The Big Story

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!". With Thanksgiving days away-- it's time to start thinking about Christmas. At least that's the case for PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada, an accounting firm which has done their annual survey on where families and individuals are at in terms of budgets as they head into the holiday season, and what it could mean for retailers.
Host Mike Eppel is speaking with Adam Boutros, National Consumer Markets Leader Partner at PwC, about consumer trends, what people are planning to spend, a generation divide, and how AI factors in to it all.

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Plus: The chief executive of Stelco's U.S-based parent company says hundreds of Southern Ontario steelworkers facing temporary layoffs will be recalled if Canada and the U.S. reach a trade deal on steel. Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she saw parallels between herself and Christine Frechette as Quebec's election results came in. Canadian poet Anne Carson won the Nobel Prize in literature, but not much is known about her personal life. Also, what we know and don't know about the Russian lab tech that died, her work with the plague, and if we should be worried or not. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future
episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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The death of a lab worker in Russia has raised fears of the plague. Authorities claim she died of pneumonia from an unknown origin, but have yet to release any other details surrounding if there's a connection to the lab she worked at.
Host Maria Kestane is speaking with Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and the Science Chair for the Save America movement, then she's joined by Maria Popova, a political scientist from McGill University. They discuss what we know about the pneumonic plague, its chances of breaking out into another global pandemic, and about the challenges of dealing with an authoritarian country like Russia, when communication is so key in a potential crisis.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca
Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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British Columbia NDP leader David Eby says Ottawa needs to impose minimum standards on all social media companies and AI companies requiring that threats of violence be reported to the police. Canada’s Defence Minister is in Alberta to highlight the billions of military dollars being spent there, with less than two weeks to go before Albertans vote on whether it’s time to quit confederation. The Parti Quebecois says it's asking for a recount in a Montreal-area riding that it lost to the Liberals by a narrow margin. Canadian poet Anne Carson wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca
Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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When a person hacks a government website, it's illegal. But when a rogue AI agent does it, it's an incident that needs 'further investigation'.
Canada has invested billions of dollars into AI infrastructure and education, and although safety is a top priority according to Ottawa, robust legislation and regulation to govern the software has not kept up with the momentum.
Host Maria Kestane is speaking with Takara Small, a technology journalist, about who's held to account for AI's mass destruction, and why top-down legislation isn't the end-all be-all for a solution.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca
Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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