The U.S. Surgeon General is calling it a public health crisis. Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General Advisory calling attention to the dangers of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. Even before the pandemic, about half of American adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness, which can increase the risk of disease and death. The situation is most likely the same here in Canada. Libby Znaimer talked with loneliness expert Dr. Nancy Newall, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology at Brandon University.

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Bob Hunter was a co-founder of Greenpeace and of the environmental movement as a whole. He was also our friend and colleague for years at City TV. His widow, Bobbi Hunter, edited a new book about his extraordinary life, "Mr. Mindbomb - a Life in Stories".

Is it third time lucky or strike three you’re out? Earlier this week, Liberal Transport Minister Omar Omar Alghabra unveiled his latest fix to the Airline Passenger Rights Bill. It sparked lots of criticism and has critics wondering why Ottawa doesn’t just follow a model that works? Libby Znaimer talked with NDP Transport critic Taylor Bachrach

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This week Zoomer Media launched it's very own line of cosmetics. Right now, when the beauty industry markets to older women, the watchword is anti-aging. Our concept is simple: celebrating Zoomer beauty. Libby Znaimer talked with Natasha Reay GM of The Zoomer Store.

You can check out the offerings at zoomerstore.com

65 percent of organizations across Canada are facing a volunteer shortage and the decline is leaving organizations that depend on volunteerism struggling to move forward post COVID. As we wrap up National Volunteer Week that celebrates Canada's 24 million volunteers, we look at how the pandemic has created a critical shortage of volunteers, many are Zoomers who donate their time to help others. We reached Dr. Megan Conway, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada.

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How happy are you? Research shows it’s critical to our overall well being, affecting everything from our physical health, our relationships and even our productivity at work. In recent years, Canada has been consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world. This year, of the 137 countries ranked, Canada placed No. 13, two positions higher than the United States. Libby Znaimer spoke with the creator of the most popular course in Harvard’s history - the happiness course - Dr Tal Ben-Shahar.

British Gardener Charles Dowding’s influence stretches across the globe, renowned for his gardening method with 40 years experience. The ‘No Dig’ approach isn’t just saving him time, it costs less. In this conversation with Libby Znaimer, Charles presents a convincing case for ‘No Dig’ as not only easy but more productive.

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After 40 years of marriage, Rona Maynard fell in love with another male. And it was all set up by her husband! At 65, Rona let her husband convince her to get their very first pet dog, a rescue mutt named Casey. A pet can complicate plans, at a time when older adults look forward to travel and hobbies, but it didn’t take long for Rona to fall in love with Casey and she’s sharing her story in a new book called Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World.

It’s the holiest time of the year for many religions. This year, Ramadan, Passover and Easter converge for the first time in 30 years. In Toronto, at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica , there will be a new face at the altar guiding the Catholic congregation through Easter service. 51 year old Archbishop Francis Leo was installed last month, weeks after Pope Francis formally named him to the post, replacing Cardinal Thomas Collins who stepped down on his 75th birthday. We caught up with Archbishop Francis Leo during holy week, to learn about his role leading Toronto’s Catholic community.

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The data is overwhelming. One-in-four Canadians is a caregiver for a vulnerable person. They’ve been called the unseen backbone of the healthcare system and many are in crisis and at the breaking point because most must hold down full time work. Tuesday marked National Caregiver Day, to honour those who play an essential role to provide critical support for those in need. We reached Amy Coupal, CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization.

Are you tired of "tip-flation", of being asked for more money, on top of tax, at every point of sale, even for the teensiest transactions where no service is involved? An Angus Reid poll finds that nearly 65% of us have been asked to tip more often and dole out larger tips. Over the last 5 years, the average gratuity has jumped from 16 to 20 per cent. Libby Znaimer talked with Digital and Cyber lawyer and strategist Ritesh Kotek.

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It’s a massive research investment to change the outcomes in cancers with the lowest survival rates. Six charities and agencies, including the CCS, have awarded fifty-five million dollars to find breakthroughs in pancreatic, esophageal, brain, lung, liver, and stomach cancers. Libby Znaimer talked with lead investigator Dr. Steven Gallinger.

Note: Libby is involved in the project as a patient partner.

It’s a grisly last resort for many families struggling to settle the estate of a departed loved one. They hope a fingerprint or face scan from the deceased body will unlock the digital assets behind phone and computer screens which they can’t get into. Libby Znaimer talked with technology expert Carmi Levy about how to protect and pass on your online legacy.

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The documentary "Four Winters" tells a little known story of Jewish Partisan resistance during the Holocaust that focuses on women. The documentary tells the tale of a group that took up arms in the forests of Eastern Europe to fight Nazis and their collaborators. It unfolds through the testimony of the fighters who were there, including Toronto resident Faye Shulman who added a touch of panache with the leopard coat she wore. Director Julia Mintz dropped by the studio to talk about the film ahead of the Toronto premiere.

It will will be screened daily at Hot Docs Cinema until Sunday April 2, 2023.

March is Fraud Prevention Month and police are giving special attention to grandparent, or emergency, scams. They have been around for years but now a growing number of people are falling victim and the amount of money they reported losing last year was over $9.2 million, up exponentially from $2.4 million in 2021. Libby Znaimer spoke with Det. Constable Kristin Thomas from the Major Fraud Unit at Toronto Police.

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Her approach is the opposite of No Pain No Gain. Miranda Esmond White is a former ballerina who developed Essentrics after enduring weeks and months in bed because of back pain. She says her system redefines gentle stretching and it can keep us fit and even reverse damage. We talked about her new book: The Movement Miracle

We set the clocks ahead an hour overnight, returning to daylight saving time. It’s no secret that a good night's sleep is important for overall mental and physical health and it fact, it’s been proven that irregular sleep can lead to heart disease and a host of other health issues. New research presented recently at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting suggests our bedtime habits could be key to a longer life. We reached sleep specialist Colleen Carney, director of Sleep Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University for reaction.

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The impact of fraud on the elderly can be more emotional than financial. We’re hearing more about fraud cases targeting older adults, like the grandparent and romance scams, and cybercrime. While the number of reported cases rose 40 percent last year, many more go unreported. But we rarely hear about the non-financial cost to the victims who are dealing with trauma, guilt, and shame that can linger far beyond the crime. We speak with registered clinical psychologist Laura Devlin to learn more.

At first it was dismissed as a conspiracy theory but this week both the FBI and the U.S. Department of Energy  concluded that an accidental laboratory leak in China most likely caused the coronavirus pandemic. Other government agencies believe the virus jumped from animals to humans and the authorities concede there is no consensus on the matter. That’s why we thought it was a good time to revisit our October 2021 interview with Toronto investigative journalist Elaine Dewar who wrote a book on the subject. She explained how she reached her conclusions in  “On the Origin of the Deadliest Pandemic in 100 Years: An Investigation. “

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When it comes to the subject of book banning, most of us think about the Middle Ages, or the Nazi Regime, or science-fiction but it is happening more and more often, especially in the U.S., where the volumes that have been challenged include Anne Frank’s ‘The Dairy of A Young Girl,’ and Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s why the Toronto Public Library system has become a book sanctuary offering special sections with 50 banned titles aimed at all age groups. Libby Znaimer talked with chief Librarian Vickery Bowles.