The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Audio)

The escalating rates of Parkinson's Disease both globally, and here in Canada, have led some researchers to warn that it is becoming a pandemic. To help shed light on a disease that still has no cure, we welcome: Dr. Lorraine Kalia, neurologist and senior scientist at the University Health Network's Krembil Brain Institute. She is also an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every winter, Ontarians rely on road salt to keep streets safe - but where does all that salt go when the snow melts? Jeyan Jeganathan explores how excess salt is silently polluting lakes and rivers across the province and talks to the people working to protect our fragile freshwater ecosystems.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fans of Canadian rock band Arkells might be wondering to themselves how all those songs came together in the first place. Well, wonder no more. Frontman Max Kerman has written a book all about his band and how they bring those songs to life. It's called "Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Punishing tariffs. The 51st state. Canadians are making their feelings known about threats coming from the United States by pulling back on travel into the country.But is the U.S. government taking notice? And while it might seem like an advantage for Canadian tourism, businesses near the borders are taking a hit. What are the lasting effects of this situation? To discuss how all this is falling out, we welcome, in studio: Federic Dimanche, director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. In Traverse City Michigan, Mike Kent, communications director for Traverse City Tourism. In Ottawa, Ontario, Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being in the backwoods of Georgia with a group of neo-Nazis slaughtering a goat and drinking its blood. For Scott Payne, he doesn't have to imagine it; he lived it. He's a former undercover FBI agent, and in his new book, written with veteran journalist Michelle Shephard, he chronicles his time exposing some of America's most dangerous extremist groups. The book is called "Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis." Scott Payne and Michelle Shephard join Jeyan Jeganathan to discuss the book and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a high-stake federal election, accurate campaign information is essential, and the line between what's real and what isn't is blurry. The Canadian Digital Media Research Network is collecting data on disinformation and publishing their findings weekly to determine how vulnerable Canadians are during this election cycle. Taylor Owen, principal investigator for the Media Ecosystem Observatory, joins The Agenda to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia, you will often hear, poses a threat to the West, the world order, and democracy. Yet it has a smaller economy than Italy and ... Canada. It also has a shrinking population. There are fewer people living in Russia today than in 1991 during the collapse of the Soviet Union. So, is Russia really that powerful? Is it a waning power coasting on the nostalgia of the Cold War? Or a power that punches well above its economic weight?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Threats from the invasive Quagga mussel species are growing in deeper parts of the Great Lakes, just as zebra mussels have altered ecosystems in shallower water closer to shore. Quagga mussels compete for food with a number of young fish species, putting commercial and recreational fishing at risk, and also threaten historic wrecks. A look at how widespread the problem is, and efforts to control the invasive species, with the team behind documentary All Too Clear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Longstanding co-operation between the U.S. and Canada in keeping the Great Lakes safe, clean and healthy is at risk as a result of budget and staffing cuts to federal agencies south of the border. A look at the future of lake research and stewardship between the nations, and the threats that have arisen to them as U.S. support dwindles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When so much of the musical theatre available in Canada is based off of existing stories, what does it take to create a fully original musical? We hear from Britta Johnson, the composer and lyricist of the musical "Life After," which returns to Toronto at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.