Zoomer Week in Review

March 9 2025-How US Tariffs Made The Great Depression Worse & Defining and Diagnosing Obesity

Is the Trump trade war deja vu all over again? Economists and experts agree that tariffs made the Great Depression of the 1930’s a lot worse and a lot longer. Libby is joined by Dr. Patrice Dutil, Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University for an explainer.

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According to the numbers, the disease of Obesity will affect 1.9 billion people around the world within 10 years - Statistics Canada says it already affects about 30% of Canadians. It takes a huge toll on health and on finances - costing the economy nearly $28B a year. So how is obesity defined and diagnosed? Libby speaks with Dr. Sean Wharton, Medical Director of the Wharton Medical Clinic.

March 2 2025-Does Ontario Need A Seniors’ Advocate & Have You Had Your Shingles Shot?

What is the role of a Seniors’ Advocate and does Ontario need one? Those questions were at the heart of CARP’s AGM this past weekend and I chatted with BC Seniors’ Advocate Dan Levitt after he delivered a keynote speech.

Have you had your shingles shots? Over 90,000 Canadians aged 50 and older develop this painful condition every year, even though the vaccine is readily available. Less than 40% of eligible Canadians have received even one dose, despite the fact that Shingles can lead to lasting complications, including chronic nerve pain and vision loss. I talked with Dr. Vivien Brown about why you should get yours.

February 23 2025-Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert on the Return of Hostages & Retro Cooking with Chef Cori Doern

Will the latest horrific revelations around the release of the bodies of four Israeli hostages affect the ceasefire? Or is the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas terrorists imminent and would it mark the end of the war in gaza? I asked Ehud Olmert, Israel's 12th Prime minister who served in that role between 2006 and 2009 and as a cabinet minister before that. He began his career with the ruling right wing Likud party but broke to the centrist kadimah Party under then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who he succeeded. On the one year anniversary of the October 7 massacre, just a few months ago, he presented a joint proposal to end the war with former Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nasser al-Kidwa. When we spoke earlier this week, he predicted that the Hamas terror group would offer to release those remaining hostages if the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire goes ahead.

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What’s old is new again at least in the kitchen! Vintage recipes handed down from Grandma are making a comeback! Casseroles, baked pastas, creamy chicken dishes. But these retro dishes are being reimagined for today’s tastes. And the really good news is that they are usually affordable. I got some tasty tips about retro cooking from Chef Cori Durn.

February 16 2025-60th Anniversary of Canada’s Flag & Rethinking Cancer Drug Trials

Were you flying our flag this weekend? February 15th marked the 60th anniversary of the red and white Maple Leaf and with Donald Trump’s continuing threats against our sovereignty and economy, Flag Day took on a special meaning. I talked with Historica Canada’s Anthony Wilson-Smith about the history of the flag that was first raised on Parliament Hill in 1965.

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It seems obvious that new cancer drugs and the clinical trials that test them should put the needs of cancer patients first but according to a group of oncologists, in the last decade, many new treatments have had very small benefits. They have laid out the principles for improving cancer trial design in the influential online journal The Lancet Oncology. I reached Dr. Bishal Gyawali in Kingston.

February 9 2025-Buying Canadian Amid Tariff Tensions With US & The Pivotal Role Zoomers Play In the Music Industry

Canadians are united in their response to the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump and the “buy Canadian” movement is growing. Retail analyst Bruce Winder joined us to explain what “buy Canadian” actually means and what you should look for on labels.

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Rock and roll may seem like a young person’s game but many of the most respected and consistently employed roadies and technicians are well into their 60’s and beyond.

Bob Czaykowski, known affectionately as “Nitebob”joined us from New York City to talk about his more than 50 years in the business.

February 2 2025-How, Where, When to Vote in the Ontario Election & Troubling New Statistics About Poverty Among Older Adults

February 27 is election day in Ontario. With more than 10.8 million eligible voters, the team at Elections Ontario is busy behind the scenes, with just weeks to organize this rare winter campaign. Voting is already underway, and there are a number of ways to cast your ballot. And it’s also a good opportunity for Zoomers to earn some extra cash working the election. In fact, Elections Ontario is hiring 55 thousand workers for various polling station positions. Laura Sylvis with Elections Ontario joins us with all the election details.

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New research warns there are nearly double the number of older adults living in poverty than Canada’s official number of 6 percent. The National Institute on Ageing is out with a new report on the social well-being and financial security of Canadians over 50 that highlights the connection between poverty and health. We reached Doctor Samir Sinha, the NIA Director of Health Policy to find out more about the survey “Ageing in Canada”.

January 26 2025- Cataract Procedures in Ontario & Bonny Reichert's "How to Share an Egg"

Having cataract surgery is stressful but even before it happens you can be faced with a number of options and fees. Dr. Tamara Daly, Professor of Health Policy and Equity at York University, spoke with Libby Znaimer about how to navigate your way through.

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First time author Bonny Reichert says she always knew she would tell her Father’s story but it took her quite a while before she felt comfortable enough and strong enough to do so. We reached Bonny at her home in Toronto about her book “How to Share an Egg” released on January 21st.

January 19 2025-A New Book About Chrystia Freeland & Tim Caulfield's "The Certainty Illusion"

When Catherine Tsalikis started writing her biography of Chrystia Freeland four years ago, she worried that her subject could fade from public view before the book came out. Instead, publishers had to rush it onto the shelves ahead of schedule after Freeland’s dramatic resignation and break with Justin Trudeau. Here’s my interview with biographer Catherine Tsalikis.

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How can you separate what’s real from the fake? How can you spot conspiracy theories cloaked in the language of science? Tim Caulfield hopes to help us resist misinformation in his latest work: "The Certainty Illusion".

January 12 2025-Selina Robinson's "Truth Be Told" & The Case for a "Damp January"

It was officially launched as a campaign in the UK in 2013. Since then, the challenge of going alcohol-free has become popular around the world. Now, a new alternative of a "Damp January" is gaining traction. I spoke with Public Health physician Dr. Barry Pakes who is with the Dalla Lana School of Public health at the University of Toronto.

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It was an unfortunate choice of words that led to an outsize consequence. Former BC Cabinet minister Selina Robinson was ousted from her job painfully and publicly after referring to the land Israel was founded on as “a crappy piece of land.” She says she was targetted because she is Jewish and her experience highlights the explosion of anti-Semitism around the world and inside the NDP in particular.

January 5 2025-The Alarming Impact of Smoking on Life Expectancy & New Year's Resolutions

If your New Year’s Resolution is to quit smoking, researchers say it will extend your life expectancy. A new study in the UK quantifies the harm of cigarette smoking and finds it shortens life expectancy at nearly double previous estimates. British researchers have found that just one cigarette takes about 20 minutes off your life. 48,000 Canadians die of tobacco related diseases each year and smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in this country. We reached Lion Shahab, considered a top researcher in the world when it comes to smoking. He’s professor of Health Psychology at University College London in the UK where the study was done by his colleagues.

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Many of us are ringing in 2025 with New Year’s resolutions despite a new movement called ‘Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day’ on January 17th. New research finds the older we get, the less we’re interested in setting resolutions. We reached author and time management coach Elizabeth Saunders for some tips on creating successful goals heading into 2025.