A snip to rates and a surge on the markets: an economic check-up!

The Governor of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, announced the fourth policy interest rate cut this year, down by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25%, signaling a steadiness in inflation, while simultaneously warning of a weakening economy. It comes in the midst of a volatile U.S.-Canada trade war, and ahead of a later-than-usual federal budget, with a projected deficit of close to $70 billion. Host Mike Eppel speaks to Barry Schwartz, President and Chief Investment Officer at Baskin Wealth to get a pulse check of the Canadian economy ahead of the upcoming November 4th federal budget. 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 a quick post-and-delete from the Ontario government, after Premier Ford's $75M anti-tariff commercial broadcasted on American televisions, pissed off President Trump, and received some harsh penalties in return. Trump said the content in the ad was fake, and went as far as suspending all trade negotiations with Canada as a result. A few days later, it seemed a new fury arose from the White House, with Trump slapping an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods for not taking the commercial down fast enough.Trade negotiations have been going on for months, but after Prime Minister Carney returned from two U.S. trips with no trade deal, Canadian leaders seem to be having a hard time sitting on their hands in the meantime. Host Richard Southern speaks to John Wright, CEO of Canada Pulse Insights, to discuss the fallout of the premier's move, and what Carney needs to do to make sure all of Canada remains on the same page on the fight against Trump. 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

Alternative medicine is nothing new.Although it can be risky and sometimes harmful, people with chronic pain or debilitating health complications are usually open to seeing what other treatment options can ease their pain - even if it's illegal and very much inaccessible. A recent North American study found that one supervised dose of lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD - commonly known as acid - eased anxiety symptoms for several months. But the research on psychedelics being used to treat mental health issues is still very much in its premature phase, with nothing conclusive or substantial enough to enact changes from Health Canada.Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dr. Roger McIntyre, professor of psychiatry, and professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto to discuss the potential that psychedelics hold in the future of health and wellness, and whether or not it's suitable for everyone. 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

Getaway motorbikes, 7 minutes, and a crane positioned to an open balcony of the Louvre. The scene of a carefully orchestrated jewellery heist at the world's most famous museum in France, after a group of thieves stole about $143 million Cdn worth of crown jewels and fled the scene.A pair of suspects have since been arrested, one of them at the Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to allegedly board a flight to Algeria. But millions of dollars worth of France's history, and more suspects remain nowhere to be found, with the country now grappling with an internal blame game.Host Richard Southern speaks to Anthony Amore, an art theft expert and Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston to discuss the Hollywood-like heist, and how museums across the world could use the carefully calculated ransack to improve how they protect their valuables. 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

Gold is having a moment - trading above $4,000 just a few months after hitting $3,000.It's up by more than 50%t this year, on track for its best year since 1979. And volatility seems to be ticking higher too.Gold has long been viewed as a safe haven in times of uncertainty - and let's face it, there's a lot of that right now. But could that role be changing, and does crypto currency become a factor in it all?Host Kris McCusker speaks to Luis Seco - a professor in mathematics at the University of Toronto to get his take on what's happening, and whether it’s too late to invest. 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

No one likes checking their credit score and seeing a hit to the rating - even the Canadian government.Credit rating agencies are bracing for the upcoming November 4th federal budget, and with a lack of fiscal updates since the last federal budget under the Trudeau government, economists aren't quite sure what they should expect when it comes to the deficit.So just how deep could the red ink run? And will the minority federal government receive the backing from any of the opposition parties to get it passed through the House?Host Mike Eppel speaks to Randall Bartlett, Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins to discuss what former-banker-turned-Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has up his sleeve for the upcoming budget, and what he plans to do about a potentially ominously large deficit. 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

Top Trump administration officials have been in Israel this week to shore up a fragile and uncertain ceasefire in Gaza, after recent flare-ups of violence punctured the brief calm, with each side accusing the other of violations.The truce faced fresh challenges this week after a bill applying Israeli law to the West Bank passed a symbolic vote in Israel’s parliament, revealing cracks between factions in the country’s right-wing parties, and underscoring the challenges ahead in ensuring both Israel and Hamas hold up their sides of the fragile ceasefire.Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Akaash Maharaj, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, to discuss the obstacles that loom over Middle East peace, and the role Canada can play in delivering it. 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

A note to our listeners, this episode discusses sexual assault. Please take care.Prince Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein thrust the British royal family into crisis again this week, with the release of a harrowing posthumous memoir by one of Epstein’s main accusers. For years, Virgina Giuffre has accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. But her book is likely to keep Andrew’s friendship with Epstein in the spotlight, throwing fuel on a cascade of scandal shadowing the King’s brother and a monarchy grappling with diminished public support. Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Sarah Sahagian, co-Host for The Reheat and publisher of rabble.ca, to discuss Andrew’s fall from grace, the calls for further action against him, and why he may never lose the title of prince. 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

The Toronto Blue Jays have punched their ticket to the World Series, a feeling the team - and Toronto at large - haven't felt for 32 years.But it isn't just Southern Ontario that's feeling the pride of the Boys of Summer. Fans from all across Canada are beaming for what's now being called 'Canada's Team', as the team gears up to host the Los Angeles Dodgers on home turf in just a few days time. But the arrival of the Dodgers is a reminder of who the Jays are, and who they aren't, which is a team not easily wavered by big names or even bigger franchise payrolls. Host Alex Seixeiro speaks to the host of Blue Jays Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet, Shoaib Alli, to break down what it means for the Jays to take baseball's biggest stage, and the impact of a mostly international roster playing for the more than 41 million Canadians counting on them. 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

More than 750,000 Alberta students have been spending the better part of October not in a classroom, but rather left to their own devices as a historic province-wide teachers strike heads into a third week.Although higher wages and increased staffing are among the key sticking points for the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA), the thousands of educational workers currently on the picket lines are looking for a generational change across the province's education sector. However, the Smith government doesn't seem to be budging on how far they want to reach into their pockets, with the Premier even considering ordering a back-to-work if kids aren't back in the classrooms by the time the legislature returns.Host Maria Kestane speaks to Sean Amato, Alberta politics reporter for CityNews to break down what the last few weeks have looked like during the province's first ever teacher strike, and how close the ATA is to getting what they're fighting for. 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