Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  THE COST OF MAINTAINING TORONTO'S INFRASTRUCTURE IS STEEP...VERY STEEP Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto Centre and Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre. Today we discuss the latest on Sankofa Square, and the steep cost for Toronto to keep its infrastructure maintained over 10 years. ONTARIO WANTS TO IMPOSE TOUGHER LEGISLATION ON IMPAIRED DRIVERS Libby is joined by Dylan Finlay, a Toronto-based criminal defense lawyer, and Tanya Hansen Pratt, National President MADD Canada. A closer look at the Ontario government's plan to impose tougher laws on impaired drivers. WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TTC LINE 2 SUBWAY SHUTDOWN THAT CAUSED CHAOS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Stuart Green, Spokesperson for the TTC. What went wrong with the TTC shutdown of a section of Subway Line 2 earlier this week for 12 hours and where is the TTC at with regards to talks with the union? Stuart has the latest. Listen live, w

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE TREND OF CANCER DIAGNOSES AT ONTARIO HOSPITALS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. We examine why there's a trend in patients receiving cancer diagnoses in Canadian hospitals (part of the reason being the primary care shortage) and more. NUTRITION AND THE PREVALENCE AROUND EATING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS Libby is now joined by Rob Hobson, a nutritionist based out of the UK and Mark Schatzker who is the writer-in-residence at the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center at McGill University and  the author of "The End of Craving". Today our guests discuss the latest research around ultra-processed foods, how it impacts our health and why we crave it so much. GOOGLE MAPS MAKES A SANKOFA SQUARE

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: PM TRUDEAU'S CAPITAL GAINS TAX EXPLAINER VIDEO FACES BACKLASH Libby is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of the federal Conservatives. We kick the discussion off about new penalties from Queen's Park for auto theft - will they do any good? And, the latest on the Mississauga mayoral race and Prime Minister Trudeau's video explainer on the capital gains tax. MORE ON THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX: MORE ON THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX: IMPACT ON COTTAGES AND DOCTORS Libby is now joined by Kim Moody, an FCPA and the founder of Moodys Tax/Moodys Private Client, and a former chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation as well as Birute Luksenaite, principal lawyer at Toronto-based Portfolio Estate State Law. It’s true the capital gains increase will affect very rich people but also a specific segment of the middle class - people who have family cottages that they have owned for

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: THE LATEST ON THE CANADIAN DENTAL CARE PLAN Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP,  Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President, Maru Public Opinion. Libby and the panel discuss the number of claims processed under the Canada Dental Care Plan since it launched at the beginning of May. CANCER DIAGNOSES IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM Libby Znaimer is joined by Ioana Nicolau, Senior Epidemiologist with the Canadian Cancer Society and family physician, Dr. Iris Gorfinkel Amid Canada’s primary care shortage, there’s a concerning trend whereby patients are being diagnosed with Cancer during visits to hospital emergency departments. TORONTO FIRE CHIEF MATTHEW PEGG IS RETIRING THIS YEAR Libby Znaimer is now joined by Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg. This month, Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg announced that he will be retiring as of October 4th of 2024. He reflects on his career and the leadership role he took on during COVID-19. Li

Best of Fight Back Sunday May 12 Edition The Medical Record panel weighed in on arbitration between Ontario's Health Ministry and the OMA regarding physician pay. Then we speak to our American experts South of the border to give an update on Donald Trump's hush money trial involving porn star Stormy Daniels. Then on Thursday, our Tune into the Town panel discussed just how much money it will cost the City of Toronto just to maintain its current infrastructure over ten years. And then we get to our travel experts to discuss the current state of customer satisfaction with Canadian airlines including Air Canada.

Best of Fight Back Saturday May 11 Edition The Zoomer Squad kicks the week off with discussion about news of Canada Post and the financial hurdles it faces as well as the important role that mail delivery serves for Canada's older demographic. Then on the show, reaction to commissioner Marie Josee Hogue's report on foreign election interference in Canada. On Tuesday, among the topics our Recovering Politicians Panel reacted to was the VERY expensive bill that a Toronto Councillor had during an overseas conference they attended. And, our experts in Israel weighed in on the latest developments pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war.

Today on Free For All Friday: Listeners weighed in on the Toronto Maple Leafs firing head coach Sheldon Keefe, the primary care shortage in Ontario, the Loblaws boycott and more. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THE COST OF MAINTAINING TORONTO Jane Brown is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village and Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre. The cost of keeping the City of Toronto in a state of good repair just keeps on increasing.  We learned this week from a city staff report that Toronto needs 26-billion dollars over ten years just to keep much of its infrastructure in the current condition. HOW ARE CANADIANS FEELING ABOUT TRAVEL THESE DAYS?  Jane Brown is now joined by Natalie Preddie, Travel Expert and Travel Freelance Writer, and Martin Firestone, President, Travel Secure Inc. followed by Barry Choi, a personal finance and travel expert. Our guests detail their experiences of travelling lately and to our surprise, they've mostly had a positive experience! And what you need to know about loyalty reward programs that airlines offer. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

THE MEDICAL RECORD: NEW RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATED TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto and Dr. Amol Verma, a staff physician in General Internal Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Today we discuss new research on Alzheimer’s disease and more healthcare news of the week THE LATEST ON DONALD TRUMP'S HUSH MONEY TRIAL Libby Znaimer is now joined by Brad Polumbo, a conservative commentator and editor-in-chief  & Co-Founder of BASEDPolitics and Larry Haas, a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and a former White House communications strategist. This week: an update on former President Donald Trump's hush money trial involving porn star Stormy Daniels. THE GRIEF ISRAELIS ARE FEELING IN THE AFTERMATH OF OCTOBER 7TH Libby has reunited with her friend Sara who was

LEAD-RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: A TORONTO COUNCILLOR SPENT $16,000 TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister. On today's panel discussion: a Toronto City Councillor's very expensive trip abroad, Ottawa's affordable housing funding directly to municipalities in Ontario and the latest on Queen's Parks' policy towards wearing the kaffiyeh on its grounds. THE LATEST ON THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Libby Znaimer is now joined by Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director for the International Communities Organization, and Professor Dan Avnon Leon Blum Chair (emeritus) in Political Science at Department of Political Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Yesterday, urgent bulletins crossed the wire at the very end of this show saying that Hamas had accepted a ceasefire deal. It turned out it was not the deal that had been on the table

Libby is now joined by Jay Solomon, Chief Advancement Officer, Hillel Ontario which is a campus Jewish organization and Yotam Gubbay, a student at UofT who is about to begin graduate studies. As we have been reporting since last week, the UofT administration has made NO move to dismantle the anti-Israel encampment – not only that – they are allowing the masked  protesters (many of whom have no connection to the university) to control access to that part of the campus. Fight Back reached out to UofT numerous times for an interview. They instead provided this response in an email to the show: "Thank you for getting in touch. Our focus at this point is dialogue directly with the protesters, and with our students, staff, faculty and librarians, so we’re not doing interviews now". Our guests react to what's going on. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: PLANNING YOUR OAS AND CPP FOR RETIREMENT Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Dave Korzinski, Research Director of the Angus Reid Institute. Canada Post just reported staggering losses and warns of more to come. Will we see more cuts or even an end to mail delivery? And let’s talk about pensions and money and big questions around how and when to take CPP. And when it comes to Zoomer health, we’ll check in on the campaign to get more of the latest vaccines covered by medicare. THE LATEST ON THE ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT AT UOFT Libby is now joined by Jay Solomon, Chief Advancement Officer, Hillel Ontario which is a campus Jewish organization and Yotam Gubbay, a student at UofT who is about to begin graduate studies. As we have been reporting since last week, the UofT administration has made NO move to dismantle the anti-Israel encampment - not only that - they are allowing the masked  prot

Best of Fight Back Sunday May 5 Edition The Medical Panel weighs in on BC's plan to roll back its decriminalization of illicit drug use in public settings and what prompted that decision to reverse their drug policy. Then on the show we get perspective from a criminal defence lawyer on the tragic and fatal high-speed police chase that went the wrong way on Highway 401. And on our Tune into the Town panel, we get reaction from our City Councillors about how the protests and encampment at UofT should be addressed and why it hasn't been taken down yet! And Wegovy is set to be available to Canadian patients starting May 6. Here's what you need to know about the weight-loss drug.

Best of Fight Back Saturday May 4 Edition The Zoomer Squad started the week off with a discussion about warning labels now being put onto individual cigarettes--making Canada the first country to do so Then on the program, reaction to King Charles's cancer diagnosis update as given by Buckingham Palace. And we hear from a Columbia University professor as well as a UPenn student about the anti-Israel encampments taking over University campuses. And on Tuesday, the Recovering Politicians panel carries on the conversation about these encampments now on UofT's campus. And then we hear from Emily Johnson about the planned boycott against Loblaws during the month of May.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners called in about the cost of groceries at large retail grocery chains like Loblaws, the encampments taking place on North American university campuses, including here in Ontario at the University of Toronto, and more. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: MOST CAFETO PATIOS IN TORONTO WILL BE OPENED BY VICTORIA WEEKEND Libby Znaimer is joined by David Crombie, Former Mayor of Toronto, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth, and Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre. It’s Thursday - time to talk about all things municipal. The encampment at U of T is apparently growing despite the university saying it would not tolerate encampments - but they do not appear to be doing anything about it. Why should these protesters, who may or may not be students, take them at their word? OZEMPIC ALTERNATIVE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE IN CANADA STARTING MAY 6 Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Sean Wharton, the Medical Director of the Wharton Medical Clinic in Burlington, Ontario, a community-based internal medicine weight management clinic. We’ve all heard a lot about Ozempic, a drug that has been all over the headlines amid amazing results as well as shortages and controversies. The makers of Ozempic say their new weight-loss drug Wegovy wi

THE MEDICAL RECORD: BC SHIFTS ITS DRUG POLICY Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto. We get the doctors’ take on BC’s move to roll back decriminalization of drug use at least when it comes to using in public places. WHAT POLICE ARE AND ARE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO DURING A HIGH-SPEED CHASE Libby is now joined by Joseph Neuberger, a Criminal Defence Lawyer with Neuberger and Partners LLP. Why were police on that dangerous and ultimately deadly high- speed chase on the 401 that killed an infant and his grandparents as well as the suspect? It was apparently the result of an armed robbery. An investigation is underway into this horrific tragedy. What are police legally and not legally allowed to do during a

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: SOME ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES SAY ENCAMPMENTS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP, and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of the federal Conservatives.  It’s Tuesday, time to talk politics: some Ontario universities have said they will not tolerate any encampments on their campuses. And, BC shifts its policy towards the use of drugs in public settings. ARRESTS MADE IN MAJOR FRAUD SCHEME Libby is joined by Detective David Coffey with the Toronto Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit. It’s called synthetic fraud - as if we needed yet another type of scam to watch out for. It involves identity theft and the creation of fake identities. Yesterday, Toronto Police announced 12 arrests and charges against 102 individuals. So what do we have to know about this? THE GROWING CAMPAIGN OF HATE AGAINST LOBLAW (NOW THERE'S A MUSIC VIDEO) Libby is joined by Emil

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: CANADA'S NATIONAL DENTAL COVERAGE PROGRAM STARTING THIS WEEK Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Lorne Bozinoff, President, Forum Research Group. The dental plan is once again at the top of the agenda. It is supposed to start this week and 1.7 million Canadians are signed up but where are the dentists? Also starting this week, those warnings on individual cigarettes-- 12% of the population still smokes. Will this get them to quit? And on a really positive note, the Rolling Stones have embarked on their latest tour - they’re in their 80's! We’ll talk  about that. AN UPDATE ON KING CHARLES'S CANCER DIAGNOSIS FROM THE PALACE Libby Znaimer is joined by Patricia Treble, a veteran royal watcher who has the Write Royalty newsletter on Substack. We just learned that King Charles is set to resume some of his public duties in the midst of his cancer treatment. The palace made the announcement saying that his medical team

Best of Fight Back Sunday April 28 Edition Our Medical Record Panelist joined to discuss a new U.S. study which concludes people are less likely to die or be readmitted to hospital if they are treated by women doctors. Sylvain Charlebois, the senior director of the agri food analytics lab at Dalhousie University joined us to talk about a planned boycott of Loblaws that is expected to start on May 1st Then on the program, The Tune Into the Town Municipal Panel react to Mayor Chow reiterating what she said last week about moving toward 24-7 construction on the Gardiner between Dufferin and Straun.