Ontario’s proof of vaccination against COVID-19 system has come to an end and capacity limits have been dropped as of Tuesday.

The government said the two public health measures would be lifted as part of its reopening plan as the province inches closer to returning to life before the global pandemic began in March 2020.

GUEST: Dr. Peter Juni (YOU-knee), Director of Ontario’s Science Table and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Toronto

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine proceeds with breathtaking pace, a key question is how much support Vladimir Putin can count on at home.

On the surface, it appears that the Russian President has the firm backing of the Kremlin elite, composed mainly of bona fide hard-liners who have enthusiastically endorsed his claim that Russia had no choice but to defend itself against the “Nazi, genocidal” government of Ukraine. And given that Mr. Putin’s popularity surged after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, many expect that ordinary Russians, known for their patriotism, will again rally around their leader.

But Mr. Putin may have actually set himself up for potential challenges to his leadership. As Russian political commentator Andrei Piontkovsky tweeted: “The paradox of this war for Russia is that the greater its ‘military successes,’ the more catastrophic its political results will be.”

Read the full article HERE.

GUEST: Amy Knight, Author of numerous pieces on Russian politics and history

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Many have called the scale of the sanctions “unprecedented," but let’s be clear: The price Russia has paid for its invasion of Ukraine amounts to economic penalties against two large financial institutions, dozens of smaller Russian entities and some of Putin’s known associates, so far.

The U.S. is now preparing sanctions on Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the EU has said it will freeze Putin's assets.

But how effective are such sanctions? The simple answer is, not very.

Read the full article HERE. 

GUEST:  Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University

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Many of the impacts of global warming are now simply "irreversible" according to the UN's latest assessment.

But the authors of a new report say that there is still a brief window of time to avoid the very worst.

GUEST: Kent Moore, Vice-Principal of Research and a Professor of Atmospheric Physics with the University of Toronto

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

Topics Include:

What is the overall global reaction to the political action or inaction in Ukraine? Does it go far enough? Can Canada do more?

GUEST: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Director of the School of Public Administration with Dalhousie University

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Canada and key Western allies say they are taking steps to block some Russian banks from accessing the SWIFT international payment system, in a move designed to bolster earlier punitive actions against Moscow for its ongoing military assault on Ukraine.

After cutting Russia off from SWIFT, what else can the west do further to hurt Russia? Seize buying oil?

GUEST: Marvin Ryder, Professor with the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University

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What kind of downtown Hamilton do we want? What kind do we need? These are exciting and challenging questions for those of us who care deeply about the core of our city.

They are far from easy. We have vast potential, more than we have seen downtown in a generation. But we also have daunting challenges, among them: How do we develop the sort of downtown that is equally appealing to tourists and local residents, but is at the same time inclusive to a broad range of folks, including those who live at the fringes?

GUEST: John Best, Founder of the Bay Observer