Newstalk Today

The province of Alberta has outlined a plan for students to return to school full-time this fall. This news comes on the heels of a surge in COVID-19 infections. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney joins special guest host Jamil Jivani in Hour 1. And later, an Ontario pastor has been fired after coming out as a transgender during a sermon.

We discuss the latest developments on the WE Charity controversy. We speak with Jesse Brown, host and producer of CANADALAND, which first broke the WE Charity contract story. Then...we talk about Huawei with Alykhan Velshi, the executive VP of corporate affairs at Huawei Canada.

We listen to Ontario Premier Doug Ford's press conference and the announcement about which regions will move to Phase 3. Then...we speak with Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease physician at the Toronto General Hospital, about the promising results the Oxford University vaccine trial is showing. We also talk sports and COVID-19, particularly the NFL and the safety concerns, with Ian Mendes, TSN1200 host. Then...we take your texts and calls: Do you feel things are opening too quickly or too slowly in your region?

Jamil Jivani is filling-in for Evan Solomon today. He discusses Trump's comments on Fox News...hinting that he will not readily accept the 2020 election results. We also speak with Stephen Maher, Maclean's contributing editor, about the Nova Scotia mass shooting and the Senators' call for a public inquiry. Then...Jamil responds to an article The Globe and Mail published about him, and the headline that called him "anti-black." We also take your texts and calls on the article and identity politics.

A man in Florida is fighting for his life in the ICU after his teenage son brought COVID-19 into the home and infected the entire family. We ask you: How do you get your kids to take the risks of COVID-19 seriously? We chat with Terry Grant, the original 'Mantracker', about the manhunt in Quebec for Martin Carpentier. Dr. Neil Rau, an infectious disease expert and medical microbiologist, talks about Ontario moving into Phase 3. Plus, a rare comet is flying over the Earth and will be visible. We chat about that with Gary Boyle, The Backyard Astronomer.

The Canada-USA border remains closed and Ontario is moving into Phase 3. Bill Carroll has the latest. Then, we speak with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe about the federal funding for the provinces. We chat with Brian Lilley, Sun Media columnist, about the WE Charity controversy. Carmi Levy, Bell Media's tech expert, talks about boycotting Tik Tok and other Chinese social media apps.

Russian hackers are trying to steal COVID-19 research data from Canada. We dig into that with Dick Fadden, a former Director of CSIS and a former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Air Canada is, once again, asking the government to relax the travel restrictions. Do you agree? Meantime, we talk to Kit Andres, an organizer with the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, about some of the conditions migrant workers are facing on Canadian farms during the pandemic. To end the program, we take your texts and calls on cancel culture and Nick Cannon's anti-Semitic comments.

The House of Commons Finance Committee is digging into the WE Charity contract today. Liberal Minister Bardish Chagger will testify. What can we expect? We speak with Conservative Ethics Critic Michael Barrett ahead of the big meeting. Then, we chat with Kate Behan, the Managing Director of Charity Intelligence, about the inside workings of the WE Charity and why she's concerned. We also take your texts and calls. What questions would you ask the government about the contract?

Outbreaks at bars and restaurants is bad news for Canada, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. The fight to beat the virus will be harder if the lines to get tested don’t shrink. The Toronto District School Board has unveiled its plans for school in September. Is the need for a provincial-wide education plan for the upcoming school year overhyped or underplayed? Evan Solomon asks Scott Reid, a Political Analyst for CTV News. And later, you will get to meet the first person to receive a double-hand transplant in Canada.

The WE Charity scandal, the CERB, and employment numbers are top of mind for lots of Canadians these days. Evan Solomon speaks to Canada’s Employment Minister in Hour 1. Meantime, Alberta’s Minister of Culture joins the program to discuss the levels of racism she has faced.