Smutty profits: Why Canada should invest in its hopeless romantics

Plus: The families of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting victims are set to seek nearly 1-billion dollars in lawsuits against Open A-I, the Canadian economy sees growth in the first quarter, Canada will host a new NATO bank, the Prime Minister has named the new E-U ambassador, and how the boom in romance novels can help other media meet consumer needs. 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

If you've felt compelled to pick up a steamy, smutty book throughout the last few months, you wouldn't have been the first - and you probably won't be the last. It's no doubt romance novels are having their moment, and besides the books themselves, readers and consumers alike are going beyond the pages and diving into their respective worlds. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Deborah Aarts, a freelance business writer about how Canadians are opting to invest in community, and how the recent boom in romance novels could teach other traditional media how to meet consumers where they're at. You can read Deborah's article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-the-swoon-boom-meet-the-business-savvy-smut-mongers-of-the-great-hot/#comments 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: Reaction to the federal spring economic statement, Trump threatens Iran, King Charles in the U.S., and Health Canada approves the first generic version of brand-name Ozempic 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

Within minutes of news that shots rang out at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, online spaces were filled with the 'what ifs'. Conspiracy theories and fringe narratives continue to dominate the noise surrounding the latest attempt at assassinating US President Donald Trump, spreading disinformation while simultaneously tainting the opportunity for meaningful and critical dialogue. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Geoff Dancy, a political science professor at the University of Toronto to break down how these conspiracies take advantage of a politically polarized America, and how we can make sense of what's real versus speculation. 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: One year of Mark Carney, the UAE says it will leave OPEC, King Charles in the U.S., the Royal Canadian Mint launches a review, and who is being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. 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 Davos speech, the tariff profile, and now the Canada Strong Fund. It's been a busy year for Mark Carney since being elected as Canada's 24th Prime Minister this day last year, and as Canadians face tough economic and geopolitical uncertainty, we're taking a look back at how Carney has managed to bring the country together through some of the year's - and Canada's - rockiest moments. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to journalist and host of The Paikin Podcast, Steve Paikin, to discuss how Carney's tenure so far has changed Canada's global profile, how much of a difference he's made in strengthening the domestic economy, and how his work will be perceived in a post-Trump world. 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: Tehran is reaching out to Russia for support, a preview of tomorrow's interest rate announcement, Carney unveils the country's first national sovereign wealth fund, Canadians appear to want the government to focus more on affordability, and the real cost of foreign sloapaganga on Canadian democracy. 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 started with mispronunciations-- saying "Regina" wrong, or saying "Atlanta" instead of "Alberta"-- but it spiraled into so much more. With their interest piqued, the Media Ecosystem Observatory began looking into a network of dozens of YouTube channels claiming to be covering Canadian politics from an Albertan perspective, and they found faceless, Dutch content creators to be behind the videos instead. Today, host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Chris Ross, Senior Analyst at the Media Ecosystem Observatory, who led the team looking into these channels, about what exactly they found. After the break, Caryn speaks with Chris Tenove, Assistant Director of the Centre for the study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia about the reliability of online platforms, and how lack of regulation could threaten Canadian democracy. 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: U.S. alcohol will likely stay off Canadian shelves until the tariffs are dropped, U.S. officials provide an update this morning on the war in Iran, Canadians, once again, not making as many trips to the states, the Michael Jackson biopic hits the big screen today, and should Canada consider a smoke-free generation? 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 British government is set to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008 - raising both hopes that it could create the first smoke-free generation, but also doubts about whether it could actually be enforced. The legislation also puts limits on the sale and consumption of vape products. Host Maria Kestane speaks with Michael Chaiton, a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, about whether or not the idea is feasible, and if it might be worth considering in Canada. 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