
The Big Story
An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today
News
Episodes (1820)
Ep 1901 – Big Headlines - Inflation rises to its highest rate in years, and British PM Starmer resigns
Plus: Celebrations on Sunday mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, contract talks start for thousands of Canadian auto workers, Ottawa reaches a deal to build a new radar defence system, and what do teenagers think of a possible social media ban?
Today • 6m 3s
Ep 1900 – How parents and teens actually feel about a social media ban
Canada has taken inspiration from its fellow commonwealth cousin, Australia, and has moved to ban social media for anyone under 16.
A part of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act requires social media platforms to ensure kids are staying safe online, or else they get banned. But what 'safe' looks like exactly hasn't been clearly outlined by Ottawa yet. The act also aims at protecting children from AI chatbots.
Academics and experts in the safe have spoken both for and against the act, but how do the actual stakeholders feel about it?
Host Maria Kestane speaks to Jenny Perez, founder of Unplugged, as well as Mya Callaghan, a 13 year old from Alberta to get a pulse check on how parents and teenagers are feeling about the legislation, and how the next few months could unfold.
Today • 24m 5s
Ep 1898 – Weekend Listen: When will investing in AI pay off?
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.
2 days ago • 24m 37s
Ep 1899 – Big Headlines: An historic win for Canada at the World Cup but at a cost to the lineup
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?
3 days ago • 7m 36s
Ep 1891 – TLDR; More Canadians are avoiding the news
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.
3 days ago • 23m 55s
Ep 1897 – Big Headlines: The U.S. and Iran sign a ceasefire deal and Canada's World Cup journey continues
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.
4 days ago • 7m 6s
Ep 1896 – (148) Days of Summer: Ontario MPP's lengthiest break
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.
4 days ago • 23m 5s
Ep 1895 – Big Headlines: Details emerge on the new U.S.-Iran deal and Carney shares a 'hot mic' moment with Trump at the G7
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?
5 days ago • 6m 17s
Ep 1894 – 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.
5 days ago • 20m 42s
Ep 1893 – Big Headlines: Carney announces new Russia sanctions and Trump says he'll release the full Iran deal in days
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.
6 days ago • 7m 23s
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An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.
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