Biden era begins: a pandemic, impeachment and deep divisions await
On his first day in office, Joe Biden signed 17 executive actions relating to protections against deportations of immigrant children, the Paris climate accord and a new leader in COVID response. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung about the final days of the Trump presidency, what to expect from Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in their first 100 days and what the Canada-U.S. relationship looks like now. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
January 21, 2021
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Waiting game: What’s delaying the vaccine rollout?
If ever there was something that figuratively needed a shot in the arm, it's the vaccine rollout across Canada, and unfortunately due to manufacturer delays, many Canadians will be waiting a while longer until they get that literal shot in the arm. The Star's Alex Boyd has covering vaccines and joins us to talk about what the holdup is and what other COVID-19 medicines we are waiting for and why.
January 20, 2021
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A more contagious COVID variant explained
Just as Canada and countries around the world struggle to contain COVID, another wrench has been thrown into the mix. How does a virus mutate? Should you be worried about the COVID variants? Does it affect how existing vaccines work? Two experts, two interviews: Dr. Tony Mazzulli, Microbiologist-in-Chief of the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital’s microbiology department, along with Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease expert and clinician at the University Health Network, join “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung to demystify the science behind virus mutations, what to know about protecting yourself and what can be done to control the new strains of the virus.
January 19, 2021
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What’s for dinner? Lab-grown meat and the ethics of food science
In late 2020, a scientific breakthrough happened that had nothing to do with COVID vaccines. Singapore became the first country in the world to authorize the sale of lab-grown meat. Matt Simon, science reporter for WIRED Magazine, talks to host Adrian Cheung about the mystery behind the meat, fact checks the claims made by cultured meat companies and discusses why the future of meat might (or might not) be found inside of a test tube. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe here.
January 18, 2021
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Misinformed by disinformation and a lack of media literacy
Disinformation and misinformation can make us emotional and angry and can even lead to violence. So how do we learn to recognize that and better assess the information we are flooded with? On today’s episode, disinformation expert and critical thinking advocate Helen Lee Bouygues talks about the power and the dangers of dis- and misinformation in a hyperpolarized world and how we can improve our critical thinking skills in these uncertain times.
January 15, 2021
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Father and daughter John Rudolph and Theresa Rudolph perform at Royal Conservatory of Music
Father and daughter John Rudolph (Percussion) and Theresa Rudolph (Assistant Principal Viola) have shared the stage at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for nine years. Given their very different instruments, they are always looking for new pieces of music to explore as possible duets. Composer Johan Halvorsen (who was a violin virtuoso himself) wrote his Passacaglia on a theme by G. F. Handel for violin and viola, and it is usually played by those musicians—but John Rudolph has adapted the violin part for the marimba in order to enjoy playing this Musical Moment with Theresa. They were thrilled to be able to record in the warm acoustics of the Temerty Theatre at the Royal Conservatory of Music, where John is on the faculty.
All Musical Moments are recorded in strict accordance with COVID-19 government restrictions for performing-arts venues, prioritizing the health and safety of the artists.
January 13, 2021
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On Trump and truth: Daniel Dale in conversation with Edward Keenan
In the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol building, Donald Trump’s second impeachment and Joe Biden’s upcoming inauguration, eyes are on the U.S. capital.
As the end of Trump’s term comes a close, Toronto Star Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan sat down with his predecessor Daniel Dale, now a reporter at CNN, to discuss the current state of U.S. politics and just what it’s been like to cover Trump for the last six years.
In a wide-ranging interview, they discuss the storming of the Capitol, the second impeachment, how Dale began his fact checking journey, the parallels of covering Rob Ford in Toronto, the most dangerous lies Trump has told and what’s next for the incoming Biden administration.
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
January 14, 2021
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Lockdown confusion, compromises and contradictions
With warnings of “fall off [our] chair” coronavirus modelling data, Ontario Premier Doug Ford enacted what he calls a tougher lockdown, but critics are calling its guidelines confusing and contradictory and too little, too late. Rob Ferguson, a reporter in the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau, joins “This Matters” to explain the scary numbers, the new rules and the balance the government is trying to strike.
January 13, 2021
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How sportsmanship brought two nations and the lacrosse world closer
The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team are ranked as one of the top teams in the world, but were passed over for the upcoming World Games likely in part due to their fight for sovereignty. This slight inspired an act of sportsmanship that has helped bring two nations closer together. Rex Lyons is a former player and board member of the Iroquois Nationals, and he joins “This Matters” to explain this remarkable sports story.
January 12, 2021
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Ford will crack down on big box stores: "I'm gonna come down on them like an 800-pound gorilla"
The Star is offering free digital access on select COVID-19 stories. Misinformation is plentiful and dangerous and coronavirus news and knowledge evolves. Star reporters are working to bring you clarity, context and responsible facts. To help you get the information you need, articles that provide a public service will live outside our paywall.
Access our round-the-clock coverage free here: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/coronavirus.html
January 12, 2021
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Privacy vs. potential: The big questions around smart cities
Toronto’s Sidewalk Labs might have started with a splash and ended with a splatter, but “smart tech” to run cities is still part of a future we cannot avoid. On today’s episode John Lorinc, Spacing senior editor and Atkinson Fellow who has been working on a series about smart cities for the Toronto Star, talks about the their potential and how the COVID-19 pandemic might have helped paved the way for a smart city future in Toronto.
January 11, 2021
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What Ontario can do to save seniors and LTCs
Ontario’s long-term care homes are in crisis once again, and doctors and medical experts are criticizing the province for delays in the vaccination rollout, a lack of transparency and its failures to address institutional problems in the LTC system. Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, explains what lessons weren’t learned in the first wave, why ageism kills and what must be done now to save seniors in the months ahead.
January 08, 2021
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What should we expect from the Maple Leafs this season? | Indoor Recess
Joe Thornton on the first line? Auston Matthews killing penalties? How will the Leafs fare against only Canadian teams? We discuss what's in store for the Leafs for the upcoming 2021 NHL season.
January 08, 2021
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An attempted coup against American democracy
On the day the U.S. Congress voted to certify the ballots confirming Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, a pro-Trump mob stormed into the U.S. Capitol threatening to upend the results of the election. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, joins “This Matters” to talk about what he saw unfold at the insurrection and how it shook American democracy.
January 07, 2021
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One shot, 13 arrested as armed mob of Trump supporters storm Capitol Hill
A woman who was shot inside the U.S. Capitol during the violent pro-Trump protest has died.
That’s according to two officials familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
The Metropolitan Police Department said it was taking the lead on the shooting investigation. Police did not immediately provide details about the circumstances of the shooting.
Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2021/01/06/the-latest-trump-pressures-pence-to-overturn-bidens-win.html
January 06, 2021
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Are stronger, longer lockdowns needed to save lives and the economy?
If we buckle down for one last, longer lockdown, could we avoid a third wave of COVID-19, save lives and see improved economic outcomes? A new report says just that. Saba Eitizaz speaks with Robert Greenhill, executive chair of Global Canada, who spearheads a task force advocating for the new strategy called “the Canadian Shield approach.”
January 06, 2021
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Watch Toronto LTC residents receive first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
How Michael Garron hospital managed to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine out to all the 22 residents in LTC homes they support, and what others could learn from them, with the pressure on to get needles in arms faster.
January 06, 2021
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Why Toronto will reveal what workplaces have COVID outbreaks
After pressure from advocates and health officials, Toronto will be naming employers with COVID-19 outbreaks that pose a significant risk to public health. It’s a change in policy many have long been calling for. Sara Mojtehedzadeh is The Star’s work and wealth reporter and joins “This Matters” to discuss what this means for essential workers and why the data is important.
January 05, 2021
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Concertmaster Jonathan Crow leads nine TSO musicians in performance at the Toronto Star newsroom
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the TSO and Toronto Star have collaborated on Musical Moments hoping to harness the power of music to inspire Star readers as they went through the exceptional coverage by the Star’s writers and editorial staff, and help our city get through this crisis.
For this 34th and final Musical Moment of the year, the TSO dedicates this performance to all of the Toronto Star journalists who continue to tell our city’s and our country’s stories.
Concertmaster Jonathan Crow leads nine TSO musicians in the delicate Largo from Winter, part of The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. In Vivaldi’s own words this movement evokes the feeling of “spend[ing] happy and quiet days near the fire, while, outside, the rain soaks hundreds.”
We'll be back in 2021 with more music!
December 30, 2020
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New year, new career? A recruiter’s tips for a pandemic job hunt
COVID-19, among other things, has been a global pandemic of unemployment. Millions have been laid off, asked to take indefinite leave or outright fired. On “This Matters” today, host Saba Eitizaz talks to experienced career coach and talent recruiter Michelle Nadon about how one can go about kick-starting 2021 on a better note, whether it’s your career, a prospective new job or life in general.
January 04, 2021
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