Last Friday Round Table of the summer!

Craig welcomed political insider Scott Collyer, organizational consultant Mojdeh Azad and London Home Builders Association CEO Jared Zaifman to the Covent Garden Market Studio to breakdown the issues of the week.

They start with the state of public housing in the City of London. It is not good. A piece in the London Free Press this week shows buildings that are infested with pests and falling apart. What do we need to do to improve our affordable housing stock?

Then, the Premier announced some cash for the city because housing targets are being met. Good news, but how do we keep those numbers up? It might be a challenge. 

They finish by discussing some delays in getting busses into London - which means delays for new London Transit routes.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

The United Way has released their Built for Good report and it's ambitious.

They want to spend more than $60-billion to bring new affordable homes online, prevent homes from deteriorating, and keep people in the places they're living now.

The CEO of United Way Elgin-Middlesex, Kelly Ziegner, joined Craig on the podcast to breakdown the report.

What role should government play here? What about developers? Where can we find the cash to make this happen?

They tackle those questions and more on The Craig Needles Podcast - brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Summer is winding down! Craig was joined at the Covent Garden Market Studio by London Abused Women's Centre Executive Director Jennifer Dunn, political insider Nathan Caranci and community organizer Jeremy McCall for the second last round table of August.

The group tackles stories like the provincial government openly musing about eliminating elected school board trustees, when HART hubs may actually arrive in London (it was supposed to be in the spring), Doug Ford's comments about a man facing charges for fighting off a burglar who broke into his home and the Crown's decision not to appeal the Hockey Canada trial verdict.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Is the Thames Valley District School Board too big?

Is it time to separate London's schools from the ones in Oxford and Elgin Counties?

The Warden of Oxford County thinks to.

Marcus Ryan joins Craig to talk about his ideas and how they've been received by politicians at the municipal and provincial levels.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Craig welcomes London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis and former city councillor Cheryl Miller to the Covent Garden Market studio to breakdown the issues of the week.

First, they tackle the ongoing debacle at St. Joseph's Health Care. In the wake of the National Post story about research done with beagle puppies, Dr. Lisa Porter, the scientific director and vice president of research at Lawson Research Institute, has left the organization.

Will there have to be more turnover at the organization before this story goes away? Should the Premier have gotten involved in ending the research? Craig and the panel discuss those questions and more.

Then, they look at the City of London cracking down on short term rentals violating bylaws, and looking to build a new community centre in (or near?) Old South.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Last week: National Post breaks story about puppies being kept in brutal conditions at St. Joseph's Health Care and Lawson Research.

This week: Doug Ford kiboshes the entire project.

Clearly, the Premier's move is politically popular, but was that the right decision? Or maybe it was more complicated than some believe?

Maybe hospital leadership could have done more to mitigate the PR nightmare?

Dr. Brendon Samuels, a researcher and a member of the City of London's Environmental Stewardship and Action Community Advisory Committee joined Craig on the podcast to discuss the story.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Some former TVDSB trustees are speaking out after the province turfed them due to financial irregularities at the board.

Was poor financial planning from the province to blame for the board's red ink? Marianne Larsen says yes.

She joined Craig on the podcast to discuss that and the events that led to the trustee model being scrapped in Thames Valley.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Is downtown getting more safe? Do we need bail reform? How should LTC be managed? Should 16-year-olds be able to vote in Canada?

Those questions and more on this week's Friday Round Table, as Craig is joined by political insider Devin Munro, former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck and community builder Jeremy McCall.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Do we need bail reform? How is the legal system's backlog impacting London?

Police Chief Thai Truong joins Craig on the podcast to discuss changes he'd like to see in the legal system, safety in London and more.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Planning expert and regular podcast guest  Dr. A.J. Wray is leaving London to take a job teaching at the University of Tennessee.

So, as he waves goodbye, Craig invited him on the podcast for some thoughts on where the city is, what the future might hold, and areas London needs to improve.

The Craig Needles Podcast is presented by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.