Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

1:25 | Infectious disease physician Dr. Lynora Saxinger on the loosening of Alberta's COVID health restrictions for the holiday season despite the emergence of the Omicron variant.  13:05 | Maclean’s Magazine senior writer Paul Wells explains why federal party leaders can no longer avoid taking a position on Quebec's Bill 21, which forbids public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job.  38:32 | Senator Paula Simons and University of Calgary political scientist Dr. Barry Cooper debate if Alberta should stay or leave the country. 1:24:13 | #EatYourWords | Ryan rebukes youth hockey players who used the death of another player's mother as cruel taunts during the game. Presented by Prairie Catering.

13:07 | McGill University's finance professor Dr. Paul Beaumont explores what the proposed purchase of Shaw Communications by Rogers Communications (worth $26 billion) could mean for Canadians cell phone bills and services. 38:45 | #MyJasper Memories | Ryan gets psyched up for the Jasper Pond Hockey Challenge at one of the most scenic venues in Canada, Mildred Lake beside the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge running January 28-30, 2022. Presented by Tourism Jasper. 41:08 | Fisheries and Oceans Canada's biologist Andres Araujo explains what hybrid fish with the genes of both coho and chinook salmon have been found on Vancouver Island can tell us about the ecosystem.

2:35 | Curriculum experts University of Calgary Indigenous Education director Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt and social studies education professor at the University of Alberta Dr. Carla Peck review the delays and changes to new draft elementary school curriculum announced by the provincial government on Monday, December 13, 2021.  23:16 | University of Alberta Economics professor Marco Brianti and Capital Economics' Stephen Brown explain why Canadians are experiencing high inflation in their day-to-day lives and how long to brace and budget for the higher living costs.  43:38 | Question of the Week | We review Real Talkers' input on photo radar, how it influences driving habits, and street safety for all road users.

6:33 | Ryan looks at Brian Jean securing the UCP candidacy for the upcoming Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election and what it could mean for Premier Jason Kenney, the UCP and Alberta.  17:00 | Aviation expert John Gradek and epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos discuss holiday travel and how the COVID Omicron variant could have major impacts on Canadians' vacation plans. 45:12 | Minister of Housing, Honourable Ahmed Hussen on Canada's affordable housing crisis, how foreign investment, the economy and immigration factor in. 1:18:34 | Positive Reflections | Ryan taps into the lighter side of life and celebrates little glimmers of hope in the everyday. Presented by Kuby Energy.

Ryan animates and riffs on annoyances, piss offs, and pet peeves shared by Real Talkers via talk@ryanjespersen.com. Presented by Local Waste.

12:06 | Public policy researcher Robert Falconer and political analyst Supriya Dwivedi unpack perceptions of Alberta detailed in new national polling data from Maru Public Opinion. 34:53 | 3x Olympian Neville Wright, former Canadian diplomat Chris Alexander, and retired head of the Canada's International Sports Relations Eric Morse, discuss what Olympic boycotts can mean for diplomacy, sport, and Canada on the world stage.  1:16:14 | Trash Talk | Ryan animates and riffs on annoyances, piss offs, and pet peeves shared by Real Talkers via talk@ryanjespersen.com. Presented by Local Waste.

2:08 | Canada's Defence Minister Hon. Anita Anand discusses navigating a complex relationship with China intensified by the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, addressing pervasive sexual misconduct in Canada's military, and the role of Canadian service people in response to COVID-19 and natural disasters across the country. 16:55 | CBC provincial affairs reporter Janet French and award-winning journalist Graham Thomson unpack the recent goings-on in Alberta politics including the contentious Elections Statutes Amendment Act, Bill 81, and the worsening opioid crisis. 57:45 | University of Illinois romantic relationship researcher Dr. Brian Ogolsky explains his recent findings on older long-term intimate partners' heart rates synchronizing. 1:31:31 | #EatYourWords - Ryan insists Calgary Police Service's hate crimes co-ordinator, Constable Brian Denison, seriously check himself for comparing the local city hall’s vaccine mandate to Nazi persecution that murdered millions. Presented by Prairie Catering

2:48 | Ryan runs down yesterday's very late night in the Alberta legislature where Bill 81 was hotly debated.  16:11| Dr. William K. Rawlins on how long friendships can or should last, how we maintain these relationships and what the pandemic has meant for your platonic connections.  43:27 | Energy economist Andrew Leach explores why Alberta’s coffers are flush with cash from the oil sands but Albertans aren't feeling a boom. 1:15:50 | #MyJasper Memories | Ryan checks out what visitors to Jasper National Park in January can enjoy, including the Polar Plunge at Pyramid Lake, Jasper Cup: Pond Hockey Tournament,  Whiskey, Wine and Hops, Wine in Winter,  as well as the Street Party + Fireworks Show. Presented by Tourism Jasper.

8:55 | Political scientist Dr. Ashley Esarey unpacks the White House's decision not to send US diplomats to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, what implications it could have on Canada, and international stability. 30:33 | Calgary-based freelance writer Marcello Di Cintio explains how he recently found himself as an advocate for decentralizing emergency response across Alberta. He took to Twitter over the weekend after his 95 year-old grandmother fell down and had to wait one hour before paramedics arrived. 45:25 | Lawyers Reakash Walters and Joshua Sealy-Harrington along with the Africa Centre's Sharif Haji discuss what the recent verdicts in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, and jury awarding $25 million in damages over deadly 2017 Charlottesville far-right rally, tell us about racism in North America.

18:25 | Virologist Dr. David Marchant explains what's known about the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, how effective health measures and travel bans are in curbing it. 42:44 | National Abortion Federation (NAF) Canada Jill Doctoroff and state-side Center for Reproductive Rights Elisabeth Smith discuss access to abortions in Canada and south of the border, and how policies could change with court cases headed to the USA's Supreme Court. 1:14:48 | #PositiveReflections - Ryan looks at the bright side of the life, including a Real Talker's video of scuba diving off the Galápagos Islands.