Cross Country Checkup

Earlier this week, the NBA banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter from the league following an investigation into gambling allegations. CBC news reporter Jamie Strashin has been leading our coverage on sports betting and closely following Jontay Porter’s ban. Chelsea Rodrigues is a problem gambling counsellor at the Centre for Problem Gambling and Digital Dependency at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare They answered your questions about sports betting and Jontay Porter. 

According to a recent Ipsos poll, cost of living issues are the top priority for Canadians in the upcoming federal budget. How is the cost of living crisis affecting you right now? What would you like the federal government to do about it in the budget?

Despite calls from those against the levy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not backing down from the carbon tax. You've almost certainly heard Pierre Poilievre's Axe The Tax slogan. Many provincial premiers have come out in opposition as well. On the other side, over two-hundred economists have signed an open letter in support of the tax. Is the carbon tax a ballot-box issue for you? How does your stance on climate change affect your opinion of the tax?

Over 31 million people live in the path of totality of April 8th's solar ecplise. Andrew Fazekas is the author of “The Backyard Guide to the Night Sky” by National Geographic. He answered your questions about the celestial event on our AMA.

Some of Canada's biggest school boards have recently launched lawsuits against the companies behind Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. We all know how distracting our smartphones can be, but is banning them in classrooms the best solution? Is there a downside to switching off?

The carbon tax is set to rise from $65 dollars per tonne to $80 per tonne on April 1st. The price on carbon is set to go up another $15 dollars each year until 2030. Chris Ragan is an economics professor and Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. He answered your questions about carbon tax.

Kids share a lot on social media, but are there limits on what parents should share? What motivates you to post about your children online and, where do you draw the line between your kids’ public and private life? In the second half of the show: the Princess of Wales revealed she's dealing with cancer and is asking for privacy.

What was your experience sharing your cancer diagnosis? What helped you and your family cope?

Four years ago the world shut down for COVID. What do you remember about that first week? What’s changed for you forever? 

Earlier this week the unelected Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henri, announced his resignation. The country is currently ravaged by gang violence with aid agencies saying more than a million people are on the verge of famine. Global Affairs Canada reports there are nearly 3-thousand Canadians trapped in Haiti. Bob Rae, Canada's embassador to the UN, took your questions about the situation in Haiti on our AMA.

Canadians are losing big money to scams and frauds. What's your experience with scams?

Are you worried about artificial intelligence and the future of cyber scams? In the second half of our show, Equifax says an increasing number of people are missing mortgage payments. Are housing costs putting you in debt?