Day 6 with Brent Bambury
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Episode 582
China's bid for a COVID-free Olympics, front-line health-care workers, brushing scams and more
Day 6 for Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.
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As Omicron drives record hospitalizations, health-care workers are stretched precariously thin
More than 10,000 people were in hospital in Canada this week — more than at any other time during the pandemic. Three health-care professionals share their view from inside their hospitals.
Got an unexpected package? It could be part of a brushing scam
According to experts and a consumer advocacy organization, receiving unsolicited packages may be part of so-called brushing scams. Companies, often operating overseas, purchase items and have them shipped to a random recipient with the intent of writing favourable reviews.
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What's behind Vladimir Putin's push for control over Ukraine?
The current tensions between Russia and Ukraine date back to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. But Kathryn David, the Mellon assistant professor of Russian and East European studies at Vanderbilt University, says Russia’s interest with Ukraine goes far deeper than that — and is central to its identity as a country.
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Can China's bid to host a COVID-free Olympics withstand the Omicron variant?
The Beijing Winter Olympics are two weeks away. Despite strict public health measures, outbreaks of COVID-19 in China are growing, and this week, the city of Beijing reported its first case of the Omicron variant.
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Former TV reporter takes to TikTok to share the (mis)adventures of raising a toddler
Former TV reporter Kayla Sullivan missed using her on-camera voice. So she took to TikTok to do very official sounding parody reports on raising her toddler.
Riffed from the Headlines: 22/01/2022
Riffed from the Headlines is our weekly quiz where we choose three riffs linked by one story in the news. Guess the story that links the riffs and you could win a Day 6 tote bag.
Episode 580
Taxing unvaccinated people, Wordle copycats, Station Eleven, the sound of climate change and more
Quebec proposes a tax on people who refuse COVID vaccinations; fans clap back against profit-seeking Wordle knock-offs; how to support the arts as the pandemic deals another blow; Station Eleven is a timely look at a fictional post-pandemic world, but should you watch it?; soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause documents how climate change has has transformed the way the planet sounds; and more.
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François Legault's plan to tax unvaccinated Quebecers is aggressive. Would it work?
Quebec Premier François Legault plan to tax people who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 would be a considerable step beyond what any jurisdiction in Canada has done to this point and it's unclear how it would work. Professor Jennifer Robson explains whether the idea is justified.
Artists say financial support needed to create projects beyond theatres, venues
Mitchell Marcus, CEO of the Toronto-based Musical Stage Company, says that it's time for investments in the arts that would offer artists funding to develop unique ways of engaging Canadians — and create a much-needed sense of togetherness during the pandemic. He says that's an opportunity amidst the sector's challenges.
Human-made climate change is affecting the sound of our ecosystems, says ecologist
As a soundscape ecologist, Bernie Krause has been recording the sounds of habitats around the world for decades. His recordings capture the noise of flora and fauna, and of moving water and wind blowing through trees. But in recent years, those soundscapes have become increasingly sparse.
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Profit-seeking Wordle copycats provoke an uprising among the game's fans — and quick response from Apple
Shruti Shekar, a technology journalist with Android Central, says efforts to create copycat versions of Wordle offer good lessons about the game's popularity and the state of intellectual property online.
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TV adaptation of Station Eleven is a timely look at a fictional post-pandemic world, but should you watch it?
The series has been getting a lot of praise, but is now the time to watch a dystopian story about a humanity-ending plague? Vox critic Emily VanDerWerff joins us to answer the question, should you watch it?
Riffed from the Headlines: 15/01/2022
Riffed from the Headlines is our weekly quiz where we choose three riffs linked by one story in the news. Guess the story that links the riffs and you could win a Day 6 tote bag.
Episode 579
Trump supporters prep for 2024; bye bye BlackBerry; Don't Look Up; why we procrastinate; JoyGerm Day and more
Day 6 for Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022.
How Winnie-the-Pooh highlights flaws in U.S. copyright law — and what that could mean for Canada
A.A. Milne’s beloved 1926 short-story collection Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain on Jan. 1. But with Disney still owning trademarks associated with the character, there are limits to how creators and companies can use it.
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Despite cold reception from critics, Don't Look Up is a cathartic experience for climate scientists
Netflix’s climate disaster film Don’t Look Up has been roundly panned by critics. But according to climate scientist and author Peter Kalmus, the film is the most accurate depiction of humanity’s collective lack of action on climate change.
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Procrastination is a powerful thing, but it doesn't work the way you might think it does
Psychology professor Fuschia Sirois tells us how and why we put off doing things we know we should do — and the secret to stopping procrastination.
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Trump supporters are taking over local election machinery with an eye on 2024
A year after the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump supporters are re-writing local election rules and putting allies in positions of authority over the machinery of elections at state and local levels. According to Associated Press political writer Nicholas Riccardi, their efforts might be enough to overturn the next election.
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BlackBerry enthusiasts bid a fond farewell to an iconic device
This week, BlackBerry pulled the plug on its own operating system, meaning all but Android-powered BlackBerry phones won’t work. To commemorate the iconic device’s demise, we’ve asked BlackBerry enthusiasts to share their favourite stories of the phones.
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Spreading joy like it's infectious: Why JoyGerm Day is particularly poignant during the pandemic
41 years ago, Joan White came up with the idea of JoyGerm — people who spread joy like it’s infectious. JoyGerm Day falls on Jan. 8 and the ever-positive White is here to explain why spreading joy like a germ is even more important during the pandemic.
Riffed from the Headlines: 7/1/2022
Riffed from the Headlines is our weekly quiz where we choose three riffs linked by one story in the news. Guess the story that links the riffs and you could win a Day 6 tote bag.
Episode 578
Tick, Tick ... Boom!, the 5th Beatle and 50 years of Blue
The once more with feeling edition for Jan. 1, 2022.
Late Rent creator would be touched by Lin-Manuel Miranda's revival of Tick, Tick... Boom, says friend
Twenty-five years after his death, Broadway composer Jonathan Larson's legacy lives on in the film adaptation of his 1990 musical, Tick, Tick… Boom. Larson is perhaps best known for creating the hit musical Rent, which became a worldwide phenomenon.
How American keyboardist Billy Preston became known as the 'fifth' Beatle
The late American keyboardist, who worked with the band on the seminal album Let It Be, is the only musician given credit on a Beatles' label.
