This week, The Agenda debated the controversial carbon tax; examined why Ontario criminal court cases are being delayed or dismissed; looked into whether Ontario can be a leader in AI technology; and discussed the Russia Ukraine war with journalist Tim Mak. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Earlier this week, a second unanimous consent vote to reverse a ban on wearing keffiyehs at Queen's Park failed to pass. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath follow up on the ban at Queen's Park and ramifications of it. The Province of Ontario is investing billions into electric vehicle plants from car manufacturing giant Honda. The new plants ann…

Journalist Tim Mak was there on day one of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He was NPR's war correspondent and most recently returned on his own as an independent journalist, founding the newsletter, "The Counteroffensive." From Ukraine news fatigue to how the human stories of the war need to be told, and the recent U.S. aid package, he gives us a gli…

Does Canada underreport the severity of wealth inequality? That's the conclusion of a new report that says our official statistics severely underestimate how rich the richest Canadians are. To discuss its findings, we're joined by the report's author Dan Skilleter, director of policy at the nonprofit outfit Social Capital Partners. He was once a se…

The escalating rates of Parkinson's disease both globally, and here in Canada, have led some researchers to warn that it is becoming a pandemic. To help shed light on a disease that still has no cure, we welcome: Dr. Lorraine Kalia, neurologist and senior scientist at the University Health Network's Krembil Brain Institute. She is also an associate…

Grade 10 student Xavier asks: how will AI effect the creative arts? Film and TV composer Janal Bechthold discusses how artists might adapt to the new technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

A look at the policies, infrastructure, and people that have made Ontario a top global destination for artificial intelligence research, investment, and talent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

From MarioKart to MMORPGs, video games have come a long way from their rudimentary beginnings. In Western society some people are inventing new coping mechanisms to deal with loss and grief. Andre Stam is a psychotherapist who uses gaming as a way to connect with his young patients; Dale Andersen-Giberson uses Narrative Therapy to rewrite the domin…

Pleas are being made to the provincial government to properly fund and staff the Ontario court system as criminal cases are being thrown out due to delays and backlogs. Victims of cases involving domestic violence and sexual assault are speaking out after their trials have been rescheduled several times, resulting in their alleged abusers freely wa…

Carbon emissions across the country have fallen since the implementation of a federal carbon tax in 2019, but provincial governments are pushing back, saying the program is too costly for residents. Are there alternatives to the policy, or does it simply need to be refined? We ask: Kris Sims of Canadian Taxpayers Federation; and Stewart Elgie of th…

Toronto Grade 12 student Misstura asks: how can we reverse the effects of climate change? Dawn Bazely, a professor in the Department of Biology at York University, gives us her answer on the ways we can mitigate climate change, if we start now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

How best can Canada's earmarked AI funds be spent to stay competitive? Then, Laura Tamblyn Watts discusses her new book on how to care for aging parents. And, what is the state of entrepreneurship in Canada? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

The federal government has tabled its budget, which includes money for municipalities on housing and a tax on the rich. Details have been released piecemeal over the last several weeks, but now Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath will finally be able to digest the whole thing. Highway 413 has cleared a major hurdle with the federal government rem…

What's going on with men? The aftermath of the #MeToo movement shattered the idea that most social ills like online abuse or sexual assault long hidden under wraps are just stemming from men being men. This crisis of conscience and identity has shifted the collective idea of what it means to be a man, therefore a consensus around a healthy concepti…

The elevated place of sports in North America and the societal expectations that surround them are often perpetuated at the expense of the athletes' mental health. Whether this is in team sports or individual sports predominantly played by boys and men, any weakness whether real or perceived is weaponized, while toughness and hypermasculinity rule …

Fred Winegust, Project Specialist at Reena and Christopher Wong of Young Urban Farmers are working to strengthen their communities by way of container gardening. Students, neighbourhood organizations, and restauranteurs alike can benefit from growing fruits and vegetables in underutilized urban spaces. From rooftops to patios, parking lots to back …

Recent data suggests entrepreneurship is in decline across Canada. Are people choosing to move away from a self-employed lifesyle? And what are the consequences of lower levels of small business ownership across the province? We ask: Jeff Coull, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre; Nancy Wilson, founder and CEO of the C…

If plants come from seeds, where do seeds come from? That question from Grade 2 student Wyatt is answered by Peter Kotanen, a professor in the Department of Biology and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

More people are living longer, many with better quality of life. Even still, aging parents often require support and care they've never needed before. Laura Tamblyn Watts has a new book out aimed at improving communications when the roles reverse: when the adult children suddenly find themselves the informal caregivers of their older parents. She d…

When ChatGPT launched in late 2022 the great promise was that this was only the beginning and that AIs would only exponentially get more sophisticated and powerful. But has AI hit a wall? Are those big exponential gains that were promised beginning to plateau? Are we now in a world of diminishing returns for AI? Gary Marcus, Emeritus Professor of P…

What's a heat pump and what's all the hype about? We drop into a heat pump party with Sarah Lazarovic, VP of Communications for Rewiring America and Richard Laszlo, Founder of CutYourHomeCarbon.com, as they share their knowledge on what to know before you buy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Valentine Goddard, founder and executive director of the AI Impact Alliance, answers a question from Grade 10 student Xavier on the effect artificial intelligence may have on the creative arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

The federal government recently announced a $2.4 billion dollar investment in artificial intelligence. It includes money earmarked to accelerate the adoption of AI in sectors as far flung as health care and agriculture. The feds say this will help to 'secure Canada's AI advantage." But does Canada even have an advantage in AI compared to our neighb…

Scientist and educator Stella Ng answers a student's question about health care advocacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin

Journalist Davd Frum talks to Steve Paikin about the loss of his daughter. Then, how can Ontario combat human trafficking. What can be done about the rise of renovictions in Ontario? And, Jane Philpott on her book, "Health for All." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By TVO | Steve Paikin