Tim Hortons. Coffee, donuts and Canadian identity. What more could you possibly want? Well, maybe quenchers? Chilli? Beef lasagna casserole? Pulled pork sandwiches? Pizza?! Please, just tell them so they can sell it. In all seriousness, Tim Hortons offering new menu items isn't a bad thing, but it does let us ask an important question about what the chain has become: Is it a Canadian staple, that both aspiring politicians and savvy marketers use as a stand-in for what makes Canada great? Or is it one arm of a huge, soulless global food brand with no motivation other than to suck up as much market share as it possible? Could it be the answer is ... somehow, both those things? GUEST: Tom Jokinen, writing in The Walrus
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The long, strange trip that ended with Tim Hortons pizza

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In pop culture, pre-nuptial agreements (or pre-nups) are usually talked about as something that protects a rich person from marrying a gold digger. But these days, most of us don’t have much gold to dig for; that said, there are still things couples need to think about before combining finances.  Jordan talks to Georgina Carson, a family lawyer and partner at Carson, Chousky and Lein to get the low-down on marriage and cohabitation contracts, and find out what steps couples should take when they start to think about sharing bank accounts, property and debt. Do you have a money problem? Call and leave us a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at  hello@itepod.ca You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don’t forget to leave a call-back number so we can get in touch.
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 by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Pre-nups?! In This Economy?!

Scientists are very careful about throwing around words like 'breakthrough' or 'cure'—especially when it comes to diseases like ALS that are so devastating to their victims. But the past few months have seen an incredible sense of optimism around research being done by a team at Western University, who seem to have found a way to prevent the cell death that is the core of the disease. How did they make this discovery? How does it work so far in experiments? And why is this step turning heads around the entire medical world? GUEST: Dr. Michael Strong, professor of neurology at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry; Arthur J. Hudson Chair in ALS Research
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Could a Canadian breakthrough lead to an ALS cure?

On Wednesday the Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate for the first time in four years, after months spent at a 20-plus year high. The cut was just a quarter-point, but it could be a signal that easier economic times are on the way for millions of Canadians struggling with servicing their debt. So what does this latest cut mean right now, and what might it mean in the future? And is this the start of a trend, or could the bank decide to walk it back later this year? GUEST: David, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ National Office
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At long last, an interest rate cut. What comes next?

Heat pumps could fundamentally shift the way we heat and cool our homes, but high costs and misconceptions about their performance in cold weather have served as barriers to their mass adoption in North America. So how do they work? How effective could they be in reducing carbon emissions? And what's being done to make them more attainable for the average household? GUEST: Matt Simon, Senior staff writer, WIRED
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Everything you need to know about heat pumps

There are some large companies in Canada that have a history of breaking environmental laws. But the framework for fining them can be complex, and often struggles to make the larger businesses feel serious financial ramifications. How does this system work? Or does it? How could we adapt it for a world in which the pursuit of profits that cause environmental harm will become more and more dangerous? GUEST: Ben Collison, PhD student at Dalhousie University, writing for The Conversation
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 by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The long, strange trip that ended with Tim Hortons pizza

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