Podcast appearances and mentions of paulo marques

Guest: Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie Ontario just dropped its biggest budget ever — $232.5 billion — and looming over every dollar of it is the shadow of Donald Trump, his tariffs, and an uncertain economic future. This year's budget also includes a new $5 billion “Protect Ontario” fund to shield businesses and jobs from the escalating trade war with the U.S. But behind the big numbers lie bigger questions like a $14.6 billion deficit, no major new housing initiatives despite a worsening crisis, and a controversial plan to rip out downtown bike lanes in favour of cars. The Star's Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie breaks it all down and what this budget means for Ontarians.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Star National Columnist Susan Delacourt  Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his first cabinet. On Tuesday, ministers were sworn in at Rideau Hall to a trimmed down and reorganized cabinet, with 28 full members and 10 second-tier members, known as secretaries of state. Carney's campaign promise was bold change and a post-Trudeau pivot.  Now that the lineup is out, the question is how much of it signals real transformation? Is this a true reset or does it look like a strategic rebrand? The Star's veteran political columnist Susan Delacourt provides insights. Audio source: CTV News Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques  

Guest: Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles  Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Washington this week was his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump since being elected to office. A lot hangs in the balance, at a time when Canada's relationship with its largest trading partner is being put to the test. While Carney made headlines with some bold statements and viral moments with Trump, the real story was the critical test of the Liberals political mandate and Canada's position on trade, tariffs and sovereignty in a rapidly changing global landscape. Toronto Star Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles was in the room where the diplomatic tight-rope was being walked and, she gives an inside look at what really happened.   Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Lance McMillan 

Guests: Star reporters Nicholas Keung and Ghada Alsharif During the pandemic, they were called essential. Migrant workers who packed our meat, picked our produce, and kept grocery shelves stocked. In return, many were offered a pathway to permanent residency through a federal pilot program. Now, that door has quietly closed. The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot is being phased out by the federal government. And with it, thousands of low-wage food workers are once again left in Canada's continuing cycle of “permanently temporary” immigration. Why was the program shut down? What does this mean for the people who grow and deliver our food and for Canada's food supply chain with a trade war with the U.S. looming over it all? Two Star immigration and labour reporters break it down.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

O anúncio da criação de super prisões para os líderes de redes de tráfico de droga em França gerou uma resposta por parte do crime organizado levando a vários ataques contra prisões e guardas prisionais. Estas grandes prisões podem não resolver os problemas da criminalidade no país, mas são uma medida há muito tempo aguardada pelos autarcas que lidam com o tráfico de droga e os seus efeitos no quotidiano das cidades. O mês de Abril em França foi marcado por uma série de ataques a prisões e a guardas prisionais, desde intimidação, a incêndios de carros de funcionários prisionais até ataques às portas de vários estabelecimentos um pouco por todo o país. Entretanto, cerca de 30 pessoas foram detidas por suspeitas de envolvimento nestes ataques e mais de 20 ficaram em prisão preventiva.Estes ataques são uma reacção à proposta do ministro da Justiça, Gerald Darmanin, de criar super-prisões para os líderes do narcotráfico, onde estes não teriam acesso a telemóveis ou computadores. Suspeita-se que hoje muitos dos gangues responsáveis pelo narcotráfico em França estejam presos, com acesso a meios que lhes permitem controlar todos as operações das suas organizações criminosas.Em entrevista à RFI, o advogado Jorge Mendes, que trabalha em Marselha, explicou como operam os  narcotraficantes e porque é que mesmo as super prisões podem não conseguir resolver por completo o problema do tráfico de droga em França."Eu penso que o facto de criar estas prisões não terá nenhum impacto no tráfico. Estamos aqui numa organização internacional. Marselha, por exemplo, geograficamente está à frente da África do Norte, Itália e Espanha. O tráfico internacional vem e vai de barco. E claro que construir ou não novas prisões não tem impacto nenhum nisso. Aliás, em Marselha, construiíram duas novas prisões ao lado da antiga. E o tráfico nunca esteve tão forte em Marselha, com duas novas prisões que já estão cheias. Tudo, para mim, não tem nenhuma consequência sobre o tráfico. O verdadeiro problema do tráfico hoje é que a justiça dê mais meios à polícia para fazer buscas internacionais e com pessoal suficiente para responder a uma organização muito bem organizada, que hoje tem totalmente o poder. É a polícia e a justiça que estão hoje a correr atrás dos tráficos. E com muito atraso", explicou Jorge Mendes.Para Jorge Mendes, a França está no mesmo ponto em que Itália se encontrava há uma década, dominada pelo tráfico de droga e onde os líderes deste tráfico, mesmo estando presos conseguem controlar as operações das suas organizações criminosas."Tomam contra dos negócios com os telefones dentro da cadeia. Isto permite-lhes continuar o tráfico, mesmo eles sendo presos. É claro que com os telefones, com as redes sociais e com a internet dentro da prisão, isso permite continuar a viver, a fazer o tráfico e a ganhar dinheiro. Esse comércio continua a prosperar, mesmo com as pessoas na prisão. E esta organização muito bem organizada, não quer que os seus líderes fiquem fechados sem acesso a telefones ou cumputadores. Quer continuar a ganhar dinheiro e fazer tráfico", disse ainda o advogado franco-português que trabalha em Marselha.Já Paulo Marques, autarca na cidade de Aulnay-sous-Bois, na região parisiense, considerou em entrevista à RFI que, mesmo sob ameaça dos narcotraficantes, a criação destas prisões deve avançar."Nós verificamos que nos nossos territórios há claramente tráfico de droga. Há muitos anos que isto acontece e hoje a vontade do governo e do ministro é de erradicar ou pelo menos ter sanções muito mais fortes, nomeadamente com a criação de prisões que estejam mais seguras e muito mais fechadas para os grandes traficantes de droga. E, obviamente, como eles não querem perder terreno nos nossos territórios, há esta fase de violência e intimidação contra os guardas de prisões, contra as prisões e também contra o poder local. E isso, obviamente preocupa. Mas não abdicamos. Aliás, nós aqui em Aulnay-sous-Bois estamos perto de uma prisão e a directiva dos autarcas em geral é que não se deve voltar atrás sobre esta medida. Nós sabemos muito bem que a vontade dos narcotraficantes actualmente é de poderem continuarem com os seus territórios. É uma guerra entre os narcotraficantes e o Estado francês", indicou Paulo Marques.No parque de estacionamento da prisão de Villepinte, perto de Aulnay-sous-Bois, três carros foram incendiados e dois desses carros pertenciam a funcionários da prisão. Paulo Marques considera que há muito tempo o poder local já pedia a intervenção do Estado no tráfico de droga, especialmente à volta das grandes cidades, e que neste período todas as medidas de segurança estão a ser tomadas para poupar os guardas prisionais e a população em geral."O Estado está a acompanhar activamente os guardas prisionais, com as suas famílias e, obviamente, as actuais detenções que houve nos últimos dias. E todas as medidas estão a ser tomadas, nomeadamente de reforço de segurança nas prisões, às famílias e aos agentes na sua globalidade. É óbvio que não se deve abdicar contra os criminosos. E é a ideia fulcral. É a ideia geral desta iniciativa. É erradicar os narcotraficantes que nos nossos territórios, seja aqui na região de Paris, mas também em toda a França, que são claramente muito perigosos para os nossos jovens", defendeu o autarca franco-português.Cerca de 300 polícias levaram a cabo a investigação aos ataques ás prisões e detiveram nas últimas semanas cerca de 30 pessoas. Entretanto, 21 pessoas ficaram em prisão preventiva, entre eles dois menores de idade. Estão indiciados por crimes como "tentativa de morte em grupo organizado", "degradação e destruição através de meios perigosos" e "associação criminosa para a preparação de crimes e delitos".

Guest: Star city hall reporter Mahdis Habibinia After the recent devastating vehicle attack at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival, Toronto organizers are raising fresh concerns about soaring security costs and the mounting pressure to keep people safe, especially with the city's peak festival season around the corner. Toronto has been grappling with these fears for years, particularly after the 2018 van attack on Yonge Street. Since then, efforts to improve safety and crowd control have been underway but serious challenges remain.We look at whether things have actually improved, what risks still exist, and how rising safety demands are testing the limits of festival organizers and the city itself. Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Shawn Pegg, Director at Community Living Ontario  A new report by Community Living Ontario exposes a disturbing reality faced by children with disabilities in Ontario schools. Based on interviews with over 500 parents and caregivers, it details how students, some of whom are as young as five, have been locked in rooms, physically restrained, or sent home because schools couldn't meet their needs. Despite nearly $4 billion in annual special education funding, families and advocates say the system is failing the children. The result is a pattern of trauma, fear, and exclusion playing out in classrooms across the province. We talk to Shawn Pegg, the author of the report about the findings and what needs to be done.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest:  Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles  We're heading into the final stretch of a charged federal election campaign that's shaped not just by a critical point in affordability, housing and healthcare but also by global events and Trump's looming shadow. With election results just around the corner, on Monday; the political mood seems restless.The Star's Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles unpacks the political climate, key turning points shaping this campaign and what might come next as the results roll in.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd   As Canada heads toward a federal election, the online information landscape is getting messier, more manipulated, and harder to recognize in real time. From repurposed Facebook groups to shady digital operations selling conspiracy-laced content and merch, these tactics are designed to grab attention and slowly shift public opinion. We talk about the strange case of the local buy and sell group in Hamilton, that morphed, almost overnight, into a far-right pro-Trump hub.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Toronto Star crime reporter Peter Edwards  It's like a Netflix show in real life. A truck driving off with $24 million in gold and cash, stolen from a hangar outside Pearson International Airport in a crime so smooth it left everyone stunned. Now, two years later the investigation trail spreads across four countries from Canada to the U.S. to Dubai and India. Some of the suspects have fled and it doesn't like they're coming back. Neither is the gold. On its two-year anniversary we unpack what's happened with the infamous Toronto gold heist, the key players and whether there's any hope left for the case.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Toronto Star senior immigration reporter Nicholas Keung For years, Canada's immigration system was held up as a glowing model on the global stage. But what was once seen as a solution— to labour shortages, economic slowdown and an aging population—is now being blamed for everything from the housing crisis to collapsing healthcare. In today's episode, we try to wade through the numbers, the policies and the politics behind a dramatic shift in how Canadians view immigration and how it went from celebrated to scrutinized.  Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter at The Star On Dec. 20, 2023 a guard was assaulted by an inmate at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ontario. The inmate was then immediately removed from the facility. Two days later, jail guards in full riot gear carried out a violent, mass strip search of 192 inmates – none of whom were involved in the initial incident -- in a coordinated, collective punishment that spanned 48 hours.  A judge has called it a gross display of power, something that should never happen in this country. However, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, who oversees jails across the province, has remained relatively silent on the matter.  The incident has gone on to impact dozens of criminal cases across the province, as inmates seek to have their charges stayed or sentences reduced – and in some cases have received just that, as a recourse for having their Charter Rights violated. Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter with The Star, originally broke this story last year and has been doggedly trying to obtain security footage of exactly what went down at Maplehurst over the course of those 48 hours and what that tell us about the state of our jails. PLUS: Hear from Rene Pearle, a former Maplehurst inmate who was there on that fateful day This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Raisa Patel  Liberal candidate Paul Chiang's remarks suggesting a political opponent could be handed over to Chinese authorities for a bounty has fuelled outrage, an RCMP probe and a political firestorm for the Liberals ahead of an election. Initially Liberal leader Mark Carney was seen as supporting him held back from dropping Chiang as a candidate Markham-Unionville. As backlash grew, and pressure mounted, it was Chiang who ultimately stepped down himself. This episode takes a look at how things unfolded and what it reveals about the Liberal leader's decision-making and judgement, just around the corner from a federal election. Audio sources: Global News Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Allan Woods  Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney just had their first call since Carney took office, and by all accounts, it was productive. But also, the fact that this call is making headlines is just another sign of how much Trump and the U.S. will loom over Canada's upcoming election. From Trump's political influence and the spread of disinformation to the idea (his own)  that his presidency actually helped keep the Liberals in power; this election is shaping up to be as much about the U.S. as it is about Canada. Canada has always had to live in America's shadow—but this time, the biggest foreign threat to our democracy isn't Russia or China—it might be our closest ally. Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Ken Greenberg, urban designer and co-founder of Elbows Up Toronto “This is not a trade war,” Charlie Angus said to a packed crowd at a church this week, “it's an attack on who we are as people.” A lot of Canadians have been feeling that recently, as U.S. President Donald Trump not only imposes tariffs on us, but talks about taking our country over. The response in the public is like something few of us have seen, a swelling patriotism. But a lot of us have also been feeling a sense that while we want to do something, we aren't sure how, beyond buying Canadian at the grocery store. Ken Greenberg, who originally came to Toronto as a Vietnam war resistor before a career in public life as a planner and designer, is co-founder of a group called 'Elbows Up Toronto' aiming to organize people to turn those feelings into grassroots action. Their Monday night meetings are part rally, part brainstorming session, and serve as what Greenberg calls a “clearing house” where people can trade information and strategy and coordinate for further action. It is, he says, a chance to realize what Canadian culture really means (and can mean), and to emerge a better, stronger country for it. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Michelle Shephard, former Toronto Star reporter and co-author of “Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis” Scott Payne spent his career deep undercover in the drug trade, criminal networks and among racist terrorists — and despite some harrowing close calls that saw him stripped naked and almost exposed, he lived to tell the tale. The woman he told it to — former Star reporter Michelle Shephard, who co-wrote a new book with Payne — sits down with This Matters to talk about what he went through and what he learned. This includes a time when he found himself in a field in the American south under a literal burning cross at a KKK rally, and how he learned that famous racist organization is now “your grandfather's white supremacists” given the threat posed by The Base, a newer racist terrorist group bent on spurring a race war to bring about the collapse of society. Shephard discusses how Payne tried to stay safe while putting criminals in jail, and the toll it took on his mental health and family life. PLUS: the time Payne had a hood pulled off his head and found himself being unexpectedly “knighted” into the Ku Klux Klan. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star journalist Janet Hurley  Ontario's colleges and universities are facing a financial crisis. Millions in deficits, staff layoffs, and program cuts have become the norm. In the midst of all this, at George Brown College, one expense is fuelling controversy. A former president receiving over a million dollars in retirement payouts while the college suspends programs and tightens its budget. It has renewed a bigger conversation about administrative growth, executive compensation, priorities and the future of post-secondary education in the province.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Amira Elghawaby,Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia  Islamophobia and hate is on the rise in Canada. Political rhetoric is growing more divisive. Statistics show a surge in reported hate crimes against visible minorities. And in the middle of it all is Amira Elghawaby, Canada's Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. Since taking on the role, she has faced relentless pushback and personal attacks. In early March, her office has released a new guide on tackling Islamophobia at a time when tensions appear to escalating in the country. With growing concerns that  rising hate and anti-Muslim sentiment from a U.S. under Trump, could spill over here, Elghawaby's job is cut out for her. In a candid conversation with This Matters, she unpacks all of this, the need for  her newly released guide and the future of her role and work in an increasingly polarized political climate.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuck Between the professional hockey leagues, a new professional soccer league and the new franchise in the professional basketball league, women's sports is flourishing in Toronto. Girls sports too — especially hockey, where enrolment of young girls is single-handedly driving growth in the sport. Today's girls, at the elite level, face future prospects their grandmothers could only have dreamed of, but that also means they face a choice: should they continue to play on teams with boys, in leagues dominated by boys? Or should they take advantage of the many girls leagues Ontario has to offer. Dave Feschuk and Kerry Gillespie recently wrote about that issue for the Star, and Feschuk joins host Edward Keenan (coach of a girls hockey team) to discuss the factors involved in making that choice, including where the strongest competition is, the potential value of playing with body contact, the social dimensions of the sport, and the avenues that exist to national or college teams. PLUS: Special guest Irene Keenan, the host's 16-year-old daughter, talks about her own experience playing alongside boys and in all-girls environments as both a hockey and baseball player. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Abby O'Brien On Friday, March 7 — opening night at the Piper Arms pub in the historic Old Scott House building in Scarborough — three assailants with guns opened fire on a crowd indiscriminately, shooting seven people and injuring 12. What's certain at this point, is that it was a horrifying scene and that, as a police investigator said, “it's simply incredible nobody was killed.” As the city reels and speculation about motives swirl, firm information beyond that is difficult to pin down. So far, no suspects have been identified, nor descriptions of suspects issued. Though police have yet to confirm any link, there is plenty of speculation about a possible connection to a recent wave of violence related to the tow truck industry — and on Thursday, the Star's Abby O'Brien reported on two arrests from Saturday that appear to have some connections to the pub and to the towing industry. She talks us through the week's events and what happens next. PLUS: Just what the heck is happening with tow trucks and violence?   This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Kenyon Wallace  Ontario's ER crisis is pushing patients to the brink. A recent report by the Ontario Patient Ombudsman reveals a record-breaking 4429 patient complaints—the highest since the office was created. Almost 20 percent of the complaints were about emergency room experiences, highlighting growing concerns about patient care in hospital emergency departments. In this short edition of This Matters, we unpack what you need to know.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star Senior Immigration Reporter Nicholas Keung  Every year, unaccompanied minors seek refuge in Canada, from war, violence and worse. But when they get here, they face a new struggle; trying to find safety, shelter and support. With no dedicated housing or settlement services, many end up in a possibly unsafe adult shelter system, emergency hotels, or even on the streets. Now Toronto is opening its first ever shelter designed specifically for young asylum seekers who arrive alone.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles Canadians have been bracing themselves for a potential trade war for over a month, and on Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump actually launched it, imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. And that appears just to be the beginning.  The Star's Tonda MaCharles talks us through the immediate aftermath, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's “remarkable” speech, Canada's retaliatory tariffs and the logic behind them, responses from others including Pierre Poilievre and Doug Ford, and Trump's own speech to the U.S. Congress on the day the trade war was launched. We look at the ways this is likely to impact the Canadian and American economies, and why Trump may be testing the pain threshold of his own citizens and the investors whose opinion he typically so values. And given that the stated reason for imposing the tariffs — illegal drug trafficking — is obviously not true, host Edward Keenan and MacCharles consider what Trudeau said is the larger logic of Trump's aggression: a takeover of Canada. PLUS: Who exactly signed this “terrible” North American trade deal Trump is always complaining about? This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie On the one hand, Doug Ford won a third straight majority (the first such feat by a premier in Ontario since the 1950s). On the other hand, he doesn't seem happy about it, because he wanted more seats. The Star's Robert Benzie explains why, and looks at the similar dark cloud/silver lining result faced by  other parties (and shares former premier David Peterson's observation about why winning too big is as much a curse as a blessing). He also breaks down the results, and the turnout (NOT the worst participation rate ever, FWIW), and discusses the prospects for long-simmering issues such as health care to come to the surface now that the election is over. PLUS: Why you could consider this a “Seinfeld” election This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.  Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Mike Schreiner. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.  Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Marit Stiles. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.  Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Bonnie Crombie. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star health reporter Megan Ogilvie Ontario is racing towards a snap election on February 27 and for a lot of voters, two issues loom well above the rest: housing and healthcare. Both are at breaking point and both are dominating party platforms. As part of the Star's pre-election coverage, we're delving into these issues. Where do things really stand, are any of the candidates offering actual solutions, and what should you, the voters, be thinking about as you head to the polls?  Today's episode will focus on healthcare. With overflowing ERs, health-care worker burn-out and more than two million people without a family doctor, Ontario's healthcare has been in trouble for years. Can anyone bring it back on track?  Audio sources: Global News, CTV, CBC, Youtube This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz 

Guest: The Toronto Star's Richard Warnica, reporting from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Less than a week after a would-be assassin wounded former U.S. President Donald Trump, he accepted his party's nomination to run for president again on a stage in Wisconsin. In between, he selected a vice-presidential candidate, created a new political fashion trend for ear bandages, and watched as Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt off and invoked Trumpamania. The Republican Party, the Star's Richard Warnica reports from the convention floor, was absolutely giddy in their confidence going into the election as their Democratic opponents muddled through an attempt to get President Joe Biden to step down. If there was hope for Democrats, it might be they now expect a new candidate, and that the speech Trump ended the week with took most of the air out of the room, dragging on and on as a new message of unity quickly gave wave to the same old scaremongering, clothed in new shades of boredom. Audio sources: Forbes Breaking News Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques

Guest: Allan Woods, Toronto Star global and national affairs reporter On the weekend, a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at a Donald Trump campaign rally, apparently injuring the former president, killing a bystander, and injuring two others. Toronto Star reporter Allan Woods wrote this week about the history of political violence and assassinations in the U.S., and about what that history might teach about how to step back from the brink of civil war. He also discusses the political fallout and implications of the shooting, the ongoing Republican National Convention, and whether those in attendance are tempering or ratcheting up their rhetoric. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques

Guest: Cait Alexander, artist and social activist In 2022, 184 women were killed violently in Canada. That's one woman killed every 48 hours. More than four million women, 30 per cent of all women aged 15 and older, report that they have experienced sexual assault. It's costing Canada almost $8 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone. Is a country that in the past was considered a global champion of human rights, failing to effectively protect women at home? In 2022, the federal government launched a National Action Plan to end gender-based violence. The resultant agreement with several provinces will be seeing $162 million distributed over four years in Ontario alone. But advocates say they're frustrated by the pace of change, if two important pieces of legislation for women currently pending in Ontario is any indication. Over two episodes, we discuss them both. In today's episode: Bill 173 is the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, and it calls for intimate partner violence to declared an epidemic in the province. It took a year, but the Ontario government has finally shown its support towards the bill, introduced by the NDP. The bill received a rare standing ovation from all parties in the house after being introduced in April. Last year, similar calls from an inquest into the deaths of three women at the hands of their former partner was rejected by the Ford government. Our guest today, Cait Alexander, was nearly murdered by her partner. Yet he walks free, and she had to leave Canada. The criminal case for her ex-boyfriend, accused of trying to kill her in 2021, was rescheduled twice before it was ultimately dropped due to the Jordan ceiling under the Criminal Code, that ensures everyone charged with an offence has the right to trial within a limited time-frame.  If you are a victim of intimate partner violence, there is help. The Star has compiled a list of resources here. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Andrea Gunraj, vice president public engagement, Canadian Women's Foundation In 2022, 184 women were killed violently in Canada. That's one woman killed every 48 hours. More than four million women, 30 per cent of all women aged 15 and older, report that they have experienced sexual assault. It's costing Canada almost $8 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone. Is a country that in the past was considered a global champion of human rights, failing to effectively protect women at home? In 2022, the federal government launched a National Action Plan to end gender-based violence. The resultant agreement with several provinces will be seeing $162 million distributed over four years in Ontario alone. But advocates say they're frustrated by the pace of change, if two important pieces of legislation for women currently pending in Ontario is any indication. Over two episodes, we will discuss them both. In today's episode: With more than a thousand cases of sexual assault withdrawn or stayed before trial in 2023, sexual assault survivors are often re-traumatized and victimized by a frustrating reporting process and court system. Seeking to bring more accountability and transparency in the handling of these cases in Ontario, NDP MPP Catherine Fife introduced Bill 180, or Lydia's Law, in the Ontario legislature. But the process hit a snag before summer break when the Ford government sent it back to a committee without debate. The legislation still lingers there now. On "This Matters," we discuss how it could help women experiencing harassment, especially at their workplaces.  This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Guests: John Degen, novelist, and Peter Gorman, Deputy People's Warden at St. Anne's On June 9, a catastrophic four-alarm fire destroyed St. Anne's Anglican Church in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood. The flames turned valuable paintings that were embedded into the very structure to ashes, including the only know religious artwork made by Canada's famed Group of Seven. With the loss of St. Anne's, Canada has lost a historic site, but the community that built its life around the church has also lost its emotional and spiritual sanctuary. In this episode, two men deeply connected with St. Anne's church talk about what was lost; not just from a historical and cultural perspective but a deeply human one. Audio sources: Global News This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Guest: Ben Spurr, city hall bureau chief  Can you imagine Toronto without its public transit lifeline? A TTC strike might be looming for the first time in almost 16 years as thousands of transit workers might soon walk off the job and on to the picket line this Friday. Despite months of negotiations on job security, wages and benefits, the TTC management and the union representing about 12,000 workers seems to be in a deadlock. City hall bureau chief Ben Spurr explains the stakes on both sides and what this could mean for Torontonian's commute on Friday.  Audio sources: CBC News This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Journalists Samira Mohyeddin and Christopher Curtis Student protests that first erupted across the United States have now spread northward, igniting across Canada, including campuses at University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia and University of Alberta among others. The students say they want to end a war that's claimed more than 34,000 Palestinian lives, according to local officials, destroyed or damaged every university in Gaza and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The recent Israeli offensive against Gaza began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants which killed almost 1,200 Israelis with dozens still held hostage. The students are specifically calling for universities to cut all financial and academic ties with any Israeli company or campus that supports the military or illegal West Bank settlements based on international law. In this episode we take a look at what's going inside the University of Toronto and McGill University campuses through the eyes of two independent journalists, Samira Mohiyeddin and Christopher Curtis, co-founder of The Rover, who have been reporting from within the encampments.  Audio sources: CBC News, Samira Mohyeddin, Christopher Curtis, Lance McMillan This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz With files from Marco Chown Oved What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Jasmine Eastmond, Tristan Kim and Kristin Rushowy  The Ontario government has announced a crackdown on cellphones and vaping in schools, new regulations that are being seen as some of the toughest in Canada. According to Education Minister Stephen Lecce, the new government policy for cellphones, with some exceptions, is out of sight, out of mind. With this new move to ban cellphone use in classrooms, Ontario has joined a global movement with similar restrictions being imposed in the UK, Australia, France and some Scandinavian countries. There are many questions about enforcement and effectiveness, chief among them: how are teachers going to keep young people away from their phones in an increasingly digital ecosystem? Audio sources: CP24 This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz. With files from Emily Fagan

Guests: Leena Usman, Pino Buffone and Kris Rushowy In what could be a landmark lawsuit in Canada, at least five major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, alleging they have been designed in a way that's almost “rewiring” the way children behave. The allegations have yet to be proven in court, and there is no set date for when they will be heard, but they are now joining a wave of U.S. school districts doing the same. We find out more about this lawsuit and examine the implications for online safety, digital responsibility and the future of social media regulation. Plus, Gen-Zer Leena Usman shares her lived experience of what it's like on the social media front lines.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter  The federal government is scaling back on the number of temporary residents and foreign workers in Canada while trying to boost access to permanent residence for those already here. Earlier, similar curbing measures were introduced for international students as well. While the government is framing these new, more restrictive immigration measures as a solution to a burgeoning housing and affordability crisis and to rein in population growth, there are also some concerns that immigrants have become scapegoats for domestic problems. So what are the new rules for foreign workers in Canada and what will they mean for Canadians and prospective Canadians?  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Sheila Wang and Morgan Sevareid-Bocknek, investigative reporters They're called ”lunch hour facelifts,” cosmetic touch-ups without the surgery. But if you are rethinking your lunch plans, you might want to think again. A recent Star investigation found a lot of these procedures are not as advertised. Across Canada, spas and medical clinics are offering the popular medical procedure marketed as a safe, minimally invasive treatment. But as service providers compete for customers on TikTok and Instagram, showing supposedly incredible results, some of them are making misleading claims about the quality and effectiveness of the threads they use on patients and soft-peddling the potential risks.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter  The evidence is overwhelming and it's the government's own research. Getting any education while incarcerated reduces the rate of recidivism by as much as 30 per cent. It's more than double that for inmates who get a post-secondary education. Government officials confirm that at least some education beyond the high school level is key to a successful reintegration into society. Yet taking university or college courses inside Canadian prisons has become extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible, because the federal government does not allow prisoners access to the internet, in an education ecosystem that's now almost completely online. It is a Catch-22 situation and one that other countries have navigated successfully. Then why does Canada lag behind in providing adequate higher education opportunities for its incarcerated population?  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter  A global surge in measles has made its way to Canada, where there's been almost twice as many cases just three months into this year than in all of 2023. Just in Ontario, as of Wednesday, public health officials have confirmed eight measles cases. Last year, there were seven cases in total for the entire year. Cases have now also been confirmed in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. What does this mean for us and what do we need to know about measles vaccines? The Star's health reporter Megan Ogilvie answers some of these questions.  Audio Sources: Global News This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Toronto Star national columnist Susan Delacourt recently had her X account (the platform formerly known as Twitter) hacked. It compromised her entire digital life, from her sensitive emails to her banking information, even her phone number and home address. The hacker tried to blackmail her and appeared to be targeting her for her work as a journalist. While the "fake Susan" continues to be active on X, it's the real Susan that had to leave. This is the story of a hacking, what happens when someone tries to fix the situation and what this shows us about our disturbing and dystopian digital future.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Richard Warnica, Toronto Star feature writer Richard Warnica sees it everywhere – business meetings, the subway, even at his own dinner table – the blank-eyed stare of someone mindlessly scrolling their smartphone. These devices, despite their increasingly documented negative effects on our mental health, have us firmly in their grips, and their utility and ubiquity makes it hard to envision how we'll ever kick the habit. But once upon a time, most of us smoked, too, and virtually everywhere (on planes, trains, at work, in restaurants…). Will we one day look back on this the same way? PLUS: How Warnica deals with it at home by thinking inside the (locked) box. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

On Valentine's Day, hours before the Toronto women's hockey team continued its rise in the standings, city council met to debate the mayor's budget. Police got the money they were demanding: was that a good move or bad move by the mayor? And who knew plowing out the end of driveways would be the cause that united everyone? Meanwhile, a tax increase that was for years considered the third rail of Toronto politics seems less electric now that it's done. PLUS: Emma's most controversial architecture opinion. Audio Source: Global News This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.  

Guests: Angelyn Francis and Kevin Jiang Deepfakes are the latest manifestation of artificial intelligence-generated technology. They are false, but very lifelike, AI generated images of real people. Last month, deepfake pornographic images of Taylor Swift were viewed tens of millions of times on X, formerly known as Twitter, before being removed. The incident is raising serious concerns among experts who say the technology is being misused and often fuelled by misogyny, flooding the internet unchecked and unregulated. Angelyn Francis and Kevin Jiang, journalists in the Star's digital department, join "This Matters" to discuss and share a newsroom quiz on what's real and what's AI and offer some tips on how to spot an AI deepfake image.  Audio sources: CBC News This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques with support from Angelyn Francis and Kelsey Wilson. Special thanks to McKenna Hart, Jim Rankin and Mahdis Habibinia. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, staff reporter When the proposed city budgets were announced (first by city staff and later by the mayor), the police chief and the association representing officers went on the offensive, threatening that funding levels would leave them unable to answer emergency calls and protect Torontonians. In the end, the cops got what they were asking for with the cooperation of the mayor, but the Star's Jennifer Pagliaro looked into the claims being made and answers our questions about when a cut is not a cut, what 911 response times mean, and how small a percentage of the total budget was actually up for debate. PLUS: A different way to cut emergency response times to calls about crime.  Audio Sources: CP24 This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, neuroscientist and health data scientist  A new landmark study predicts that the number of Canadians living with dementia will increase by 187 per cent by 2050. That would mean more than 1.7 million Canadians with dementia, nearly three times the estimated 650,000 today. More than a quarter of them will be people from South and East Asia. The report also looks at a major shift in dementia demographics in Canada. Experts say we're at a pivotal moment. This might be the only time to make the right decisions and choices to get ahead of an impending crisis.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.  What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Richard Warnica, staff reporter The housing crisis in Toronto, and in Canada, has become the dominant issue for politicians at all levels of government and for voters up and down the income spectrum. Star reporter Richard Warnica took a deep dive into the many facets of the issue, from the lack of public housing and the shortage of rentals to zoning and development delays, NIMBY objections to multiplexes, and construction that can't keep up with population growth. Experts told him we need to do a lot of things, all at once, to make things better and that might mean changing our ideas of how we build housing, and where, and what kind. Plus: The one weird trick from Sweden's history we should look at. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, JP Fozo, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Maryam Affana, Mirvat Al-Sharafi and immigration lawyer Aidan Simardone  Last month, Canada launched a new emergency program permitting up to 1,000 Palestinians who are extended family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to apply to come to Canada. Members of the Palestinian-Canadian community say they are struggling with delays, logistical issues and what some experts say is an unprecedented and invasive level of personal information requirements. They wait with the clock ticking for their trapped loved ones in a four-month war that has ravaged Gaza, with more than 27,000 people killed in Israeli airstrikes, thousands more displaced and almost half the population at risk of starvation according to the United Nations. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says that the multi-stage screening approach was developed to protect the safety of Canadians and is part of a standard practice where IRCC doesn't have presence on ground to conduct the initial screening and biometrics. In an emailed response to the Star, it has also shared that as of January 29, more than 900 applications are already being reviewed. IRCC confirmed they're all still in the preliminary stages and not approved. We speak to Palestinian-Canadians impacted by this and later, an immigration lawyer helps us break down the new immigration measures and their implications.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques, with additional support from Ben Cohen.  What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Mayor Olivia Chow's version of the city budget was released this week, and one of us was there in person at the Scarborough Town Centre to hear about it. The tax rate's a bit lower, the feds came through with some money, the police still didn't get as much as they want. So what do we think? And what's left to fight about? Also, some jerk disrupted a women and trans shinny game in a Toronto park, something Emma says she's experienced as a disturbing trend this year. And one of us explains why we're lamenting the loss of diners and doughnut shops as essential hangout spots he thinks are essential to decent city life. Plus, what has four thumbs and isn't a big fan of raccoons? Our entire panel, that's what. Audio Sources: CP24, Global, Columbia This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan. What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.