Guest: Melissa Haussman, professor of political science at Carleton University

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's legal web is more tangled than ever after his fourth indictment was handed down in Georgia as he ramps up another run for the White House. Trump has 91 criminal charges against him between Georgia, Florida, New York and the District of Columbia and the stakes could not be higher for him and for American democracy. On "This Matters," we take a look at the political impact of Trump's indictments.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio sources: SkyNews/TikTok, NowThisNews/TikTok

Guest: Jim Rankin and Wendy Gillis, crime and justice reporters

Ayaan Farah, a Black woman, was stopped and questioned by the police in 2011. The documentation of that interaction changed her life, as she was suspended without pay from a job she held for years despite having no criminal record. She's now the face of a class-action lawsuit over "carding," a historically controversial and racially skewed police practice of stopping, interrogating and documenting people. Although it's now outlawed, this lawsuit offers a stark reminder of the continuing socio-economic, mental, and emotional consequences for racialized individuals who have experienced it.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: CBC

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, Ottawa Bureau

From cabinet appointments to personal style, our federal political leaders are changing and shaking up how they lead as our Canadian perceptions of them are increasingly divided. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals mark the lowest approval rating since they formed government, Trudeau shook up the front bench (while also making news in his personal life). On the other side of the aisle, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is shaking up his personal image and launching ads to build on increasing party momentum. It is a time where the personal is eclipsing the politics and it could very well be the start of politicking for the next election.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: Global News, Reuters, Trending Now

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel featuring Matt Elliott, Shawn Micallef and host Edward Keenan

On Saturday, Olivia Chow marks one month in the job as mayor, and this week, she appointed her team by selecting the committee Some would-be rivals seemed to get plum jobs, and at least one committee will have an odd couple at the helm. Plus: why a fire alarm during the meeting may be an appropriate sound effect for the occasion.

This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Todd Irvine, arborist and founder of City Forest

When a woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods park recently, it struck many as an unforseeable freak accident. But the danger was foreseen by at least one man, and his warnings went unheeded as the Star reported this week. Arborist Todd Irvine has also been warning the city that its maintenance of trees is often making them more dangerous, and joins host Edward Keenan to explain how and why the city needs to improve how its treats the urban forest.

Read the related column here.

This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, books editor for the Toronto Star

A recent Statistics Canada survey found 1 in 4 Canadians would not be able to cover an unexpected expense of $500 if they had to. Almost half were deeply concerned about their ability to afford rent or housing. It's an important time to talk about class divisions in Canada. And Deborah Dundas wants to do that through her new book "On Class." She's on the podcast today to talk about why we need to talk about class, and what not talking about it means for whose stories get told and by whom.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Kate Allen, Climate change reporter for the Toronto Star The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has dubbed it a "cruel summer." A blistering heatwave is sweeping across North America and Europe with record high temperatures triggering other travesties like devastating wildfires and flash floods with July being declared the world's hottest month on record. Climate change has been explicitly blamed for some of what we've seen recently, and scientists are saying this is a terrifying glimpse of the future with the worst yet to come. Meanwhile, for many Canadians, climate change has gone from feeling like a remote scientific term; and beginning to impact their lives in a very tangible way. Audio sources: The Guardian

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, heath reporter for the Toronto Star

More than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic that took tens of thousands of Canadian lives, a group of the country's top medical experts have published a scathing indictment of Canada's COVID response. In a sweeping set of research papers and editorials published in the British Medical Journal, these experts are calling on the government for a national inquiry into its COVID response — something that's already happening in other countries. They say this process is imperative to learn from what was lost, because it is only a matter of time before we face the next big pandemic. We take a deep dive into "the COVID papers."

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

WARNING: This story includes sensitive subject matter, including discussion of gun violence, gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, that could be triggering for some listeners.

Guest: Michele Henry, staff reporter

It was an unthinkable act of violence: a lone gunman, seemingly angry at fellow residents in his Vaughan condo building, unleashed a torrent of bullets that left five people dead and others injured. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the GTA's recent history and now, we understand more about the man behind the crime. Our country's worst killers do not need notoriety. That's not why we are here today, but it is important to understand motivations and the reasons why. As the Star's Michele Henry found, there are connections to our notorious criminals who have perpetuated violence and we must pay attention to what those things are.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Crawford Blair.

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist

Wednesday's oath-taking ceremony at Rideau Hall marked one of the most significant cabinet shuffles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's eight-year tenure, a move that's being framed as a game changer ahead of a pivotal moment. Seven newcomers were welcomed to the front bench, seven were dropped and almost 30 out of 38 ministries saw big changes. The Liberals have positioned it as a crucial reboot of a team that will lead them to their fourth re-election. The opposition is not buying it, as ordinary Canadians are focused on the economy, health, and housing among other serious issues. Will this be enough to satisfy Canadian voters? We try to untangle the political knots.

Audio sources: CTV News, CPAC

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.