Libby Znaimer is joined by David Peterson, former Ontario Liberal Premier, Howard Hampton, former leader of the Ontario NDP and Hugh Segal who served as chief of staff to Ontario's 18th Premier, the late Bill Davis.

Today: we start the discussion off with a recap of the new Ford government cabinet that saw, among other changes, Sylvia Jones take over as deputy premier and minister of health. Will Sylvia be able to fill the big shoes that her predecessor Christine Elliott left? And, we continue the discussion about government incompetence. There seems to be a lot of it these days. Some examples that come to mind include Global Affairs sending a senior rep to the Russian Embassy to celebrate Russia Day and federal transportation minister Omar Alghabra blaming travelers for problems at international airports like Pearson. Our panel weighs in on all of that and more.

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HOW CANADA PERFORMED ON ITS PANDEMIC RESPONSE + FOURTH COVID-19 BOOSTERS 

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, The Scientific Director of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and York University's Dr. Tamara Daly who is the Director of the University's Centre for Aging Research and Education and then, Dr. Prabhat Jha who is Epidemiologist and Faculty member at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Dr. Razak co-authored a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) that compared Canada's pandemic response in the first two years to that of several other G10 countries. It found that Canada performed better than most in terms of "percentage of the population receiving 2 doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and on measures assessing the direct effect of the pandemic: number of people infected, number who died from COVID-19 and total excess deaths." Canada, and especially Ontario, faced some of the most restrictive COVID-19 measures as well. However, at the same time, what is also quite clear is that our long term care sectors were hit hard by the pandemic. So, how does our government track record on protecting LTC residents compare to that of other countries?

We then pivot to the conversation of 4th COVID-19 doses. Back in April of this year, NACI recommended that adults 80 years of age and older, long term care residents and those living in other congregate settings receive their second booster. They also at one point recommended that immunocompromised individuals get their second booster six months after their third. Dr. Jha clarifies it all for us and discusses how we should approach expanding eligibility as COVID-19 continues to rage on.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Cravit, Vice President of Zoomer Media and Chief Membership Officer at CARP, Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP.

Today: If your doctor asked you to complete a balance test by standing on one foot for ten seconds, could you manage it? Well, according to a new study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, those who failed to do so are twice as likely to die in the next ten years. Our Zoomer Squad weighs in on that study. Meanwhile, the Ford government announced its new cabinet late last week. The most important positions of Deputy Premier and Health Minister went to Sylvia Jones who replaced Christine Elliot after her decision to retire.

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TORONTO LAUNCHING TRAFFIC/PARKING BLITZ

Libby Znaimer is joined by Constable Sean Shapiro of Toronto Police Traffic Safety Programs, Erin Urquhart, a parking enforcement officer and Brian Patterson, President and CEO of Ontario Safety League.

In the news: the City of Toronto has launched the "Keep Toronto Moving" traffic campaign to address congestion on our roads. The program kicked off last Thursday and will end on June 30th. Our guests weigh in on the latest.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

The Sunday edition of the Best of Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown

Interviews with:

- John Gradek and Dr. Gabor Lukacs discuss who is really to blame for delays at airports

- Jay Goldberg and Councillor Mike Colle debate the true cost of Toronto hosting the World Cup

- Tune into The Town with Councillor Ana Bailao, David Crombie, and Karen Stintz on whether or not the Muzzo family should get to keep their name on a GTA Hospital

- Tom Sandler on the resumption of social life post-pandemic

- And the best calls of the week!

The Saturday edition of the Best of Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown

Interviews with:

- The Zoomer Squad with David Cravit, Peter Muggeridge, and Bill VanGorder on the use of MCRs and revoking driver's licenses

-Dr. Fahad Razak explaining the latest with the COVID-19 pandemic as the last of the mask mandates are lifted

- Patrick Brown on running for the federal conservative party leadership

- Olivier Bourbeau, Court Desautels, and Annette Synowiec on news that the federal government will soon ban single use plastics

- And the best calls of the week!

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners called in to weigh in on the swearing in of the new Ontario cabinet under the Ford government, Toronto hosting the World Cup in 2026, and the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

ARE AIRLINES RESPONSIBLE FOR FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS?

Libby Znaimer is joined by John Gradek, a former executive with Air Canada and head of McGill University's aviation management program as well as Dr. Gabor Lukacs, Founder and President of Air Passenger Rights.

Federal Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra is saying that airlines have a role to play when it comes to flight cancellations and other problems at the airport like luggage issues. But, some experts would say that while airlines do indeed have a role to play, it is disingenuous for the government to shift the blame. Gradek, on the other hand, says that the airlines have often used Ottawa as a scapegoat on such matters. Whatever the experts think, one thing is clear: there is plenty of blame to go around and air travellers are unfortunately bearing the brunt of it all. Our guests weigh in on the latest.

THE COST OF THE WORLD CUP FOR CANADIAN TAXPAYERS

Libby Znaimer is joined by Jay Goldberg,  Ontario Director of the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation and Toronto City Councillor Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence).

Canada will be hosting 10 world cup games in 2026. Toronto will host five of those games. And, taxpayers will foot the bill at almost $600 million. Is that fair? Jay weighs in on the financial burden of the games and Councillor Mike Colle approves of the games.

TOM SANDLER ON THE RESUMING OF SOCIAL LIFE

Libby Znaimer is joined by photographer Tom Sandler.

The days where long stretches of isolation and lockdowns due to COVID-19 seem to be behind us (for now). And, that also means that we're now at a time when our social lives are resuming and we feel more freedom to get together for special occasions and even important community events like galas. Tom weighs in on this new reality. We also hear from you about whether your own social life has resumed after two very hard years of pandemic.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Charles Sousa, The former minister of finance for Ontario and MPP for Mississauga South, Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Howard Hampton, former leader of the Ontario NDP.

The Ford government is set to announce a cabinet this Friday. The panel weighs in on who might be chosen as cabinet ministers. Also, Andrea Horwath, who stepped down as leader of the Ontario NDP in the aftermath of the last provincial election, has hinted at a run for Mayor of Hamilton. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, MPs get panic buttons to enhance their personal security. It comes after Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino revealed he got death threats across social media recently. Our panel weighs in on all of this and more.

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OTTAWA TO BAN SINGLE-USE PLASTICS BY YEAR'S END

Libby Znaimer is joined by Olivier Bourbeau, Vice President, Federal and Quebec of Restaurants Canada, Court Desautels of The Neighbourhood Group of Companies, which operates  4 restaurants in Guelph and 1 in Kitchener and Annette Synowiec, Director of Policy, Toronto Solid Waste Management Services.

This week: Ottawa announced that it is banning the domestic manufacturing and import of single-use plastics like plastic bags and takeout containers by year's end. So, how will this impact the restaurant industry? All of Court's restaurants do takeout and one does 50 percent of its total sales in takeout. And, while we're on the topic of plastic, it's time to have a chat about recycling. There always tends to be confusion about what items really should be recycled and then how our recycling is processed at the landfill. Annette clarifies how it all works and explains what the City is doing to guide local restaurant businesses to make more environmentally friendly choices.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Cravit, Vice President of Zoomer Media and Chief Membership Officer at CARP, Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP.

Today: Have you ever heard of MCRs? Also, known as medical condition reports, they are files that healthcare professionals will fill out to the ministry if a patient is in a certain medical condition that would require a driver's licence suspension. But this system is susceptible to abuse and even misjudgment by doctors. Our Zoomer Squad discusses a Toronto Star investigation about it and listeners call in to share their personal stories of having their licenses removed through MCRs.

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THE END OF MASK MANDATES AND THE STATE OF COVID-19 IN ONTARIO

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, The Scientific Director of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.

The remaining mask mandates in the province of Ontario ended on June 11th. That means, you can board a TTC vehicle without a face covering and it is up to hospitals, for example, to maintain their own mask-wearing mandates moving forward. But, is it too early to make such a major policy shift? And, does it really follow the science? Ontario's COVID-19 wastewater signal is currently on the rise again, according to the province's science advisory table, which suggests an increase in case numbers. And, it comes at a time when restrictions have eased. Dr. Razak weighs in on the latest.

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PATRICK BROWN ON THE CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE

Libby Znaimer is joined by Patrick Brown, Candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Patrick weighs in on the Conservative leadership race so far and the record number of memberships. He also weighs in on the state of the federal Conservative Party. Brown, who has served as Mayor of Brampton since 2018, has until mid-August to sign up as a mayoral candidate for Brampton, which happens to fall a few weeks before the next federal Conservative leader is voted in.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

The Sunday edition of the Best of Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown

Interviews with:

- Julian Falconer and Dr. Wesley Crichlow respond to the apology offered by the Toronto police chief after the release of a report on race-based data

-Tune Into The Town with Karen Stintz, Lauren O'Neil, and Brad Bradford on the Toronto police report

- Martin Firestone, Trevor McPherson, and Dr. Barry Pakes on the ending of most COVID-19 travel requirements

- Alexandr Dologpolov reacts to news that the U.S. Open will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete

- And the best calls of the week!