The Big Story

Enjoy this special feed drop of our two-part investigative series 'Before Morgentaler Part One: Law Breakers'. This year marks the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Morgentaler Decision. That landmark decision decriminalized abortion across Canada and turned the courageous Dr. Henry Morgentaler into a household name. As pivotal a part of Canada’s abortion rights story as Dr. Morgentaler was, many of us are unfamiliar with the stories of woman-identified activists who fought alongside him to ensure people who didn’t want to be pregnant wouldn’t have to be. So, who were the women who fought for abortion rights – and even helped others access illegal abortions – before The Morgentaler Decision? This two-part miniseries introduces listeners to a few of those voices. Hosted by Sarah Sahagian, a feminist podcaster, writer, and non-profit executive living in Toronto. Her byline has appeared in such outlets as The Washington Post, The National Post, The Toronto Star, Refinery29, Romper, and Scary Mommy. In her previous life, she was a gender studies academic who studied parenting and mother blame. Sarah is also the co-host of Frequency Podcast Network’s The Reheat.

Plus: Marking a full week of war in Iran, CUSMA negotiations resume, Kristi Noem's replacement, one year after Canada's oldest company filed for creditor protection, the Paralympic Winter Games kick off, and experts talk about Daylight Saving Time.

This weekend, just like the early March weekend last year, and the year before, the clocks will spring forward an hour. Not only that, but also the age-old debate of whether or not we should ditch the time change will also reignite. Last week BC Premier David Eby announced his province's permanent change to daylight saving time, however, we've seen this movie playout before. And just as passionate as the public is to get rid of the switch, is equally how ecstatic they are to bring it back. Host Maria Kestane speaks to David Prerau, an expert in daylight saving time and author of 'Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time'. They discuss the origin story of DST itself, the broader impacts of permanently making the switch, and the case for keeping the semi-annual clock change.

Plus: an update on the war and the effort to get Canadians out of the Middle East, gas prices are up across Canada, how offsite classrooms could impact Tumbler Ridge survivors’ mental health, Britney Spears is arrested for DUI in California, and how are the Epstein files giving new life to conspiracy theories?

More than 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents have been released under the Trump administration, fanning the flames of online conspiracy theorists who are determined to pinpoint a reality the rest of us 'can't see'. Including believers of Pizzagate or Qanon. Another reality - one that majority of us can see - is the one where online conspiracy subcultures have made their way into the mainstream political discourse, heavily shaping how we make sense of politics, governance and power. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Travis View, conspiracy theory researcher and host of the QAA podcast, to discuss how the release (and heavily redacted nature) of the Epstein files is giving new life to dangerous online social groups, and how Canadians can better make sense of what they're reading online.

Plus: The US sinks an Iranian warship as America says more military action is coming, Pierre Poilievre goes on his own foreign mission to Europe, a new call for an inquest into the Tumbler Ridge shooting, the man responsible for the Humboldt Broncos bus crash could be deported, and why is Alberta blaming its identity crisis on immigrants?

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently announced that come October, Albertans will vote on nine referendum questions. Most of them have to do with immigration - including making it more difficult for non-citizens to access healthcare, and giving provinces greater control over how many immigrants they let in. It comes as the province also deals with a separatist movement that would see Alberta leave Canada, another referendum question widely expected to be added later this year. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Stephen Carter, veteran campaign manager in Alberta, and President of Decide Campaigns. They discuss the political motivations behind the referendum, the implications of immigration on Alberta's economy, and the rising sentiment of separatism. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Stephen Carter, an Alberta political strategist and commentator, to figure out what Smith's goals are with these referendums, and how it could be related to the separatists movement.

Plus: Donald Trump faces pushback from US Congress over the strikes, how Iran could be impacted by the death of its leader, Mark Carney heads to Australia for trade talks, a bus carrying Canadians crashes in the Dominican Republic, and the late Catherine O’Hara wins at the Actor Awards.

As chaos ensues in the Middle East in the aftermath of US-Israel airstrikes on Iran - which killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - talks of a post-Khamenei country are top of mind for millions. But the reality of a complete regime take-down seems father away than US President Trump made it out to be. Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Thomas Juneau, professor from the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and Nader Hashemi, an associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics from Georgetown University. They discuss Canada's endorsement of Trump's military action, global response to the killing of Khamenei, and Iran's complex political future.

Plus: Iran retaliates with strikes across the Middle East, Donald Trump says the US military operation in Iran could last weeks, Mark Carney urges Canadians in the Middle East to stay safe, Iranian Canadians react to the conflict, gas prices in Canada could spike this week, and safeguards vs. innovation: Ottawa’s delicate dance with generative AI.