Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: JEWISH INSTITUTIONS IN CANADA TARGETED WITH BOMB THREATS Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, and Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak for Ward 6 York Centre. Our panel reacts to the news this week that Jewish schools, hospitals and synagogues were targeted by bomb threats, Fred Hahn facing the call to resign from a CUPE position and some residents in Riverdale facing expropriation of their homes amid Ontario Line construction. CALLS FOR CUPE'S FRED HAHN TO RESIGN Libby Znaimer is joined by Carrie Silverberg, a Jewish CUPE member who resigned from the executive of CUPE Local 1734. Carrie reacts to the news of calls from CUPE'S National Executive Board for Fred Hahn to resign from his role as General Vice President for Ontario, as well as Ontario Liberal Minister Dave Piccini confronting him directly and acc

THE MEDICAL RECORD: A CONCERNING STUDY ON ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist based in Toronto, and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. Today on the show: our experts weigh in on concerning research linking a certain artificial sweetener--erythritol-- to an increased risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke. And, they explore an alternative treatment to the epipen when it comes to allergic reactions. CANADA'S POLICE CHIEFS CALL FOR HELP AMID A RISE IN PROTESTS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Thomas Carrique, Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and President of The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs. Commissioner Carrique explains the call by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  WHAT ARE ONTARIO'S PLANS FOR SUPERVISED INJECTION SITES? Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister, and Deputy Premier,  Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, and Cheri DiNovo, a former Ontario NDP MPP. Our panel reacts to Education Minister Todd Smith's decision to retire from politics, and thus his role, nearly three months into taking over the file. The province is also giving an update today on its plans for safe injection sites.   THE FUTURE OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE GTA  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19 Beaches-East York, and Jessica Smith Cross, Editor-in-Chief, The Trillium. The Trillium has obtained documents from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation showing predictions of worsening traffic gridlock/congestion in the GTA. Our guests react to the latest. THE LATEST REGARDING UKRAINE'S MILITARY OFFENSIVE INSIDE RUSSIA  Libby Znaimer is

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: THE GTA GRAPPLES WITH MORE SEVERE RAINFALL, FLOODING Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, John Wright, Executive Vice President of  Maru Public Opinion and Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP. This past weekend, the GTA grappled with more heavy rainfall and flooding after the major rainstorm. And, today marks the 82nd anniversary of the Dieppe Raid during World War II.  TORONTONIANS IN THEIR 20s ARE STRUGGLING MORE WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND FINANCES COMPARED TO OLDER DEMOS: TORONTO FOUNDATION Libby Znaimer is now joined by Mohamed Huque, Director of Community Impact for Toronto Foundation.  What a new study from Toronto Foundation tells us about how Torontonians in their 20s are doing when it comes to mental health and their finances and how that compares to the older demographics.  DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION BEGINS TODAY Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Chris Cooper, Political Science Professor at Western Carolina University, and Mat

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to distracted drivers, the issue of e-bikes and e-scooters in the city, opening day of The Ex, and other news that made headlines this week.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: A BIKE PATH BOONDOGGLE Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak; David Crombie, a former Toronto Mayor; and Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence and former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, for a conversation about all things Toronto. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING HAHN? CUPE Ontario’s president is facing backlash from some of the union's Jewish members for reposting a social media post on Facebook. On Sunday, Fred Hahn shared a video of a diver at the Paris Games, showing the athlete with a prominent Star of David on their arm jumping off the diving board before turning into a bomb that drops on innocent civilians. Libby Znaimer is joined by John Mykytyshyn, Conservative activist, political consultant, and President of Bradgate Research Group to discuss this troubling matter. TORONTO'S QUIET LIST ANNOUNCED TODAY Are you ‘fed up’ with not being able to enjoy a conversation when you dine out, due to ex

THE MEDICAL RECORD: UPTICK IN MPOX CASES, HEALTHCARE WORKER BURNOUT & CANCER PROJECTIONS FOR MEN Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency; Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, to discuss the medical news of the day. AMO SURVEY ON HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is asking the province for guidance on how to handle the growing number of homeless encampments in the province. Libby Znaimer is joined by Andrea Horwath, Mayor of Hamilton; and Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph to discuss this issue. CANADA'S POLICE CHIEFS CALL FOR HELP AMID A RISE IN PROTESTS The frequency of protests linked to both domestic and global issues is creating an "unsustainable demand" on polic

THE RECOVERING POLITICIANS An emergency committee hearing was held in Ottawa this morning to vote on whether to call Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Immigration Minister Marc Miller to testify about how the recently arrested father-son accused terror team was able to immigrate to Canada. Libby Znaimer is joined by Cheri DiNovo, former Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario; Lisa Raitt, former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada; and John Milloy, former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments to discuss this, and other political news of the day. OTTAWA TURNS A BLIND EYE TO QUESTIONABLE PRO-PALESTINIAN CHARITIES The federal government wants to take away the charity status of the 100-year-old Jewish National Fund of Canada for allegedly breaking the rules, but the Trudeau Liberals aren’t doing likewise with a number of pro-Palestinian charities, some with questionable links to terrorist organizations. Libby Znaime

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: GET THAT SHINGLES SHOT! Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP; Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP; and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion for a conversation about the importance of getting a shingles vaccination; overcrowding in Ontario's ERs, and more. ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD'S AUTO INSURANCE PLANS Premier Doug Ford is following through on his promise to make more auto insurance benefits optional in Ontario, but some experts say the results could mean higher rates for drivers. Libby Znaimer is joined by Tom Rakocevic, Ontario NDP Auto Insurance critic and the MPP for Humber River-Black Creek; Ellen Roseman, consumer advocate and journalist; and Mary Kelly; Chair in Insurance at Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of Business and Economics to discuss the issue. WRAPPING UP THE OLYMPIC GAMES Libby Znaimer is joined by Wally Rigobon, co-host of the Naz and Wally Sports Hour on Zoomer Radio AM740, for a wrap-up conversation ab

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to the latest assaults against parking enforcement officers in Toronto and other news that made headlines this week.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  ASSAULT ON POLICE DURING PARKING DISPUTE IN TORONTO Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Toronto City Councillor Brad Bradford for Ward 6 Beaches-East York, and Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village. It’s Thursday - time to talk about all things municipal- and today we have to talk about parking! A bylaw officer and the police officer he called for backup were assaulted by a driver who had just been ticketed for parking in a bike lane - the fine for that offense had just gone up on the first of the month. Then we were treated to that viral video of a cop being called out for parking illegally to get coffee. The only physical part of the argument was the finger that was given... by the cop. Both the head of the Toronto Police Association and Premier Doug Ford think this constitutes harassment. So the question is: if you park illegally to get a cop a coff

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHY ARE MEN MORE RELUCTANT TO VISIT THE DOCTOR? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. Today: a rural town in Ontario has a creative plan in an effort to attract family doctors to work there. And, why is it that men are more reluctant to pay a visit to the doctor? Meanwhile, last week we started the conversation about cracking down on for pay services that are in the gray zone - one of them being virtual visits with doctors in other areas - there’s research which shows that virtual visits with a doctor who knows the patient are great but with someone who is unfamiliar - not so much. BYLAW CHARGES LAID AGAINST COMPANIES FOR BIN LEFT ON BIKE LANE

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  KAMALA HARRIS HAS CHOSEN A RUNNING MATE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health minister and Deputy Premier,  Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Robin V. Sears,  a Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist. Kamala Harris has chosen her running mate: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is purchasing police helicopters to crack down on auto theft among other types of crime and Ottawa is making an effort to address fraud in the temporary foreign worker program. ISRAEL PREPARES FOR POTENTIAL ATTACK BY IRAN AND ITS TERROR PROXIES Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Amos Guiora, Professor of Law at the University of Utah and a former Legal advisor to the IDF in Gaza, and Jon Allen, a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a former Canadian Ambassador to Israel from 2006 and 2010. Israel has been bracing for a potential att

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: DO SENIORS' DISCOUNTS STILL MAKE SENSE GIVEN THEIR GROWING WEALTH? Guest Host Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, Bob Richardson, a public affairs consultant, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. Statistics Canada data show 6% of seniors live in poverty, compared to 11.1% of other adults, raising questions about the fairness of senior discounts. Tasha and panelists discuss the need (or not) for senior discounts and the latest top up to Old Age Security. CAA SURVEY FINDS OVER HALF OF ONTARIO DRIVERS ENGAGE IN DANGEROUS BEHAVIOURS Tasha is now joined by Michael Stewart, Community Relations Consultant for CAA South Central Ontario. A CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) study found that 55 per cent of Ontario motorists engaged in risky driving behaviours last year. Tasha and Michael discuss how good or bad these numbers are. RUSSIA AND THE WEST COMPLETE HISTORIC PRISONER SWAP Tasha is now joined by 

Today on Free For All Friday: Listeners reacted to the latest wave of antisemitic attacks on the Jewish community in the GTA, traffic congestion in the city and the latest excitement from the Olympic Games in Paris.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  ANOTHER CYCLIST DEATH IN TORONTO & LACK OF CLARITY ON WHEN 24/7 GARDINER EXPRESSWAY CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, David Crombie, a former Toronto mayor and Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village. Our panel reacts to the latest cyclist death in the City, the question about when 24/7 construction will begin on the Gardiner Expressway after the province announced its $73 million in funding to help speed up the timeline and also the latest wave of antisemitism targeting the Jewish community in the GTA. AUGUST 1ST MARKS EMANCIPATION DAY Libby Znaimer is now joined by Rosemary Sadlier, author and a former president of the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) who helped to make Emancipation Day official. Today marks Emancipation Day, the annual celebration of the day in 1834 when the abolition of slavery officially took ef

What we know about the latest wave of antisemitic attacks on the local Jewish community--this time in Vaughan--and our guests weigh in on whether our government leaders, at all levels, are doing enough to address the problem of antisemitism. 

THE MEDICAL RECORD: IS EXPANDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PHARMACISTS IN ONTARIO A GOOD IDEA?  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. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto and Dr. Alon Vaisman, Infectious diseases physician at the University Health Network (UHN).  Our panel reacts to the province ending its COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program, and other healthcare news of the week.  THE LATEST WAVE OF ANTISEMITISM TARGETING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY Libby Znaimer is joined by MP Melissa Lantsman,  Deputy leader of the Conservative Party (Thornhill) as well as Richard Robertson,  Director of Research and Advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada and Rabbi Jeff Forman of City of David Messianic Synagogue. What we know about the latest wave of antisemitic attacks on the local Jewish community--this time in Vaughan--and our guests weigh in on whether our government lead

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT IS INVESTING $134 MILLION IN FIVE NEW POLICE HELICOPTERS Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Robin V. Sears, Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist, and Lisa Raitt, former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada. Libby and guests touch on various political issues: Premier Doug Ford's decision to push tougher crime measures, including tracking bail decisions and increasing helicopter funding for car theft. At the municipal level, no sign of action to ease the terrible congestion since last week's announcement of $73 million for 24 hour construction and more. SOMALI COMMUNITY CENTRE PLAN IN ETOBICOKE PARK FACES DISPUTE OVER THE GREEN LAND Libby is now joined by Councillor Stephen Holyday of Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre and Christina Manulak, President of the Buttonwood Hill Residents Association. Toronto's Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation (SCCR) proposal faces hurdles amid strong o

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: A ‘LONGEVITY-OPTIMIZED’ DIET COULD INCREASE LIFE EXPECTANCY UP TO 10 YEARS, STUDY SUGGESTS Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Public Affairs Consultant, Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. The Zoomer Squad panel discusses a new study that suggests a ‘longevity-optimized’ diet could add 10 years to your life. Then, we move to the ever-relevant topic of terrible Toronto traffic. And it's been a year since vehicles were banned from entering High Park, has it been beneficial? UNLESS YOU HAVE A GENE VARIANT, DOUBLE MASTECTOMY HAS NO SURVIVAL ADVANTAGE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Ellen Warner, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a staff medical oncologist at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook, and Dr. Eileen Rakovitch, Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UofT and the Cancer Program Director of Research at Sunnybrook. A study in JAMA Oncology finds that removing the unaffect