Cost of Living

At the last minute, trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. have fallen apart. Now, with 50 per cent tariffs on some Canadian exports, Prime Minister Carney says we have no choice but to fight back. Former NAFTA negotiator Barry Appleton explains how that fight could go, and how things fell apart in the first place. And we look at what a continuing trade war could mean for small businesses — and prices.

Actor Ben McKenzie is best known for his role in The O.C. as the bad boy heartthrob. But the role he's most passionate about is in real life, fighting what he calls "the fraud" of cryptocurrency. He talks about his documentary, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money. Also, we share a hack for stopping identity thieves from getting their hands on your money, and we look at why more Canadians are finding job security in "boring businesses."

Craving a popsicle? Boxes of 'em are available at the grocery store. So why do we run for the ice cream truck like it's our last chance for frozen refreshment? We explore AI's growing influence in the music industry and whether it's really a problem. And we talk to Skyler Chan about his dreams of building a hotel on the moon. Yup. A moon hotel.

Should Canada invest in guns (defence)? Or butter (schools, roads, hospitals)? Military spending is already way up in this country, and is expected to keep rising. Host Paul Haavardsrud discusses the implications of this with Eugene Lang at Queen's University. Plus, the phrase "hot girl walk" is trademarked in Canada. Yes, really. We look at the growing appeal of trademarking viral phrases. We also examine how the relationship between Scholastic, a for-profit U.S. company, and Canadian schools became so unshakeable.

Sure, if you compare our economies based on GDP per capita. But is GDP per capita the best way to measure our standard of living? From donuts to chia seeds, we explore why so many products have their own national day on the calendar. Plus, is putting all your hard-earned cash into a house really the best decision for you? We explore the case for renting versus buying.