Weekend Listen: Are companies using AI as an excuse to lay you off?

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show 'In This Economy?!'. Just three months in, and 2026 is already being coined as the 'Year of the Layoff', with companies blaming AI for letting chunks of their workforce go. But is tech really replacing workers — or just being used as a convenient excuse? Host Mike Eppel speaks to Ben Shiller, Brandeis University economist and associate professor, and author of 'A.I. Economics: How Technology Transforms Jobs, Markets, Life, and Our Future'. The two discuss the fears of a shrinking white‑collar job market, the realities of AI’s impact, and why your future job security may depend on the sector you choose. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show 'In This Economy?!' It’s known as “the singles tax” – an extra amount that solo earners pay to go through life without a partner. In some cases it can be punitive, and it’s prompted many Canadians to get creative. Host Kris McCusker speaks to financial journalist and author Renée Sylvestre-Williams about her book “The Singles Tax: No Nonsense Financial Advice for Solo Earners,” which can be found at your favourite book store. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Plus: The bodies of two pilots who died in this week's crash in New York have been repatriated to Canada, long lines at U.S. airports should soon dissipate, NDP convention begins in Winnipeg as members prepare to pick a new leader, Earth Hour this weekend, and can Canada get a grip on its tipping culture? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at [email protected]  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Tipping-- it's one of those things everyone has an opinion on, and that opinion is normally shaped by what side of it you're on. And the number of services you're expected to tip for-- and the suggested tips on machines-- seem to be going up. So it comes as little surprise that a new H&R Block survey found 67% of Canadians think tipping culture has gone too far. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dr. Wayne Smith, the Director of the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Toronto Metropolitan University, to discuss Canada’s tipping history, and how our culture has gotten to this point. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Plus: Canada's met a critical alliance commitment for the first time since the 90's, the Air Canada plane wreck at LaGuardia is being moved to a hangar for more analysis, former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is set to appear in court, and how did Lebanon get dragged into the Middle East conflict? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at [email protected]  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's a war between Israel, the US and Iran...but how did Lebanon get dragged into it? Its militia group, Hezbollah, is a loyal proxy of the Iranian regime, placing tens of millions of Lebanese citizens at risk in the name of loyalty to its top financier and ally. More than 1000 people have been killed, and more than a million have been displaced. Earlier this week Israel's Defence Minister said his country plans on annexing a large portion of southern Lebanon for security purposes, a move Canada denounced. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Aurel Braun, a political science and international relations professor at the University of Toronto to discuss the Lebanese government's complex relationship with Hezbollah, how Canada and other NATO countries could help the government dismantle the militia, and what comes next for its civilians. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The investigation into the deadly Air Canada plane crash continues, the airline's CEO has been summoned to Ottawa, new urgency to reach a deal and pay TSA workers, and a social media app shuts down. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at [email protected]  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's unsure when exactly the war in the Middle East will come to an end - even the White House seems to be conflicted on a timeline, but one thing for certain is the impact Canadians are feeling to their wallets. Gas prices continue to fluctuate, with no real stabilization in sight. But the question is, for a country that's rich in domestic oil, why are our prices so dependent on the state of the Strait of Hormuz? Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Heather Exner-Pirot, Director of energy and natural resources and environment at the Macdonald Laurier Institute to discuss Canada's pipeline infrastructure challenges, the geopolitical significance of the Hormuz, and whether or not Canadians will be getting a reprieve at the pumps anytime soon. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Plus: Two pilots killed in the Air Canada Jazz plane crash in New York have been identified, TSA security lines in the U.S. continue, most Canadians say they are satisfied with how the government handled the COVID-19 pandemic, and police in Vancouver say a woman fell asleep behind the wheel of a self-driving vehicle We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

A pair of Air Canada pilots were killed as a result of a crash between the plane they were landing at New York's La Guardia airport and a fire truck on one of the runways. And as investigators piece together what led to the crash, the public can't help but try and make sense of what happened with the audio recording of the air traffic controller. This unfolds as more than a dozen airports across the country make space for ICE agents to accompany them at security checkpoints, as a partial government shutdown brings TSA to a slug, and as a result, the rest of the country. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Karl Moore, aviation expert and associate professor at McGill University to discuss the state of air travel across the US, what Canadians need to know amid the DHS shutdown, and how the both the US and Canada need to beef up their air traffic control roster. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky