Podcasts about national public relations

Free For All Friday - Hour 1 Amanda Galbraith breaks down today's biggest stories with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: CTV's Vassy Kapelos recaps the campaign trail highlights of Day 13, while also previewing the latest edition of 'That Just Happened: Canada Decides 2025' Texture Communications President Melanie Paradis and Crestview Strategy's Ginny Roth unpack the controversy around Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's 'biological clock' comments BNN Bloomberg's Amanda Lang reacts to the market backslide following the imposition of Trump's tariffs Free For All Friday - Hour 2 Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss this week's five biggest news stories. Attending today's session are Karen Gordon of Gordon Strategy and Bob Richardson of National Public Relations. Global markets, especially Wall Street, continue to slide after China slaps retaliatory tariffs on imports. Meantime, the Canadian economy lost 33,000 jobs in March, its biggest loss since 2022. Do you think we'll be able to weather this storm sufficiently? Any worries about what the indicators are already showing? Trump's tariffs have thrown the global economy into chaos. What do you make of Tuesday's 'Liberation Day'? Do you think it will be a successful political point? Canada's election campaign hits the one-third mark, as party leaders begin Day 13 in Quebec. The Liberals hold a 10-point lead over the Conservatives, while Carney boasts a 20-point advantage over Poilievre as the preferred Prime Minister. Is any particular party in serious trouble? An OnlyFans creator who joined the NDP campaign trail has been dropped over a 'disrespectful' Holocaust video. As for the Conservatives, they have dropped their fourth candidate in just 2 days over alleged social media activity. How can party campaigns and party leaders avoid these unforced errors? Meghan Markle has a new Netflix show — who are these shows ultimately for? Was it on your radar? One panelist says it's no good...

Nithya Ramachandran is the President and Chief Strategy Officer at T1, a full-stack sponsorship marketing agency. With over two decades of experience, she specializes in sponsorship marketing, strategy, and purpose-led partnerships. Nithya has held leadership roles at organizations such as PwC, Edelman, and National Public Relations. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in international business and strategic management from the University of Alberta. In this episode… Brands today face a crowded, noisy marketplace where audiences are increasingly fragmented and traditional advertising struggles to break through. The challenge isn't just building awareness — it's about fostering meaningful community engagement that aligns with a brand's values. So, how can companies create genuine, lasting connections with their target audiences while ensuring those efforts feel authentic and purpose-driven? Nithya Ramachandran, an expert in sponsorship marketing and experiential strategy, shares how brands can rise above the noise by placing people at the heart of every campaign. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the values, needs, and culture of the communities a brand wants to connect with. Instead of forcing campaigns onto audiences, Nithya recommends collaborating with the right partners, building authentic experiences, and ensuring brand initiatives align with the community's interests and passions. From community-driven sports initiatives to bold partnerships tackling youth mental health, she offers a strategic framework for brands looking to build true audience loyalty. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Nithya Ramachandran, President and Chief Strategy Officer at T1 Agency, about building purpose-driven brand communities. Nithya shares her leadership journey, strategies for fostering innovation and trust, insights on leadership transitions, balancing purpose with profit, and driving authentic audience engagement.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Host Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist and Founder of Nanos Research joins Amanda to discuss the new polling conducted by Nanos on which leader Canadians would prefer to negotiate with Donald Trump. David Adams, President of the Global Automakers of Canada to discuss what took place at the summit hosted by Justin Trudeau about bolstering the economy in the face of Canada’s rapidly changing relationship with its largest trading partner. TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor joins Amanda live from New Orleans to set the stage for Super Bowl Sunday. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Sharan Kaur, Former Deputy Chief to Bill Morneau, Chris Day, Senior Vice-President and Ottawa General Manager, Hill and Knowlton and Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations. PANEL TOPICS: Topic 1: Canadians pick Mark Carney over Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould to negotiate with Donald Trump: Nanos survey Topic 2: Everything tariffs – We’re in a 30 day reprieve, how should we prepare now? Topic 3: Ontario Election. All the ingredients to make an interesting dish, but does anyone care?

For this episode of the Global Exchange podcast, Colin Robertson moderates a panel of prominent experts on their first takeaways from the Inauguration and considerations for how Canada should respond to the coming storm. Participants' bios - Martha Hall Findlay is the Director and Palmer Chair, of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. - Glenn Williamson is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Arizona Business Council - Bernard Etzinger is a former Canadian diplomat with assignments in New York, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC - John Parisella is a Senior Advisor, Business Outreach at NATIONAL Public Relations and a former delegate general in New York City and Washington D.C. for the Government of Quebec Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson Read & Watch: - "Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World" - https://www.amazon.ca/Permacrisis-Plan-Fix-Fractured-World/dp/1398525618 - "The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization" - https://www.amazon.ca/End-World-Just-Beginning-Globalization/dp/006323047X - "Autocracy, Inc." - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302/autocracy-inc-by-anne-applebaum/ - "Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't" https://www.amazon.ca/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 - "Pod Save America" - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-save-america/id1192761536 - "Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty", https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Nations-Fail-Origins-Prosperity/dp/0307719227 - "Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present" https://www.amazon.ca/Age-Revolutions-Progress-Backlash-Present/dp/0393239233 - "An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s", https://www.amazon.ca/Unfinished-Love-Story-Personal-History/dp/1982108665 - "The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis" - https://www.amazon.ca/Situation-Room-Inside-Presidents-Crisis/dp/1538740761 - "Ebola, Bombs, and Migrants by Dr. Joanne Liu" - https://www.mcgill.ca/global-public-health/channels/event/book-launch-ebola-bombs-and-migrants-dr-joanne-liu-361139 - "In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin", https://www.amazon.ca/Garden-Beasts-Terror-American-Hitlers-ebook/dp/B004HFRJM6 - "Confronting Illiberalism: A Canadian Perspective" https://utorontopress.com/9781487561161/confronting-illiberalism/?srsltid=AfmBOop5wA_jcssCn6KE2O7qo1-kUp4aSX_9FvDwqcNwnsk554B1Wnz7 Recording Date: January 20, 2025.

High drama continues in Ottawa, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces loud calls from his own MPs and opposition leaders to step down, following the surprising resignation of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, from cabinet. Trudeau has so far withstood the criticism, shuffling his cabinet on Dec. 20—the same day that NDP leader Jagmeet Singh confirmed he would make a no-confidence vote as soon as Parliament resumes, on Jan. 27, sparking an election that the Liberals will almost certainly lose. Amid the chaos, Jewish Canadians have been caught in the middle. Since Oct. 7, politicans' responses to the Israel-Hamas war—and the ensuring flood of violent antisemitic attacks on domestic soil—have sharply divided political parties and the public. As a result of the federal cabinet shuffle, the Montreal-area MP for Outremont, Rachel Bendayan, has been given two portfolios—official languages and associate minister for public security—and immediately revealed that she'd been tasked to convene a new national summit on antisemitism in the new year. But will the Liberal government even last that long? As 2024 comes to a close, The CJN Daily called on its political panel to reflect on the tumultuous year that was—and kvell about their predictions from their last appearance on this program. They are David Birnbaum, former Liberal MNA for the Montreal riding of D'Arcy-McGee in the Quebec National Assembly; Emma Cunningham, the former NDP riding president in Pickering-Uxbridge who quit over antisemitism, and is now a school board trustee; and Stephen Adler, a Conservative insider and senior director at National Public Relations in Toronto. What we talked about: Hear the political panel on The CJN Daily in 2023 to hear if their predictions came true. Ottawa is convening a second national antisemitism forum focused on policing and law enforcement, in The CJN. Why Canadians and Jews are turning their backs on the Liberals, on Bonjour Chai. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

Kelly Sinclair is the President and CEO of KS&Co., a company dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in building their brands and increasing their visibility. With a strong background in public relations, Kelly has successfully worked with major organizations such as BP and National Public Relations, helping them navigate crisis communications and shift public perceptions. An advocate for relationship building and personalized strategies, she also hosts the Entrepreneur School podcast, providing education and inspiration for ambitious individuals. Her personal journey, marked by a transformative career shift after a family tragedy, highlights her commitment to balancing professional success with personal fulfillment. In this episode… Are you struggling to make your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace? Do you feel like your business is stuck in a cycle of mediocrity, unable to break through and connect with the right audience? How can entrepreneurs effectively engage with their audience to create meaningful and successful connections? Kelly Sinclair shares her journey from working in high-stakes corporate communications to becoming an advocate for entrepreneurs seeking to build strong brands. She emphasizes the importance of understanding audience perceptions and engaging with them to foster trust and authenticity. Kelly's experience highlights the shift from traditional marketing to more personalized, audience-driven strategies, showcasing her journey from consultancy work to creating scalable online courses. Her approach is a blend of media relations, public engagement, and innovative marketing strategies, aimed at helping businesses achieve visibility and growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Kelly Sinclair, President and CEO of KS&Co., about building brand visibility and authentic connections. Kelly shares valuable insights into successful branding strategies that focus on understanding and engaging with your audience. She offers actionable advice for entrepreneurs on leveraging relationships to grow their brands and emphasizes the importance of visibility and customized marketing strategies for achieving long-term business success.

- Markham man agrees to remove backyard hockey rink after years-long faceoff with city, neighbour. We speak with neighbour Grant- Bob Richardson - Senior Counsel at National Public Relations and NEWSTALK 1010 contributor, on the Trudeau 2 month tax break- Talk To a Stranger Day - now on live radio! 

#182: Daniel Lamarre is Vice Chairman and former CEO of Cirque Du Soleil. As CEO he guided the organization through a period of astounding growth and then brought it back to life during the massive upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.When Daniel joined in 2001 as president of new ventures, Cirque Du Soleil had two thousand employees and seven shows in performance. Five years later he became chief executive and the company grew to five thousand employees and forty four shows around the world. At it's peak Cirque had annual sales of $1 billion, profit margins of twenty percent, and fifteen million people attending its shows per year.Daniel's strengths of using creativity, his laser like focus, building relationship, finding positive solutions, and exceptional negotiating skills enabled him to lead the organization to put together one of a kind shows such as Michale Jackson's “One” and the Beatle's “Love”, which was the only show ever agreed upon by the iconic group. Before Cirque Daniel worked with TVA Broadcast Group, NATIONAL Public Relations, and Burson Marsteller.In 2012 he collaborated on the creation of C2MTL Conference, a one-of-a-kind coming together of the creative and business elite of the world. It is a platform for exploring creative answers to commercial questions. In line with his belief that without creativity, there is no commerce.He has been honored with Doctorates from McGill University, and his alma mater the University of Ottawa.For more on Daniel and his book check out daniellamarre.ca as well as the links below. Enjoy the show!Book:https://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Acts-Unleashing-Power-Creativity/dp/1400223024 

On this episode of TRREB's Ready to Real Estate podcast, we're shifting focus to Queen's Park to discuss Ontario's recent efforts to combat the housing crisis. Learn how the passing of Bill 185 and the Provincial Policy Statement are set to tackle the housing shortage and improve affordability. Dive into the details with Steve Adler, Senior Director of Public Affairs at NATIONAL Public Relations, and John Michael McGrath, columnist, reporter, and podcaster at TVO.org with podcast host TRREB's Chief Market Analyst, Jason Mercer.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1 Host Scott Reid breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Scott Hutcheson, Executive Chair of Aspen Properties and Chair of the 2026 Olympic Bid Corporation joins Scott Reid to talk about how Canadians would feel if Canada were to host the next Olympics. Scott recaps historical moments that have happened on August 9th throughout history. Free For All Friday - Hour 2 Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations and Chris Day, President, Winston Wilmont. Harris v. Trump debate is already looming as another historic pivot point in an extraordinary campaign  Supreme Court nixes Jordan Peterson's fight to not enter remedial coaching program  'Irresponsible, unethical, and dangerous': Pickering councillor slammed over appearance on 'far-right' podcast Olympics – Canadians on hosting and Tom Cruise closing the Olympics.  

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Host Scott Reid breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Richard Crouse, Movie Critic joins Scott to discuss celebrities and politics – should they butt out? Scott recaps historical moments that have happened on July 12th throughout history. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Peter MacKay, Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations. Is Biden the best choice for the democrats to beat Trump? Toronto Time – Work halted at Ontario Place amid legal battle and Critics warned that Olivia Chow would be an ‘unmitigated disaster' as mayor. How did her first year in power go? Trudeau says he's trying to recruit Carney, but declined to say whether he wants Freeland to stay in Finance and Pierre Poilievre likens First Nations values to core Conservative beliefs in speech at AFN meeting Hollywood stars dabbling in politics, should they stay out of it? And to Canada's Wonderland. What are people's views on: do you do rollercoasters? Rides vs Games? Country fairs vs Exhibitions, etc.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  ARE YOU AN ACTIVE GRANDPARENT? TURNS OUT YOUR ROLE OFFERS IMPORTANT HEALTH BENEFITS Tasha Kheiriddin is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP, Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, and Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. The panel reacts to what a new study out of Finland tells us about the important role grandparents have, and then they discuss Ottawa's Disability Benefit program.  PREMIER DOUG FORD'S CABINET SHUFFLE & MISSISSAUGA'S MAYORAL ELECTION Tasha Kheiriddin is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations, and Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist and President at Enterprise. There's plenty of developments in the world of politics across Ontario and the GTA. On Friday, Premier Doug Ford made a major cabinet shuffle which included moving Stephen Lecce out of the role of Minister of Education and replacing him with Todd Smith (Lecce now takes on the role of Minister of Energy and Electrification). Meanwhile, all eyes are on Mississauga today as residents of that city head to the polls to vote for their new mayor.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: HOW SUPPORTIVE ARE ZOOMERS OF THE FEDERAL LIBERALS? Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP,  Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, and Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. It's Monday - time for our Zoomer Squad - and both politics and health are in the spotlight. New polling shows that Zoomers may be the last bastion of support for the Liberal government. And there's a new Seniors advocate in BC. One of his first acts was to go to NYC to advocate for a binding international convention on seniors' rights. Is that a useful thing to pursue? ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD'S BIG BEER PLANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations, and Karl Moore,  Associate Professor, Strategy & Organization AT McGill University. What's all this about the moving up of the date for selling wine and beer in corner stores? Why does the PC government want to spend $225M on this? And is it a sign that a snap election may be in the works? THE LATEST ON THE ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT AT UOFT Libby Znaimer is joined by Rabbi Yaacov Vidal, Principal of Bais Chaya Mushka in North York and Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, Director of Advocacy and Policy at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre. Today: we discuss the aftermath of a shooting that targeted Bais Chaya Mushka--a Jewish elementary school. And we get the latest reaction to what's going on at the anti-Israel encampment on the grounds of UofT in downtown Toronto.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: BC SHIFTS ITS DRUG POLICY Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto. We get the doctors' take on BC's move to roll back decriminalization of drug use at least when it comes to using in public places. WHAT POLICE ARE AND ARE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO DURING A HIGH-SPEED CHASE Libby is now joined by Joseph Neuberger, a Criminal Defence Lawyer with Neuberger and Partners LLP. Why were police on that dangerous and ultimately deadly high- speed chase on the 401 that killed an infant and his grandparents as well as the suspect? It was apparently the result of an armed robbery. An investigation is underway into this horrific tragedy. What are police legally and not legally allowed to do during a high-speed chase? TWO KEY BY-ELECTIONS ARE FAST APPROACHING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations, and John Mykytyshyn, Conservative Activist, Political Consultant, and President of Bradgate Research Group. Two provincial bi-elections are taking place tomorrow in two ridings currently held by PC's - Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, which was the riding of Ford government Minister Monte McNaughton, and Milton, which was Parm Gill's riding before he resigned.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Guest host Mark Towhey breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Adriane Gear, President of the BC Nurses' Union on B.C. to require hospitals have designated spaces for patient illicit drug use Kevin Page, president of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy in Ottawa, and a former Parliamentary Budget Officer on how will the  Liberals pay for billions in promised spending and loans? Dan Stanton, Former CSIS executive manager to wrap up what we saw at the inquiry into foreign interference this week. Nicholas Pope, Human Rights Lawyer at Hameed Law on judicial vacancies building up. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations, Melanie Paradis, Conservative strategist and former senior staffer to Erin O'Toole, and President of Texture Communications and Cam Holmstrom, Founder and Principal, Niipaawi Strategies. Topic 1: NDP abandons carbon tax Topic 2: Why can't we have more judges? How short are we? How big a problem is this? Topic 3: Rules for RRSP and mortgages Topic 4: Budget: Who's going to pay for all this? Topic 5: The rules are the rules… unless they're ridiculous. Can a team score in 0.3 seconds?

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  WHO'S PAYING FOR THE THERME SPA AT ONTARIO PLACE? Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village, and David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto. Earlier in the week on Fight Back, Toronto Police Association President Jon Reid told Libby that the union has called on Mayor Olivia Chow to condemn a letter signed by some City councillors who expressed concern over a Pro-Palestinian protest in which some demonstrators were arrested for breaking the law. Since his appearance on the show, the Mayor has said she has no plans to condemn that group of councillors. So, how do you feel about this? And, Vaughan in collaboration with York Regional Police are working to crack down on illegal car rallies. PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU TESTIFIES OVER FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations and Phil Gurski,  President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting and a former CSIS analyst. This week: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified at the Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference in Ottawa. Our experts react to what he said...and what he didn't. AMOS GUIORA GIVES US AN UPDATE ON ISRAEL'S WAR WITH HAMAS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Amos Guiora,  Professor of Law at the University of Utah and a former Legal advisor to the IDF in Gaza. Amos weighs in on potential retaliation from Iran after Israel conducted a targeted killing of IRGC generals at the Iranian consular building in Damascus earlier this month, and the recent anti-government protests taking place inside Israel that are calling for the release of hostages still being held by Hamas and for an election.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: HOME CARE AND PHARMACARE With Ontario's senior population about to spike, a new report predicts a huge demand for home care. And the deadline is looming for the governing Liberals to table legislation on a national pharmacare program. The government has until March 1st, otherwise NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will make good on its promise to end their deal. Bob Komsic is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. He is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP; Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations; and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion to discuss these matters, and more. PROPOSED COTTAGE RENTAL LEGISLATION THAT'S BECOME A HOT BUTTON ISSUE IN MUSKOKA New rules proposed for Short Term Rentals (STRs) in the Township of Muskoka Lakes are not being well-received by property owners. Bob Komsic is joined by founder and president of Jayne's Cottages, Jayne McCaw to explore this contentious issue. REMEMBERING ALEXEI NAVALNY AFTER HIS DEATH Alexei Navalny, a primary critic of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has died in prison. Bob Komsic is joined by Dr. Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair at McGill University, to get a sense of who Navalny was; how he became a major enemy of Putin; and the suspicious circumstances around his death.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Host Amanda Gailbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Maria Popova, Associate Professor in Soviet politics at McGill on Alexei Navalny's passing this morning. Derek Finkle, Journalist who lives across the street from the South Riverdale Community Health Centre and supervised injection site in Toronto on a class action law suit being issued against South Riverdale Community Health Centre. Kady Lyons, Research Scientist at Georgia Aquarium on a stingray that fell pregnant despite having no male stingrays in her habitat. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Bob Richardson, Senior counsel at National Public Relations and a former Ontario Liberal chief of staff and Melanie Paradis, Conservative strategist and former senior staffer to Erin O'Toole. Topic 1: Carbon tax rebranding Topic 2: ArriveCan Scandal Topic 3: Guilbeaults comments on road funding – and walking them back saying he just meant ‘bigger roads Topic 4: The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger – A dangerous Scam, why have these become more prevalent? Topic 5: Loud Budgeting trend – are you one? Are you comfortable sharing finances?

It was on January 22, 2017 that President Trump's counsellor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the size of the crowd that showed up for Trump's inauguration. Alternative facts, she said, in explaining Spicer's claim that Trump's crowd was the largest to ever witness an inauguration. Not lies. Not falsehoods. Just alternative facts. Our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast is Ted Griffith, author of the upcoming book, Theater of Lies: Misinformation divides us -- with purpose. How to protect ourselves, and why we must. It will be out later this month and will reveal the secrets that leaders in business, media, and government don't want us to know about lies and misinformation -- the spin. Griffith is a 40-year communications professional who has spent his career mastering and employing the tools of mass persuasion. A communications professional who has spent the last forty years learning and employing the tools of persuasion, Griffith has represented high profile leaders in sectors such as mining, energy, healthcare, water, tourism, waste management, municipal and provincial governments, and amateur and professional sports.Griffith served as a vice president at Canada's largest PR firm, NATIONAL Public Relations, and was its number one consultant for several years. He has expertise in crisis communications and worked behind the scenes on the 1988 Ben Johnson Olympic Steroid Scandal, Canada's tainted blood scandal, power failures, and various product recalls.Here are some questions we asked Griffith as we explored the impact of lies & misinformation on our society:Q. From your long experience you say that lies and misinformation have infected most every part of our lives. How is that, and what can we do about it?Q. Why are lies so often used to control people? We've certainly seen that in this era of Donald Trump.Q. How can people discern if they are being fed lies or “alternative facts” by people in power?Q. Do you believe people have been trained since their childhoods to believe lies by people in authority? Please explain.Q. What role do you expect the Theater of Lies to play in the 2024 election?Q. What is the illusion of binary thinking, how someone can believe something they know nothing about?Q. How does your book, “Theater of Lies,” deal with all of this?Q. One of the issues that is often the subject of misinformation is climate change. How has climate change been affected by lies and misinformation?Q. Do you believe the use of the term climate change rather than global warming is part of misinformation strategies? By whom?Q. What can we do to combat lies and misinformation in the climate change space?Q. Tell us what your company, The Fixers Group, does for its clients. Q. When, exactly, will your book be published and where can people find it? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

It was on January 22, 2017 that President Trump's counsellor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the size of the crowd that showed up for Trump's inauguration. Alternative facts, she said, in explaining Spicer's claim that Trump's crowd was the largest to ever witness an inauguration. Not lies. Not falsehoods. Just alternative facts. Our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast is Ted Griffith, author of the upcoming book, Theater of Lies: Misinformation divides us -- with purpose. How to protect ourselves, and why we must. It will be out later this month and will reveal the secrets that leaders in business, media, and government don't want us to know about lies and misinformation -- the spin. Griffith is a 40-year communications professional who has spent his career mastering and employing the tools of mass persuasion. A communications professional who has spent the last forty years learning and employing the tools of persuasion, Griffith has represented high profile leaders in sectors such as mining, energy, healthcare, water, tourism, waste management, municipal and provincial governments, and amateur and professional sports.Griffith served as a vice president at Canada's largest PR firm, NATIONAL Public Relations, and was its number one consultant for several years. He has expertise in crisis communications and worked behind the scenes on the 1988 Ben Johnson Olympic Steroid Scandal, Canada's tainted blood scandal, power failures, and various product recalls.Here are some questions we asked Griffith as we explored the impact of lies & misinformation on our society:Q. From your long experience you say that lies and misinformation have infected most every part of our lives. How is that, and what can we do about it?Q. Why are lies so often used to control people? We've certainly seen that in this era of Donald Trump.Q. How can people discern if they are being fed lies or “alternative facts” by people in power?Q. Do you believe people have been trained since their childhoods to believe lies by people in authority? Please explain.Q. What role do you expect the Theater of Lies to play in the 2024 election?Q. What is the illusion of binary thinking, how someone can believe something they know nothing about?Q. How does your book, “Theater of Lies,” deal with all of this?Q. One of the issues that is often the subject of misinformation is climate change. How has climate change been affected by lies and misinformation?Q. Do you believe the use of the term climate change rather than global warming is part of misinformation strategies? By whom?Q. What can we do to combat lies and misinformation in the climate change space?Q. Tell us what your company, The Fixers Group, does for its clients. Q. When, exactly, will your book be published and where can people find it?

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  WILL TORONTO BE CUTTING WINDROW CLEARING SERVICES?   Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Quitto Maggi, CEO Mainstreet Research. Loblaw is cutting its discount on food that is about to expire from 50 per cent to 30 per cent. How will this impact older shoppers on a fixed income? And, is the city proposing to cut windrow snow clearing from the 2024 budget? Our panel weighs in.  POLLUTION FROM TRACK REPAIRS HAVE LOCAL TORONTO RESIDENTS FEELING ILL Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Gill, Resident of the neighbourhood who has been exposed to the construction and styrene fumes and Thomas Tenkate, Director and Associate Professor at the School of Occupational and Public Health at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Residents in the area of Bathurst and St Clair are complaining about construction happening there. They are worried about the foul odours, headaches and nausea which they began to experience  when the work began. We hear from one resident who has been experiencing the situation first-hand and we learn more about a material called Styrene and the impact it can have. The crew working on the project reportedly told them that Styrene was being used. POLITICS IN SPORTS: SOME SPORTS COMPETITIONS DITCH ISRAELI ATHLETES Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations. The Israel-Hamas war marked the 100-day milestone yesterday, and there seems to be a new front targeting Israelis and Jews around the world: Sport. Bob weighs in on the latest concerning developments.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Host Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Casey Babb, Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and Fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv breaks down Israel facing down accusations of genocide at the ICJ. Aaron Blake, Senior Political Reporter with The Washington Post joins to set the stage for the Iowa caucus on Monday. Carmi Levy, CTV tech to give a sense of how AI will collide with creative industries. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations and a former Ontario Liberal chief of staff and Kate Harrison Vice-Chair, Summa Strategies Topic 1: Immigration is making Canada's housing more expensive govt warned two years ago Topic 2: Canadian media association is ringing alarm bells about medical system Topic 3: The prime minister's vacation to Jamaica. Topic 4: NL bans end of game handshakes for hockey - overkill or right decision? Topic 5: PWHL Recap

THE MEDICAL RECORD:   HOW EFFECTIVE WERE OVER THE COUNTER COVID-19 RAPID TEST KITS? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,  Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and Dr. Sohail Gandhi, an Ontario based family physician and a past President of the Ontario Medical Association. It's Wednesday time to talk about your health. And there was a huge uptick in Covid cases before the holidays which I am sure is spiking even more after all the Christmas gatherings and the shopping in crowds. Meanwhile, a new report says those ubiquitous home test kits aren't as accurate as we thought and the company behind them fudged some of the results in order to get the multi million dollar contract. And there's a new study on physician burnout - again some of that must be related to the holidays. And two of our panelists were working over Christmas. So did a young emergency doctor who was a guest at our home. She left early to start her overnight shift on the 25th. OTTAWA'S SETTLEMENT FOR THE TWO MICHAELS Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations and Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, and a former senior strategic analyst at CSIS Ottawa is ready to finalize a settlement with the two Michaels who were detained in China for nearly three years. The feds will reportedly provide each of them with around $3 million in compensation though Michael Spavor's lawyer is seeking $10.5 from Ottawa. Our panel weighs in. ONLINE PETITION WANTS TO REVERSE YONGE-DUNDAS NAME CHANGE Libby Znaimer is joined by Daniel Tate and Jonny Pottins--both concerned citizens, taxpayers and co-organizers of an online petition to reverse the name change of Yonge-Dundas Square. Toronto City Council has made the decision to rename Yonge-Dundas square to Sankofa Square--a decision that will cost taxpayers millions. But now there is an online petition written by Jonny Pottins and Dan Tate which is going strong with a target of reaching 100,000 signatures. The petition right now has reached just over 15,000 signatures. Both Dan and Jonny say this isn't just a matter of saving our hard earned money; it is also very much about preserving our history. If you wish to visit the online petition go to change.org/p/stop-the-renaming-of-dundas-in-toronto

As 2023 comes to a close, the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has sat down for a lot of year-end interviews with major Canadian journalists, and The CJN Daily has been asking for one with him, too–for months. But to no avail (we will keep trying). Canada's Jewish community (and The CJN) have a lot of questions to ask about this government's stance on the Israel-Hamas war since Oct. 7, including why it continues funding for UNRWA, why Canada's initial strong support for Israel has now changed with a recent UN vote calling for a ceasefire, why it took Canada's foreign affairs minister so long to say she believes Hamas terrorists raped and murdered Israeli women, and why CBC News continues to be permitted not to call Hamas ‘terrorists'. So we'll ask the next best thing: our panel of experts to evaluate how well or in many cases how poorly Canada's elected leaders have handled these big issues, especially from the Jewish community's perspective. And we'll get them to make their predictions for the New Year.  Ellin is joined from Toronto by Stephen Adler, a former Conservative insider now a senior director with National Public Relations; by Emma Cunningham, a former NDP riding president in Pickering, Ont. who quit her provincial party over antisemitism–she is now a trustee with the Durham District School Board but is speaking on her own behalf; and by David Birnbaum, in Montreal, a former Liberal member of the Quebec National Assembly for the riding of D'Arcy McGee, retired in 2022. What we talked about Last chance to donate to The CJN for 2023, to support our work, get a tax receipt, and receive our sparkling CJN magazines 4x per year. Hear why The CJN is important to me, in this short message. Credits: The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.

Amanda Galbraith is joined alongside Bob Richardson of National Public Relations and Marieke Walsh of The Globe and Mail. Together, they recap the top news stories of 2023, preview the biggest news items of 2024, and reflect on their favourite Christmas memories.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  THE ROLLOUT OF THE DENTAL CARE PLAN Libby Znaimer is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Bob Richardson, Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations. It's Monday: time for our Zoomer Squad. And we now have details on the rollout of the dental care plan that is a cornerstone of the Liberals supply and confidence agreement with the NDP. It will be rolled out gradually next year with registration starting next week with older Zoomers over 87. Even that group won't see any actual benefits until May. So is this the right way to structure the program? AN UPDATE ON ISRAEL'S WAR WITH HAMAS: IDF SPOKESPERSON Libby Znaimer is now joined by IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. (res) Peter Lerner. The Israel-Hamas war has entered a new intensive phase with heavy fighting in the city of Khan Younis which the IDF says is a terrorist stronghold. Meanwhile, Hamas has threatened not to allow any more hostages to leave alive until Israel agrees to all its demands which include ending the war and releasing all the terrorists held in Israeli jail. RABBI SHMULEY ON THE RISE OF ANTISEMITISM AND THE UNIVERSITIES He came to prominence as a so-called celebrity rabbi and the author of books including Kosher Sex…Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has a fascinating take on the huge increase in Antisemitism around the world since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. He has appeared at  ideaCity and on theZoomerTV. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Retired Major-General Denis Thompson, former commander of the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai for 2014-17, and fellow at the University of Manitoba's Centre for Defence and Security Studies, on the hostage release and the Israel-Hamas pause Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law and Law Professor at the University of Ottawa, on Bill C-18 / Bill C-11 and potential media bailouts Ryan Brook, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair at the Department of Animal and Poultry Science and Indigenous Land Management Institute at the University of Saskatchewan, on the exploding population of “super pigs” Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst and Author, on Black Friday shopping and if people are cutting back this year Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Karen Gordon, Principal of Gordon Strategy and Bob Richardson, Senior Counsel at National Public Relations and a former Ontario Liberal chief of staff Topics: Rainbow Bridge vehicle explosion and Poilievre's terrorism comments – What do you make of the controversy over comments around the Rainbow Bridge explosion? Was Poilievre in the wrong? Thoughts on government response? Debt payments now outweigh transfer payments on health care – do you care? Do Canadians care? Do we blame the government? Windsor battery plant -- Was the controversy around bringing in foreign workers to the Windsor battery plant much ado about nothing or a justified concern? Black Friday – are you planning on shopping this year or hanging up the credit card? Christmas Shrinkflation – has it ruined your favourite treat yet? Have you noticed this in stores?

THE MEDICAL RECORD: A SAFE HOME TEST TO CHECK FOR HPV Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. It's Wednesday time to talk about your health. Following yesterday's economic update there are questions about what is not there. There was nothing about an expansion of the dental care program, something that would be critical for many Zoomers and also not a word about Pharmacare, even though the agreement with the NDP states explicitly that that file must be Acted on by the end of this year. Also, Zoomer women will remember the very uncomfortable routine of regular Pap smears. Canada is moving away from them and there is apparently a safe and effective home test to look for HPV. ISRAEL'S HOSTAGE AGREEMENT WITH HAMAS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Amos Guiora, Professor of Law at the University of Utah and a former Legal advisor to the IDF in Gaza. The truce and hostage release between Israel and Hamas is set to take place tomorrow. Families still do not know exactly who will be released but the first group of about 50 will be mostly children and women. REACTION TO OTTAWA'S FISCAL UPDATE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations, and Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist, President at Enterprise. This week, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland released Ottawa's fiscal update. Our panel reacts to the highlights and what it did not include!

ZOOMER SQUAD:  ZOOMER HEROES DURING THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR 12:00-12:30 Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn,  Chief Community Officer of CARP and Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine. One of many heroic stories emerging out of Israel as it's war continues to ramp up with Hamas, is that of retired major general in the IDF Noam Tibon, 62, and his wife who grabbed a pistol and made their way all the way from Tel Aviv to the communities near the Gaza border to save their son and his family during the attack on Oct. 7 and that's exactly what he did. And, he's not the only Zoomer to have taken heroic actions to save Israeli civilians! Meanwhile, what about the elderly who were taken hostage by Hamas and brought into Gaza. One of them was reportedly an elderly Holocaust woman who is wheelchair bound. Will Hamas allow the hostages to gain access to medical aid? And, closer to home, the panel reacts to the federal NDP convention that took place over the weekend. MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DURING TIMES OF WAR 12:30-12:50 Libby Znaimer is joined by Clinical Psychologists Dr. Hannah Rockman and Dr. Jenn Felsher. One of the many tools that Hamas terrorists had in their arsenal when they brutally murdered Israelis during their assault last Saturday was social media. They filmed their murderous rampage online and broadcasted it for the world to see, leaving even kids exposed to extreme violence and terror. Our clinical psychologists join the program today to discuss how we can manage our mental health amid conflicts like this and how we can talk to our kids and grandchildren about their use of social media and protecting themselves against seeing graphic images of the war. JAGMEET SINGH APPROVAL AMONG DELEGATES SINKS+ FUTURE OF THE FEDERAL NDP 12:50-1 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations and Kim Wright, Principal of Wright Strategies. Over the weekend, 81 percent of delegates voted against initiating a leadership contest against their leader Jagmeet Singh. And what key issues were brought up during the federal NDP convention that took place this past weekend?

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THE LATEST BLOW TO THE FORD GOVERNMENT 12-12:30 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO, Variety Village, Alex Blumenstein,Co-Founder of The Peak which is now part of the ZoomerMedia family, and Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth Ontario PC MPP Kaleed Rasheed is resigning in what has become the latest blow to the Ford government in the aftermath of the Greenbelt scandal. MPP Rasheed stepped down after providing incorrect information to the integrity commissioner during his investigation which involved a trip to Las Vegas where a developer involved in the Greenbelt deal was also on vacation at the time. And, this is the first time we convene with the panel after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford met to discuss the City's budget hole stemming from the pandemic and out of that came a working group that will address it. MORE ON MPP RASHEED'S RESIGNATION 12:30-12:40 PM Libby Znaimer is now joined by NDP MPP and finance critic Catherine Fife (Waterloo). As we brought up in the previous segment, a second MPP in the Ford government has resigned in the aftermath of the Greenbelt scandal (that continues to plague the Ford government). His office did not provide accurate information to the integrity commissioner when it came to his trip to Las Vegas in 2020 where a developer involved with the Greenbelt also happened to be on vacation. So, what happens next and how impactful is this latest resignation on Premier Doug Ford's ability to govern with integrity? THE LATEST REGARDING CANADA-INDIA'S DIPLOMATIC FALLING OUT 12:40-1 PM Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations and Dr. Elliot Tepper, A professor of International Relations at Carleton University. In the aftermath of PM Trudeau's accusations towards India that they were behind the killing of a Sikh leader and Canadian citizen based in BC, Canada's relations with India continue to strain. In the latest move, India announced that it is cancelling its visa services here and issued a warning to its citizens here. So, where do our two countries go from here and can Canada really afford tensions with yet another global economic power?

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: ONTARIO HOUSING MINISTER RESIGNS & A FORD GOVERNMENT CABINET SHUFFLE 12:00-12:30  Libby Znaimer is joined by Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park, John Milloy, former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments and John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative political consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Two major developments have emerged from Queen's Park this week. The first being that Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark has resigned amid the Ford government's controversial Greenbelt plans. Then we learned that Premier Doug Ford has shuffled his cabinet and appointed Paul Calandra (previously minister of long term care) as the new housing minister. Our panel weighs in on the latest. SEGMENT 2-MORE REACTION TO THE FALLOUT FROM THE GREENBELT SCANDAL 12:30-12:50 Libby Znaimer is now joined by Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario followed by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations. Mike and then Bob react to the latest news of Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark's resignation amid the Greenbelt scandal as well as Doug Ford's cabinet shuffle that sees Paul Calandra taking over as the new housing minister. SEGMENT 3: NON-PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN CANADA UNDERCOUNTED BY ONE MILLION 12:50-1:00 Libby Znaimer is now joined by Guidy Mamann, a Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamman, Sandaluk & Kingwell LLP Immigration Lawyers. Ottawa has undercounted approximately 1 million non permanent residents according to a leading economist at CIBC. Why is this a problem? I  means that the government is underestimating the amount of housing that needs to get built as the country continues to grapple with this issue.

Liz West is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. Today we kick things off with a Journal of Clinical Oncology study indicating that women who are screened for breast cancer before age 50 have a higher chance of survival. Meanwhile, there is cause for concern over a new COVID-19 variant called "EG.5". ---- THE ONTARIO AG REPORT ON DOUG FORD'S GREENBELT PLANS Liz West is now joined by Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario. The Ontario Auditor General's highly anticipated report on Doug Ford's Greenbelt plans is finally out and what we are learning from it is that developers had a role in influencing the government's decision on where to open up the land for housing development. And, as the 95-page report indicates, these developers could see an $8 billion increase in the value to the land that's being developed. So, what will come from these findings and will the Ford government be held accountable? ---- MORE REACTION TO THE ONTARIO AG REPORT ON DOUG FORD'S GREENBELT PLANS Liz West is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist - Senior Council to National Public Relations. Now that the Auditor General's report into the Ford government's plans for the Greenbelt has been publicized, Bob reacts to what we've learned and the fallout, if any, this could have on the Ford government. And, we get reactions from listeners about the report. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Liz West is joined by David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto, Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak for Ward 6 York Centre and Alex Blumenstein, Co-founder of The Peak. In the news: A draft of the audit by Ontario AG Bonnie Lysyk looking into Premier Doug Ford's Greenbelt development plans has been shared with Ford himself. The report doesn't officially come out for another few weeks but one of the key questions we have about it is: has Ford tipped off developers in the private sector as it relates to the Greenbelt? Meanwhile, a lot of residents are complaining about accessibility issues with High Park after it underwent some changes. And, yesterday we learned that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife have separated. It opens up a conversation about how much of a toll political life can have on couples and families. ----- WILL JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S SPLIT FROM WIFE AFFECT HIS LEADERSHIP? Liz West is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations and John Capobianco, Senior Vice President and Senior Partner of FleishmanHillard HighRoad. As touched on in the previous segment, we learned this week from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau that they have separated “after many meaningful and difficult conversations". We don't know what really is the reasoning behind the split at this time, but some are speculating that it could be the toll that political life has on couples and their families. And, now that he is facing a very significant challenge in his personal life, how will it all impact the prime minister's role as the leader of the country? ---- WHICH GROCERY RETAILERS DO CANADIANS RESPECT THE MOST? Liz West is now joined by John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. We all have our favourite grocery store for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you go to a certain place for the good prices, or the better customer service. Well, John has released a new poll revealing which grocery stores are most respected by Canadians. Costco topped the list, followed by Metro and Walmart! Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,  Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and former head of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Board, and Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto The British Medical Journal has published a report detailing why Canada should conduct a wide-scale review of its response to COVID-19 and it gave five key arguments including that doing so would provide accountability for the losses the country faced including the more than 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. ---- OTTAWA'S CABINET SHUFFLE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations. The Trudeau Liberals underwent a major cabinet shuffle in Ottawa today. So, who was dropped, moved around and who will not be seeking re-election? ---- CAA INSURANCE SURVEY ON ONTARIANS CONCERNS REGARDING AUTO THEFT Libby Znaimer is now joined by Elliot Silverstein, Director, Government Relations, CAA Insurance. A survey by CAA Insurance Company details Ontarians' growing concerns about auto theft. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine, John Wright, Executive Vice President, Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations. In the news: Experts of Alzheimer's have established new guidelines for physicians to diagnose patients with the disease which includes a 7 point plan. Meanwhile, we discuss the impact of the latest Bank of Canada hike of the key lending rate to five per cent on homeowners with variable mortgages with fixed payments. And, Desjardins released a report today detailing the need for Ottawa to boost immigration to counter-balance our country's aging demo. ---- HOW TORONTONIANS REALLY FEEL ABOUT A SPA AT ONTARIO PLACE Jane Brown is now joined by Dianne Saxe, Toronto City Councillor for University-Rosedale and Norm Di Pasquale, Co-Chair of Ontario Place for All. So...how do Torontonians truly feel about having a Spa developed at Ontario Place? According to City of Toronto consultations so far that included hundreds of residents' input, there are concerns about it being developed there and affecting things like greenspace, the sites use for leisure and recreation and pedestrians. Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by Therme tells a very different story. Our panelists weigh in on the latest and we put the call out to our listeners: would you like to see a spa being built at Ontario Place in the future? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Torontonians will elect a new mayor, the city's 66th, on Monday, June 26, in a byelection made necessary by the surprise resignation of John Tory in February. With 102 names on the ballot—including a pet dog—the choice for voters can be confusing, but The CJN Daily‘s political panel is here to break down the issues and evaluate the frontrunners. In the days leading up to the vote, it's Olivia Chow's election to lose. The former NDP MP and city councillor has previously run unsuccessfully for mayor before, but she holds a significant lead over the man polling second in most polls, Mark Saunders, a former Toronto police chief who has run unsuccessfully for the Ontario Conservatives. Trailing those two in third-place: Anthony Furey, a former newspaper columnist; Anna Bailaõ, a former city councillor and ally of ex-mayor Tory; and Josh Matlow, a sitting councillor and member of the Jewish community. On today's episode, we're joined by Stephen Adler, senior director of public affairs at National Public Relations; Sophia Hershfield, The CJN's “Critical Kvetching” columnist; and Josh Lieblein, The CJN's “Doorstep Postings” columnist. Read more Read Lieblein's “Doorstep Postings” columns on some of the candidates running for mayor in Toronto in The CJN, including Josh Matlow, Mark Saunders, Anna Bailaõ, Brad Bradford, Anthony Furey and Rob Davis Read more about Ben Carr, who won Monday's federal byelection in his late dad Jim Carr's riding of Winnipeg South Centre, in The CJN How to vote in the Toronto mayor byelection June 26, 2023 Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.Read transcript

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: TORONTO'S MAYORAL RACE AND CANADIANS WHO CAN'T RETIRE Jane Brown is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine; Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP; and John Wright, Executive Vice President at Maru Public Opinion. Together, Jane and the Squad unpack the latest on Toronto's mayoral campaign trail; and discuss a recent survey that found 44% of non-retired Canadians aged 55 to 64 have less than $5,000 in savings, with one in five from that group saying they have not set anything aside for retirement. FOUR FEDERAL BYELECTIONS TODAY Four new MP's will be elected to the House of Commons today in a handful of byelections that politicos say could expose rifts within the Conservative party and possibly bring a new Liberal cabinet hopeful into the fold. Jane Brown is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations to discuss what this could mean for Canadians. JUNE IS MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH MONTH June is Men's Mental Health Month! Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Anne Wilson, Professor in the Psychology department at Wilfrid Laurier University; and Dr. Michael Mak, Psychiatrist at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to discuss what this means, and why it's important.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician as well as founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto and John Papastergiou, a pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart. Today: a discussion about new clinical trial data that indicates that it is safe to stop immunotherapy after two years if a patient with lung cancer is "progression-free". In other news: patients with a certain type of brain tumor may soon be able to get an oral treatment that would serve as an alternative to radiation and chemotherapy. And, in Ottawa, the federal NDP have tabled a pharmacare bill to implement a universal single-payer pharmacare system in Canada. Our panel weighs in on the latest. ARBITRATION RULING FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Sharleen Stewart, President of SEIU Healthcare. An arbitration ruling has granted 45,000 healthcare workers in the province with a 6.25 per cent wage increase. Sharleen provides more details on what this means for front line workers in the province. ---- BONNIE CROMBIE IS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR LEADER OF ONTARIO LIBERALS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations, and John Mykytyshyn, a conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group. It's official: Bonnie Crombie has announced that she's running for leadership of the Ontario Liberals. Interestingly, a poll by Abacus Data shows Bonnie being the front runner but the same poll shows that Doug Ford's PC government would be re-elected if elections were held right now. So, what does her entry into the race mean for the future of the party? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Paula Fletcher, Toronto City Councillor for Toronto-Danforth, David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto,  Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village and a former Toronto City Councillor and former mayoral candidate. There's been a bit of a plot twist to the Toronto mayoral election this week. Popular urbanist and mayoral candidate Gil Penalosa who lost to Mayor John Tory in the last election has announced that he is now dropping out of this one and...he's endorsing mayoral candidate Olivia Chow. Meanwhile, we get a sense from Paula Fletcher about whether Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie has had any progress when it comes to getting money from higher levels of government to address the billion dollar shortfall in the City's budget. And the Cherry Blossoms are now in peak bloom--earlier than in previous years. The flowers are a popular sight to see for many Torontonians who gather at locations like High Park to get a glimpse. ---- TUNE INTO THE TOWN: A CLOSER LOOK AT PSAC'S DEMANDS FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE  Jane Brown is now joined by David Whitten, Founding Partner with Whitten and Lublin Employment Lawyers. Today: we take a closer look at the demands of PSAC from a legal perspective. How reasonable are these demands and could they be realistic in a corporate work setting in comparison? Our expert weighs in. ---- MORE ON PSAC'S STRIKE AND THE POLITICS SURROUNDING IT  Jane Brown is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations. We continue the conversation on PSAC's strike with Bob to get a sense of the politics surrounding it all. Justin Trudeau is urging the heads of the unions involved to reach a deal quickly to avoid long service disruptions ahead. How much damage will these strikes cause the Trudeau government and can we expect a deal to come out of it soon? And, Bob weighs in on some of the more interesting demands including a top up for employees working past 4 pm ET. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Twitter went from tagging National Public Radio as "state-affiliated broadcasting" to "government-funded media," but NPR decided to leave Twitter in a huff because Twitter was damaging its so-called image of "editorial independence." But they sound like National Public Relations for Democrats.

Bob Komsic is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. He is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. The province of Nova Scotia is offering its nurses a bonus of $10,000 in an effort to retain them in the public health system. The only condition is that they commit to a two year "return of service" agreement by the end March 2024.  Should Ontario's government follow the same strategy? Meanwhile, patients in Ontario have to now either pay out of pocket for virtual care as the province makes changes to its funding model and slashes virtual care from that funding. This will impact things like consultations, prescriptions and lab work referrals. And, the City of Brampton has notified the public through a press release that there have been cases of bird deaths due to avian flu. How concerned should the general public be about this? Our panel has the latest. ---- NEXUS IS COMING BACK Bob Komsic is now joined by John Gradek,  a faculty lecturer at McGill University in Montreal and a former executive with Air Canada. Good news for travelers to the U.S.: NEXUS enrollment offices are reopening at our airports this Spring. Travel restrictions were imposed on us three years ago as of March 2023. So, do you welcome this news? And, are you planning on making the line for your own Nexus card? John Gradek reacts to the latest. ---- PM TRUDEAU'S CHIEF OF STAFF TO TESTIFY Bob Komsic is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations. Katie Telford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Chief of Staff, will in fact be testifying over allegations of Chinese interference in our political system. So, what can we expect from her testimony? And, before this, Trudeau announced former governor general David Johnston to oversee a probe into the allegations and said he'd agree to whatever decision Johnston makes about whether or not a public inquiry should be launched. Bob reacts to the latest. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto, Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village and Lauren O'Neil, Senior News Editor of BlogTO. Today: We begin with the news that former Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti has now publicly expressed his intentions of running for mayor in the City's byelection. Meanwhile, various community groups and potential candidate for Mayor Josh Matlow are considering the cost of the Gardiner Expressway construction project a major byelection issue. We dive deep into that. ---- PM TRUDEAU APPOINTS FORMER GOV GENERAL TO OVERLOOK ALLEGATIONS OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist - Senior Council to National Public Relations and John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative Political Consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed former governor general David Johnston to look into allegations that China interfered in our 2021 election. Johnston, of course, comes with an impressive resume and is very well respected, however there are potential red flags including the fact that he is a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. The official opposition parties are also still calling on Trudeau's government to launch a public inquiry. Our panelists react to the latest. ---- THE PROBLEM WITH NDP CANDIDATE SARAH JAMA Libby Znaimer is joined by Michael Levitt, President and CEO Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. Ontario NDP candidate Sarah Jama is running to take over Hamilton Centre (Andrea Horwath's old riding) in a provincial byelection today. There's just one problem: according to a number of Jewish organizations, she has expressed antisemitic views. These organizations want her to step down and apologize for her past public comments about Israel and for her support of the boycott divestment and sanctions movement. The NDP have since stated that Sarah Jama is an advocate against antisemitism and any form of racism. But, this has us scratching our heads and wondering whether anything will be done to hold the candidate accountable for her past actions. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

ZOOMER SQUAD:  NACI RECOMMENDS AT-RISK CANADIANS GET THEIR BIVALENT COVID-19 BOOSTER THIS SPRING 12:00-12:30  Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer. She is joined by David Cravit, Chief Membership Officer of CARP,  Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP and John Wright, executive VP of Maru Public Opinion. Today: NACI is recommending that Canadians who are at risk of severe illness because of COVID-19, should get their bivalent booster shot in the Spring. Meanwhile, we talk about the intense winter storm that took place this past Friday. Finally, King Charles invites Harry and Meghan to his upcoming coronation. But will they go? Our panel weighs in on the latest. THE FUTURE OF THE ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY 12:30-12:50 PM Jane Brown is now joined by Mitzie Hunter, Ontario Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood, and Bob Richardson, a Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations. The Ontario Liberals have elected their new president: former cabinet minister Kathryn McGarry. The party is also changing its approach to the way it will be choosing its next leader: they will now conduct a leadership race by a one-member, one-vote system. So, what does the party have to do to put itself in a strong position to face off against the governing PCs in the next election cycle? WHAT IS A THUNDER-SNOW STORM? 12:50-1 PM Jane Brown is now joined by David Phillips,  Senior Climatologist for Environment Canada. The GTA has seen several intense winter storms in recent weeks but the latest, which took place last Friday evening and saw between 20 and 30 centimetres of snow, was rather unusual: it coincided with thunder and lightning. The storm caused blackouts in the city and numerous trees fell in the aftermath of it all. So, how exactly does this kind of weather occur and how rare is it? David explains.

This past year was as politically divisive as any in recent memory, and the Jewish community—both in Canada and internationally—was not exempted from the strife. So to round up the biggest political stories of 2022 and to make their predictions for the coming year, The CJN Daily has assembled its first-ever political panel and quiz game—and you're invited to play along. Joining us are three guests representing all three major political parties, each of whom has been featured by The CJN before. David Birnbaum is a former Liberal Member of the National Assembly of Quebec; Emma Cunningham is a trustee with the Durham District School Board and a former Ontario NDP riding president; and Stephen Adler is a former Conservative strategist and currently is senior director of corporate and public affairs at National Public Relations. So settle in, think back to the biggest news stories of the year (Jewish and not) and get ready to buzz in your answers—and let's see if you know the news as well as the pros. What we talked about: Read about David Birnbaum's decision not to run for re-election in The CJN (Apr 2022) Listen to Emma Cunningham explain her confrontation with the Ontario NDP over antisemitism in The CJN Daily (Jan 2022) Hear Stephen Adler on The CJN Daily round up the stakes for Jewish Ontarians during ahead of this past fall's election Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Libby Znaimer is joined, first, by Suzanne Boyd, Editor-In-Chief and Publisher of Zoomer Magazine, followed

Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations, John Mykytyshyn, Conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group as well as Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). There are "no easy solutions to Ontario's health care and inflation challenges". That was the message in yesterday

Alberta conservatives are getting ready to leave Jason Kenney behind — but who will take the baton? There's speculation that Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews may seek the UCP leadership, and he would join a field that already includes former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith and Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean. Host Jim Brown is joined by guests Melissa Caouette of Melissa Caouette Consulting, Blaise Boehmer from NATIONAL Public Relations and political columnist Jen Gerson from The Line to break down how the race is shaping up — and what sort of party each candidate would lead.

In this episode, Abbie Fink and Dr. Adrian McIntyre discuss the benefits of the https://prgn.com/ (Public Relations Global Network), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Read Abbie Fink's blog post for this episode: https://hmapr.com/collaboration-best-practices-are-benefits-of-the-prgn-network/ ("Collaboration, Best Practices Are Benefits of the PRGN Network") If you enjoyed this episode, check out the https://www.prgnpodcast.com/ (PRGN Presents) podcast, hosted by Abbie Fink, featuring conversations about PR, marketing, and communications with members of the https://prgn.com/ (Public Relations Global Network), "the world's local public relations agency.” Additional Resources https://hmapr.com/local-and-national-public-relations/ ("What is the Difference Between Local and National Public Relations?") by Abbie Fink https://hmapr.com/unmatched-resources-pr-network/ ("Unmatched Resources of a PR Network") by Scott Hanson https://hmapr.com/how-prgn-got-started/ ("How PRGN Got Started") by Scott Hanson Need to hire a PR firm? We demystify the process and give you some helpful advice in Episode 19: https://copperstateofmind.show/episode/how-to-hire-public-relations-agency-phoenix-arizona ("How to Hire a Public Relations Agency in Arizona: Insider Tips for Executives and Marketing Directors") Copper State of Mind is a project of https://hmapr.com/ (HMA Public Relations), a full-service public relations and marketing communications firm in Phoenix.   The show is recorded and produced in the studio of https://phx.fm/ (PHX.fm), the leading independent B2B podcast network in Arizona.

Anyone who's ever had breast cancer knows what it feels like to hear the words “You have cancer.” You may feel angry, afraid, overwhelmed or unsure about the future. These feelings are normal and allowing yourself to express your emotions can help you begin to cope, which is a process that requires time, acceptance and support. Today's guest is someone who is accustomed to feeling fully in control of her life – in her late 30's, she was independent, working in a fast paced career in healthcare media relations and was extremely active and fit. Yet she became one of the 1 in 8 women to hear those words “You have cancer” and suddenly things started to feel out of her control. Deb Song is the Senior Director of National Public Relations and Communications at Susan G. Komen and is here today to share her story and to tell us how her experience with breast cancer redefined what strength meant to her and how she's learned to embrace life as a team effort. Deb, welcome to the show!

Brian Jean is back, re-entering the party of his political rival at a critical crossroads for Premier Jason Kenney. The United Conservative Party leadership review is scheduled for April 9 and both sides are pushing thousands of members to show up to vote. Host Kathleen Petty is joined by Blaise Boehmer from NATIONAL Public Relations, Rishi Nagar from RED FM and Janet Brown from Janet Brown Opinion Research to talk about what that momentum means for Kenney and what else could we see in the lead up to the vote.