The Big Story Frequency Podcast Network

We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

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A study published in December offered science's most complete look at what domestic cats around the globe hunt and consume. The short answer? Absolutely everything, with no regard for any prey's place on endangered species lists. Some of the species found in cats' diets over the past few decades are now extinct, as outdoor domestic cats have spread to every place on earth save for Antartica.

We've long been told to keep cats indoors to save the lives of thousands of birds. But what if they need to be kept indoors to save the lives of ecosystems themselves? What if cats—yes, like the small, purring cutie on your couch right now—were the worst invasive species the world has known? And what if we were their willing accomplices?

GUEST: Christopher Lepczyk, ecologist and professor at Auburn University in Alabama; lead author of "A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet"

A 44-year-old listener named Brian is wondering if retirement is a reality for him. And if it is, what that retirement will look like. Is it the image of cocktails on the beach and days spent playing golf that many of us associate with this stage of life? Or is it something a little different?

Jordan speaks with Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the National Institute on Aging at Toronto Metropolitan University to help define what retirement looks like in this era.

Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.

It remains to be seen if policing in Toronto will really change as a result of the past few weeks, but a tipping point certainly seems to be at hand. First, a total exoneration for a man charged with first-degree murder, in a trial that many said should have never happened at all. Then, just days later, four people, including grandparents and an infant were killed during a high-speed chase that, again, many experts said should have never happened at all.

In the aftermath of the first case, police rallied around their own, and ended up charging an innocent man. It was only after the verdict that they announced a review. Will the force once again toe the line and protect their officers, even if it means losing the public's trust?

GUEST: Patrick Watson, assistant professor, centre for criminology and sociolegal studies, University of Toronto

On the 15th floor, a former US president, flanked by secret service members and the whole nine yards, faces criminal charges, an historical first. On the floors below, the business of a city courthouse tries to continue as usual, with court appearances for things like shoplifting and public urination.

It's been two weeks since the trial began, and the former president has been complaining about the temperature. When he isn't appearing to fall asleep. What's it like in the courthouse? What's the bigger picture of a former president running to get his job back while facing jail time? Would Donald J. Trump ever actually wind up in jail? Really?!

GUEST: Andrew Rice, features writer with New York Magazine, covering the Trump trial.

It started at Columbia University. And the NYPD came in hard, right away. Which, naturally, sparked more protests on campuses everywhere from Texas to Quebec. News reports can sometimes make these encampments—which are mostly composed of students risking their academic careers to speak up for Palestinians—seem huge, chaotic and full of antisemitism.

But how much of what's actually happening on campus makes it into 30-second clips and 60-point headlines? How does the current wave of protests compare to to others in a long history of campus activism? What do the protesters want? And why are many universities trying to crack down so hard on them?

GUEST: Justin Ling, investigative journalist, reporting for The Line

Norval Morrisseau is among the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canadian history. His instantly-recognizable paintings adorn the walls of institutions across the country, from art galleries to Universities and provincial legislatures. To say nothing of the art dealers and auction houses that have made millions selling his works. The only problem? A whole lot of them have turned out to be fake.

Even in the world of Indigenous art, where artists have been complaining about forgery for years, the scale of the Morrisseau fraud is unprecedented. So how did authorities uncover the deception? Who's behind the fakes? And what does this say about artist's ability to protect their work?

GUEST: Luc Rinaldi, writing in The Walrus