From hosting his own show on the CBC to playing J-Roc on Trailer Park Boys, Jonathan Torrens has been a mainstay of the Canadian entertainment industry for decades. So what's his deal? Is he a comedian? A talk show host? Or is he just that guy who wrote a truly terrible song called "Thank U Canada".  Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

Ep. 281 - Trolling Jonathan Torrens

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News

Did we just dodge WW3? As Iran retaliated against Israel with an unprecedented barrage of drones and missiles, deciphering facts from fakes and misinformation seemed trickier than ever. Is this the new digital fog of war?
Bill Maher somehow still exists, and now he’s roasting Canada for all the wrong reasons. What Bill Maher gets wrong about Canadian “Zombie Lies”?
Plus, is Rick Ross an anti-semite? Jesse weighs in on the Drake beef. 
Want your audio story on CANADALAND? Submissions for the Local Correspondent Audio Contest are now open! To learn more, visit canadaland.com/audiocontest and follow @CanadaLabs on Instagram to stay in the loop.
Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), André Proolx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief) Guest: Rahim Mohamed    Further reading: As Iran attacked Israel, old and faked videos and images got millions of views on X Fake Footage of Iran’s Attack on Israel Is Going Viral | WIRED'If One of Those Missiles Hit Tel Aviv We Would Be in a Very Different, Devastating Situation' - Podcasts Rick Ross Calls Drake 'BBL Drizzy' and OVO the 'Pastrami Posse' - XXLNew Rule: Whoa, Canada | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) [VIDEO]Bill Maher warns Americans about Canada: ‘Yes, you can move too far left’ - National | Globalnews.ca    Sponsors: CAMH, Douglas. Squarespace   If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.     You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Short Cuts) War Torn TikTok

We’ve long heard about how the news business is failing - layoff after layoff, media execs have claimed that they have had no choice but to make cutbacks.
In Bell’s latest round of 4800 layoffs, CEO Mirko Babic defended his decision to a parliamentary committee, claiming the company was struggling in a tough economic environment - and that news was part of what was bringing them down.
But is that the full story?  Because before Google and Facebook ate up advertising dollars, the Canadian media companies of the 90s made a bad bet. And it failed to pay off.  And now… the news industry is taking the fall. 
Further reading: 
Corporate ownership of media has failed Canadians, Marc Edge, Canadian Dimension, 2024Bell Media Has Cut 1 In 4 Positions Since 2020 as Parent Company Keeps Dividend Rolling, The Deep Dive, 2024 Media convergence, acquisitions and sales in Canada, CBC, 2010Convergence after the collapse: The ‘catastrophic’ case of Canada, Marc Edge, Media, Culture and Society, 2011Financialization and the “Crisis of the Media”: The Rise and Fall of (Some) Media Conglomerates in Canada, Dwayne Winseck, Canadian Journal of Communication, 2010
 Host: Jesse Brown & Cherise Seucharan Credits: Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Sponsors: Betterhelp Douglas Indochino
Additional Music by Audio Network.
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Slash and Burn: How Cheap Debt Killed the News

Etienne Côté-Paluck, rédacteur en chef d’HAÏTI MAGAZINE et HAITI WEEKLY, des publications du collectif haïtien DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, rejoint Emilie pour une discussion sur l’actualité de la crise qui se passe dans la ville et dans le pays.
Etienne Côté-Paluck, editor-in-chief of HAÏTI MAGAZINE and HAITI WEEKLY, publications of the Haitian collective DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, joins Emilie for a discussion about what’s actually going on in the country.
Animation : Emilie Nicolas Générique : Tristan Capacchione (Production), André Proulx (Coordonnateur à la production), Karyn Pugliese (Rédactrice en chef)  Coanimation : Etienne Côté-Paluck
Pour en savoir plus : 
Haïti MagazineHaiti Weekly
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(Détours) Haïti, vue de Port-au-Prince

A spectre is haunting Canada — the spectre of Communist China.
Finally, a proper inquiry into election interference by China featuring testimony from Trudeau and his top aides, but, at this point, will anyone even care? 
Rebel News personality David “The Menzoid” Menzies is arrested yet again at a protest in Toronto, which raises larger questions about how police are selectively enforcing the law at contentious public rallies. 
Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief) Guest: Harrison Lowman   Further reading:  
PMO, top ministers and senior officials received 34 briefings on foreign interference since 2018, CSIS says - The Globe and Mail PM tells foreign interference probe government's hands are tied on intelligence leaks to media | CBC News Prime Minister Trudeau tells foreign interference inquiry recent elections were ‘decided by Canadians’: Live updates - The Globe and Mail Justin Trudeau blames racism for allegation that China helped Liberal MP get elected Deportation hearing set for truck driver in Humboldt Broncos bus crash | CBC News Soldiers had to rely on food donations because of lack of military support during Ottawa training   Rebel News personality charged after incident at pro-Israel rally on Sunday   Sponsors: CAMH, Calm, Article 
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.     You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Short Cuts) Justin Trudeau’s Chinese Democracy

Canadians have long thought of themselves as peacekeepers. But can we still make that claim today? Amid all of the the outrage towards our government over its relationship with Israel, are any protesters calling on Trudeau to send peacekeeping troops over there to intervene? When the guns finally fall silent there will likely be a call for some sort of peacekeeping force. But will Canada still be ready, or even willing, to resume our traditional role?
There's really just one statistic worth sharing here to illustrate that Canadians have lost nearly all capacity for peacekeeping. In the mid 1990s, there were over 3000 Canadian troops deployed as UN peacekeepers around the world. Today there are 60. That means we’re now at 2% of our former capability. What the hell happened? 
We go looking for an answer for you today from Walter Dorn, professor of defense studies at the Royal Military College of Canada and the Canadian Forces College. Professor Dorn is an expert in arms control, international criminal law, just war theory, peace operations and the United Nations.
To learn more: 
Professional website — Walter Dorn
 Host: Jesse Brown  Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music by Audio Network
Sponsors: Squarespace, AG1, Oxio, Better Help
If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 281 - Trolling Jonathan Torrens

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