The Big Story

This is the first generation of kids to grow up entirely with smartphones in hand. Most of the time, even during school hours. Schools who have tried to ban or regulate their use have mostly failed—with a few notable exceptions. And when teachers have tried to enforce these rules on the ground in their classrooms, it can get ugly.Just how addicted are students to their phones? What are they being used for in class? Is there a way to incorporate them into learning that doesn't enable their detrimental effects? And what do we know about the long-term impact of these devices on kids who should be focusing on their studies?GUEST: Naomi Buck, writing in The Globe and Mail 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

You and a friend might be given two different prices by the same website for the same item. Heck, you might be given two different prices yourself depending on where you are when you're browsing the site. It's a phenomenon that began as dynamic pricing—a computer balancing supply and demand to ensure everything was sold at a price the market was prepared to pay—but it's now gone well beyond that.As algorithms become smarter and more advanced, and as we voluntarily offer our devices and the companies we do business with more of our information, the prices you see may take into account things like where you are, what device you're on, your shopping history and... well, everything the machine knows about you. Is this the kind of shopping experience we want? If not, what do we do about it?GUEST: Colin Horgan, writing in The Walrus 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

Somehow, nobody involved in the now-infamous affair clued into the fact that a man who was fighting against the Russians in 1943 would have been fighting ... with the Nazis. That's at the core of last week's House of Commons' screwup that has made international waves, become a hyperpartisan blame game in Ottawa and has many people speedrunning the history of the Second World War.But who's really to blame for this failure? Why will the blame land at the feet of the Liberals and Justin Trudeau regardless of the answer? And what do these frequent missteps signal about a government that seems to be getting tired, or at least giving observers that perception?GUEST: David Moscrop, author, podcaster and political commentator 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

The podcast explores the Bank of Canada's desire for rising unemployment rates as part of their strategy to avoid a recession. It discusses the impact of the pandemic on the economy, challenges faced by employers, and flaws in the theory of maintaining a desired level of unemployment. Additionally, it examines the potential recession in Canada and its impact on the economy, as well as future scenarios for inflation.

The podcast discusses Ontario Premier Doug Ford's backtrack on his promise to develop the greenbelt, highlighting scandals and corruption allegations. It explores potential legal actions from developers, ongoing investigations, and the impact on the government. The podcast also uncovers systemic problems in provincial ethics laws and the government's plans for lobbying reform.

Exploring the surge in car thefts in Canada, including the contributing factors such as technological advancements and growing global demand for stolen vehicles. Efforts to combat vehicle thefts, update car security standards, and mandate technology. The rise of car theft orchestrated by organized crime groups, methods used for theft, motives behind it, and strategies to prevent it. Discussion on implementing regulations to enhance vehicle security and prevent theft.

In many regions of Europe, wild boars roam the landscape. Also, they're radioactive. For a long time, it was assumed the Chernobyl disaster was the cause, and that's still partly true. But the real answer goes back even further, and offers us a glimpse of how the byproducts of nuclear technology can lay dormant for decades, only detected in the most visible part of a system we're still learning to understand.This is the wild boar paradox, and this is what it can teach us about nuclear technologies past, present and future...GUEST: Becky Ferreira, science writer, regular contributor at 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

You've probably got some in your medicine cabinet right now, and if you take them hoping for a relief from congestion, you're pretty much taking a placebo. A recent FDA review found that one of the most most popular active ingredients in these medications is basically useless.So how has this drug been approved and available for decades when evidence shows it doesn't do what it's supposed to? Why did it take us so long to realize it? Which medications actually will relieve congestion? And what should you do when the first cold of the fall hits your household?GUEST: Mina Tadrous, pharmacist and the host of the I'm Pharmacy podcast at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy 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

When Justin Trudeau told the country that his government has evidence implicating India in a June murder of a Sikh leader in BC, it shocked even seasoned intelligence experts. Foreign interference is by now a nationally known problem in this country, but extrajudicial killings are a large step beyond that.What would India's role in the murder tell us about the state of Canada's national security? Will we ever find out what the government actually knows about the murder? Was there any way to stop the killing before it happened? And what must Canada do to be able to protect its citizens, even those wanted dead by their former countries?GUEST: Jessica Davis, national security expert, president and principal consultant, Insight Threat Intelligence 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

Last week, the president of Spanish soccer resigned amid a furor over a nonconsensual kiss given to one of  the Spanish women's team's players in the wake of their world cup triumph. Players around the world—not only women—had demanded this resignation and more, pushing for the total restructuring of Spanish soccer.In Canada, last month's collapse at the world cup marked a long-running battle between our women's team and the federation that pays and oversees the national teams. Women's teams around the world have faced similar fights. Many of them are winning. Is this the seismic shift that soccer's sexist structure has long had coming?GUEST: Shireen Ahmed, Sr. contributor, CBC sports; sports media instructor, Toronto Metropolitan University; Co-host, Burn It All Down 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