The Big Story

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show 'In This Economy?!' Big players in the artificial intelligence space like OpenAI or Anthropic continue to take up tons of conversational space, whether it's about how much they're worth, how much they spend, and how much it takes to maintain their systems. Often left out of the conversations, though, are whether or not their investments could be a net benefit to the economy. Host Mike Eppel speaks to Raj Juneja, President of Cisco Systems Canada, about the company's leadership role in AI infrastructure, what he’s hearing from CEOs about the growth payback from investing in AI, and how building trust and data security is key to Canadian user adoption.

Plus: Talks between the U.S. and Iran are delayed, Frank Stronach is found guilty on two counts in his sex assault trial, the mine where three workers were trapped for days in a collapse last year gets a key approval for underground mining, a groundbreaking procedure for cancer patients has been performed in Canada for the first time, and why are so many Canadians turning away from legacy media?

Have you stopped checking the headlines in the morning? Are you changing the channel once the news comes on? Do you find yourself feeling anxious when hearing about current events? If so, you're in packed company. This year's Digital News Report found that engagement and trust in legacy media continues to fall, as online content creators and AI dominate digital platforms. Not only has the medium changed, but also interest. This year's report found that 45% of Canadian respondents actively avoid the news. Host Catherine Jette speaks to Craig Robertson, a co-author of the Digital News Report to discuss why Canadians are turning away from the headlines, and how media companies can keep up as interest peaks elsewhere.

Plus: It’s match day for Canada at the World Cup, another suspected is arrested in the shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Alberta’s premier reacts to a call for her and her party to be investigated for treason, a Vancouver-based mining company hires a former Trump cabinet member, and Ontario’s premier sends legislators on a five-month summer vacation.

A five-month summer vacation doesn't sound too shabby, especially following a winter vacation that lasted more than three months. That's the case for the members of the Ontario provincial government, as Premier Doug Ford sent the MPPs on an extended break before rejoining for the fall session. He says he'd rather have his members out in the community, engaging with residents, rather than spend their time 'arguing with each other' during question period. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Richard Southern, 680 NewsRadio Queen's Park reporter, to discuss other possible reasons for Ford's extended break, including a potential cabinet shake-up, as well as hopes for a reset in public opinion.

Plus: Mark Carney addresses his hot mic conversation with Donald Trump about the Canada-China EV deal, a new study analyzes homeownership rates among recent immigrants compared with Canadian-born individuals, Jacob Hoggard’s bid for full parole is denied, evacuation orders are lifted in B.C. as a wildfire continues to burn, and will Ottawa’s food strategy actually lower your grocery bill?

Ottawa is investing more than $3 billion as part of a national food security strategy. It aims to combat anticompetitive industry practices, boost agricultural infrastructure to improve access to fresh produce year-round, and address online surveillance pricing. But it isn't the first time a Liberal government pulled out the stops to make groceries cheaper or grocery store monopolies.  Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Pascal Thériault, Director of McGill University's Farm Management and Technology Program and an agricultural economist, to discuss what it means for Canadians to have a national food strategy, and whether or not it will actually lower grocery bills.

Plus: the latest on the U.S. and Iran's agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a dozen children are injured at a B.C. waterpark, the NHL begins investigating former head coach Mike Babcock ahead of his possible return the the league, a new commercial airport opens in Montreal, and protesters take to the streets in Albania over a planned resort funded by Donald Trump's son-in-law.

Massive protests have swept the streets of Albania. Dubbed "The Flamingo Revolution", the anti-government protests have kicked off after Prime Minister Edi Rama announced plans for a luxury resort to be built, in part, on environmentally-protected land. The resort's primary investor would be Jared Kushner, son-in-law to U.S. President Donald Trump. Rama, however, has downplayed the size of the protests, and claimed that much of the outrage online has been fueled by Iranian agents. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Vladimir Karaj, a journalist with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, on why the Albanian government is defending the Kushner's development plans, what protesters are calling for, and whether or not either side will back down.

Plus: this year’s G7 summit gets underway in France, Mark Carney meets with French and Irish leaders, Parliament is set to introduce two major bills, a slain Ontario police officer’s funeral will be held this week, Canada takes a step toward advancing from its group with a draw at the World Cup, and why do many Canadians seem to care so little about their local government?