The Rundown

By TVONews News Commentary Politics

The Rundown episodes

March 27 Will Ontario's Budget Meet the Moment?
Hundreds of pages and billions of dollars, Ontario's 2026 budget will shape daily life across the province, yet its true priorities are not always obvious at first glance. TVO Today's John Michael McGrath breaks down what's in the budget and why it matters, before a deeper examination of what the numbers reveal about this government's values and fiscal health. Then, as economic uncertainty grows, we ask whether Ontario is prepared for what lies ahead, with analysis from Ricardo Tranjan of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Rosalie Wyonch of the C.D. Howe Institute.
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29 min
March 26 Is the Career Ladder Losing Its Appeal?
At the Grammys, Pharrell Williams urged audiences to "never stop grinding," echoing a familiar culture of constant ambition. But writer and broadcaster Amil Niazi challenges that mindset in "Life After Ambition: A Good Enough Memoir," as a new generation of workers questions whether success has to mean nonstop hustle. Then, Tricia Williams of TMU's Future Skills Centre, explores how younger workers are redefining fulfillment, balance, and what it really means to get ahead.
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29 min
March 25 What Comes Next for the NDP?
As the federal NDP leadership race unfolds, a larger question looms: where does the party stand with Canadians and can its next leader reposition it as a credible alternative? Kim Wright, principal of Wright Strategies and a longtime NDP consultant, and journalist Luke Savage, author of "The Dead Center," examine the stakes of rebuilding the party. Then, Erin Kelly, CEO of Advanced Symbolics Inc., digs into the data to ask whether or not public opinion suggests the NDP is poised for a reset.
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29 min
March 24 Can Smarter Urban Design Make Toronto Affordable Again?
Toronto’s affordability crisis is decades in the making, shaped by planning decisions that continue to price people out. Anne Golden and Ken Greenberg, co-editors of Saving Toronto: 10 City Builders Tell Us How, examine how the city got here. Then, Antonio Gómez-Palacio looks at whether smarter urban design could still make Toronto liveable and affordable again.
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29 min
March 20 What Does a Global Oil Shock Mean for Canada?
The world has lived through oil shocks before - from the Suez Crisis of the 1950s to the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s - but today's turmoil raises new questions about how vulnerable global energy markets really are. What would it mean if Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed, and how does this moment compare to past crises that reshaped the global economy? For Canada - the world's fourth-largest producer of crude oil and fifth-largest producer of natural gas - the stakes are especially high. When energy markets are shaken, Canada isn't just affected; it's implicated. So what political and economic choices should be on the table right now, and could the fallout push us toward a recession? To unpack the risks and the realities, we're joined by Bob Yawger, commodity specialist at Mizuho Americas, oil-market researcher Rory Johnston, founder of the Commodity Context newsletter, and Heather Exner-Pirot, director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
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29 min
March 19 Is Canada Finally Ready for Real Tax Reform?
Calls for tax reform have echoed across party lines for years, but as global trade relationships shift, the pressure to act is intensifying. What, beyond political slogans, would meaningful tax reform actually look like in practice? To examine that question, we turn to Allison Christians, professor and H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation at McGill University, and Geoffrey Turner, adjunct professor and Tax Counsel-in-Residence at the University of Toronto, to unpack the structural challenges facing Canada's tax system. Then, moving from theory to the real-world consequences for taxpayers, we zoom in on what matters most this filing season, with Ali Spinner, tax partner at Crowe Soberman Chartered Accountants, breaking down the key issues Canadians need to keep in mind as they file their returns.
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29 min
March 18 Why Are Mental Health Challenges Rising So Quickly Among Gen Z?
Why are mental health challenges escalating so rapidly among Gen Z, as antidepressant use and disability claims surge well beyond population norms? Then, when it comes to sexual health, why are young people having less sex overall, but taking fewer precautions and getting tested less often?
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29 min
March 17 What Drives Canada's Foreign Policy?
Canada says it stands for human rights, but its foreign policy often reflects hard-nosed realities. Prime Minister Mark Carney argues Canada must deal with the world as it is, but Ottawa is deepening ties with countries like the UAE and China despite serious human rights concerns. So when values clash with economics and geopolitics, what really drives Canada's decisions? The Rundown begins there, before turning to the latest developments in the war in Iran and its global fallout.
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29 min
March 13 Why Are Psychotic Disorders in Young People on the Rise?
The Rundown examines the rise of psychotic disorders among young people in Ontario. What's driving this increase, and how does a diagnosis affect those who receive it? Then, how exploring historical theories of dreams can help us better understand the complexity of the human brain.
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29 min
March 12 How Big a Threat is Nihilistic Violent Extremism?
In December 2024, a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin left two people dead and raised urgent questions about a disturbing form of violence with no clear ideological motive. The attacker left behind a manifesto expressing hatred for society and admiration for mass killers - a case researchers now associate with nihilistic violent extremism, violence for its own sake. Producer Eric Bombicino examines what this emerging threat is, how it differs from traditional forms of extremism, and whether it's on the rise in Canada. He's joined by Amarnath Amarasingam, associate professor at Queen's University. Then, Barbara Perry, founding director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, explains how authorities and researchers are trying to understand and counter this phenomenon.
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29 min

About The Rundown

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by Jeyan Jeganathan, The Rundown delivers original journalism and in-depth analysis of the social, political, cultural, and economic issues that shape life in Ontario. Each episode focuses…