Is it possible there will be a silver lining to the COVID pandemic? Even though this is largely a health crisis, it certainly has become a financial crisis, as well. Taz Rajan is a Community Engagement Partner with the insolvency firm, Bromwich And Smith. They recently did a survey with Canadians about who's seeing worse household incomes, and who is actually seeing increases in their disposable budgeting. She spoke with Russell about the pandemic could lead to better finances and being ready for the next disruption to society.

If you're an actor and you're home alone for a couple of months, what do you do? For Edmonton's Jesse Gervais, the solution is hang up a blue screen in his office and start filming movie scenes. Jesse has been on stages in Alberta, across North America, and in Asia over the course of his 20-year career. And he knows how to improvise as a member of the DieNasty troupe. Now some ready-made scripts from classic films are becoming Facebook posts where his followers can watch him single-handedly re-create movie magic.

The race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is well underway and many believe our society will not return to normal until one is produced and made widely available. But what if people don't want to take it? On May 21, Carleton University released the results of a survey that asked 2-thousand Canadians their opinions about a possible COVID-19 vaccine. Forty-nine (49) percent of respondents said they would definitely take it, while 24 percent said they would "probably" get vaccinated. That still leaves 27% of respondents saying they would not get vaccinated, or they're not sure. To look at this result deeper, Russell spoke with Dr. Peter Silverstone, a Psychiatry Professor at the University of Alberta. He helped develop some new therapeutic tools during this crisis, the website - comhs.health.

Last November, (2019) Daniel Pelton was excited by the recording a new live album at The National Music Centre/Studio Bell in Calgary with his group, LongTimeNoTime and the University of Calgary's Jazz orchestra. The collection of entirely original music was release on May 15th, but Daniel, like the rest of society is sheltered at home with his family. So, to get the word about the new CD, "BigTime," he's doing chats with folks like Russell.

With the warmer weather approaching, community gardens across the country will open up as these neighbourhood growing centers can be a great source for food and they also help support wellness through interaction with our neighbours. However, earlier this year, researchers found that these gardens may harbour a hidden threat - antibiotic resistant bacteria. To learn more about this study and the risk that might come with it, Russell spoke with Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of The Germ Files.

When you grow up in a town or a city, you can be too close to see it's redeeming qualities and you might fail to see the humour in where you live, the romance. Other places, even other times, seem more compelling, more idealistic. It's those ideas that are at the heart of the novel, "Molly of the Mall - Literary Lass & Purveyor of Fine Footwear" (NeWest Press). The book follows Molly MacGregor as she works a day job at a shoe store in the mall, and on to her university career. The book has found the funny in these places, to the point that it's been shortlisted for the 73rd Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. To hear more about the book, Russell reached out to its Edmonton-born author, Heidi Jacobs.

One of Alberta's biggest gardens will open to the public on June 1 as the University of Alberta Botanic Garden southwest of Edmonton will be welcoming visitors again. For more on how the garden is growing for 2020 Russell spoken with the Garden's Kerry Mulholland.

“Hello Spring” is a new CBC website that connects you to the outside world in a 4-week long digital event that lets you see Spring unfold across the country. There will be documentaries, photographs and spring-themed programs and the public is invited to make submissions to the content. One of the producers of the project is Jeff Turner, a 2-time Canadian Screen Award winner for his own wildlife work.

Things have "normalled up" a little during the long holiday weekend in May for many parts of Alberta, even if we are still well-advised to stick close to home and not overdue the wandering about. If you are good with being home, maybe taking on a weighty tome might be just for you. Angie Abdou is the books reviewer on Daybreak and she's back for the month of May with a book she promised to read back in March, called "Nature's Broken Clocks," by Edmonton's Paul Huebener.

With so many live events in Alberta and around the world called down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, artists have done their best to stay active and connect with fans. One of those is Alberta's Ellen Doty. The jazz singer and composer has been using home time to write, and to get engaged! She'll be performing on May 30 as part of a series of live online performances for the Yardbird Suite Virtual Series. For the remainder of the Yardbird Suite’s regular season, from Friday, May 1 until early June, watch jazz musicians on Yardbird Suite’s Facebook page at facebook.com/YardbirdSuite perform live from isolation.

Russell cvaught up Ellen Doty ahead of her show from her home, and they also listened to songs from "Come Fall" album.