On Thursday the Prime Minister proposed giving all Canadians a 60-day tax break on groceries. Since GST/HST is already excluded from some food staples the 60 day tax break would apply to items like prepared foods; snacks, beer, wine as well as toys, books, and Christmas trees. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called the tax break a “trick",…

It's been almost two weeks since Donald Trump was re-elected. So far the US president-elect has announced a slate of cabinet nominations and some nominees are facing heavy scrutiny. Our AMA guest is journalist Zack Beauchamp. He's a senior correspondent for Vox who covers US democracy. He's also the author of a new book, “The Reactionary Spirit: Ho…

Whether you're running a small business or live in a rural area, Canada Post is an essential service for many Canadians. There are also people who have very little connection to the postal service as email, online billing and private delivery companies have made many Canadians less reliant on the mail. Then there are other issues: what's fair for w…

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s decisive victory last week, political watchers are reflecting on why Trump won, why Harris lost, and what it could all mean for Canada. The top issues in the U.S. election – the economy, immigration, and political polarization – also resonate with voters here in Canada, as Canadian parties prepare for their own el…

A staggering $1 trillion is set to be handed down from older Canadians to their heirs over the next two years. According to CPA Canada, it's the largest transfer of generational wealth in Canadian history. Behind the numbers are lots of issues, from the impact on house prices to our basic sense of fairness. What conversations are you having about i…

A.I. is already having an impact on Canadian creators, employers, and students. A 2023 survey by KPMG consulting found over a third of the companies they spoke to are regularly using ChatGPT in their work. So what are the concerns around artificial intelligence and how should Canadians prepare for the future? David Gerhard is the head of Computer S…

Across the country, Canadians are watching what Donald Trump has been saying during his campaign, how he says it, what he promises to do if he gets elected, and what impact it will have on this side of the border. What would a Donald Trump victory mean to you? What could it mean for Canada?

Ontario premier Doug Ford has a tabled a bill that would require the province to approve any new bike lanes and give it the power to remove existing lanes built in the last five years. The premier says the goal is to reduce gridlock. But many experts say bike lanes actually reduce congestion on streets with provinces like BC and the city of Montrea…

Wherever you are in the country emergency department wait times are a concern for many people. How are they affecting you? And in our second hour, Ontario premier Doug Ford has a tabled a bill that would require the province to approve any new bike lanes and give it the power to remove existing lanes built in the last five years. The premier says t…

There’s a lot at stake for Americans in this election and that’s also true for Canadians - America’s closest ally and largest trading partner. On this podcast you’ll hear from callers on both sides of the border, across Canada and the United States. Our question: What’s at stake for you in the US Election? This is “America Votes: A Cross Border Con…

Late last month a video surfaced of a 13 year old girl being attacked with about 30 young people there as bystanders. Police charged five youth who were identified as the “aggressors”. it's not an isolated incident. Statistics Canada says youth crime was up 5 percent IN 2022. is this a recent phenomenon? Or do we just have more videos on social med…

SpaceX launched its fifth Starship test flight on Sunday. The company's goal is to build a resuable rocket that could reach the moon one day, and maybe even Mars. Colonel Chris Hadfield was the first Canadian to walk in space, completing multiple space missions, spacewalks, and even serving as commander of the International Space Station back in 20…

For many of us, the most important role we'll ever have is "parent". It's also one of the most challenging. So it's no surprise the US Surgeon General recently issued a warning about the potential toll of parenting on mental health. Which parenting issue is causing the most stress in your family? How did the way you were parented affect the way you…

According to CBC’s Poll tracker, the Conservatives have almost a 20-point lead over the governing Liberals, and their lead has been holding steady for months. We know that there will be an election before October 2025, though it could come sooner. We wanted to take stock of who Pierre Poilievre is and what a possible Poilievre government might look…

In less than a year, NASA is sending four astronauts to fly around the moon as part of the Artemis II mission. The 10-day flight will test NASA's space exploration capabilities with astronauts aboard for the very first time. And Ontario’s Jeremy Hansen will be part of that crew, making him the first Canadian astronaut – and first non-American – to …

Addiction can be agonizing and, far too often, deadly. It can tear apart families and communities. So it's not surprising that politicians are under pressure to do something about it. And increasingly, some provinces are calling for involuntary care: forcing some people into treatment and keeping them there until the program is finished. There are …

Our AMA guest today will be a familiar voice to our listeners. Carol Off spent sixteen years co-hosting CBC’s As It Happens, after a career as a correspondent reporting from all over the world. The thousands of interviews she’s conducted have laid the groundwork for her new book entitled “At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage.” Each …

A lot of Canadians are feeling the pain of polarization. In politics for sure. But many felt pushed apart by the pandemic, from masks to vaccines to where you got information you trusted. Debate is sometimes replaced by slogans. People and their positions reduced to a single word: Marxist, fascist, elitist, extremist. So how is polarization affecti…

Parents often say they'd do anything to make sure their children are well cared for. But what happens when that relationship shifts as those children become adults caring for an aging parent? Finding the answer can strain family finances and families themselves. How have you dealt with caring for an aging family member?…

A new report from the World Health Organization suggests that teens, including Canadians, are using condoms less. At the same time STI’s like syphilis, chlamydia, and HIV have been on the rise in Canada. Cory Silverberg is a sex educator and author of "You Know, Sex" a book geared towards young people and all the questions they have. They answered …

Suddenly, we could be one House of Commons vote away from a federal election. If that vote was a confidence motion on the budget for example, it would trigger a federal election. For the Conservatives, riding high in the polls, that may be an exciting prospect. For supporters of other parties, maybe less so. What do you think? Should there be a fal…

There is so much at stake in a US Presidential race. One gaffe or the perfect quip in the debate just might be enough to determine the winner in one of those too close to call swing states. And if truth matters, everyone will have their hands full on Tuesday night fact checking a barrage of problematic or misleading claims. So why does the Trump-Ha…

The Bank of Canada looked at data from 2018 gathered by Statistics Canada. It determined that workers in their 40’s with a university degree earned about 10 dollars more per hour than those who graduated from college or another post-secondary school. But that gap was larger back in 1997 and the economy has certainly changed since 2018. Joel Westhei…

It is one of those life-changing moments that doesn't get a lot of attention. Even the greeting card industry hasn't created an "Empty Nest" category. However you feel about it, when a child moves out, it's a dramatic change and for some it can be a rough time. What happened the day you became an empty nester? How did your relationship with your ki…

Ontario's Health Minister announced plans to close half of the supervised consumption sites in the province, while increasing spending on homelessness and addiction treatment centres by nearly $400 million. How do you feel about supervised consumption sites in your community? Should there be restrictions on where they’re located? Plus, Magic Mushro…

Magic Mushroom retailers are popping up like....well...mushrooms. Dr. Rob Tanguay is an Addiction and Pain Psychiatrist, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta. He answers listener questions on psilocybin, including potential medical uses and its pitfalls.…

Ukraine's surprise attack into the Kursk region of Russia has sent shock waves around many parts of the world as fears of escalation mount. Alexander Lanoszka is an associate professor of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo. He answered audience questions on Sunday about Ukraine's military strategy and what this could mean for the f…

There's been a lot of hype around EVs made in China lately the BYD Seagull, a Chinese-made 4-door EV with a range comparable to the most affordable electric vehicles you can buy in Canada right now has a price tag of just $13,000 The cheapest 2025 EV available in Canada will cost you roughly $27 000 more than the BYD Seagull. This could be a major …

It's never been easier to get a DNA test, but that doesn't mean what happens next is easy. From the elation of finding your long lost birth parent, to the shock of discovering a family secret, to the tangle of emotions between family members old and new, for better or worse, you may be opening a door that will never close. What was your experience …

There were some big wins for Canada at the Paris Summer Olympics, breaking, fencing, track. Summer McIntosh became the first Canadian athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. But there were also controversies like the women’s soccer drone scandal. Morgan Campbell is a sports reporter and a Senior Contributor with the CBC. He took…

Kamala Harris is expected be confirmed as the Democratic presidential candidate, making her the first woman of colour to run for the US presidency for a major party. Already, the polling gap between Republicans and Democrats has narrowed substantially, with Harris even polling ahead of Trump in some battleground states. So where will the campaign g…

There's a lot to like about electric powered scooters, relatively inexpensive, environmentally friendly, but if you're a pedestrian who's been hit by a scooter rider zipping along the sidewalk you may feel differently. Earlier this summer, Montreal's Children's Hospital called for stricter rules on the road after a series of devastating ER visits r…

One third of the buildings in Jasper have been destroyed and no one knows when people can return and start to rebuild. Across the country, many of you are also feeling a sense of loss and uncertainty. When will we be able to visit Jasper again and what will it look like?

The summer Olympics are in full swing in Paris and it’s hard not to get swept up in the Olympic glory when so many amazing human feats are on display. The rush of Olympic glory can be intoxicating for young athletes, their parents and coaches. But are we pushing our kids too hard to be the best? Brenley Shapiro is a sports psychologist and performa…

According to Statistics Canada there's been a drop in the number of people living together as couples over the last 30 years Why people are choosing to be on their own? What does that mean for their state of mind and financial bottom line? Are single people more or less happy on their own?

Joe Biden is officially out of the 2024 presidential race. He posted a statement on X Sunday afternoon saying "I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on my duties as President" Moments later he offered his full support and endorsement for Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Paul H…

Last night Donald Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania. The FBI says it was an assassination attempt. The former President is fine according to his campaign and will still attend the upcoming Republican National Convention this week, but many believe that political discourse in the U.S. is not fine. What’s your reaction to what’s happen…

The question of whether or not to sign a prenup can be a touchy one for couples to navigate, but apparently the practice is becoming less taboo. An Angus Reid survey earlier this year found two-thirds of Canadians believe prenups are a good idea. Farzana Jiwani is a lawyer at Modern Family Law. She answered your questions about prenups and cohabita…

Questions about whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden should step aside have been popular topics of conversation for months now, but you don't have to be a national leader to have faced the difficult challenge of having people suggest you give up something that you've worked hard to achieve. Maybe you felt you needed to step…

At least one current member of parliament and several former Liberal politicians are questioning the Prime Minister's leadership after a surprising by-election defeat in Toronto. The Prime Minister says he'll keep fighting for Canadians, and members of his cabinet have come out in his support. But what do you think should happen next?…

Cross Country Checkup is celebrating Canada Day weekend with two topics. First, in this post-Stanley Cup, pre-Olympic moment, we were thinking about the role sports plays in our national culture. Those events that bring us and bind us together, that don't just entertain... but inspire. Join Ian Hanomansing and long-time CBC Sports host Scott Russel…

This Thursday is the first debate of this U.S. presidential election campaign. U.S. President Joe Biden will square off against former U.S. President Donald Trump. Ali Velshi is an award-winning journalist, chief correspondent with MSNBC, and host of the weekend program, "Velshi.” He answered your questions about his career, his new book, as well a…

At the moment, many Candians are going through crisis. We started the show with an evacuee from Churchill Falls, a town in Labrador. Hundreds of people were evacuated from that town because of a wildfire this week. As well, the residents of Calgary are being asked to conserve water after that water main break earlier this month. But in many catastr…

For many Canadians housing affordability is the issue right now. The federal Liberals have promised to build 3.9 million homes by 2031. But recent warnings from CMHC say housing production in Canada is still lagging behind. Sean Fraser is the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities He answered your questions about the housing cr…

About 20 per cent of Canadians work most of their hours from home according to Statistics Canada. Some cities are now asking whether downtown cores need workers to return to the office. Is it fair for employers and politicians to push for workers to come back? Is working from home better for you? What's best for your community?…

If you or your child is wrapping up high school or university, you’ve probably got more questions than answers about what comes next. From diving straight into work, taking a gap year, or pursuing further education, there are plenty of options. Sabrina McTaggart is a career coach who helps young adults find their career paths. Rachelle Doucet is a …

Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador are considering banning future generations from ever being allowed to buy tobacco. Do you think this approach will work? And how did you manage to quit smoking?

For years, medical experts have been calling for the national guideline for routine breast cancer screenings to be lowered from 50-years-old. But last week, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care released a draft recommendation that said it’s not going to lower the recommended screening age to 40 for women with average risk – and that de…

Canada's Competition Bureau is going to study the country's domestic airline industry. Many of us rely on airlines to stay in touch with family to conduct business and to explore this vast country but it can be expensive. How can we make it better? Does Canada’s airline industry need an overhaul? Are there enough travel options in your part of the …

Fresh off their Olympic debuts, U.S. Cross Country Ski Team members Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul candidly discuss how they deal with performance pressure as elite competitors, the stress it puts on a healthy mindset and their different takes on balancing a desire to win with positive self-worth. The conversation expands on a piece Halvorsen …