Scope News

On the September 2 episode of The Final Word, Abby Hughes talks about Canada's new luxury tax and how cars and boats over $100 000, and aircraft over $250 000, will be taxed an additional 10 per cent on their original sale price. She speaks with assistant economics professors Keyvan Eslami and Obeid Ur Rehman who delve into whether the federal government's estimates make sense, why these items might be the target of a tax, and what it'll mean for Canadians.

August 26, 2022 - Abby Hughes. When you think about climate change, how do you feel? Sad? Scared? Overwhelmed? Well, you're not alone. More and more people are reporting negative feelings to do with the state of the planet. The most common is climate anxiety, but there's others too - like eco grief and eco paralysis. Today, we're going to talk about some ways to help temper and reckon with these feelings. We'll hear from public and mental health nurse Natania Abebe who created a toolkit for combating these “earth emotions.” Plus, a member of the Student Christian Movement's climate justice and anxiety group, Divy Sallentes Uptegrove, will speak to the power of working through these feelings alongside other people.Then, we'll circle back to some specific climate fears and griefs of community members. Abebe will do her best to guide listeners in their concerns.

August 19, 2022 - Abby Hughes. Studies show that women don't have as much leisure time as men. But board game researcher Tanya Pobuda found a deeper pattern in their doctoral dissertation. In interviews with board game enthusiasts, women reported they had not only less time, but lacked the mental energy at the end of the day to play these games. We'll hear from Pobuda about the importance of board games, their findings and how the industry is starting to make innovative games that work better with people's busy schedules. Plus, a sociology professor studying gender, work and family at the University of Toronto will help us understand the gendered division of labour outside of this niche board gaming group.Then, Daniel Centeno will give us the rundown on the increase coming to Ontario Disability Support Program recipients. He'll speak with a disability rights advocate on the minimal difference made by the 5 per cent hike.

Abby Hughes - August 12, 2022. Since the very first days of the pandemic, the National Institute on Ageing based out of Toronto Metropolitan University has been crunching the COVID numbers in long term care homes. In fact, throughout the pandemic they were the only organization to keep comprehensive data on cases, deaths and outbreaks in every province in the country. But on July 28, the NIA announced they would be shutting down their Long-Term Care COVID-19 Tracker Project. The two year endeavour came to a halt, not because the thinktank no longer feels the need to track covid numbers, but because provinces and territories across the nation are no longer providing them with the numbers once used to compile their totals.Dr. Samir Sinha is the director of geriatrics at Sinai Health, and the Director of Health Policy Research for the NIA. Today, I'll talk with him about how the tracker totals were compiled, who used those figures, and the impact comprehensive data can have.

Abby Huges - August 5, 2022. Last month, the City of Toronto bylaw on garden suites came into effect. These small, back yard units have been popping up in other major North American cities like Los Angeles and Halifax. Municipal governments see them as a way to increase housing options for residents.We'll hear from the Executive Director of Toronto City Planning, Gregg Lintern, about bringing in the bylaw. Shelach McCartney, a planning and housing professors at TMU and the director of the Together Design Lab here at the school, will tell us about the potential impacts these suites will have, and how laneway suites can help us with predictions. Plus, Igor Skoskiewiczshares speaks about his experience thus far with building one of these very comparable laneway suites.Then, Andy Lee gives us a sneak peek of The Met Dining Hall's menu for this year's Summerlicious festival. And while Summerlicious is returning after a two year pandemic hiatus, this is the first time ever the university dining hall is participating.

Abby Hughes - July 29, 2022. In this special episode of segments by Toronto Metropolitan University journalism students, Abby Hughes and Thomas Publow dive into the current rise in spiritual practice. They'll go inside the world of the modern mystic with conversations from a mystic store owner, a practicing pagan and a sociologist of religion. Then, Didhiti Kandel will talk to creatives about the impact of COVID-19 on the arts. Finally, Carolina Pucciarelli and Kayla Higgins tell us all about Cafe Latino, a radio show on Jazz FM that promotes latin music and culture.The first two segments were produced for JRN 318 - Radio and Podcasting Basics. The last was produced for JRN 306 - Radio and Podcasting Workshop. All three segments were lightly edited for length.

Abby Hughes - July 22, 2022. Despite opening in June of 2020 — a time that was really hard for bars and clubs — comedy bar Nothing Fancy is thriving. They've just moved to a bigger location in Kensington Market, and will be part of the Just for Laughs comedy festival this year. But beyond that, they're challenging norms in the comedy scene, with the aim of becoming more inclusive and supporting comics. We'll hear from the owner of Nothing Fancy, the club's comedy booker, and a comic/friend of the club.Plus, Daniel Centeno gives us a COVID-19 update as told by Dr. Amit Arya — particularly with respect to long term care facilities in the province.

Abby Hughes - July 15, 2022In May, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a section of the criminal code. The law said that self-induced extreme intoxication was not a defence for violent crimes. At the time, there was public backlash, particularly from feminist groups and organizations that support victims of domestic violence. Since then, the Liberal government has introduced, and passed, legislation that they say fills the gap left by the Supreme Court ruling. The situation involves a lot of complex criminal law, and moral questions about how to balance people's rights. Two lawyers and law professors, as well as a U of T law student, help break down the ruling and law.

Abby Hughes - July 8, 2022Housing bubble! Sold-over-asking! High borrowing rates! If those words make you cringe, you're probably one of the many Torontonians feeling squeezed by the housing market. And according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, if we want affordable housing, Canada will need to build an extra 3.5 million homes on top of what we're on track to build by 2030.A housing advocate and a senior research fellow at Toronto Met's Centre for Urban Research and Land Development weigh in on the CMHC's target, and how to meet the housing demand.Plus, Abhay tells us about Lavender Literature - a sapphic youth group in the city that started as a book club.

Abby Hughes - July 1, 2022Last week, the United States Supreme Court overruled two really important decisions. They were Roe v. Wade, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The decision removed the constitutional right to abortion for women in America. Today, we'll hear from a reproductive rights advocate and a Canadian lawyer. They'll tell us about the ripple effects some worry the decision could have here, and the current state of Canadian abortion access. Plus, TMU students share what the ruling means to them.

Abby Hughes - June 24, 2022Arvin Jagayat, a PhD. student at Toronto Metropolitan University, created a software that simulates a social media timeline. And while his mock social media tool is new, the software shows promise for turning out more ecologically-valid social media research.After that, Zoha Naghar speaks with Toronto R&B and funk artist, Kalisway, about her latest album, getting confident with her own voice and some upcoming projects.

Abby Hughes - June 17, 2022Andrii Zarytskyi, a queer Ukrainian and LGBTQ activist who recently came to Canada, talks about the realities for queer people in wartime Ukraine. Then, hear from a Ukrainian-Canadian who's set up a fund that's diverted tens of thousands of dollars to LGBTQ+ charities on the ground in Ukraine. Plus, a 2021 graduate speaks about getting the chance to cross a real stage after graduating virtually last year.

Abby Hughes-June 10, 2022First, CJRU's very own Daniel Centeno brings us the details on Toronto Centre's new city councillor, Robin Buxton Potts. Then he'll break down a long term care pilot project by the City of Toronto, called CareTO. And TMU journalism students end today's episode with the stories of three family-run Italian restaurants in Toronto, plus the art of sports photography.

Naama Weingarten-May 27, 2022With the annual Hot Docs Festival going down earlier this month, we chatted with Nicolas van Hemelryck, the director of the award-winning documentary Alis. The film, which was made over a period of 5 years, captures the stories of young girls living in a Columbian shelter in the rough streets of Bogotá - all told through a fictional classmate named Alis, serving as a blank canvas to portray their reality

Naama Weingarten-May 20, 2022Today, we chat with Karen Steele, the winner of the 2022 Rosalie Award meant for women who paved the way in the world of radio. We'll learn all about what it's like to be program director at iconic stations like 99.9 Virgin Radio and Kiss 92.5, how she built her way there, and most importantly - having fun while doing it

Naama Weingarten-May 13, 2022​Toronto's vintage clothing show recently went down after a 2-year hiatus. And today - we get to hear from the vendors there! We'll learn about their style, what inspires them, and what it's like to be part of Toronto's iconic vintage clothing scene.

Naama Weingarten-May 6, 2022Today, Sharon Savunthararajah builds off her previous segment on why our grocery bills are so much higher nowadays. But first - we talk about "Toronto Metropolitan" - because Ryerson is officially a thing of the past and people have a lot of opinions about the new name.

Naama Weingarten-April 29, 2022Today, TMU's journalism students, Carolina Puccalli and Kayla Higgins talk all about a show with a mission to add cultural diversity to Toronto's radio stations. Then, we've got a segment all about Calgary. Because coming out here from Ontario, which had some of the worst lockdowns and restrictions in the world, I wanted to learn about what it was like spending this time in history somewhere else.

April 15, 2022-Naama WeingartenReported by Ryerson's very own journalism students, we've got segments all about Ontario's rising sports gambling industry and the tale behind 3 family-owned Italian restaurants in Toronto. Then, we've got our last segment of Student Perspectives for this school year.

April 8, 2022-Naama WeingartenToday, we hear from one of the people who placed an ultimatum on the Ford government - halt the plan to build highway 413, or we'll start blocking highways. Then, we've got yet another episode of student perspectives.

April 1, 2022-Naama Weingarten If you've ever stumbled across pop art of celebrities at bus stations or restaurants, you might know the name Nashid Chroma. He's an upcoming artist from Toronto who's been getting a lot of attention lately for his work inspired by music and nature. For today's show, our reporter Zoha Naghar spoke with him about what it's like breaking into the city's art sceneThen, we the premiere of the first episode of our new segment - Student Perspectives. Where CJRU's news coordinators walk around campus with a big sign and a microphone and give students the opportunity to rant on the air about anything.

March 25, 2022-Naama WeingartenIn case you didn't see the Volkswagen Beetle that was dragged across campus on March 24, let's fill you in. The big push happens every year. It's when Ryerson engineering students push a buggy around Kerr Hall, for 24 hours straight to raise money for The SickKids Foundation. For today's show, we got to chat with them.

March 18th, 2022- Naama WeingartenToday, we're going to hear from the research and policy analysts who surveyed over 5000 students from across the province about changes needed on campus. Tina Xia also has the latest in the science world including how lead hurt people's IQ.

March 11th, 2022- Naama WeingartenToday we're gonna talk to Scarborough artist Troy the Enigma about his new project coming out this April. Plus, we're gonna have Sharon here who will be talking about the Bank of Canada's rate hike and how it could affect people trying to buy a home.But it's not just homebuyers who are having issues with real estate. Small businesses are calling for action about the rental crisis in Ontario in a new report by the Better Way Alliance. We'll have Sophia here with the full segment.

March 4th, 2022- Naama WeingartenIn this week's episode, we're talking about an initiative that's trying to tackle gender-based violence. The Redwood, a Toronto shelter, is kickstarting a mobile human centre—an RV—that will bring anti-gender-based violence counselling and prevention directly to survivors.

Today - February 18, 2022 - is the national release of the documentary Last of the Right Whales. It sheds a rare spotlight on the nearly extinct North Atlantic Right Whales, and how we have made it nearly impossible for the species to survive. We chatted with award-winning filmmaker, Nadine Pequeniza, who is the creator behind this documentary – to learn about her experience making it, and why the story of North Atlantic Right Whales needs to be told.

December 10, 2021 - Naama Weingarten and James Caza Today, we talk to up-and-coming Toronto artist Harkness. After over a decade of honing his craft, he released his newest album, The Occasion. With colourful tunes and a unique persona, Harkness delves into what pushes and inspires him

Since the Toronto van attack took the life of Anne Marie D'Amico, a Ryerson alumni and a woman who was loved by so many, her family has been commemorating her life and legacy through The Turtle Project. For this show, we talked to Nick D'Amico, Anne Marie's brother and the president of the Anne Marie D'Amico foundation, all about the event. Plus, James Caza talks about how the TTC's workers' shortage due to the vaccine mandate is impacting our commute to school.

When it comes to kids, pandemic isolation costs them more than just physical activity - It cost them the ability to play, build friendships and social skills. We'll be chatting with Mishel Schwartz, the founder of GTA Mavericks, a non for profit meant to teach kids basketball that's trying to counter this phenomenon. Then, well talk about Ryerson's new updated vaccination policy-because the future is looking a bit unclear for those who haven't submitted their status yet, and students have a lot of opinions