Racism, lies and cat memes. American politics in 2024.

This episode first aired on September 26, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! The federal government has announced changes to mortgage amortizations and insurance rules, calling them “the most significant mortgage reforms in decades.”  But what do these changes really mean for new home buyers? And existing ones? Will they help with the affordability crisis, or focus more on accessibility? GUEST: Angela Calla, accredited mortgage professional and author of 'The Mortgage Code' We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It's one of the most iconic photographic portraits in world history—and it hangs in one of the most famous buildings in the Canadian capital. At least it did, until it was stolen...The story of The Roaring Lion theft involves international intrigue, world history, careful detective work and one of this country's most renowned artists. But most of all, it's a riveting heist tale that spans from Canada to Europe, and who doesn't love one of those?GUEST: Brett Popplewell, author, reporter, associate professor; writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The federal government—as well as the government-owned crown corporation Trans Mountain—has paid tens of millions of dollars in two separate contracts to McKinsey and Company, one of the world's premier consulting firms. One of the contracts was given to offer advice on clean technology, despite McKinsey also working with some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies.The other, worth far more, was to find efficiencies in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project—a project already billions of dollars over budget and well behind schedule. What did the government get for its money? Did it know about the conflicts of interest before signing the deal? Why throw millions at a project already well behind? Just how much do we know about how the government spends money on these contracts, anyway?GUEST: Mike De Souza, Director of Enterprise and Investigations, The Narwhal We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Today, the federal Conservatives will table a non-confidence motion, and if the Liberal government cannot defeat it, Canada will be headed to the polls. CPC leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to take every opportunity he can to force an election, and this is his first chance to do that.The Bloc Quebecois and the NDP have said they will not bring down Trudeau's Liberals...this time. But without the promise of the NDP's support, this is likely to be the first of several such votes. Are we headed for a fall full of confidence votes and partisan bickering? How long might this go on before an inevitable election?GUEST: Glen McGregor, Parliament Hill journalist, CityNews We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It began during the pandemic with good intentions--give more to service workers, support local businesses and 'we're all in this together'. But somehow, four-plus years later we're seeing 25% suggested tips on services you would have never expected you'd be tipping on—at a gas station, for instance, or maybe a yarn store.A new proposal from Quebec's provincial government won't stop that, but it is the first sign that perhaps governments are recognizing what polling is telling them: That tips are everywhere, the ways businesses use them are opaque and confusing and that people wish something could be done...GUEST: Corey Mintz, food reporter, consultant, author of The Next Supper We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

For decades we've known that one day a masssive earthquake would hit the fault off of Canada's west coast—and after new research last year was published this summer, we now know so much more.What we can now determine is what that quake will look like. How much shaking, and for how long? How high will the tsunami be? How far inland will it go? Where will the quake strike first and how much force will it contain? All of this information will help us prepare both our infrastructure and our citizens for when the day comes—but we still don't know when that day will be...GUEST: John Cassidy, Senior Research Scientist with Natural Resources Canada; Professor at the University of Victoria We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

This weekend, we're revisiting an episode from earlier in the year.We hope you enjoy!-------------------------------------------There's simply never been a Canadian sex survey that's comprehensive, scientific and intimate all at once. For decades we've relied on data from the United States, unscientific surveys thrown together by brands around Valentine's Day or specific looks at one narrow aspect of sexuality—such as contraception or monogamy.In her new book released today, Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North, McMaster University sociology professor Tina Fetner examines every aspect of how we do it, who we do it with, how often and ... if it's good. As well as everything else you always wondered about your neighbours in the bedroom...GUEST: Tina Fetner, professor, McMaster University We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

This episode first aired on September 19, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow! It's been quite a long (and expensive!) journey, but the latest numbers show that the inflation rate in Canada has finally fallen to the Bank of Canada's "target rate" for the first time in more than three years. So does that mean all our troubles are over? Why is two percent the ideal target for the BoC? And what does this data tell us about the economy we'll be living in for the next several months? GUEST: Mike Eppel, 680 News Sr. Business Editor We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

This is a province with a long and strange history of alcohol regulation. But when Ontario premier Doug Ford announced plans to allow convenience stores to sell beer, wine and coolers beginning in September, it seemed like a modest step—one in keeping with similar provinces and states which have long allowed this.However, this being Ontario and alcoholic beverages, it is not that simple. The move has cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars, sparked a discussion about the availability of intoxicants, incited outrage from various advocacy groups and has lived up to Ontario's reputation as a province who cannot simply be normal about its booze.GUEST: Matt Gurney, journalist, commentator and co-founder of The Line We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

An Ohio town is thrown into chaos from bomb threats that stem from racist lies. Immigrants across the United States are demonized for political gain. Women are dying from a lack of access to reproductive care. Donald Trump promises to jail his enemies. And on the internet, the cat memes proliferate...For some reason, in the current presidential campaign, cats have played an outsized role in the political conversation. From Trump's morals, to "childless cat ladies" to unfounded rumours of their consumption by Haitian immigrants in Springfield, there's something strange going on right meow in America...GUEST: Igor Bobic, senior HuffPost reporter covering Congress, the White House, and political campaigns We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter