Carol Off | Ask Me Anything

Our AMA guest today will be a familiar voice to our listeners. Carol Off spent sixteen years co-hosting CBC’s As It Happens, after a career as a correspondent reporting from all over the world. The thousands of interviews she’s conducted have laid the groundwork for her new book entitled “At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage.” Each chapter is devoted to a politically-charged word - freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice and taxes. The book delves into how the meaning of each of these words has been weaponized to further drive divisiveness in society. Carol joined us to answer your questions about her new book and the state of polarization in politics.

A lot of Canadians are feeling the pain of polarization. In politics for sure. But many felt pushed apart by the pandemic, from masks to vaccines to where you got information you trusted. Debate is sometimes replaced by slogans. People and their positions reduced to a single word: Marxist, fascist, elitist, extremist. So how is polarization affecting you? How are you handling political disagreements?

Parents often say they'd do anything to make sure their children are well cared for. But what happens when that relationship shifts as those children become adults caring for an aging parent? Finding the answer can strain family finances and families themselves. How have you dealt with caring for an aging family member?

A new report from the World Health Organization suggests that teens, including Canadians, are using condoms less. At the same time STI’s like syphilis, chlamydia, and HIV have been on the rise in Canada. Cory Silverberg is a sex educator and author of "You Know, Sex" a book geared towards young people and all the questions they have. They answered your questions about how to start these conversations with your own teen.

Suddenly, we could be one House of Commons vote away from a federal election. If that vote was a confidence motion on the budget for example, it would trigger a federal election. For the Conservatives, riding high in the polls, that may be an exciting prospect. For supporters of other parties, maybe less so. What do you think? Should there be a fall election? And are you satisfied with your options for Prime Minister?And then in our second topic, we discuss why the Trump-Harris debate matters to you. One gaffe or the perfect quip in the debate just might be enough to determine the winner in one of those too close to call swing states. And if truth matters, everyone will have their hands full on Tuesday night fact checking a barrage of problematic or misleading claims. So why does the Trump-Harris debate matter to you? What will you be watching for? Todd Graham is a professor of debate at Southern Illinois University and an expert on the theatre of presidential debates. He joined us in addition to callers to see what he is going to be watching for as well.

There is so much at stake in a US Presidential race. One gaffe or the perfect quip in the debate just might be enough to determine the winner in one of those too close to call swing states. And if truth matters, everyone will have their hands full on Tuesday night fact checking a barrage of problematic or misleading claims. So why does the Trump-Harris debate matter to you? What will you be watching for? Todd Graham is a professor of debate at Southern Illinois University and an expert on the theatre of presidential debates. He joined us in addition to callers to see what he is going to be watching for as well.

It is one of those life-changing moments that doesn't get a lot of attention. Even the greeting card industry hasn't created an "Empty Nest" category. However you feel about it, when a child moves out, it's a dramatic change and for some it can be a rough time. What happened the day you became an empty nester? How did your relationship with your kids change after they moved out?And then in our second topic, we discuss the value of a university degree. The Bank of Canada looked at data from 2018 gathered by Statistics Canada. It determined that workers in their 40’s with a university degree earned about 10 dollars more per hour than those who graduated from college or another post-secondary school. But that gap was larger back in 1997 and the economy has certainly changed since 2018. Joel Westheimer is a professor of democracy and education at the University of Ottawa and has written and talked about the value of a university degree. He’s also an education columnist with CBC Ottawa. He answered your questions about whether or not a University degree is still worth it.

The Bank of Canada looked at data from 2018 gathered by Statistics Canada. It determined that workers in their 40’s with a university degree earned about 10 dollars more per hour than those who graduated from college or another post-secondary school. But that gap was larger back in 1997 and the economy has certainly changed since 2018. Joel Westheimer is a professor of democracy and education at the University of Ottawa and has written and talked about the value of a university degree. He’s also an education columnist with CBC Ottawa. He answered your questions about whether or not a University degree is still worth it.

Ontario's Health Minister announced plans to close half of the supervised consumption sites in the province, while increasing spending on homelessness and addiction treatment centres by nearly $400 million. How do you feel about supervised consumption sites in your community? Should there be restrictions on where they’re located?Plus, Magic Mushroom retailers are popping up like....well...mushrooms. Our AMA answers listener questions about psilocybin.

Magic Mushroom retailers are popping up like....well...mushrooms. Dr. Rob Tanguay is an Addiction and Pain Psychiatrist, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta. He answers listener questions on psilocybin, including potential medical uses and its pitfalls.