Canadaland

Why are media companies like CNN and Substack joining forces with prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi?Both Polymarket and Kalshi have been all over the news and editorial pages: will these markets be a blight of insider trading and foreign interference? The next step on the slippery slope to online gambling addiction? Should we really be able to bet on kidnapping, war, the timing of someone else's death? But thanks to recent partnerships between big media and the prediction market companies, Polymarket and Kalshi are moving from being the subject of headlines to the co-creators of those headlines.Up until last week this was mostly an American game that Canadians could surreptitiously play through VPNs. Then it was announced that Canadian fintech company Wealthsimple, cleared regulatory hurdles to bring the markets to its millions of existing customers, bringing the tech to the masses.Gemma Boothroyd brings us the story.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (A

The NDP is picking a new leader, but can any of the candidates lead them back to relevance? In Manitoba this weekend, the NDP is gathering to name a new leader, but a recent poll suggests that almost half of previous NDP voters don’t recognize the names of the candidates. Avi Lewis is the frontrunner, with impressive fundraising and big ideas, but will his playbook translate into national interest in the party?Host: Noor AzriehCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Zain Velji Further reading: Almost half of former NDP voters don't recognize names of leadership candidates: poll - CTV NewsA Low-Energy, High-Stakes NDP Leadership Race - Policy MagazineThe NDP has become a party of puppy dogs - The Globe and MailHe comes from a line of old-school NDP leaders — but can Avi Lewis make the party feel new again? - Toronto StarIn a prov

How does Rogan fit into Poilievre’s larger strategic shift?Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience has already been viewed by millions, and, surprisingly, many political commentators in Canada are applauding his performance. Zain Velji joins Noor Azrieh to consider what Poilievre’s longform bro-fest can tell us about his political strategy going forward.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Zain VeljiAdditional music by Audio NetworkOn the next episode of Off The Record, we’re asking you: What is a piece of fake news that you fell for? AI slop? An April Fools’ joke? Or something altogether more sinister… Call in and let us know on Thursday, March 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm EDT by going to callinstudio.com/show/canadaland or dialing in at 888-401-7056  Further reading: Joe Rogan Experience #24

The scramble for CUSMA has begun. Lobbyists are lobbying. Negotiators are negotiating. And, while that’s all kicking off, there’s another less visible channel of diplomacy. The Canada-US Interparliamentary Group. A network of Canadian MPs, senators, and members of Congress who meet every year to keep our relationship going and talk through issues that could otherwise spiral into major disputes. This episode, host Sam Konnert takes a look inside the network of politicians trying to keep the Canada-US relationship running smoothly, and speaks with Canadian Senator Michael MacDonald and Politico reporter Nick Taylor-Vaisey.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Nick Taylor-Vaisey, Michael L. MacDonaldBackground reading:U.S. facing headwinds in trade negotiations with Canada, U.S. ambassador sa

Over a decade ago journalist Laura Robinson broke this story of alleged abuse against Indigenous children at a school in Burns Lake, B.C.. The man at the centre of the allegations is someone who had risen to international prominence in the sports world. It's been a tale of twists and turns with the RCMP investigating the abuse allegations and declining to press charges. Robinson and the accused took turns to sue each other for defamation. Finally, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal took up the case and just handed down a decision. And despite the fact that over the last decade nearly every major broadcaster in the country has printed and broadcast the name of the alleged abuser, we no longer can. There's now a publication ban in effect.Is this the final chapter in the story?Laura Robinson joins us today.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking

The scandals of Doug Ford and Danielle Smith continue to make headlines, but it appears to have little impact on them politically. Now, Ford is changing the rules around Freedom of Information to make it harder to hold him accountable. Smith has also been criticized for her government’s approach to information requests. This clawback on the access of information is a trend in other governments across the country. How does the public and the media demand accountability when politicians dominate the messaging through their own channels and limit the availability of information? Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Max Fawcett Further reading: Ford government moves to make all premier, minister records secret | Globalnews.caInvestigation finds Alberta government broke its own freedom of information rul

Gas prices are back in the news as the Iran War disrupts global oil supply. Columnists are weighing in on what it all means for Canada’s energy future. With Carney’s commitment to making Canada an energy superpower, do we barrel forward with increased oil production or renew our commitment to renewables?Max Fawcett of Canada’s National Observer joins San Grewal to drill beneath the headlines. Host: San Grewal Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Max Fawcett Further reading: What energy transition? The Middle East war shows the world still runs on oil - The Globe and MailOil prices are soaring on Iran crisis. Why aren’t clean energy stocks? | Canada's National Observer: Climate NewsWhy the Iran war is bad for clean energy - E&E News by POLITICO  Could the Iran war energy shock accelerate the transition to renewab

Investigative reporters have uncovered a network of these crypto-to-cash desks operating across Canada. And some of the transactions moving through them appear linked to crypto wallets allegedly associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.So how could money tied to a sanctioned regime end up moving through Toronto?Host Noor Azrieh speaks with reporters behind the global investigation, The Coin Laundry, and with financial-crime experts about how Iran and other sanctioned actors use cryptocurrency to move money around the world.Then we zoom out. As the US-Israeli war in Iran escalates, Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz joins us to explain what Canada is actually doing about it.CORRECTION: This episode incorrectly identified Toronto Star journalist Sheila Wang as Sheila Edwards. We regret the error.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown

Anthony Duncan turned his chatbot into his therapist. That was the start of a journey that ended in the psych ward. How did Anthony’s bot go from helping him write emails to egging on the wildest, and darkest, of his delusions?Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Julian Abraham (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Caleb ThompsonAdditional music by Audio Network, Julian Abraham, and Anthony Cesar DuncanPhoto: Courtesy of Anthony Cesar DuncanMore information:https://www.instagram.com/anthonypsychosissurvivor/https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~duvenaud/Sponsors: Squarespace: Check out https://squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://article.com/canadalan

Former CBC host Travis Dhanraj promised to “pull the curtain back” and reveal what is really happening inside the CBC. On Tuesday, he testified in parliament that he experienced bias, tokenism, and bullying at the public broadcaster. Conservative voices are calling his testimony “explosive” and “shocking,” while others consider his concerns “pedestrian” and “absurd.”    What does Dhanraj’s whistleblowing tell us about the situation inside the CBC?Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Travis Dhanraj Further reading: Former CBC journalist Travis Dhanraj accuses broadcaster of 'tokenism' [YouTube] Former CBC News host Travis Dhanraj says he was 'pulled off the air' for fighting against bias - CBC NewsFormer CBC host Travis Dhanraj tells MPs of internal conflict over sources and political

In February, controversial Sikh YouTuber Nancy Grewal told CBC News that she feared for her life. Days later, she was stabbed to death outside of Windsor, Ontario. Was her murder related to her criticism of the Khalistan movement? San Grewal of The Pointer joins to unpack the political pressures and misinformation shaping the reporting of the case.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: San Grewal Further reading: Social media account touting Khalistani extremism claims responsibility for death of Windsor, Ont., woman | CBC News Slain Windsor woman expressed fears to CBC News days before she died - CBC News Nancy Grewal murder: Conflicting claims of responsibility emerge on social media - The Tribune Nancy Grewal's mother retracts allegations after daughter’s murder in Canada | Chandigarh Ne

AI chatbots are encouraging violence, social media is hurting kids, and Ottawa is still trying to figure out how to regulate the harms of the internet after two very public failed attempts. Host Noor Azrieh and Taylor Owen, professor and member of the federal task force on AI and online safety, dig into the federal government’s latest Online Harms push. Why does regulating the internet, especially its nastier corners, keep proving so hard to actually do?PLUS, we hear from Thomas Juneau, former defence analyst and current professor of Middle Eastern security & intelligence, on what a possible Canadian intervention in the region could look like.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Taylor Owen, Thomas JuneauBackground reading:Canada could be the next nation to ban soci

Canada is home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside of Iran in the world. There are over 280,000 Iranian Canadians living here. The rallies they've held in recent months have been some of the largest that Canada has ever seen. According to the CBC last month, 350,000 people took to the streets in Toronto. And that was before the war had even begun.Today we’re checking in with three Iranian-Canadians as they watch history unfold.Host: Jesse BrownCredits:  Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkPhoto: Sima GhaffarzadehMore information:An estimated 350,000 people rally in Toronto in support of Iran protests, police say — CBCIranian-owned gym in Thornhill hit by gunfire — Global NewsSponsors: Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of fre

Carney travels to India and strikes a landmark deal with Modi, but what about all those allegations of foreign interference by Indian agents in Canada? A senior official in Carney’s government says India is no longer targeting Canadians, but CSIS and other Liberal MPs insist it’s still ongoing. Plus, a new Globe and Mail investigation offers a detailed portrait of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Correction:In a previous version of this episode, the driver of the Humboldt Broncos bus, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, was referred to as a temporary foreign worker. He was a permanent resident at the time of the accident.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rupa Subramanya Further reading: Carney and India’s Modi strike new energy partnership - National | Globalnews.caEvidence links Indian officials at Vancouver consulate to killing of Sikh activist Hardee

As journalists, our job is to dig deep into stories. And sometimes, we dig far deeper than we ever thought possible. And those deep dives will often become our most interesting stories.And finding those stories usually follows a pattern.Something catches your eye, it draws you in. You start doing a little research on it.Then you find something that makes us go, “Huh…”You start pulling the thread, follow the bread crumbs, and slowly you find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes. And so we wanted to know, what rabbit holes all of you have gone down? We thought it might be things like wellness influencers, grifts, maybe some MLM scheme. But, the reality was both a lot more normal, and to be honest, a little bit weirder.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher)Photo: Tony WangAdditional music by Audio NetworkThis show is available exclusively to Canadaland supporters. To become one, go to https://canada

Carney’s support of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran raises questions around Canada’s “principled pragmatism” approach to foreign policy. Is it consistent with what he said at Davos?Plus, the Iranian-Canadian response to the killing of Ali Khamenei isn’t as mixed as the headlines suggest. Correction: in a previous version of this episode, a statement was erroneously attributed to Quebec’s Minister of Education, Sonia Lebel. It was made by Parti Quebecois MNA Pascal Paradis.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rupa Subramanya Further reading: Statement by Prime Minister Carney and Minister Anand on the situation in the Middle EastLloyd Axworthy: Canada once rejected America's aggressive, unlawful foreign policy. Today Mark Carney embraced it - Toronto Star Carney picks a realpolitik side on Iran war - The Globe and Mail  India reset, Iran

More than 24,000 federal public servants have received notices that their jobs could be at risk. That is on top of the 9800 public service employees who were already let go last year. Host Sam Konnert takes us inside the government, specifically, inside a single lab within Environment and Climate Change Canada. A lab tasked with making sure our water is clean and our food is plastic-free. A lab that could go from nine PhD-level scientists, down to one. What happens to the country when these workers get cut, and entire labs are decimated? Who pays the price?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Shirley Tagalik, Christine Bishop Background reading:25,000 public servants warned their jobs could be at risk. Here is the latest on federal job cuts – CTV NewsFive charts to

By some estimates Canada will soon be short thousands of trained aircraft mechanics. The people who keep our flights safe. The government came up with $25 million dollars to help.A whistleblower came to Canadaland to allege that the money bought training materials that were plagiarized, then run through ChatGPT. Those materials resulted in AI slop that included AI hallucinations.Our reporter Gemma Boothroyd brings us her investigation.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by Julian AbrahamAdditional music by Audio NetworkMore information:Grants and Contributions: Industry Led Training for the Aviation and Aerospace Sector — Government of CanadaSponsors: Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas

Sparks were markedly absent from the final NDP leadership debate, replaced instead by “violent agreement” amongst candidates. Meanwhile, the federal Liberals’ rightward shift leaves a wide gap on the left side of the political spectrum. What does the NDP need to do to shake off the sleepies, and meet the current political moment?Freelance journalist Luke Savage joins host James Nicholson to give Canada’s traditionally left-leaning party pointers.Host: James NicholsonCredits: James Nicholson (Host), Kallan Lyons (Associate producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio, Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Luke Savage Additional music by Audio Network Further reading: The NDP leadership race is a nail-biter. But is anyone paying attention? | CBC NewsOpinion | NDP leadership candidates look inward as their party crumbles around them | Toronto StarNew Abacus Poll: Liberals Open Their Largest Lead Since Carney Became Leader as Opti

 " What in the Silicon Valley ethos of move fast and break stuff would make us expect that they are going to have any real safety concerns at all?"A new report from the Wall Street Journal reveals the U.S. tech company OpenAI knew of troublesome ChatGPT usage by Jesse van Rootselaar, months before the Tumbler Ridge shooting, and did nothing. The news stoked ongoing calls for better guardrails on A.I. chatbots and beyond.Will Canada’s A.I. Minister Evan Solomon decide to “ignore all previous instructions” from Silicon Valley, and ramp up regulation of A.I.?Freelance journalist Luke Savage joins host James Nicholson to discuss.Host: James Nicholson Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Luke SavageCall in to Off The Record and tell us about your research rabbit hole on and Thursday Feb 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm EST by going to callinstudi