This Matters

The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What’s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Adrian Cheung, Saba Eitizaz and Raju Mudhar talk to experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.

Allegations of abuse within Canada’s temporary foreign worker program

Aug 31, 2022

Guest: Syed Hussan, the executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change

Crowded bunkhouses. Rat-infested food. Verbal abuse and threats of termination. These are among the allegations made by Jamaican migrant workers on two farms hours from Canada’s biggest city. The allegations were made earlier this month...

What you need to know about Toronto’s upcoming municipal election

Aug 30, 2022

Guest: David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

Municipal elections are coming soon across the province with campaigns just about to get underway. While Toronto Mayor John Tory seems to be safely heading toward a third term, there are plenty of interesting and competitive races for councillor seats in many wards. Here’s...

Death threats for doing your job: Journalists discuss being on the receiving end

Aug 29, 2022

The following episode contains graphic language and references to sexual and racial violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Guests: Erica Ifill, The Hill Times columnist, and Rachel Gilmore, Global News reporter

The past two weeks have seen a peak in the wave of hate washing over Canada fuelled by political...

Grey Matters: LaFlamme exit ignites conversation on workplace sexism and ageism

Aug 26, 2022

Guest: Amanda Watson, senior lecturer and sociologist at Simon Fraser University

It’s been two weeks since journalist Lisa LaFlamme announced she’d been let go from her job as chief news anchor and senior editor at CTV National News. The decision came two years before LaFlamme’s contract was up and despite the...

What you need to know about sustainable aviation fuels

Aug 25, 2022

Guest: Marco Oved, climate change reporter.

The air travel industry is betting big on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) to drastically cut the amount of airplane emissions over the next few decades. It is a solution that will work with existing aircraft, but there are plenty of questions including the supply and the...