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PODCAST

This Matters

The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What"s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Saba Eitizaz and Ed Keenan talk to their fellow journalists, experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.

news documentary

All Episodes

20:47

Can a vending machine save lives?

This Matters ·

2023/02/01

Guest: Dr. Sean B. Rourke, neuropsychologist at St. Michael’s Hospital Smart vending machines have launched on Canada’s East coast. They’re the first of what will be 100 nationwide. But instead of dispensing chocolate or candy, these machines hold life-saving supplies like HIV tests, naloxone kits and unused needles. They’re called Our Healthbox and they’re designed to reach communities underserved by traditional health care. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sean Rourke, a clinical neuropsychologist and

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17:00

Why Scarborough is upset about potential electoral...

This Matters ·

2023/01/31

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer Scarborough is the former city and Toronto borough that feels like it never gets any respect. Now as the federal government looks to update electoral districts based on population and density, slices of the Scarborough-Agincourt and Scarborough Centre ridings might be annexed into two North York ridings. These moves have left residents upset with many fighting the decision. This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar. Audio sources:

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19:53

How gas stoves affect health, the climate and (some...

This Matters ·

2023/01/30

Guest: Marco Chown Oved, climate change reporter After the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the U.S. said it was considering banning new gas stoves amid research that links them to childhood asthma, Republican lawmakers, conservative pundits and right wing social media commentators were aflame with reaction. They imply it is an infringement on freedom, but the science is clear. In addition to health concerns, natural gas includes methane, a catalyst in climate change that is 86 times more

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19:04

Violent TTC incidents leave riders questioning safety...

This Matters ·

2023/01/27

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter There have been 10 high-profile, violent incidents reported on TTC vehicles and property in just over a week. With so many seemingly random attacks, passengers are on alert as authorities look for answers and ways to make the transit service safer. This comes after another wave of incidents last year, as ridership remains down after the pandemic and the TTC considers service cuts and a fare hike. With the transit system, Toronto police and Mayor John Tory

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23:19

Looking at the ‘Freedom Convoy’ a year after the...

This Matters ·

2023/01/26

Guest: Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter at The Hamilton Spectator It was only a year ago the so-called “Freedom Convoy” held a three-week demonstration in Ottawa, later termed an “occupation” by politicians and police. It was a protest that started out fighting against vaccine mandates against truckers, but became a home for all kinds of grievances across the far right political spectrum. But what could have been a galvanizing event for these groups has instead become splintered and many feel

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19:25

Following a string of sexual assaults inside a...

This Matters ·

2023/01/25

Guests: Brendan Kennedy and Morgan Bocknek, investigative reporters, and Leah Mosier-Farquharson, TMU student A string of sexual assaults and security incidents on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus have left many students and faculty members worrying for their safety and deeply critical of the school’s response. After two women were assaulted at Kerr Hall last year, some students were so frustrated by a lack of information from the administration that they formed their own security network

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17:31

Sewage flowed into waters around Hamilton for years....

This Matters ·

2023/01/24

Guest: Matthew Van Dongen, The Hamilton Spectator The City of Hamilton has found that nearly 400 million litres of sanitary sewage from 61 homes has leaked into Hamilton Harbour, an industrial area, over a 26 year period. It is a messy situation, but one that was only found after attention was called underground in 2019 when a Hamilton Spectator investigation revealed that 24-billion-litres of sewage had leaked into Chedoke Creek, a recreational area frequented by area residents, over four a year

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19:11

How food inflation is hitting food banks as demand grows

This Matters ·

2023/01/23

Guest: Dhriti Gupta, staff reporter There were more than one million visits to food banks across Canada in 2022, according to Food Banks Canada. It is the highest number on record. In addition to this surge in demand, food banks are grappling with rising food costs. One of them is the Allan Gardens Food Bank in Toronto, which has seen an almost 50 per cent increase in individuals served in just a year. Through the lens of this food bank, we try to understand the larger problem of food insecurity and

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25:40

Everything you need to know about XBB.1.5, a.k.a. the...

This Matters ·

2023/01/20

Guest: Dr. Fahad Razak, internist at St Michael’s Hospital The XBB.1.5, known by the nickname “Kraken,” is the latest COVID-19 subvariant of concern. Found to be highly transmissible, health experts are already seeing surges in other parts of the world like Europe and the United States, where there are higher case counts and hospitalizations. The same effect is likely to happen here. Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist at St Michael’s Hospital and a professor at the University of Toronto who served as the

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17:48

Why Canada still needs to work on recognizing skills...

This Matters ·

2023/01/19

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter Canada needs more immigrants to help fill labour shortages, yet so many people who come here find roadblocks and issues in pursuing work in their chosen fields. It has been a recognized problem for decades, but it persists. There has been some change for the better, including better information for prospective newcomers, but skilled immigrants still face challenges. This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

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17:17

How Ontario hospitals treated the surge in sick kids

This Matters ·

2023/01/18

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter Faced with a triple-demic including flu, RSV and COVID-19, children have been hit by wave after wave of illness and filled up the pediatric hospitals across the province. It was a situation some doctors said could have been a catastrophe. By working together in an unprecedented way, moving children wherever beds were available, this is the story of how the health care system dealt with the surge of sick kids and avoided the worst of outcomes. This episode was

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21:17

Ontario’s plan to use private clinics for surgeries...

This Matters ·

2023/01/17

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park bureau The Ontario government has unveiled their plan to deal with surgical backlogs in the province by moving some procedures to private clinics. Critics fear this move will pull staff away from hospitals, and say this is moving the province toward more privatized, two-tiered health care that will cause further issues to the existing public system. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar. Audio sources: Global News

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20:50

Caught on camera: How mass surveillance is changing...

This Matters ·

2023/01/16

Guests: Betsy Powell and Alyshah Hasham, staff reporters Mass surveillance is everywhere and adding to the use of video in police investigations and in-court cases. The head of the Toronto Police Service’s Homicide squad credits cameras and video for helping push their solve rate above 80 per cent, but what is the price of that safety? What are the legal and ethical concerns about video becoming so prominent in our judicial system? What if the images don’t tell the whole story? This episode was

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20:15

How to make sense of Toronto’s 2023 budget

This Matters ·

2023/01/13

Guest: Ed Keenan, city columnist A few months ago, Toronto Mayor John Tory was asking other levels of government to help cover $2 billion in budget shortfalls and yet, the mayor has now announced more money for police, transit safety and more. What changed? Not much. While the city is raising property taxes and making some cuts, there is a huge budget hole that will need to be dealt with eventually. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar. Audio sources: Breakfast

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20:23

Air travel and passenger rights: What you need to know

This Matters ·

2023/01/12

Guest: Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights The airline industry’s meltdown over the holidays has the House of Commons transportation committee convening an emergency meeting to grill company executives about exactly what went wrong. While Canada has adopted a passenger bill of rights, critics say it has not been effective. Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights, an independent consumer advocacy group for air travellers, joins “This Matters” to share what you need to know if you

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20:15

Does the RCMP need a revamp?

This Matters ·

2023/01/11

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, staff reporter The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) organization remains a symbol of Canadian history and national pride, even though the recent history of the police force is littered with internal scandals including racism in hiring and sexism within the ranks, in addition to heavy criticism for their handling of high profile crimes. Does the force need a revamp? A recent Star series looked at the force now and how it might need to adapt. This episode was produced by

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19:27

TTC crimes, cops and service cuts

This Matters ·

2023/01/10

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter As TTC ridership is down, violent incidents are up. As the service still recovers from the pandemic, a spate of violent crimes on TTC vehicles and in and around stations is making many riders worry about their safety while riding the transit system. More security is planned to help the problem, along with a fare hike and service cuts in the proposed 2023 budget. Will the TTC get back to the days of its Red Rocket glory? This episode was produced by Alexis

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18:40

The Star, police and racial profiling: A reporter...

This Matters ·

2023/01/09

Guest: Jim Rankin, staff reporter Twenty years ago, the Star published a landmark and controversial investigation examining data that showed police interaction with racialized people occurred at a higher rate, kicking of years of stories that reinforced this initial conclusion. This past year, after looking at their own data, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized for police interactions with the Black community. The problems persist through all areas of law enforcement despite the

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19:25

Why there are more coyotes in urban areas

This Matters ·

2023/01/06

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer There have been an increasing number of coyote sightings and attacks across the GTA. Often portrayed as smart, dangerous animals, the truth is that there is another animal to blame for the their encroachment into urban areas — humans. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar. Audio Sources: CTV News

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22:59

Medical condition reports: How a diagnosis can lead...

This Matters ·

2023/01/05

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter Imagine having your license suspended and you didn’t know it was in jeopardy? It all comes down to medical condition reports (MCRs), widely used forms that some medical professionals must file when patients have potentially dangerous conditions that “warrant a licence suspension,” according to the ministry. Doctors are paid to submit the form and sometimes they don’t have to inform a patient. A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative

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1,105 results

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