Latest podcasts
- QAnon, Boogaloo, Proud Boys: What’s next for the U.S. extreme right?
Monday, February 1st 2021
QAnon, the Boogaloo movement, the Proud Boys — names once lurking on the fringes of the internet are now making mainstream headlines. On today’s episode, Saba Eitizaz talks to Amarnath Amarasingham, a veteran researcher on terrorism and political violence, about what could be next for the American far-right and whether there are some global parallels to how they operate.
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
- How four Black teachers created an anti-Black racism course to fight ignorance
Friday, January 29th 2021
While we acknowledge Black History Month every February, there is a need to extend learning and acknowledgment and not ignore it for the rest of the year. Considering this and the work of Black Lives Matter, four Black teachers at a Toronto high school have come up with a unique course to ensure that learning is ongoing. Toronto Star reporter Angelyn Francis takes us through the story and discusses why we need to keep talking about anti-Black racism in Canada.
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
- Toronto has shrunk. Will it reinvent?
Thursday, January 28th 2021
Statistics Canada data shows more than 50,000 Toronto residents left between July 2019 and July 2020, while surrounding areas saw a population boom. The COVID pandemic had a big part in that. But what happens to Toronto now? David Rider, Toronto Star’s city hall bureau chief, joins “This Matters” about a shrinking Toronto and the opportunities for reinvention of how this city works in the long-haul.
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
- Are Canadians buying products allegedly made in forced labour camps?
Wednesday, January 27th 2021
A joint investigation between the Toronto Star and the Guelph Mercury Tribune reveals how products of some of the biggest Canadian companies can be traced to manufacturers in China that have been accused of human rights violations. Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, and Graeme McNaughton, reporter for the Guelph Mercury Tribune, join “This Matters” to talk about the revelations of their reporting, how the supply chains of major brands are tied to forced labour and the call for more accountability from business and governments.
When reached for comment on the investigations, the companies discussed in this episode had the following responses:
- Following this story, Bombardier says they “do not anticipate further shipment from KTK China in the near future as those were deliveries on long lead items, prior to current regulations.”
- Costco did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
- Greg Nakonechny, the Brick’s vice-president for legal and corporate secretary, said The Brick “has in place a program, including audits, to ensure vendors comply with its standards, including a prohibition against forced labour.”
- Jim Estill, Danby’s CEO, said the company “takes very seriously the working conditions and safety of everyone who works in our supply chain. We would never knowingly use factories that use forced labour.”
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
- The GTA’s tow truck turf wars rage on
Tuesday, January 26th 2021
The GTA’s tow truck turf wars are once again in the news. Despite high profile busts in York Region, there have been more shootings and incidents of arson as organized crime factions battle over this lucrative industry. Three GTA police officers have been charged with bribery and extortion in the ongoing investigation. The Star’s Peter Edwards has written extensively on organized crime and gives us an update on the cops, corruption and this crime wave.