In 1980 someone detonated a bomb outside a synagogue in Paris. Four people were killed. Suspicion immediately fell on French neo-nazi groups. But soon investigators turned their attention to groups from the Middle East. Then the case went cold. For decades. Then, in 2008, the RCMP arrested an Ottawa-based sociology professor. What follows is a twisting tale of extradition, years of interrogation, and ultimately a trial and conviction in absentia. But today the person at the heart of the story, H...
Jan 20, 2025•32 min•Ep 1092•Transcript available on Metacast Why Canada needs to get its sh*t together NOW. Former Conservative MP James Moore joins to consider the response to Trump’s rhetoric, and the economic reality facing Canada in the coming months. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Check), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: James Moore Further reading: Canada as the 51st State? | TVO Today Opinion | ...
Jan 17, 2025•22 min•Ep 1091•Transcript available on Metacast Amid an exodus in the Liberal Party, Mark Carney teases a leadership bid on the Daily Show, and Jesse ponders a future in politics. Former Conservative MP James Moore joins to break down the Liberal breakdown, and consider the unknown unknowns facing Canadian politics in 2025. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Check), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: James Moore Photo is...
Jan 15, 2025•24 min•Ep 1090•Transcript available on Metacast Join Noor Azrieh and Sam Konnert for a discussion to bid farewell to key legislation that is likely to be lost due to Parliament's prorogation. From the Online Harms Act, to clean drinking water for First Nation communities, there’s a lot to mourn. And, how could a new liberal leader possibly win back young men? We speak with Aiden Fox Ivey, who reached out after he heard our interview with a conservative bro. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azri...
Jan 14, 2025•33 min•Ep 1089•Transcript available on Metacast Siri has a body. AI’s most familiar voice is not just a disembodied all-knowing benefactor of trivia, recipes, and everything else you can’t recall (or never knew) at any particular moment. According to Professor James Muldoon, author of Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labour Powering AI, “... AI has a material body and exists only through new chips, servers and cables being manufactured and added to the machine. And just like a physical body, AI's material structure needs constant nourish...
Jan 13, 2025•32 min•Ep 1088•Transcript available on Metacast Was Pierre Poilievre’s conversation with Jordan Peterson the most popular political interview in Canadian history? Frank Domenic joins to break down what Poilievre’s viral podcast appearance can tell us about the future of media in Canada. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Frank Domenic Further reading: Canada's Next Prime Minister | Pierre Po...
Jan 10, 2025•36 min•Ep 1087•Transcript available on Metacast How bad has Trudeau F’d Canada? (Pretty bad.) With Trump escalating his rhetoric, Trudeau has left Canada resigned to weakness. Poilievre will need to wait to take over, but is there possibly a wildcard candidate who could defeat him? Frank Domenic joins to assess the damage. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Frank Domenic Further Reading On O...
Jan 08, 2025•28 min•Ep 1086•Transcript available on Metacast Yesterday Trudeau announced that he would prorogue parliament and resign as Prime Minister. Now, the Liberal Party is embarking on a journey to replace him. He talked about “internal battles” and pressure from Donald Trump, and decided this was the best option. But is it too little too late? Who could possibly have hair good enough to replace him? Logic reporter Laura Osman and Trudeau’s former head of economic policy Tyler Meredith join Sam to discuss what this means for Canada. Host: Sam Konne...
Jan 07, 2025•27 min•Ep 1085•Transcript available on Metacast We don't like to think about sewage. And when it's all working fine, we don't have to. But if we don't get comfortable talking about shit, we could soon be headed for serious trouble if our infrastructure collapses. And given that recent reports say 30 percent of Canadian water and wastewater infrastructure has either reached or passed the end of its lifespan, that failure feels more like a when than an if. Reporter Leora Shertzer digs into he problems of one small Ontario town w...
Jan 06, 2025•33 min•Ep 1084•Transcript available on Metacast We’re bringing you a special episode of a show we love! From The Paul Wells Show , two acclaimed historians talk about the state of democracy and freedom in the world today. In her latest book, Autocracy Inc., Anne Applebaum writes about a group of dictators who share a bond that’s not based on ideology, but on their ability to help each other gain wealth, power and impunity. Yale historian Timothy Synder, author of the new book On Freedom, argues that freedom is more than the absence of o...
Jan 03, 2025•59 min•Ep 1083•Transcript available on Metacast Since the blockbuster success of his musical “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda has been busy: acting, directing, and composing for Disney projects, including the upcoming movie “Mufasa: The Lion King.” But his new project is more personal, and a throwback in the best sense. Working with the playwright Eisa Davis, he has reimagined a movie from his childhood as a concept album. “The Warriors” is a cult classic released in 1979. “The Warriors are a gang from Coney Island, and they have to...
Dec 30, 2024•30 min•Ep 1082•Transcript available on Metacast Starting January 1st, the criminal interest rate on predatory lending will be lowered, meaning it should be safer to take out payday and installment loans. But these businesses have a tendency to skirt the law, adding unexpected fees and insurance rates to keep borrowers in the hole. Sam welcomes Donna Borden to the show - an organizer with ACORN. She’s been a victim to these loans, and is now fighting against them. Will the crackdown work and really help lower people’s payments? How can we make...
Dec 24, 2024•24 min•Ep 1081•Transcript available on Metacast Yes, Canada bombed the Aurora Borealis. But can you actually scatter that northernmost light with explosives? Why would you even try? And explosive boom aside, can you, on a cold clear quiet night, hear the northern lights? What is the sound of the Aurora Borealis? Nicolas Lachapelle and Eloise Demers Pinard, trekked to Churchill Manitoba, and beyond, to try and answer these questions. And that’s about as newsy and informational as things are gonna get. Because as you will hear, toda...
Dec 23, 2024•37 min•Ep 1080•Transcript available on Metacast Que retenir de 2024? Beaucoup de sujets lourds, et quelques moments plus légers, affirme Manal Drissi au micro d’Emilie Nicolas. Ensemble, Manal et Emilie reviennent sur des événements marquants de l’année et dressent, en filigrane, un portrait critique de nos médias. Au menu de cet épisode du temps des fêtes, les liens entre transphobie et misogynie qui ont traversé les discours portés sur Imane Khelif, cette boxeuse médaillée d’or aux JO de Paris ; les viols de Mazan et la montée du masculinis...
Dec 21, 2024•44 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast What Toronto Star got wrong about UberEats, plus an update on the shaky Trudeau government. Also, why cellos and Air Canada don’t mix, and new information on who an alleged ISIS plot was targeting in the GTA. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Fact Checking), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jan Wong Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors: CAMH: ...
Dec 20, 2024•34 min•Ep 1079•Transcript available on Metacast Chrystia Freeland kneecaps Trudeau, but his shaky government still stands. Jan Wong joins to sift through the aftermath of a very eventful Monday in Canadian politics. Plus, an arsenal of 3D printed guns in Quebec and Jan’s tips for the GST holiday. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Post Production), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Jan Wong Further Reading on Our Website Sponsors: CAMH: CAMH is building better ...
Dec 18, 2024•28 min•Ep 1078•Transcript available on Metacast It was a hell of a day for the Liberals yesterday, as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly abandoned her post. Now, all fingers are pointed at one man: Justin Trudeau. So what happened? And where do we go from here? Reporter for the Hill Times Stuart Benson sits down with Sam to break down Justin’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Photo Credit - Created using AI Host: Sam Konnert Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Caleb Thomp...
Dec 17, 2024•21 min•Ep 1077•Transcript available on Metacast This is part two of our mini series: Black Market Babies (part one, here ). It’s a family story that lay hidden for decades. Then the tech was born, the DNA came to light, and after the shock, the investigation began. An underworld tale of the international baby smuggling ring that bought and sold hundreds of newborns out of Montreal in the 1950s. A family story told by the families. One reporter whose own mother was bought and sold. And another whose own DNA tied her to the one of the alleged m...
Dec 16, 2024•37 min•Ep 1076•Transcript available on Metacast What’s the deal with the “North American Arctic”? Ottawa’s new policy for the North swaps Arctic sovereignty for strategic diplomacy. Could this be a preemptive concession to Trump? Plus, Liberal climate reversals and big savings on Hannukah bushes. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: San Grewal Further Reading On Our Website Sponsors: CAM...
Dec 13, 2024•25 min•Ep 1075•Transcript available on Metacast Testifying in Parliament last week, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown revealed how India affected his 2022 bid to lead the Conservative Party of Canada. But was he a victim of foreign interference, as reported by CBC/Radio-Canada, or a willing conduit for Indian interests? San Grewal of The Pointer joins to explain how (and why) CBC got spun. Note: Jaskaran Sandhu did not reply to our request for comment in advance of publishing this episode. UPDATE (12/11/24): after publication, Jaskaran Sandh...
Dec 11, 2024•38 min•Ep 1074•Transcript available on Metacast The political gender divide isnt just a U.S. phenonmenon, its showing up globally, from the U.K. to South Korea. It’s only a matter of time before the next Canadian election wherethese political dynamics could soon take center stage. Host Noor Azrieh sits down with Jack Gordon, a young conservative, to ask what he’s thinking about politics these days? And, why conservative politics are resonating with young Canadian men? Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Sam Konnert (Pro...
Dec 10, 2024•28 min•Ep 1073•Transcript available on Metacast People on the left call her a police informant, a self-hating Palestinian, a racist, a Zionist, a TERF, and a fascist. But she also has haters on the right, labelling her a leftist, Antifa, and a World Economic Forum diva. She’s a lawyer by trade. But describes herself online as a journalist, a satirist, a media personality and a protest watcher. That last title is the one that brings the most trouble. Anti-vax protests, freedom convoy protests, anti-trans protests, Israel/Palestine protes...
Dec 09, 2024•43 min•Ep 1072•Transcript available on Metacast Le Collège québécois des médecins de famille s’est récemment doté d’une nouvelle présidente, la docteure Geneviève Bois. La carrière foisonnante de cette praticienne engagée touche à de nombreux enjeux qui résonnent profondément avec les défis que le système de santé public peine à relever: médecine à deux (voire trois) vitesses, déterminants sociaux de la santé, médecine en milieu éloigné, et santé reproductive des femmes. Emilie Nicolas reçoit donc la docteure Geneviève Bois, non pas en tant q...
Dec 07, 2024•34 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Canada’s legacy media is suing OpenAI, alleging they’re “strip-mining journalism” by using news articles to train its popular ChatGPT software. Do they have a case? Is this a last-ditch effort to secure some cash? Plus, how will Australia’s social media ban for kids work? And an Edmonton journalist being surveilled for 7 months. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Sam Konnert (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Har...
Dec 06, 2024•25 min•Ep 1071•Transcript available on Metacast Was the positive tone of Trudeau’s Mar-a-Lago visit overstated by Canadian media? Is Canada going to be the 51st state like Trump said at dinner? Was this the PR win that Trudeau needed? Harrison Lowman joins to break down Trudeau’s big day in Florida. Plus, how was nearly $10 million stolen from one of Canada’s biggest music funder’s bank account? And, do Canadians see the value in CBC? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Sam Konnert (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max ...
Dec 04, 2024•24 min•Ep 1070•Transcript available on Metacast Last Monday, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump posted to his beloved Truth Social with a hefty threat. If Canada and Mexico don't get the border in order, or the drugs in check, he’ll slap a 25 per cent tariff on all goods. These tariffs could crash several major U.S. industries and ruin Canada’s economy. But this isn’t the first time Trump’s threatened Canada. Host Noor Azrieh sits down with Vipal Monga to ask, did Canadian politicians learn anything from dealing with Trump the first time aroun...
Dec 03, 2024•31 min•Ep 1069•Transcript available on Metacast With the new national dental care plan, Canadian taxpayers are now underwriting the dental industry. More than one million Canadians have dental care under the new national insurance plan, with an average spend of $730 per patient. By 2025, the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will expand in a big way, and will cover 6 million additional Canadians. As taxpayers start to foot the bill for dental care, how do we make sure dentists are not overprescribing services for their patients? Ho...
Dec 02, 2024•32 min•Ep 1068•Transcript available on Metacast Are Canada Post employees scabbing for Santa? With the no end in sight for the Canada Post strike, Noor and Cherise consider the media coverage so far, and wonder why the media is more interested in letters to Santa than the big labour questions at stake. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Post Production), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor) Guest: Cherise Seucharan Register for Dollars and Cents: The Business of Podcasting on We...
Nov 29, 2024•29 min•Ep 1067•Transcript available on Metacast The Millenium Bug was supposed to bring the world to a halt, but governments claimed they squashed the problem. Was it all a panic over nothing? On a special episode of CANADALAND, COMMONS and The Hatchet host Arshy Mann speaks to the Canadian programmer who alerted the world to the Y2K Bug, and he speaks to the other Canadian programmer who was hell-bent on proving the bug was a hoax. Host: Arshy Mann Credits: Jordan Cornish (Producer, Mixing & Mastering), Noor...
Nov 28, 2024•45 min•Ep 1066•Transcript available on Metacast On Friday, Trudeau made international headlines when he attended a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto while protests erupted in Montreal. But Noor Azrieh and Cherise Seucharan wonder: is the swift punishment warranted? Plus, Trump announces 25% tariffs, Freeland’s vibecession, and Montreal’s fluoride finish line. Host: Noor Azrieh Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Edi...
Nov 27, 2024•36 min•Ep 1065•Transcript available on Metacast 
