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PODCAST

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter

Village Media Inc.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find. This new podcast from Village Media — ‘Closer Look’ — is all about the stories we tell. Every weeknight, hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith go beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

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All Episodes

41:01

This Ontario man says ChatGPT sent him spiralling...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/14

Send us a text Leery of AI chatbots? This podcast episode definitely won’t dispel your fears. OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has been slapped with multiple lawsuits alleging the wildly popular chatbot has a glaring dark side: it plunges users into AI-fuelled delusions, mental health crises, and even suicide. One of the plaintiffs is a Canadian: Allan Brooks of Cobourg, Ont., who claims ChatGPT convinced him he’d created a novel mathematical theory that could hack sophisticated en...

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23:37

Another day, another record-breaking fentanyl bust

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/13

Send us a text It’s true what they say: records are meant to be broken. Over the summer, the Ontario Provincial Police announced the largest fentanyl seizure in the force’s history: 38 kg, or more than 380,000 street doses of the lethal drug. The massive bust was the result of Project Golden, a multi-jurisdictional investigation that spanned 11 months and multiple communities. Today, the force announced an even bigger bust: 46 kg of fentanyl taken off the streets in Windsor, all part of an ...

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30:40

Why Canada got publicly shamed for having so many...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/12

Send us a text It’s definitely not something to be proud of. This week, Canada was officially stripped of its “measles elimination status” by the Pan American Health Organization — marking the first time in 27 years that our country was deemed not to be free of the highly contagious disease. Public health experts were hardly surprised by the announcement. For more than a year now, an outbreak of the virus has spread to several provinces, including Ontario, leading to more than 5,000 confirm...

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28:24

Money questions? The Wealthy Barber still has all the...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/11

Send us a text Ironically enough, David Chilton did something he would never advise a client to do: he cashed out his RRSPs early to help fund his dream. In his case, the dream was to write a book: The Wealthy Barber. Thankfully for him, the risk paid off — countless times over. Released 36 years ago, The Wealthy Barber helped a generation of readers understand money management and sound investing strategies. At last count, the personal-finance guide has sold more than 2.1 million copies. &...

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19:09

Is a Hwy. 401 tunnel even possible? The answer will...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/08

Send us a text Premier Doug Ford has made no secret of his dream to build a massive tunnel underneath Highway 401. But is the idea even possible? We’re about to find out — at a hefty cost to taxpayers. The province confirmed this week it has awarded a $9.1-million contract to WSP Canada Inc. to conduct a detailed feasibility study. "Our government is making significant progress on the transformational project to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that will get people and goods moving across the...

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23:05

This is what Mark Carney’s budget means for you

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/07

Send us a text The Carney government tabled its first-ever budget this week — and like the recent federal election, the spectre of Donald Trump looms large over the entire thing. Although the U.S. President’s name doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the 493-page document, the budget lays out the Liberal government’s detailed plan to defend Canada from America’s ramped-up trade aggressions. The key figure is $78.3 billion — the total projected deficit for 2025-2026 — with targeted spending o...

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32:30

In the fight against dementia, this will be a...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/06

Send us a text Last week, Health Canada gave the green light to a long-awaited drug that slows the progression of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab is the first approved medication that targets the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, believed to be an underlying cause of Alzheimer's. For patients and their loved ones across the country, the approval could not have come fast enough. According to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, there are close to 800,000 people in the country ...

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34:16

Should cigarette-style warning labels be mandatory on...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/05

Send us a text Should alcohol bottles contain cancer warning labels? That controversial question was at the heart of a recent Senate debate over Bill S-202, which, if passed, would require liquor packaging in Canada to feature cigarette-style warnings. The Canadian Cancer Society says consuming approximately three drinks per day could double the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus, and increase the risk of colorectal and breast cancer by one-and-a-half time...

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20:54

AI is going to steal your job — or set you up for a...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/04

Send us a text Last week, Amazon announced the elimination of 14,000 jobs worldwide as the retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. "Some may ask why we're reducing roles when the company is performing well," wrote Beth Galetti, a senior vice-president at the company. "What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much f...

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22:06

OK Blue Jays, let’s…get this done and start celebrating

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/11/01

Send us a text Will this be the night? The Toronto Blue Jays are one win away from their first World Series title in more than three decades, and they’re hosting Game 6 Friday night at Rogers Centre. Win, and they’re the champs. Lose, and it will all come down to Game 7 Saturday night. Whatever happens, this has already been a World Series for the ages — a politically charged match-up that featured two international superstars, an 18-inning marathon, and some heartwarming side stories. Join...

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15:16

What’s next for Canada Post? We’re starting to find out

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/30

Send us a text “Canadians have changed the way they use the postal service, and we must change with them.” That was the message this week from Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger, after dozens of managers were laid off as part of an ongoing overhaul at the Crown corporation — which has racked up massive annual losses since 2018 and needed a $1-billion federal loan earlier this year just to stay afloat. “We need to ensure our costs better align to our financial realities, which means our organizat...

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18:55

Who is Pete Hoekstra, the Trump diplomat furious with...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/29

Send us a text Doug Ford’s anti-tariff commercial has stopped airing on U.S. networks, but the controversial ad is still getting plenty of attention. According to multiple reports published today, Donald Trump’s Ambassador to Canada was so furious over the ad that he angrily confronted Ontario’s representative to Washington at a Monday event. Pete Hoekstra reportedly dropped some f-bombs while scolding David Paterson. The Globe and Mail reported that the ambassador was overheard saying Cana...

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12:58

Deadline looms for grocery stores to start accepting...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/28

Send us a text Have you tried returning any empties lately? It’s not as easy as it used to be. Nearly 100 Beer Stores have permanently shut down since the Ford government expanded alcohol sales to corner stores and grocery stores, and more are expected to close in the coming months. But here’s the problem: although all grocery stores with a license to sell liquor will be required to accept empty bottles and cans as of Jan. 1, only a small percentage have actually started collecting. And as ...

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23:21

Not just snowbirds — all Canadians travelling to U.S....

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/27

Send us a text Last week, we told you about a new rule impacting Canadian snowbirds: if you plan to stay in the U.S. for more than 30 days, prepare to be photographed and fingerprinted at the border. This week, another new rule that impacts all U.S.-bound travellers — not just snowbirds: the American government has announced plans to photograph every foreign visitor when they enter and exit the country by all modes of transport. The regulation is set to take effect on Dec. 26, and will like...

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26:12

Doug Ford finally gets Donald Trump’s attention

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/24

Send us a text Doug Ford never did secure a one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump — but the U.S. president definitely knows who he is. In a fiery social media post late Thursday night, Trump abruptly cancelled all trade talks with Canada because of the Ontario government’s anti-tariff commercial featuring the voice of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Trump said the ad “fraudulently” claimed that Reagan opposed tariffs “when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECU...

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27:05

Been duped by an online scam? There’s no shame in that

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/23

Send us a text The Carney government is promising to create Canada’s first-ever national anti-fraud strategy, including a new financial crime agency aimed at cracking down on sophisticated scammers. Fraud has taken a massive toll on Canadians in recent years — not only on their wallets, but on their emotional well-being. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, more than 23,000 people this year have already reported losses totalling $544 million. And that’s only the fraction of people w...

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17:15

Blue Jays are World Series-bound, but they’re not the...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/23

Send us a text Big bats equal big bucks. The Blue Jays’ thrilling comeback victory in Game 7 of the ALCS didn’t just propel the team into the World Series. It set up the city of Toronto for a huge economic score. Hotels, restaurants, transit services and local tourist hot spots will rake in millions of dollars in extra revenue when fans flock to Toronto for Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic, which starts Friday night at Rogers Centre. Will it compare to the massive economic spinoffs from Ta...

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21:30

Spend your winters down south? Prepare to be...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/21

Send us a text Canadian snowbirds are starting to flock south for the winter — but many are getting quite the surprise when they reach the American border. U.S. officials have confirmed that anyone entering the country for more than 30 days, via land, must agree to be photographed and fingerprinted. The new regulations stem from U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that requires many foreign visitors staying a month or longer to register with the government. How ...

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19:24

Ban speed cameras? Not so fast, protesters tell Doug...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/20

Send us a text Not so fast. That’s the message from a growing number of Ontarians trying hard to convince Premier Doug Ford to ditch his plan to outlaw speed cameras. Protesters in cities across the province rallied against Ford’s proposed speed camera ban on Monday morning, just as MPPs returned to Queen’s Park for a new legislative session. Ford has called the devices nothing but a “cash grab,” and his government is promising to introduce legislation that prevents cities and towns f...

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23:27

Times have changed, and our colleges and universities...

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered... ·

2025/10/17

Send us a text In the face of so much economic uncertainty, is it time to rethink how we deliver postsecondary education in Canada? A new report says yes — and that the necessary changes must be “urgent and coordinated.” Released this week by the Royal Bank of Canada, the report calls for a “postsecondary pivot” to advance national goals, including a focus on defence and space exploration, artificial intelligence and major energy projects. Some of the notable proposals include retraining au...

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187 results

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