Fight Back with Libby Znaimer Zoomer Podcast Network

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 will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday. What is Wegovy and how does it differ from Ozempic?




THE BANK OF MOM AND DAD AND THE TREND OF CO-SIGNING KIDS' MORTGAGES

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Jason Mercer, Chief Market Analyst & Director of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board  and Lesley-Anne Scorgie, Founder of MeVest, a leading edge financial education company specializing in money coaching for Canadians.

Libby and guests weigh in on a new report that shows the extent by which parents are helping their kids by co-signing their mortgage. How does it work, and how often does it go south?

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 high-speed chase?

TWO KEY BY-ELECTIONS ARE FAST APPROACHING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Libby is now joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations, and John Mykytyshyn, Conservative Activist, Political Consultant, and President of Bradgate Research Group.

Two provincial bi-elections are taking place tomorrow in two ridings currently held by PC’s - Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, which was the riding of Ford government Minister Monte McNaughton, and Milton, which was Parm Gill's riding before he resigned.

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 Emily Johnson, organizer of the popular subreddit group “Loblaws Is Out of Control" - an online forum with 60,000 members and counting, and Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst & Author.

Grocery prices are in the spotlight and consumer crosshairs again. Are you going to boycott Loblaw and its many brands and banners? That initiative is set to begin tomorrow. There is even a theme song to spur the effort.

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 is very encouraged by his progress. However, the official news came after tabloid reports quoting unnamed friends of the king that stated he was doing very poorly. While Charles has been forthright about his diagnosis in a general way he hasn’t disclosed what type of cancer it is or what stage it is at.




ANTI-ISRAEL, ANTI-ZIONIST PROTESTS RAGE ACROSS UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES

Libby Znaimer is joined by Eyal Yakoby, University of Pennsylvania student combating anti-Semitism and Assaf Zeevi, Professor and Kravis Chair holder at the business school and data science institute at Columbia University.

This weekend, the wave of pro-Palestinian, pro-Hamas, and anti-Israel encampments on U.S. college campuses has spread here. There is a growing encampment at McGill where authorities note that many of the protesters dug-in in the tents are not part of the student body and that there is plenty of hateful anti-Semitic speech and intimidation. It all started at Columbia University in New York.

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.