Guests: Betsy Powell and Alyshah Hasham, staff reporters

Mass surveillance is everywhere and adding to the use of video in police investigations and in-court cases. The head of the Toronto Police Service’s Homicide squad credits cameras and video for helping push their solve rate above 80 per cent, but what is the price of that safety? What are the legal and ethical concerns about video becoming so prominent in our judicial system? What if the images don’t tell the whole story?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC and Global News.

Guest: Ed Keenan, city columnist

A few months ago, Toronto Mayor John Tory was asking other levels of government to help cover $2 billion in budget shortfalls and yet, the mayor has now announced more money for police, transit safety and more. What changed? Not much. While the city is raising property taxes and making some cuts, there is a huge budget hole that will need to be dealt with eventually.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Breakfast Television, CP24

Guest: Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights

The airline industry’s meltdown over the holidays has the House of Commons transportation committee convening an emergency meeting to grill company executives about exactly what went wrong. While Canada has adopted a passenger bill of rights, critics say it has not been effective. Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights, an independent consumer advocacy group for air travellers, joins “This Matters” to share what you need to know if you experience air travel chaos.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, staff reporter

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) organization remains a symbol of Canadian history and national pride, even though the recent history of the police force is littered with internal scandals including racism in hiring and sexism within the ranks, in addition to heavy criticism for their handling of high profile crimes. Does the force need a revamp? A recent Star series looked at the force now and how it might need to adapt.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC, Global News and P.A.T. Film Services

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

As TTC ridership is down, violent incidents are up. As the service still recovers from the pandemic, a spate of violent crimes on TTC vehicles and in and around stations is making many riders worry about their safety while riding the transit system. More security is planned to help the problem, along with a fare hike and service cuts in the proposed 2023 budget. Will the TTC get back to the days of its Red Rocket glory?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC and City of Toronto.

Guest: Jim Rankin, staff reporter

Twenty years ago, the Star published a landmark and controversial investigation examining data that showed police interaction with racialized people occurred at a higher rate, kicking of years of stories that reinforced this initial conclusion. This past year, after looking at their own data, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized for police interactions with the Black community. The problems persist through all areas of law enforcement despite the acknowledgments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC and Globe and Mail

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer

There have been an increasing number of coyote sightings and attacks across the GTA. Often portrayed as smart, dangerous animals, the truth is that there is another animal to blame for the their encroachment into urban areas — humans.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CTV News

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter

Imagine having your license suspended and you didn’t know it was in jeopardy? It all comes down to medical condition reports (MCRs), widely used forms that some medical professionals must file when patients have potentially dangerous conditions that “warrant a licence suspension,” according to the ministry. Doctors are paid to submit the form and sometimes they don’t have to inform a patient. A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health has found these reports and suspensions have been applied haphazardly and they have had a devastating affect on a person’s life.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter

2022 was a roller coaster year in the GTA’s real estate market and, just as we hit a peak, things are now speeding downhill. Falling prices, a lack of inventory and rising interest rates all contributed to the downturn in the market and will continue to be factors moving forward. Don’t fret. There are experts who feel that as the weather warms up, people on the sidelines might start re-engaging in the market.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

This episode originally aired January 4, 2022.

Guest: Christine Sismondo, author of “America Walks Into a Bar” and the upcoming “Cocktails: A Still Life”

Happy New Year! By now, hopefully your hangover from new year celebrations are long gone and you are focusing on the year ahead. One thing that many people do after holiday season is decide to cut alcohol intake for the month of January as a way to reset and refresh. While some people do Sober October, more mark Dry January to abstain from alcohol. How did it get that way? Is a zero-tolerance policy the best way to go? We get some history, tips and advice from someone who’s been thinking about consumption for a long time.