RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  A LOOK AHEAD TO TODAY'S FEDERAL LIBERAL BUDGET Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist, President at Enterprise.  Our panel gives their thoughts ahead of the federal Liberal budget being delivered in Ottawa this afternoon. WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR'S POPPIE CAMPAIGN Libby Znaimer is joined by Nujma Bond, Communications Manager for the Royal Canadian Legion's national headquarters. Nujma details all the ways you can donate to the annual Poppy Campaign running from October 31st to November 11th. And, you don't have to pay by cash necessarily. In 2024, as much as $700,000 was raised through tap to pay tribute boxes according to The Legion. Tune in for all the details. KING CHARLES STRIPS PRINCE ANDREW OF HIS TITLES AND OTHER ROYAL NEWS Libby Znaimer is joined by Robert Hardman, Author of Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story. On October 30th, King Charles began the official process of stripping Prince Andrew of his royal titles. He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Andrew has also been evicted from the Royal Lodge residence in the process. How does this all impact the Royal Family moving forward?

ZOOMER SQUAD:  A PREVIEW OF PM MARK CARNEY'S UPCOMING FEDERAL BUDGET THIS WEEK  Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP; David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies; and Liz West, Host of the Afternoon Express on Zoomer Radio. What will the upcoming federal Liberal budget deliver to Zoomers this week? And, just how big might the deficit be? Our panel weighs in on the latest. HOW DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BECAME BIG BUSINESS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Taylor Scollon, Co-Founder of The Peak. Daylight Saving Time came to an end over the weekend. And as Taylor points out, changing the clocks has become big business with people relying on an assortment of apps and gadgets to make for a smoother transition. He gives us the latest on that. THERE'S A PRODUCTIVITY CRISIS AMONG PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS IN CANADA Libby Znaimer is joined by Peter Copeland, Deputy Director of Domestic Policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. A recent MLI report highlights a productivity crisis among public sector workers, along with other key issues. Tune in to hear the details. 

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to the news that the Ford government is going to be removing speed cameras in a couple of weeks and, of course, we talk about the Blue Jays ahead of game 6 tonight of the World Series!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: SHOULD BONNIE CROMBIE RUN AGAIN FOR MAYOR OF MISSISSAUGA? Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. Bonnie Crombie is considering a run for Mayor of Mississauga. Meanwhile, there's been a lot of excitement around the Blue Jays this past week but why are we hearing the lyrics being changed to O Canada? And, is the situation improving with safety around micro-mobility vehicles in the aftermath of the Toronto Police safety enforcement campaign that spanned from August 25 to September 13? HOW MANY SCAM TEXTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED LATELY?  Libby Znaimer is joined by Detective David Coffey of Toronto Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit and Julie Kuzmic, Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance at Equifax Canada. How many scam calls, texts and emails have you received lately? We look at a new survey from Equifax Canada that shows that 1 in 4 Canadians reported getting scam emails and 13 percent said they clicked a fraudulent link. Det. Coffey gives us pointers on how to better protect ourselves. HOW A GROUP OF CANADIAN BUSINESSMEN TURNED CANADA INTO A MILITARY POWERHOUSE DURING WW2 Libby Znaimer is joined by Allan Levine, Author of The Dollar A Year Men: How the Best Business Brains in Canada Helped to Win the Second World War. In his new book, Allan details the incredible story of how a group of Canadian businessmen turned our country into a military powerhouse during World War 2. The book launch takes place tonight!

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE ROLE OF EXERCISE DURING CANCER RECOVERY Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto; and Dr. Amol Verma, a staff physician in General Internal Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Today: we discuss the role of exercise for patients during cancer recovery. And, how beneficial is a long walk vs many small walks for your health? A new study gives us clarity on that. ASSISTING JAMAICA IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE MELISSA Libby Znaimer is joined by Bruce Croxon, an entrepreneur and board member with Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation and Rahul Singh, Executive Director of Global Medic. Hurricane Melissa, was a category 5 storm when it hit Jamaica this week causing plenty of damage. Here at home, various organizations are stepping up to help in the aftermath. Will the federal government do it's part as well? THE U.S. TRADE WAR WITH CHINA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CANADA Libby Znaimer is joined by Charles Burton, an expert on Canada-China relations and author of The Beaver and the Dragon: How China Out-Maneuvered Canada's Diplomacy, Security and Sovereignty. Prime Minister Mark Carney is attending the ASEAN summit this week. Meanwhile, President Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Xinping this Thursday. What can we expect to come out of that?

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: PREMIER DOUG FORD'S REAGAN AD AND PRESIDENT TRUMP INCREASES TARIFFS ON CANADA Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford feels as though he accomplished his mission with the $75 million anti-tariff Reagan ad that aired in the U.S. and led President Donald Trump not only to end trade talks with Canada but also add an additional 10 percent on tariffs. What do you think about the ad? Was it worth it?   WHY DOES PREMIER FORD WANT TO DO AWAY WITH FIXED ELECTION DATES? Libby Znaimer is joined by Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. The Ford government wants to see an end to fixed election dates? The governing PCs also want to increase the limit for political donations. Duff weighs in on the latest. THE PROMISE OF A NEW HEALTH CANADA APPROVED AZLHEIMER'S DRUG Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Sharon Cohen, Medical Director of the Toronto Memory Program. She worked on the lecanemab clinical trials. Dr. Cohen talks about the promise of lecanemab, a drug just approved by Health Canada that works to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and why it is a game changer. She also addresses concerns around the high cost of the drug and potential side effects.

ZOOMER SQUAD: NEW LIAISON STRATEGIES POLL SHOWS CRIME AS BEING TOP ISSUE FOR TORONTONIANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP; David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies; and Liz West, Host of the Afternoon Express on Zoomer Radio. According to a new poll by Liaison Strategies, crime is the number one issue for Toronto residents. Meanwhile, you can now get your flu and COVID-19 shot, and you can choose to get them together. Our panel reacts to the latest. A NEW FOOD BANK REPORT PAINTS A GRIM PICTURE OF FOOD INSECURITY IN TORONTO Libby Znaimer is joined by Neil Hetherington, CEO, Daily Bread Food Bank. It's a staggering statistic: there were more than 4 million visits to the food banks in Toronto between March 2024 and April 2025 according to the latest Who's Hungry Report from Daily Bread. How did we get here? Neil weighs in. WHY IS CANADA FALLING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE? Libby Znaimer is joined by Nadeem Esmail, Director of Health Policy at the Fraser Institute. We have less doctors, hospital beds, MRI machines, CT scanners and longer wait times in Canada compared to other countries with universal healthcare according to a recent Fraser Institute report. Why is that the case?

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to the Ford government's $75 million ad featuring Ronald Reagan that's been running in the States and promoting an anti-tariffs message. The ad reportedly led to President Trump ending trade talks with Canada. Was it a good move at the end of the day? Meanwhile, David Garrick, a former VP of SkyDome, phoned into the show to reminisce with Libby about the last time the Blue Jays won the World Series!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THE CITY'S HIRING FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL WORKERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. A poll from this week reveals that Torontonians are not pleased with the city's direction and are pointing the finger at Mayor Olivia Chow. Meanwhile, the City is introducing a hiring freeze for non-essential workers and subsidies pertaining to Toronto's "Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program" could see an increase. TORONTO POLICE ASSOCIATION REACTION TO FEDERAL LIBERALS' BAIL REFORM PLANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Clayton Campbell,  President of Toronto Police Association. Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General Sean Fraser held a press conference this morning regarding the federal Liberals' bail reform plans. Do the changes go far enough? REACTION TO PM MARK CARNEY'S PRE-BUDGET SPEECH IN OTTAWA  Libby Znaimer is joined by Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and Finance Minister and Tom Parkin, social democratic commentator. Prime Minister Mark Carney made a pre-budget speech in Ottawa where he expressed that our economy will need to change and that includes on the trade front. The budget itself will be delivered on November 4th. Our strategists weigh in on what was said.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR MRIs ACCORDING TO RADIOLOGISTS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. On the show today we discuss pickleball injuries, MRI wait times and peanut allergies among kids.  TORONTONIANS NOT PLEASED WITH DIRECTION OF THE CITY AND POINTING THE BLAME AT MAYOR CHOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor Brad Bradford of Ward 19 Beaches East York.  Councillor Bradford weighs in on a new poll indicating that residents of Toronto are not pleased with the direction our City is on and are pointing the finger at Mayor Olivia Chow. And, we discuss the Carney Liberals' announcement on bail reform . THE AG'S DAMNING REPORT ABOUT POOR PERFORMANCE AT CRA CALL CENTRES Libby Znaimer is joined by Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation and David J. Rotfleisch, a Canadian tax lawyer and chartered accountant. Our panel reacts to a new report from Auditor General Karen Hogan that details poor performance at CRA call centres. One of the issues she found is that from February to May of this year, employees gave Canadians the right answer to their tax questions only 17 percent of the time. How did we get here?

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: AG REPORT ON CRA PERFORMANCE AND CANADIAN MILITARY RECRUITMENT  Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada. A new Auditor General report is shedding light on poor performance at CRA call centres and points to Canada's military not being where it needs to be when it comes to recruitment. Finally, our panel reacts to General Motors closing down EV production at an Ingersoll, Ontario plant.   CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS ARE BEING FINGERPRINTED AT THE U.S. BORDER  Libby Znaimer is joined by Martin Firestone, President, Travel Secure Inc. and Stephen Fine, President & Managing Editor at SnowbirdAdvisor.ca Why are Canadian snowbirds being fingerprinted at the U.S. border? And, are the numbers up or down when it comes to snowbirds travelling to the States? Our experts weigh in on the latest. HOW EXCITEMENT AROUND THE BLUE JAYS IS BOOSTING TORONTO TOURISM  Libby Znaimer is joined by Tony Elenis, President and CEO of The Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) and Kelly Jackson, VP of Destination Development at Destination Toronto What's been the impact of all of the Blue Jays excitement on Toronto's local tourism sector and businesses? Our panel discusses. 

ZOOMER SQUAD: FINANCE MINISTER MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT ON SCAMS Libby Znaimer is joined by Liz West, Host of The Afternoon Express on Zoomer Radio; David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies; and Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant. A new poll by Liaison Strategies shows that Ontario PCs would be the top choice if an election were held now. And, we are getting more clarity from this poll about where Ontarians stand when it comes to speed cameras: 49 percent disapprove of a ban on them while 34 approve. And, CARP's Anthony Quinn is in Ottawa where the finance minister made an announcement regarding frauds and scams. He calls into the show for a recap! FEDERAL LIBERALS SET TO INTRODUCE BAIL REFORM LEGISLATION THIS WEEK: HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Ari Goldkind, a criminal defense lawyer. The federal Liberals are set to introduce a bill for bail reform this week though we don't yet have a specific date for when that's happening. Ari weighs in on what we do know about it so far. LET'S TALK BLUE JAYS! Libby Znaimer is joined by Walter Rigobon, Co-host of the Naz and Wally Sports Hour on Zoomer Radio. The Toronto Blue Jays have forced a game 7 against the Seattle Mariners which is taking place tonight! We talk about this exciting moment in Toronto sports and what it means for the city.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners weighed in on the federal Liberal's announcement regarding bail reform legislation and the issue of speed cameras. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: TORONTO HAS A TRAFFIC CONGESTION PROBLEM Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. Our panel reacts to Toronto's persistent traffic congestion woes and other municipal news of the week. And, Toronto's transportation czar Barbara Grey is retiring. What's next in terms of the plan to ease our traffic gridlock problems? WHERE CANADA STANDS COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES WHEN IT COMES TO AGRI-FOOD SECTOR Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. It's World Food Day and we look at a report from Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab about where Canada ranks worldwide when it comes to the agri-food sector. OTTAWA RESPONDS AFTER STELLANTIS ANNOUNCES MOVE OF ITS JEEP PRODUCTION FROM BRAMPTON TO USA Libby Znaimer is joined by Sam Fiorani, Vice President, Global Vehicle Forecasting of AutoForecast Solutions L.L.C. and Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Ottawa responds to Stellantis after it announced its plans to pull its Jeep production out of Brampton and move it to the U.S. And, we dive deeper into the impact of this move on our local auto sector.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: RFK JR CLAIMS CONNECTION BETWEEN CIRCUMCISION AND AUTISM  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. Plenty to discuss this week including the World Health Organization warning about the rise of drug resistant infections. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. weighs in on circumcision claiming that it's linked to autism. Our panel reacts to the latest. THE THEORY OF POLITICS AT THE RIGHT MOMENT Libby Znaimer is joined by Professor Gabriel Ben Dor, who teaches National Security and Political science at the University of Haifa and was formerly the head of the university's program for national security studies. Professor Ben Dor explains the theory of politics at the right moment within the context of the recent developments in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas agreement. MAYOR PATRICK BROWN ON STELLANTIS MOVING JEEP PRODUCTION FROM BRAMPTON TO UNITED STATES Libby Znaimer is joined by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown to discuss Stellantis moving its Jeep production from Brampton to the United States. What are the implications of this on our local auto sector?

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  TRUMP ATTENDS PEACE SIGNING CEREMONY & CANADA'S THAWING RELATIONS WITH INDIA Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC Finance Minister. President Donald Trump was in Egypt this week for a peace signing ceremony over the war in Gaza. Other world leaders were in attendance as well, including Prime Minister Mark Carney. In other news, Canada's relationship with India appears to be on the mend.  FRED HAHN LOSES A POSITION IN AFTERMATH OF CUPE NATIONAL CONVENTION Libby Znaimer is joined by Warren Kinsella, a lawyer and journalist and Carrie Silverberg, a Jewish CUPE member who resigned from the executive of CUPE Local 1734. Fred Hahn has lost his position of general VP which happened during CUPE's national convention this week. He's still the President, however, with the next election being held in May of 2026. Hahn has sparked major backlash for his anti-Israel views in the aftermath of October 7th. CANADIAN ECONOMIST WINS NOBEL PRIZE FOR "CREATIVE DESTRUCTION" THEORY: HERE'S WHAT THAT MEANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Moshe Lander, Senior Lecturer of Economics at Concordia University in Montreal. Canadian economist Peter Howitt has won the Nobel Prize for his work on the "creative destruction" theory. What exactly does that mean? Moshe explains.

ZOOMER SQUAD:  BEWARE OF ROMANCE SCAMS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP, David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies and Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant. CARP is sounding the alarm on romance scams, grandparent scams and other forms of fraud targeting older Canadians and is calling for "stronger penalties" for those committing crimes. Do you know someone who's been the victim of a scam? REMAINING LIVING HOSTAGES IN GAZA ARE RELEASED TO ISRAEL & PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSES THE KNESSET  Libby Znaimer is joined by Vivian Bercovici, former Ambassador of Canada to Israel. All of the remaining living hostages have been returned to Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump touched down in the country to address the Knesset (Israel's parliament). THE IMPACT OF GRATITUDE ON MENTAL HEALTH Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Steve Joordens, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Dr. Joordens explains the importance of practicing gratitude in our daily lives and the positive impact it has on mental health. BOB BLUMER ON THE LATEST KITCHEN LIFE HACKS Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Blumer, creator and host of the television series Surreal Gourmet. Kitchen life hacks have been trending all over the internet for a while now. But are they really worth it? Bob weighs in on some of his favourites and even the more bizarre ones he's seen and dishes out some very useful tips for being more efficient when cooking.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners weighed in on the latest developments pertaining to the Israel-Hamas agreement, the ongoing issue of speed cameras, and to express their wishes for a happy Thanksgiving weekend.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: SPEED CAMERAS & TORONTO SCHOOL PLAYS "O CANADA" IN ARABIC Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak of Ward 6 York Centre and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. Earl Haig, a TDSB school, is facing major backlash including from Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra after it played "O Canada" in Arabic on the anniversary of October 7th. Meanwhile, we get reaction to the latest developments on speed cameras--an issue that Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford disagree on. ISRAEL AND HAMAS REACH AN AGREEMENT: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR Libby Znaimer is joined by Professor Gabriel Ben Dor, who teaches National Security and Political science at the University of Haifa and was formerly the head of the university's program for national security studies.  Israel and Hamas have reportedly reached an agreement that will see the return of all the hostages (dead and alive) that are currently being held in Gaza. This is a rapidly developing story. WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF THE WHALES AT MARINELAND?  Libby Znaimer is joined by Lori Marino, Founder and President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, and Erin Ryan, Wildlife Campaign Manager of World Animal Protection. What will the fate of Marineland's 30 Beluga whales be, and why has this become a point of issue between the company and the government? We get the latest reaction.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE DANGERS OF VAPING & WHAT DOCTORS WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. Hospitals in the province are in need of $1 billion in funding. And, we discuss the dangers of vaping as well as what the medical community is saying about supplements and why you should exercise caution. STILL NO TRADE DEAL AFTER PM CARNEY MEETS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN WASHINGTON Libby Znaimer is joined by Inu Manuk, a fellow for trade policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant; and Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist and President at Enterprise Prime Minister Mark Carney had another meeting with U.S. President Trump in Washington this week. Trump even complimented Carney, but still we have been left with no trade deal. What happens next? THE CANADIAN ANTHEM WAS SUNG IN ARABIC AT A TDSB SCHOOL ON 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF OCTOBER 7TH Libby Znaimer is joined by Don Stewart, a former Conservative Member of Parliament and Tamara Gottlieb, founding member of the Jewish Educators and Family Association of Canada. Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra expressed disappointment and a warning after a TDSB school played O Canada in Arabic and it happened on the second anniversary of October 7th.