The Big Story

It ramped up with Canada's detention of a Huawei executive, and China's retaliatory detention of two Canadian citizens. But it didn't begin there. And tensions are not likely to end if and when Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, or Meng Wanzhou, are released. The truth is, the diplomatic relationship between us and the emerging superpower has been decaying for years, and the past six months has only added fuel to the fire. But as Canada stands up to human rights abuses and claims of genocide by China's government...should we even want to improve them? If we did, what would it take? And can we rely on our allies if China decides to flex its muscles on us? GUEST: Stephanie Carvin, Assoc. Prof. of International Affairs, Carleton University We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Its name is the Ever Given. It will forever be a part of the history of this odd time. And when it lodged itself horizontally in the Suez Canal last week, it launched a thousand memes—but also brought global shipping and supply chains to the brink of disaster. How could such a simple screwup cause so many problems? What could have gone wrong? What did the Stuck Boat Disaster teach us all about the fragility of both supply chains and human planning? And, uh, why was it so funny? GUEST: Lori Ann LaRocco Author of Trade War: Containers Don't Lie, Navigating the Bluster, trade columnist for FreightWaves, reporting on the Ever Given for CNBC We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Picture the last story you read or heard about a woman killed by a man. Where did she live? How old was she? Why did you picture it that way? With much of 2020 spent under stay-at-home orders, it's not a surprise that Canada saw a jump in femicide. But what is surprising is what we do and don't do about it. And which stories get told. This is the pandemic you haven't been hearing about. GUEST: Julie Lalonde, speaker and educator, women's rights advocate, author of Resilience Is Futile We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

For almost a year now, reporter Cynthia Mulligan has been staying in touch with people who caught Covid-19 early and survived, only to see their debilitating symptoms linger. What do their symptoms and experiences have in common? Not much, except for two things: None of them has fully recovered, and nobody has been able to figure out how to help them. With new research estimating that long-haul Covid can impact between 10-20% of people who catch the virus, science is scrambling to figure out how to help what could be tens of thousands of Canadians who may never again live a normal life. What do these sufferers need? From doctors, from governments, and from the rest of us? GUEST: Cynthia Mulligan, CityNews We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Canada's Supreme Court issued an historic ruling yesterday, deciding by a 6-3 margin the the federal government does indeed have the power to implement a carbon tax (or a price on pollution) in provinces that don't set their own. The decision has implications on both sides of the fight, and on how future governments could use this ruling to perhaps expand their powers. What's in the ruling, exactly? What does it mean for Canadians, for the climate and for its political opponents? How will it impact the next election, and what will the premiers who fought so hard against it do next? GUEST: Fatima Syed, for The Narwhal We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

A long time ago, an amenity in a condo was limited to things like a pool, a gym or maybe a patio. Now, as units grow smaller and developers court buyers, they've become more and more luxurious. You want a rock-climbing wall? Access to communal BMWs? A rooftop running track that lights up at night? A full library and study area? No problem. But what happens when many of the services that used to belong to the neighbourhood become accessible to condo owners only? If nobody uses the neighbourhood pool, or library, or running track—because they already have a private one in their building—how long do cities fund those things? What does a downtown look like where every development is built to be self-contained, and nothing is made for everyone to access? GUEST: Aaron Hutchins, Maclean's We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The second graduating class of this pandemic is about to enter the workforce. There are still very few jobs and thousands of grads desperate for them. Plus, this year's grads have the added benefit of an entire year without mentorships, extra-curricular activities or all the other ways young adults make themselves more attractive to recruiters. (Also ... this year, what recruiters?!) What can governments and the private sector do to help spur the hiring of young adults? What kinds of work could they do? We've seen massive employment pushes before, and we still enjoy their legacies today. If we wanted to make sure today's graduates aren't still living at home waiting to launch a year from now, what has to be done and who has to do it? GUEST: Karim Bardeesy, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Ryerson Leadership Lab We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

So, now the AstraZeneca vaccine is OK for people over age 65? What about the blood clot risk?! Why are some pharmacies taking walk-ins for people in their 60s right now, but some government portals are only booking for people 75 and up? Why is it suddenly alright to go four months between doses? Why are we leaving so many vaccines in the freezer? Is there enough supply or not? Why do Quebec, Ontario and Alberta have such wildly different priorities when it comes to who gets it? The first few months of Canada's vaccination rollout have been slow, and extremely confusing. When supply was limited, perhaps that wasn't such a huge deal. But with two million doses at least expected every week for the next month, now is when push comes to shove. Is this just about to really get going? Or have our governments dropped the ball? GUEST: Sabina Vohra-Miller, clinical pharmacologist, co-founder of the Vohra Miller Foundation We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have lost loved ones to this pandemic. And most of them lost them without being able to say goodbye or to properly mourn them. Grief over a death is challenging at any time, but how are we coping without the two parts of the process that can offer us comfort. A last hug or hand squeeze, a wake and a communal gathering have been part of our grief as long as we've been human. For the past year we've done without them. How will that impact us when all this is over? GUEST: Dr. Mary Fernando We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The Simpson family's circumstances have barely changed at all over 30 years—but the world around them has dramatically shifted. When the show debuted, Homer and his family were holding onto the bottom rung of the lower class, and were portrayed that way through all sorts of financial crises. But by today's standards, Homer—who has a steady job that pays enough for Marge not to work, belongs to a union, owns his own multi-bedroom home and can afford annual vacations—would be among the most economically stable millennials. The way income inequality has shifted the window of dreams for a young family can be clearly seen in TV's longest-running sitcom. But how did it happen? GUEST: Dani Alexis Ryskamp, freelance journalist, The Atlantic We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter