The Star

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Channel • 13 Shows

Health & Fitness

Health & Fitness

Updated weekly
Investing

Investing

Updated weekly
News

News

Updated daily
Documentary

Documentary

Weekly series
Baseball

Baseball

Updated weekly
Politics

Politics

Every two months
Business

Business

Series

23 Feb

The grim news about your biological age

The longevity gold rush is underway and we hear about the latest reasons for optimism and cynicism from Steve Horvath, the developer of a 'biological clock' that is mostly used by researchers or, the curious, although some experts question whether such measurements are ready for prime time. Horvath explains the science behind his clock, the centenarian connection and the food he says can keep our biological age low. Guest: Steve Horvath is a biogerontologist, whose research lies at the intersection of epigenetic biomarkers of aging, preclinical and clinical studies, genomics, epidemiology, and comparative biology. This episode was produced by Moira Welsh, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon.

23 Feb

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34 min
08/07/2024

Alice Munro's family kept a terrible secret for decades. Now they want the world to know

Guest: Deborah Dundas, opinion section editor at the Toronto Star A chilling revelation has surfaced almost a month after the death of Canada's literary giant, Alice Munro. Andrea Skinner — who is Munro's daughter — has revealed in the Toronto Star that her stepfather Gerald Fremlin sexually abused her when she was nine years old. She was only able to tell her mother in a letter when she was in her 20s. Her mother chose to remain with Fremlin, even after discovering the abuse. For nearly five decades a conspiracy of silence has loomed over the family — casting a chill over the legacy of Canada's Nobel laureate — and raising questions about how society appears to view and protect its icons while uncomfortable truths and complicit silence lurks just beneath the surface. More than anything else, this is the story of a survivor and her courage to speak out so others might follow. A warning that his episode contains descriptions of child sexual abuse and might be triggering. Please take care while listening. Audio sources: CBC This episode was produced by Sean Pattenden and Saba Eitizaz

08/07/2024

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29 min
Season 1, Episode 1

Internet Addicts Anonymous

When she was 12 years old, Ava Smithing spiralled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life. A decade later, she discovered she wasn't alone: Big Tech had hijacked childhood and adolescence for an entire generation. In this ten-part investigative podcast, Ava crosses the continent to uncover a hidden digital world. She'll meet teens with millions of followers, young girls wrestling with compulsive porn use, and boys blackmailed by international cybercriminals lurking in their DMs. In the first episode of Left to Their Own Devices, Ava dives into the debate over technology addiction. The condition is absent from the official list of mental health disorders used by psychiatrists, but undeniable to those who live it. Inside an Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous meeting, she hears firsthand from people who say their lives have been consumed by screens. And, she sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke – author of Dopamine Nation – who's watched her patient' struggles shift from substance abuse to compulsive relationships with social media, gaming, and online content. This podcast isn't a self-help guide to digital wellness. It's a survival story from the front lines of 21st century childhood.

S1, E1

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34 min
Season 1, Episode 2

A Tale of Two Algorithms

Algorithms are the invisible engines that drive every scroll, swipe or click. And, in the last few years, it's become clear that they can devastate young lives. But Ava discovers they might also be capable of saving them. She speaks with two teens with radically different stories. When 12-year-old CeCe Neltner went online to find workout tips, her social media feeds devolved into a torrent of eating disorder content. Today, she says she's lucky to be alive. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Keira MacDuff was battling a mysterious chronic illness that doctors dismissed as teenage drama – until TikTok's algorithm led her to a life-changing diagnosis. Did TikTok save Keira's life?

S1, E2

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32 min
19 Jan

Olympian Kingpin: The Hunt for Ryan Wedding

Guest: Calvi Leon, Staff Reporter In 2002, Ryan Wedding represented Canada an Olympic snowboarder. Today, the FBI describes him as a modern-day Pablo Escobar. Alleged to be the mastermind behind a massive, violent drug trafficking empire, Wedding is now the target of a global manhunt with a $15 million bounty on his head. Star reporter Calvi Leon has been reporting on this case for years, likely longer than any other reporter. In this episode, she takes us through the chilling transformation of an elite athlete into "El Jefe."; from allegedly engineering narco-terrorism programs to orchestrating targeted murders and moving record-breaking amounts of cocaine into Canada. Calvi also brings us up to speed on the latest news of the case. Plus: We've been sitting on a secret. At the end of this episode, we can finally let you in on it. Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon

19 Jan

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22 min
15/03/2025

Mark Carney's first day

Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's new Prime Minister Friday morning, after winning the Liberal leadership race in a landslide. He unveiled a new, leaner cabinet but tapped many of outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau's ministers for key portfolios. Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles and national politics reporters Ryan Tumilty and Mark Ramzy join host Althia Raj to talk about Carney's cabinet picks, his first move as prime minister and what it says about the timing of the next federal election. Also on the show, pollster Alex Kohut of North Poll Strategies breaks down the Liberal leadership race numbers, and what they tell us about some of the challenges and opportunities the Liberal party may face and seize on the campaign trail. This episode of "It's Political" was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC and Right Side Broadcasting Network.

15/03/2025

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45 min
Season 1 Trailer

Introducing How to Live to 100 (or Die Trying)

The Toronto Star's Moira Welsh hosts How to Live to 100 or Die Trying, an uplifting, shocking, and illuminating conversation for all ages on growing older. You'll hear from a 40-something football star turned mobility mentor, a skateboarding impresario focused on death, but a good one. And a scientist who says he can measure biological age. But don't fear the reaper because he also shares a startling secret to longevity. We give traditional topics like ageism a millennial twist and go deep into the future of work. Call it freedom 75. Keeping it real throughout is blunt insight from a geriatrician who says most of that data on your wearable device is poppycock. It's quite a ride, this arc of life. You can find it on thestar.com or wherever you listen, to your favourite podcasts.

S1 Trailer

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1 min
14/02/2025

The Conservatives attempt to rewrite their playbook

For the past two years, the Conservatives drove home the message that things were "broken" in Canada and that the governing Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was to blame. Whether it was branding the rising cost of living 'Justinflation' or blaming those costs on the Liberals' carbon price and urging Canadians to 'Axe the Tax,' the Tories' messaging was working perfectly fine. Then U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House and, with that, a new obstacle blocked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's path to power. Trump says he's serious about annexing Canada through economic means. His threats to impose across-the-board tariffs have already caused panic in this country, and it's led to a bounce in the polls for the federal Liberals. Though the Conservatives had enjoyed a 27-point lead over the Liberals for a while, a Leger poll this week seemed to confirm a new trend: a single-digit gap between both parties — and if Mark Carney led the Liberals, the possibility the Grits could win. With Trudeau's resignation, and Liberal leadership candidates pledging to axe-the-tax, those issues are now off the table. Is it Trump's return that changes the ballot question for the next Federal election? Does winning now depend on whether the Conservatives can be seen as the best defenders of Canada against an unpredictable threat coming from our southern border? In this episode of "It's Political," Pollara Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold and 338canada.com's editor-in-chief Philippe J. Fournier join us for a deep dive on what the numbers really signal. Then, we'll explore the current challenges facing Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party with Toronto Star Ottawa reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty, along with Radio-Canada's Christian Noël. In this episode: Pollara Strategic Insight's Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold, 338canada.com Editor-in-Chief and Politico Contributor Philippe J. Fournier; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Raisa Patel; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty; and Radio-Canada parliamentary bureau journalist Christian Noël. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, Fox News, CBC, CTV, Radio-Canada, Global News, CP24, Toronto Sun, the X accounts of Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland, and Mark Carney, and Poilievre's YouTube account. This episode of "It's Political" was produced by Althia Raj and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

14/02/2025

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42 min
Season 1 Trailer

Introducing Left to Their Own Devices

We handed kids the most powerful technology in history. Then we walked away. This is what happened next. When she was 12 years old, Ava Smithing spiraled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life. A decade later, she discovered she wasn't alone: Big Tech had rewritten childhood and adolescence for her entire generation. Armed with questions and a year to find answers, Ava embarked on a cross-continent investigation into a hidden digital world. She met teens in 12-step programs for social media addiction, young girls wrestling with compulsive porn use, and boys who had been blackmailed by international cybercriminals. This isn't a self-help guide to digital wellness. It's a survival story from the front lines of 21st century childhood: where young people are re-writing the playbook for what it means to be human in a hyperconnected world. Subscribers to the Toronto Star will be able to access episodes early.

S1 Trailer

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4 min
08/11/2024

Donald Trump Wins. Now what?

Donald Trump will be president of the United States for a second time. Trump's decisive victory Tuesday plunges the U.S., the world and Canada into uncharted territory. The president-elect pledged to deport American residents, slap tariffs on imported goods, and renegotiate a crucial trade deal with Canada and Mexico. Not only are Canada and the U.S. each other's largest trading partner with $3.6 billion worth of goods and services crossing the border each day, but millions of jobs also rely on that two-way trade and investment. This week on "It's Political" we'll take a look at the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) or as it is called in the United States, the U.S.M.C.A., and the trade irritants that have popped up since the deal came into effect four years ago. Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association President Flavio Volpe, Ontario Independent Senator and former president of the Canadian Labour Congress Hassan Yussuff, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Strategic Policy and Global Partnerships Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, International Trade Lawyer and McMillan Partner William Pellerin, and Future Borders Coalition Executive Director Laura Dawson will join us. But we'll begin with the first of a two-part discussion about the impact of Trump's election on geopolitics, lessons learned from the last round of trade negotiations, and how Canadians political parties can prepare with Canada's former ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton and prime minister Justin Trudeau's former principal secretary and Eurasia Group Vice Chairman Gerald Butts. 5:24 -- MacNaughton and Butts part 1 25:00 -- Mini-documentary on CUSMA and trade irritants 48:40 -- MacNaughton and Butts part 2 Some of the clips this week were sourced from the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, CPAC, Global, Fox, Bloomberg, CTV, CBC, C-SPAN, and CP24. This episode of "It's Political" was produced by Kevin Sexton and host Althia Raj. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

08/11/2024

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1hr 3min

The Star Podcasts are part of the Toronto Star, a multi-platform news organization that informs, connects, investigates, reports and effects change. The purpose of the Toronto Star is to keep our audience informed about what matters most to them, to help make their life, community, country and world better.

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