in the air — the result of two large cannabis production facilities.Despite hundreds of complaints, thousands of dollars in fines and multiple legal challenges, the stink lingers.With another court date looming next month, our Closer Look podcast welcomes David Cribbs, the Chief Administrative Officer in the Town of Pelham.Hosted by Village Media's Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.New episodes of Closer Look drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. across the Village Media network, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.Have something to say? You can reach us at closerlook@villagemedia.ca.