The Big Story

More than 12,000 people have reportedly been killed over the past several weeks of anti-government protests across Iran - including one Canadian, according to Foreign Affairs. Meantime, US President trump has vowed to take action against the Iranian regimes if the death and corruption continues amid the protests. Host Mark Day speaks to Maral Karimi, professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and author of The Iranian Green Movement of 2009: Reverberating Echoes of Resistance. The two discuss Iran's complex socio-political history, the power of women-led protest, and the potential danger amid US intervention in Iran.

AI-generated sexualized images of women and children started appearing across X beginning late 2025. These images, created by user prompts on the Grok AI tool, showed women and children in various stages of undress and sexualized poses. Some reports claiming minors appeared in transparent bathing suits. Governments in Europe and South America promised full investigations. Malaysia and Indonesia banned the use of Grok. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has made it clear it won’t ban X, while pointing towards proposed amendments to Bill C-16 in hopes of safeguarding Canadians - but critics say, its not enough. Host Cristina Howorun speaks to technology author and self-described Muskologist Paris Marx to discuss Elon Musk's apparent tolerance of cyber sexual harassment in the name of profit, and what steps the Canadian government should take to better protect Canadians.

In 2016, the Canadian federal government recognized the opioid crisis as a public health emergency, yet 10 years later, thousands of Canadians die from opioid toxicity every year. Health Canada committed $17 million to research projects and harm reduction initiatives aimed at substance use prevention in late 2025, but one problem that's hard to put a dollar figure on to fix is stigmatization and stereotypes surrounding safe consumption sites - which Ontario closed nine of last year. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dimitra Panagiotoglou, the Canada Research Chair in the Economics of Harm Reduction and associate professor at McGill, to discuss her recent study on the relationship between crime associated with supervised consumption sites, and how Canadians can approach nuanced conversations surrounding substance use.

The Alberta separatism movement isn’t new, but this most recent resurgence seems a little more potent. That's in part because of the passage of Alberta’s Bill 14, which has made it arguably easier for citizen-led initiatives to end up on referendum ballots. And the question of Alberta sovereignty is likely to end up on a ballot by the end of the year. The Alberta Prosperity Project got the green light from Elections Alberta for its question,' Do you agree that Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?' in December 2025. The group now about four months to gather about 177,000 signatures to its petition. Host Cristina Howorun speaks with Dr. Barry Cooper, a political scientist with the University of Calgary and a long-time proponent of Alberta independence about why some Albertans want to secede from Canada, what happens next and how Ottawa can put some of those concerns to rest.

What were once mildly-concerning threats against the sovereignty of Greenland, have now come into clear focus in the aftermath of Nicolas Maduro's arrest. US President Donald Trump openly admitted he's governed by his own morality rather than international law, sending shockwaves around the world in fear of the future of NATO. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Stephen Maher, author and journalist, to discuss the uphill battle the world stands against Trump's geopolitical ambitions, and what position Canada should be taking amid renewed annexation threats.

2025 was no walk in the park for investors, homeowners, or the ordinary Canadian alike on the economic front, and a little over a week into 2026, and it seems like this year isn't looking any better. Host Mike Eppel speaks to James McCann, Senior Economist at Edward Jones to discuss what Canadians can expect from ongoing trade talks between Canada and the US, how the arrest of Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, will affect Canada's oil sector, and potential interest decisions from the Bank of Canada.

It's been quite the start to 2026, from the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to further peacekeeping efforts for Ukraine in France. And although Prime Minister Mark Carney has been trying to keep up with the chaos, Canadians can't help but feel anxious about the future of our sovereignty, safety, and international relations. Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks to Glen McGregor, political correspondent for CityNews, to discuss Carney's handling of US President Trump's aggressive pursuit of Greenland, the potential ramifications to Canada's oil sector in the aftermath of the events in Venezuela, and the significance of Carney's upcoming trip to China.

A traumatizing, air travel experience is no stranger to the everyday Canadian. But it seems the TikToks and online posts of complaints seem to do little in terms of garnering real and sustainable change from our aviation sector. The federal government recently granted more access to Middle Eastern airlines to fly into Canadian airports in hopes of creating competition. It comes in response to a 2025 Competition Bureau report that called for less restrictions on foreign investment. Host Maria Kestane speaks to John Gradek, professor at McGill University and aviation expert to discuss what changes Canada's aviation industry should implement to restore consumer trust in air travel, and what progress has been made since the 2023 federal commitment of improving the air passenger protection regulations.

Flooding is becoming a not-so-rare occurrence in British Columbia, but is climate change the only reason for it? And does the Canadian government have the right infrastructure in place to deal with the events when they do strike? Host Nima Rajan speaks with Dr. Younes Alila, professor of forest hydrology and watershed management at the University of British Columbia to discuss what’s really behind the major flooding events in BC, and what needs to be done about it.

Today marks 5 years since insurrectionists took to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to riot at the word of out-going President Donald Trump. The attack claimed the lives of five people, including a sixth who was shot by police. More than 100 officers were injured. On the first day of his second presidential term, Trump pardoned more than 1500 people in connection to the attack. Five years later, the Trump Administration carries on as it grapples with internal conflict, Epstein revelations, and a newly-sparked takeover of Venezuela. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Aaron Ettinger, political science professor at Carleton University to discuss how January 6th 2021 has shaped the identity of American politics, and how cracks within the MAGA movement continue to develop.