Is everything okay at Starbucks?

It’s been a year of change for the world's largest and most popular coffee house, including the shuttering of hundreds of its North American retail stores. But is that a sign of trouble?Or is it an attempt by the new CEO, appointed last year, to turn inwards to its existing locations to revamp the stores they have already?Host Kris McCusker speaks to Mike Halen, the senior restaurant and foodservice analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, about some of the recent moves by the chain, where it stands among the current trend of choosing independently-owned, neighbourhood cafes and what could be coming next for the coffee giant. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

How much of your moral autonomy are you willing to sacrifice for convenience? Turning to an AI chatbot for help has become the new 'just search it up on the internet', but the robot's code is far more sophisticated and addicting than the results of a Google search. Answers become detailed, personalized and emotionally impactful, so much so that the load of our own mental rationale becomes lessened once we start the AI conversation.And once the habit is there, detachment - from a product designed to profit off your use - becomes next to impossible.Host Maria Kestane speaks to Maggie Harrison Dupré, senior author at Futurism, to discuss the ways AI chatbots like ChatGPT weren't made to solve your complex, emotional issues, but also won't stop you from reaching for it when you're in need of help. They talk about the mental guardrails users should self-implement to stay in control when interacting with a robot. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Hollywood is abuzz over the latest talent to hit the scene: Tilly Norwood. However, the talk isn’t centred around Tilly’s looks or acting skills, but rather who Tilly is and how it could affect the future of television and film.Tilly Norwood is a fully AI-generated actress, created by Eline Van der Velden, who is a comedian, actor, writer and CEO of AI production company Particle6. Eline says “I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool – a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting”.However, many performers and unions representing them are seeing it differently. “Tilly is not art, as art is human,” ACTRA Toronto. Between fighting against the use of artificial intelligence to replace human artistry and bracing for possible tariffs to hit non-U.S. productions, the industry is facing some major challenges.Host Melanie Ng speaks with the President of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) Toronto, Kate Ziegler, about how the artists are fighting back. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and David Ortiz proclaimed “DAAAA YANKEES LOSE!”, Toronto Blue Jays fans celebrated as Canada’s team was crowned American League Division champs, beating out their New York rivals on Wednesday in Game 4.The massive series win now paves the way for the American League Championship Series, Seattle Mariners, in a best-of-seven series. This episode was recorded on Friday, before the Seattle Mariners vs Detroit Tigers 15-inning game 5 decider. The panel commented on the possible scenarios heading into the ALCS, including any pitching rotation/roster and injury updates. The organization hasn’t gone this deep into the season since 2016 and fans are hoping some 1992/93 World Series magic is on the horizon.Host Melanie Ng brings together a powerhouse panel for this conversation, including Jays play-by-play announcer Ben Shulman, Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst Blake Murphy and 680 NewsRadio sports reporter Simon Bennett. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Enjoy this special feed drop of The Making of Musk: Understood, from our friends at CBC Podcasts. Where did Elon Musk’s epic ambitions begin? In search of clues we return to his sheltered youth in apartheid South Africa, a world engineered for white supremacy. Along the way, we connect the dots between a bizarre White House ambush of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa to teenage Elon’s ego-powered quests in video games. Finally, was his “draft dodge” from military service a moral act or an opportunist’s exit?Learn more about The Making of Musk: Understood here: https://link.mgln.ai/TBSxMoMWhat explains Elon Musk? Could his most outlandish ambitions and most toxic qualities trace back to his youth in Apartheid South Africa?The Making of Musk: Understood explores his seemingly insatiable drive for dominance, which connects everything from his birthrate obsession (and fourteen children) to his fixation with colonizing Mars. This four-part series, hosted by Jacob Silverman, reveals a little known side of the polarizing billionaire. Silverman tells the vital beginnings of this story — because the Elon era is far from over. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Israel and Hamas edged closer this week to ending their devastating two-year war after agreeing on the initial terms of President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan.An exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners is expected this weekend, paving the way to an imminent ceasefire.But the initial agreement leaves crucial sticking points to be resolved in a future phase of negotiations – including whether Hamas will agree to give up its weapons.Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Jon Allen, former Canadian ambassador to Israel and Senior Fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, to discuss what the deal could entail, and why there’s still uncertainty about whether it’ll translate into a permanent end to the war. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It was another cheeky Oval Office media exchange between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump, and yet another trip to Washington with no tariff deal in the books.Although the two world leaders praised the success of their second meeting, skepticism among Carney's voters - and the country at large - grows as months go by with no substantive movement on bi-lateral negotiations. Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks to former ambassador to the U.S., Frank McKenna to break down Carney's latest visit and the realistic expectations Canadians should have of the PM and his inner circle during the drawn-out yet delicate trade talks with the U.S. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It’s been more than four months since Elon Musk stepped back from the Trump White House and his duties helming the Department of Government Efficiency.But Musk’s chainsaw to federal spending is being acutely felt, amid a U.S. government shutdown that’s giving the Trump administration sway to once again slash critical jobs.Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Jacob Silverman, author and host of the CBC podcast ‘The Making of Musk: Understood’ about Musk’s lasting influence post-DOGE, and his greater impact on not just the halls of power in Washington, but around the world.Learn more about Jacob's new podcast below:What explains Elon Musk? Could his most outlandish ambitions and most toxic qualities trace back to his youth in Apartheid South Africa The Making of Musk: Understood explores his seemingly insatiable drive for dominance, which connects everything from his birthrate obsession (and fourteen children) to his fixation with colonizing Mars.This four-part series, hosted by Jacob Silverman, reveals a little known side of the polarizing billionaire. Silverman tells the vital beginnings of this story — because the Elon era is far from over.Listen now here: https://link.mgln.ai/TBSxMoM We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Instead of walking into their classrooms on Monday, some 51,000 Alberta teachers walked off the job, triggering the province's first teacher's strike in its history. It comes after more than a year of failed contract talks between the Alberta Teacher's Association (ATA) and the provincial government - including two rejected offers - with higher wages and increased staffing among the main sticking points.But class (sort of) remains in session for the more than 730,000 students who've been affected by the job action, with the province posting an online learning toolkit of lessons, as well as a stipend of $30 a day to help families who's children are now at home. Teachers, however, will not be monitoring or assessing work during this time, so who's to say what degree of learning will realistically take place. Host Richard Southern speaks to Sean Amato, Alberta political reporter for CityNews to discuss what a potentially weeks-long education strike could mean for the province's public school system, and the reaction from hundreds of thousands of families who will now have to play the role of 'educator' at home or pay someone else to do it instead. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Prime Minister Mark Carney, once known as the Governor of the Bank of Canada, is set to table his first federal budget next month.With a few weeks left until the November 4th reveal, Ottawa is now putting the final touches on who gets what for the upcoming fiscal year.But with a projected deficit of $68B, Carney and his business-focused background will be looking for ways to spend smart, leaving some sectors inevitably vulnerable to cuts.Host Mike Eppel speaks to Theo Argitis, Senior VP of Policy at the Business Council of Canada, who also co-chaired a consultation proposal that outlines five points towards a prosperous upcoming budget. They discuss what challenges are up ahead for the Carney government, and the ways in which Ottawa could set some firm fiscal guardrails to prioritize economic growth. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter