Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

ZOOMER SQUAD: A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR MARK CARNEY Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of CARP and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. It was a decisive victory for Mark Carney at yesterday's Liberal leadership convention. The former central banker turned politician is now leader of the federal Liberal party and takes on the role of Prime Minister-designate. So when will the federal election be called? In other news, there are some new punitive rules from the U.S. that Canadian snowbirds will want to know about. NOW THAT CARNEY TAKES OVER AS LIBERAL LEADER AND PM-IN-WAITING, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?   Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant, Peter Donolo, a former longtime Director of Communications to Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Will Stewart, a Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President with Enterprise Canada. Our guests weigh in on Mark Carney becoming the next Liberal leader and PM-in-waiti

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to the latest on the federal Liberal leadership race and the Canada-U.S. trade war. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: CITY WORKERS COULD GO ON STRIKE STARTING MONDAY  Libby Znaimer is joined by Taylor Scollon,  Co-Founder of The Peak, Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 Don Valley East and Brad Bradford, City Councillor for Ward 19 Beaches East York. On Monday at 12:01 AM, there's a good chance that thousands of city workers could go on strike. What are the issues in the negotiations between the City of Toronto and the union representing the city workers and what services will be disrupted? Meanwhile, we get some good news about improved response times for the city's emergency services. THESE ARE THE MOST PREVALENT TYPES OF FRAUD IN TORONTO Libby Znaimer is joined by Detective David Coffey with Toronto Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit. It's Fraud Prevention Month and Toronto Police have detailed the top five most popular forms of fraud that are hurting Torontonians. Detective Coffey breaks it down for us. THE LATEST ON THE FEDERAL LIBERAL LEADERSHIP RACE Libby Znaimer is joined by

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  ARE YOU IODINE DEFICIENT? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. Our panel discusses whether Canada's healthcare system should be recruiting doctors right now from the U.S., especially with RFK Jr. in charge of the health and human services file. And, we talk about the issue of iodine deficiency. THE IMPACT OF TARIFFS ON CANADIAN STEEL AND MANUFACTURING  Libby Znaimer is joined by Catherine Cobden, President and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association and Ryan Greer, VP of Public Affairs and National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME). Now that U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped 25 percent tariffs across the board on Canadian goods, we're taking a closer look

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  THE CANADA-U.S. TARIFF WAR HAS BEGUN  Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo, former NDP MPP and Lisa Raitt, former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods today (10 percent on our energy) and Ottawa has retaliated with tariffs in response. Our panel reacts to the latest.  WORLD OBESITY DAY: THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND LATEST RESEARCH Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Medical Director, BMI Medical Institute. Today marks World Obesity Day. It's a good opportunity to take a closer look at this chronic health condition and the contributing causes, as well as the rise of drugs like Ozempic. SHOULD TORONTO BUSINESSES BE ABLE TO OPEN ON STAT HOLIDAYS? Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto Deputy Mayor Mike Colle of Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence, Fred Naggar, co-owner of Delysées Luxury Desserts and Mary Leonard,

ZOOMER SQUAD:  REACTION TO PREMIER DOUG FORD SECURING A THIRD MAJORITY  Libby Znaimer is joined by John Mykytyshyn, Conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group, Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of CARP and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. We get reaction from our panel regarding the outcome of the Ontario election and Premier Doug Ford securing a third consecutive majority government. A VERY PUBLIC SHOWDOWN BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY AT THE WHITE HOUSE Libby Znaimer is joined by Roman Waschuk, a former Canadian ambassador to Ukraine and Andrew Rasiulis with The Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Our guests take a closer look at the very public showdown between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House on Friday. What are the implications of this for the U.S. and for Europe?  MAYOR PATRICK BROWN'S CANADA FIRST PROCUREMENT POLICY  Libby Znaimer is joined by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners called in to discuss the outcome of the Ontario election in which Premier Doug Ford and the PCs won a third majority government. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW'S RESPONSE TO SNOW REMOVAL Libby Znaimer is joined by Taylor Scollon,  Co-Founder of The Peak, Councillor Jon Burnside, Ward 16 Don Valley East and Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre. We begin today's discussion about Toronto's snow problem and more specifically how Mayor Chow has been dealing with it. Our guests also weigh in on satisfaction levels of living in Toronto presently with all of its challenges including traffic congestion and more. CARP'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TAKES PLACE TODAY Libby Znaimer is joined by Dan Levitt, BC's Seniors Advocate. Today is a very important one: CARP's Annual General Meeting begins at noon and this year's theme is Ageism. Also joining the AGM are Seniors Advocates from across the country. To learn more about CARP and the AGM, visit carp.ca WHY A GROUP OF ETOBICOKE BUSINESSES ARE SUING THE CITY OVER BIKE LANES  Libby Znaimer is joined by Cody MacRae, the founder of Balance on Bloor, a not-for-profit group which advoc

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT ARE THE PROVINCIAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES PROMISING ON HEALTHCARE? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Amol Verma, a physician and professor at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. This week: we get reaction from our doctors on whether they heard any specifics from the provincial leadership candidates about healthcare ahead of election day on February 27th. REACTION TO THE FEDERAL LIBERAL ENGLISH DEBATE Libby Znaimer is joined by Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist and President at Enterprise and Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant. Our guests share their impressions of the federal Liberal leadership English debate that took place yesterday and also weighed in on the platforms of the provincial leadership candidates ahead of the Ontario election on February 27th.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  REACTION TO THE FEDERAL LIBERAL LEADERSHIP DEBATE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC Finance Minister, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP. Yesterday, the federal Liberal leadership candidates participated in a French language debate, and the panel takes a look at the promises being made by the Ontario leadership candidates ahead of election day on February 27. CHARITIES IMPACTED BY CANADA POST STRIKE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE NUMBERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Nicole Danesi, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications and Brand at CanadaHelps and Jon Miller, Chief Ministry Officer at The Scott Mission. We are getting a clearer picture of the extent to which Canadian charities experienced mail donation losses as a direct result of the Canada Post strike thanks to findings by CanadaHelps: it is estimated that there were losses of $266 million. Our guests break down the numbers

ZOOMER SQUAD: HAVE YOU VOTED YET? Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of CARP and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. The provincial election is fast approaching (February 27th). Are you among the Ontarians who have already cast a vote? And, have you been finding it manageable to go out and vote at your polling station with all of the snow we still have left over on the sidewalks and roads? THE HISTORY OF "O CANADA"  Libby Znaimer is joined by J.D.M. Stewart, a historian and the author of Being Prime Minister. It's time for a deep dive into the history of Canada's national anthem: O Canada. And, we answer the question about whether you are allowed to change the words to it when you perform it.  THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF WAR IN UKRAINE AND GERMANY'S ELECTION RESULTS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Ivan Gomza, Associate Professor at the Kyiv School of Economics and Dietlind Stolle, Professor of Political Science at McGill. We

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to award-winning singer Chantal Kreviazuk changing lyrics while singing O Canada at last night's Canada-USA Hockey final. Meanwhile, others called in to tell us who they will be voting for in the upcoming Ontario election. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  WHY IS THE CITY'S SNOW REMOVAL TAKING SO LONG? Libby Znaimer is joined by Taylor Scollon,  Co-Founder of The Peak, Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 Don Valley East and Vincent Crisanti, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 1 Etobicoke North. Today we discuss Toronto's timeline for snow removal after the city was hit by a few major storms this winter and other municipal news of the week. TENSIONS ESCALATE BETWEEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY OVER UKRAINE Libby Znaimer is joined by Roman Waschuk, a former Canadian ambassador to Ukraine and Larry Haas, a former White House communications strategist and Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. There's been a battle of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with President Trump even calling Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections". How did we get here and what comes next regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine? TORONTO REGION BOARD OF TRADE UNVE

THE MEDICAL RECORD: HEART ATTACKS FROM SHOVELLING SNOW AND THE POPE HAS PNEUMONIA   Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist, and Dr. Nadia Alam, a family doctor and anesthetist in Georgetown, Ontario. This week: the Pope has pneumonia in both of his lungs. Meanwhile, with the amount of snow that fell on the GTA in recent weeks, we discuss the risk of heart-attack from shoveling. FORMER ISRAELI PM EHUD OLMERT JOINS FIGHT BACK Libby Znaimer is joined by Ehud Olmert, a former Prime Minister of Israel. Yesterday, we learned that the Hamas terrorist organization will be handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday and six live hostages on Saturday. Ehud weighs in on that and more. WAS YOUR FLIGHT DELAYED OR

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  REACTION TO THE ONTARIO LEADERSHIP DEBATE  Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC Finance Minister, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP. Our panel reacts to the Ontario leadership debate that took place on Family Day Monday. What do you think were the defining moments of the debate? A FORMER AIRLINE PILOT REACTS TO THE DELTA CRASH AT PEARSON Libby Znaimer is joined by John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and former airline pilot based in Washington, DC. It's a miracle that nobody died as a result of the crash landing of a Delta Airline plane at Pearson International Airport yesterday afternoon, though it did result in 18 injuries. What exactly went wrong during the landing, and what protocol do airports like Pearson follow during emergency situations like this? LIBERTY VILLAGE HAS COYOTE PROBLEM Libby Znaimer is joined by Ruby Kooner, Founder of The Coyote Safety Coaliti

ZOOMER SQUAD:  IT'S FAMILY DAY   Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of CARP and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. Today, we discuss Family Day with our panel and also the latest regarding the Ontario election. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF FAMILIES IN CANADA Libby Znaimer is joined by Doug Norris, Senior Vice President & Chief Demographer at Environics Analytics. What exactly do families in Canada look like today? How many older Zoomers are living alone? How common is living apart together (LAT)? What are we seeing with regards to intergenerational living amid housing affordability challenges? These are the kinds of questions we are asking Doug about on this Family Day Monday. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S POLICY APPROACH TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair at McGill University and Dr. Paul Goode, McMillan Chair in R

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners shared stories of how they met their loved ones for Valentine's Day, and reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump's position on Canada and the upcoming National Flag of Canada Day on February 15th.                

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: MAYOR CHOW'S BUDGET APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL Libby Znaimer is joined by Taylor Scollon, Co-Founder of The Peak, Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East), and James Pasternak, City Councillor for Ward 6 York Centre. This week: City Council approved Mayor Olivia Chow's budget that includes the 6.9 percent property tax increase for residents. We discuss that and more municipal news of the week. THE TDSB WANTS A NAME CHANGE FOR THREE OF ITS SCHOOLS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Patrice Dutil, Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. There is still more to talk about with the TDSB. It is pushing ahead with a plan to rename three schools that carry the names of Sir John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson, and Henry Dundas. A group of prominent historians is asking Doug Ford to intervene and prevent this. What do you think? Is this yet another attempt to push a woke ideology or a justified reevaluation of historical

THE MEDICAL RECORD: PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SUSPENSION OF USAID Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. This week, the Trudeau Liberals have chosen the country's new fentanyl czar, and we discuss how U.S. President Trump's suspension of USAID is affecting patients globally who are participating in clinical trials. CAA CONDUCTS TEST OF EV VEHICLE RANGE AND BATTERIES AMID WINTER TEMPERATURES Libby Znaimer is joined by Kristine D'Arbelles, Senior Director of Public Affairs for CAA National. Are you thinking of getting an EV as your next vehicle? Maybe you have one already. There’s been a lot of talk about their poor performance in winter. Now there’s a study behind it. BRAD BRADFORD ON THE TORONTO'S BUDGET Libby Znaime

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: THE LATEST ON THE ONTARIO ELECTION   Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP, Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP and Finance Minister, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP. Our panel provides an update on the Ontario election and the latest on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff decisions. HOW BIRD FLU IS INCREASING EGG PRICES IN THE US  Libby Znaimer is joined by Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University We take a closer look at how the threat of bird flu is impacting the price of eggs in the U.S. and how concerned we should be about that here in Canada. U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TARIFFS ON CANADIAN ALUMINUM AND STEEL Libby Znaimer is joined by Andrea Horwath, Mayor of Hamilton followed by Ryan Greer, Vice President of Public Affairs and National Policy at Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and Guio Jacinto with the United Steelworkers Union. U.S. President Donal