Closer Look

U.S. President Donald Trump is floating a controversial idea to help more Americans achieve home ownership: 50-year mortgages.

On the front end, such loans would lower people’s monthly payments by stretching out the principal over a much longer period. But in the end, the interest payments would be way higher — more than double the amount forked over during a typical 30-year mortgage.

North of the border, Trump’s proposal raises the obvious question: Should Canada consider allowing 50-year mortgages?

Don’t bank on it. 

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we break down the pros and cons — and a lot more — with Dan Eisner, founder and CEO of True North Mortgage.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Leery of AI chatbots? This podcast episode definitely won’t dispel your fears.

OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has been slapped with multiple lawsuits alleging the wildly popular chatbot has a glaring dark side: it plunges users into AI-fuelled delusions, mental health crises, and even suicide.

One of the plaintiffs is a Canadian: Allan Brooks of Cobourg, Ont., who claims ChatGPT convinced him he’d created a novel mathematical theory that could hack sophisticated encryption algorithms. The chatbot told him he was a “genius” — and said his amazing discovery presented such a risk to global cybersecurity that he must immediately warn authorities.

Brooks frantically complied.

All told, Brooks spent three full weeks (300 hours) conversing with ChatGPT about his so-called discovery until he finally realized the truth.

In a revealing interview on tonight’s Closer Look, Brooks talks about how tumbled down the rabbit hole, why he’s suing, and what he’s doing now to help others headed down the same path.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

It’s true what they say: records are meant to be broken.

Over the summer, the Ontario Provincial Police announced the largest fentanyl seizure in the force’s history: 38 kg, or more than 380,000 street doses of the lethal drug. The massive bust was the result of Project Golden, a multi-jurisdictional investigation that spanned 11 months and multiple communities.

Today, the force announced an even bigger bust: 46 kg of fentanyl taken off the streets in Windsor, all part of an extensive investigation — Project Rotherham — that the OPP alleges is linked to organized crime.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we revisit two previous interviews that shed light on how fentanyl is produced and trafficked across Ontario: one with OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, the other with renowned organized crime expert and author Antonio Nicaso.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

It’s definitely not something to be proud of.

This week, Canada was officially stripped of its “measles elimination status” by the Pan American Health Organization — marking the first time in 27 years that our country was deemed not to be free of the highly contagious disease.

Public health experts were hardly surprised by the announcement. For more than a year now, an outbreak of the virus has spread to several provinces, including Ontario, leading to more than 5,000 confirmed cases.

What led to such a huge spike? Vaccine hesitancy certainly played a huge role. Ontario has recorded a steady decline in the number of children under 7 receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, with only 70 per cent immunized in 2023-24.

But that’s not the only culprit. Many experts — including Dr. Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist at McMaster University — say this week’s news exposes other flaws that need immediate fixing, including the province’s lingering doctor shortage.

Dr. Bowdish is our guest on tonight’s episode of Closer Look. If you want to understand the many layers of this story, her interview is a must-watch.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Ironically enough, David Chilton did something he would never advise a client to do: he cashed out his RRSPs early to help fund his dream.

In his case, the dream was to write a book: The Wealthy Barber. Thankfully for him, the risk paid off — countless times over.

Released 36 years ago, The Wealthy Barber helped a generation of readers understand money management and sound investing strategies. At last count, the personal-finance guide has sold more than 2.1 million copies.  

Chilton’s iconic book is still on the shelves — but with a fresh rewrite for a new generation. Released Nov. 4, the updated version explores a lot of subjects that simply didn’t exist back in the late-1980s, including TFSAs, FHSAs, and the massive impact of social media on people’s spending decisions.

David Chilton is our guest on tonight’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Premier Doug Ford has made no secret of his dream to build a massive tunnel underneath Highway 401. But is the idea even possible?

We’re about to find out — at a hefty cost to taxpayers.

The province confirmed this week it has awarded a $9.1-million contract to WSP Canada Inc. to conduct a detailed feasibility study.

"Our government is making significant progress on the transformational project to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that will get people and goods moving across the province faster," said a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we revisit some of our previous coverage of Ford’s tunnel vision. Is it safe to build? How much would this massive project actually cost? How many years would it take to finish? Would those billions be better spent on other traffic-fighting measures, including public transit?

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

The Carney government tabled its first-ever budget this week — and like the recent federal election, the spectre of Donald Trump looms large over the entire thing.

Although the U.S. President’s name doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the 493-page document, the budget lays out the Liberal government’s detailed plan to defend Canada from America’s ramped-up trade aggressions.

The key figure is $78.3 billion — the total projected deficit for 2025-2026 — with targeted spending on defence, infrastructure and attracting investment to Canada. The budget also includes major cuts to the country’s civil service.

Joining us on tonight's Closer Look to break down all the specifics are three Village Media journalists who were on Parliament Hill for the budget’s release: Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief of The Trillium, and Katherine DeClerq and Palak Mangat of Parliament Today.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Last week, Health Canada gave the green light to a long-awaited drug that slows the progression of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Lecanemab is the first approved medication that targets the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, believed to be an underlying cause of Alzheimer's.

For patients and their loved ones across the country, the approval could not have come fast enough. According to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, there are close to 800,000 people in the country living with some form of dementia right now — a number that’s expected to hit 1 million by 2030.

Dr. Howard Chertkow is a senior scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, and one of Canada’s leading experts on dementia. He joins us on tonight’s Closer Look to discuss the new drug — but also why he believes this could be a “turnaround decade” in the treatment, prevention and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Should alcohol bottles contain cancer warning labels?

That controversial question was at the heart of a recent Senate debate over Bill S-202, which, if passed, would require liquor packaging in Canada to feature cigarette-style warnings.

The Canadian Cancer Society says consuming approximately three drinks per day could double the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus, and increase the risk of colorectal and breast cancer by one-and-a-half times.

But is that risk serious enough to warrant warning labels on all alcohol products?

Dan Malleck doesn’t think so. The chair of Health Sciences at Brock University, and a leading researcher on alcohol policy in Canada, says warning labels would “present a highly unbalanced and distorted understanding of the effects of alcohol on the human body and, more importantly, on human life.”

Malleck, who recently testified at the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, is our guest on tonight’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Last week, Amazon announced the elimination of 14,000 jobs worldwide as the retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. 

"Some may ask why we're reducing roles when the company is performing well," wrote Beth Galetti, a senior vice-president at the company. "What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”

For many, the Amazon cuts underscore the imminent threat posed by AI, especially for entry-level and other white-collar corporate positions. To borrow the lead of a recent Wall Street Journal article: “The nation’s largest employers have a new message for office workers: help not wanted.”

But in the long run, will AI actually lead to more jobs? Some high-profile CEOs are going one step further. They predict productivity gains from artificial intelligence will actually usher in an age of shorter work weeks.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said last week that people could be working four days a week — maybe even three — within five years. Microsoft’s Bill Gates said two days a week is even a possibility.

Joe O’Connor has been a champion of shorter work weeks for years. The founder and CEO of Toronto-based Work Time Revolution, he has helped many organizations implement the concept.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we revisit our recent conversation with O’Connor.

“The future of work is probably going to look a little bit more fractional,” he told the podcast. “We're going to see lots of different things happening. But I think one thing is for sure: in the next five to 10 years, the idea of a four-day work week, even if it's not the new normal, it's going to be a lot more normal than it is today. It's going to be something that is much more routine.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott