The Big Story

Most of us would assume that child sexual abuse material hides in the corners of the dark web, far from easy detection. But it doesn't. It's also found on websites and platforms you likely use every day.Project Arachnid is the work of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. It has flagged at least 10 million suspected cases of child pornography. And it's only after the images have been flagged that the real fight often begins...GUEST: Jacques Marcoux, Director of Research and Analytics for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's the biggest piece of broadcast or media legislation in this country in decades. You would think we'd have a clear picture of its implications. But despite receiving royal assent and becoming law, not even leading experts in the field can say what the bill's many changes will look like in practice.There are basic parts of the law — What counts as a streaming service? what counts as digital Canadian content? Will user-created content be subject to the same regulations as corporate-made media? — that the government has left to the CRTC to define via a policy letter. This is a bill with profound implications both for creators and consumers of basically any kind of digital media. So why are we all so confused?GUEST: Dr. Michael Geist, law professor, University of Ottawa; Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

We'll probably never know if Hassan Diab, a Lebanese Canadian sociology professor, had any role in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue that killed four people and injured dozens more. But he's been found guilty, in absentia, by a French court, anyway.This is the second time France has attempted to punish Diab for his alleged role in the attack, and the evidence has been described as flimsy. The first time, he was extradited and jailed in France before charges were dropped, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to criticize the case and the extradition.But now that a court has convicted, will France ask Canada for Diab a second time? If they do, will Canada comply? This is a case that could test the relationship between the two countries, and Canada's policy on extraditions in general.GUEST: Leyland Cecco, reporting for The Guardian We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's known as endovascular thrombectomy—or EVT—and in the decade-plus since it was developed it has evolved to be something of a miracle for people unlucky enough to suffer a stroke, but lucky enough to be able to access it quickly. If performed in time it can turn a potentially deadly or life-altering stroke to something that can be rehabbed in a couple of weeks.But it's an incredibly complex procedure, there aren't expert teams able to handle it everywhere, and as we all know: when it comes to strokes, time is precious. So how does a complicated medical intervention get from a lifesaving specialty to globally available? And how many lives could be saved if it does?GUEST: Eva Holland, writing in The New York Times Magazine We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

There are about 28 million pets in Canada. And on any given day, most of them are probably bored to tears. This doesn't mean their owners don't love them, or provide for them, or even try to exercise and stimulate them regularly. It just means that they are animals, mostly or totally confined. So they're bored.Does that mean we shouldn't own pets? Maybe, but it's safe to say that ship has sailed. Does it mean we could do better? Absolutely. So what do we know about what domesticated animals need, compared to what they get? How can you identify signs your pet might be bored or depressed? Does this podcast hate puppies and kittens and want to take yours away? No! We swear!GUEST: Kenny Torrella, staff writer, Vox, focusing on animal welfare  We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's hard to overstate just how dire things are in Sudan's capital right now, with violence on the streets and almost no access to food and water for millions, including Canadians and their families. Our government's initial response was scorned, but things are changing rapidly as the situation evolves.So what is happening right now on the ground? Who is getting out, and how? What is Canada doing? How might this conflict end, and will Canada play a role in getting it done?GUEST: Dr. Khalid Mustafa Medani, associate professor, Political Science and Islamic Studies;  chair of the African Studies program, McGill University We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Everything still feels expensive, but if you look at the numbers, inflation is falling quickly. Grocery prices are falling too, but they're still well above the overall inflation rate. And that makes prices three or six months down the line much tougher to predict.It's been well over a year since food prices began to spike all over the globe, and a number of complex systems have been behind the fluctuations. But with food prices no longer so closely indexed to inflation, and climate change and a volatile geopolitical situation only increasing—we can hope for the best, and perhaps plan for the worst.GUEST: Dr. Kelleen Wiseman, Academic Director, Master of Food and Resource Economics program at the university of British Columbia, one of the authors of the Canada’s Food Price Report for 2023 We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

It's been a long time since Canada saw a strike this big, and as the Public Service Alliance of Canada's action nears the one-week mark, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Meanwhile, services in many federal departments are reduced to emergency-only levels, and unions and employers across the country watch to see what comes next.Why is this strike so important? Because it's massive, and comes at a critical time for both the economy and labour relations, with inflation, pay scale, return-to-work policies and more likely to set a precedent here that will be followed in bargaining to come. So what are the issues? How long could it go? What do you need to know?GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill reporter, CityNews We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

His name was Gabriel Magalhaes, and he was minding his own business at Keele subway station in Toronto. His alleged killer's name is Jordan O'Brien-Tobin, and he had been released from custody just a couple of weeks ago. He has been in and out of jail for years.The death shocked the city and the country, and in the immediate aftermath, calls for harsher sentencing and bail reform were understandable. But the victims's mother thought otherwise. This is how the system failed absolutely everyone involved in this death. So why is Gabriel gone? What could have prevented this? What changes might save the next young man?GUEST: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter, Toronto Star We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

A few years ago, a feature called Voice ID was probably perfectly secure. It's used by many companies—including some banks—as a way to verify your identity by having you speak a phrase or two in your own unique voice. The problem is, these days, your own unique voice doesn't necessarily have to come from your own mouth.Today, a reporter explains how he used AI to hack his own online banking account, what the rapid advance of this technology means for existing forms of online security, and how to protect yourself in an age of an escalating cybersecurity arms race.GUEST: Joseph Cox, reporter, Motherboard We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky