The Big Story

Gold is having a moment - trading above $4,000 just a few months after hitting $3,000.

It's up by more than 50%t this year, on track for its best year since 1979. And volatility seems to be ticking higher too.

Gold has long been viewed as a safe haven in times of uncertainty - and let's face it, there's a lot of that right now. But could that role be changing, and does crypto currency become a factor in it all?

Host Kris McCusker speaks to Luis Seco - a professor in mathematics at the University of Toronto to get his take on what's happening, and whether it’s too late to invest.

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No one likes checking their credit score and seeing a hit to the rating - even the Canadian government.

Credit rating agencies are bracing for the upcoming November 4th federal budget, and with a lack of fiscal updates since the last federal budget under the Trudeau government, economists aren't quite sure what they should expect when it comes to the deficit.

So just how deep could the red ink run? And will the minority federal government receive the backing from any of the opposition parties to get it passed through the House?

Host Mike Eppel speaks to Randall Bartlett, Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins to discuss what former-banker-turned-Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has up his sleeve for the upcoming budget, and what he plans to do about a potentially ominously large deficit.

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Top Trump administration officials have been in Israel this week to shore up a fragile and uncertain ceasefire in Gaza, after recent flare-ups of violence punctured the brief calm, with each side accusing the other of violations.

The truce faced fresh challenges this week after a bill applying Israeli law to the West Bank passed a symbolic vote in Israel’s parliament, revealing cracks between factions in the country’s right-wing parties, and underscoring the challenges ahead in ensuring both Israel and Hamas hold up their sides of the fragile ceasefire.

Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Akaash Maharaj, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, to discuss the obstacles that loom over Middle East peace, and the role Canada can play in delivering it.

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A note to our listeners, this episode discusses sexual assault. Please take care.

Prince Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein thrust the British royal family into crisis again this week, with the release of a harrowing posthumous memoir by one of Epstein’s main accusers.
 
For years, Virgina Giuffre has accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. But her book is likely to keep Andrew’s friendship with Epstein in the spotlight, throwing fuel on a cascade of scandal shadowing the King’s brother and a monarchy grappling with diminished public support.
 
Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Sarah Sahagian, co-Host for The Reheat and publisher of rabble.ca, to discuss Andrew’s fall from grace, the calls for further action against him, and why he may never lose the title of prince.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have punched their ticket to the World Series, a feeling the team - and Toronto at large - haven't felt for 32 years.

But it isn't just Southern Ontario that's feeling the pride of the Boys of Summer. Fans from all across Canada are beaming for what's now being called 'Canada's Team', as the team gears up to host the Los Angeles Dodgers on home turf in just a few days time.

But the arrival of the Dodgers is a reminder of who the Jays are, and who they aren't, which is a team not easily wavered by big names or even bigger franchise payrolls.

Host Alex Seixeiro speaks to the host of Blue Jays Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet, Shoaib Alli, to break down what it means for the Jays to take baseball's biggest stage, and the impact of a mostly international roster playing for the more than 41 million Canadians counting on them.

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More than 750,000 Alberta students have been spending the better part of October not in a classroom, but rather left to their own devices as a historic province-wide teachers strike heads into a third week.

Although higher wages and increased staffing are among the key sticking points for the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA), the thousands of educational workers currently on the picket lines are looking for a generational change across the province's education sector. However, the Smith government doesn't seem to be budging on how far they want to reach into their pockets, with the Premier even considering ordering a back-to-work if kids aren't back in the classrooms by the time the legislature returns.

Host Maria Kestane speaks to Sean Amato, Alberta politics reporter for CityNews to break down what the last few weeks have looked like during the province's first ever teacher strike, and how close the ATA is to getting what they're fighting for.

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It won't be a quiet four-month quest for Bad Bunny to return to the Super Bowl stage, this time as the halftime show headliner.

U.S. President Donald Trump, his affiliates and America's Republican diaspora have gone full-fledge meltdown over the global superstar being tapped to perform on one of the world's biggest stages. They've even gone as far as attempting to create their version of an 'all American' halftime show - organized by Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA.

But the Puerto Rican native seems to be taking the flack in stride, making light of the hate during an SNL opening monologue, warning Americans they only have four months to learn Spanish, which is the only language the performance will be done in.

Host Maria Kestane speaks to Julyssa Lopez, Deputy Music Editor at Rolling Stone to discuss why MAGA has its eye on Bad Bunny, and how the messages of government officials and MAGA-adjacent figures play into the 'othering' of Puerto Ricans and Hispanic culture at large.

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Almost a year after an avian flu outbreak was detected on an ostrich farm in rural British Columbia, the fate of the flock remains in the crosshairs of a culture war over public health policy.

Plans to euthanize the remaining birds by Canadian authorities are on pause as the Supreme Court of Canada considers the case. The cull order catalyzed fierce protest by the farm owners and their hundreds of supporters, backed by top White House health officials, decrying what they see as government overreach.

Host Caryn Ceolin is joined by Dr. Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, to discuss why the case became a flashpoint, and whether the government’s ability to enforce public health policy is at risk.

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Canada's automotive sector continues to trot along the bumpy road, after auto giant Stellantis announced its plans to relocate Jeep production from the Brampton Assembly Plant to a location in Illinois.

The Brampton plant has closed its doors in 2024 in preparation for the production of the new EV model, but that's also been paused after US President Trump's tariff announcement on the automotive sector earlier this year.

The residuals of Trump's push for domestic vehicle production has since threatened the livelihoods of more than 3,000 at the Brampton plant alone, with the rest of the sector biting its nails for whatever else the President has up his sleeves. And Ottawa has since announced it might bring Stellantis before a judge if it actually goes through with their $13B investment moving down South.

Host Mike Eppel speaks to Greg Layson, Digital and Mobile Editor at Automotive News Canada to break down the 'why' behind Stellantis' bombshell announcement, and where it leaves Canada's fragile automotive sector.

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It’s been a year of change for the world's largest and most popular coffee house, including the shuttering of hundreds of its North American retail stores. But is that a sign of trouble?

Or is it an attempt by the new CEO, appointed last year, to turn inwards to its existing locations to revamp the stores they have already?

Host Kris McCusker speaks to Mike Halen, the senior restaurant and foodservice analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, about some of the recent moves by the chain, where it stands among the current trend of choosing independently-owned, neighbourhood cafes and what could be coming next for the coffee giant.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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