Big Headlines: Alberta to hold referendum on whether to remain in Canada

Plus: the federal government is entering contract talks with 'Saab' for Royal Air Force aircraft, the Western premiers have wrapped their meeting in Alberta, temperature records are being broken across Europe as a heat wave continues, and where does Canada's relationship with Israel lie? 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

Earlier this week, 12 Canadians returned home from Turkey after their Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted by Israeli guards. Video posted by Israel's National Defence Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, showed hundreds of activists handcuffed, kneeled with their heads touching the ground, as he taunted them after being arrested. The footage sparked wide-spread backlash and condemnation, including from Israel's Prime Minister, as well as Prime Minister Mark Carney. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Jon Allen, the former Canadian ambassador to Israel and a senior fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. They discuss how Israel is interpreting Ben-Gvir's post, what more Canada should do to show support for the dozen flotilla activists, and where the Canadian-Israeli relationship goes from here. 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: Day two of the annual western premiers conference, efforts to combat Canadian wildfires, and a South Korean navy submarine is docked in B.C. 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

We've heard about the attacks. We've felt the oil price increases. And every time a ceasefire gets mentioned, it makes headline news. Something less visible but just as dire are the lives of seafarers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, who are not only facing supply shortages but also the reality that an end date is nowhere in sight. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks with Mohamed Arrachedi, Arab World & Iran Network Coordinator at the International Transport Workers' Federation, about the situation they're facing. Photo credit by Mohamed Arrachedi. 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: Western Canadian Premiers meet in Alberta, Ontario patient tests negative for Ebola, Gaza activists return to Canada, White House shooting. 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

An Ebola outbreak spreading rapidly through the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa poses a "very high" risk to the country, according to World Health Organization officials-- with both cases and deaths in the hundreds. As officials try to contain the disease, their job has been made harder by deep cuts to international aid across the globe-- and especially from the United States. Host Maria Kestane is speaking with Sana Bég, Executive Director of Doctor's Without Borders Canada, on the outbreak, what can be done to help, and how it could affect us here 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

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!" You've likely heard a lot about crypto currencies. Now, there's something called "stablecoin". Think of it as the next wave of digital payment systems. But, how does it work? Who controls it? And is it something that consumers need to pay attention to for everyday banking? In today's episode of "In This Economy?!", co-host Mike Eppel is joined by Laure Fouin, an Associate General Counsel at Coinbase Canada for a tutorial on the future of digital money and why Fouin believes it's something Canada needs to grow the economy. 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: NATO ministers meet in Sweden, Ebola outbreak update, 12 Canadian activists have arrived in Turkey after being deported from Israel, Stephen Colbert's farewell, and is Eurovision a good fit for 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

Eurovision's director, Martin Green, has opened the doors for Canada to enter the Olympics of pop music. Historically, contestants of the music contest must be full members of the European Broadcast Union - Canada currently sits as an associate member. But so does Australia, yet they've been in on the action for more than 10 years. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Karen Fricker, professor of dramatic arts at Brock University to discuss the geopolitical implications of Canada joining, what Canadian artistic identity would look like on the global stage, and whether or not Canadians would embrace the contest. 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: Prime Minister Mark Carney condemns Israel's treatment of activists over an intercepted aid flotilla, generic versions of Ozempic are set to hit pharmacy shelves this week, Canada's first-ever PWHL championship goes to Montreal, and what's next for Tumbler Ridge? 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