Just Asking

NATO allies, including Canada agreed to significantly increase defense spending, pledging to reach five per cent of GDP over the next decade. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised President Trump for pushing the alliance to boost their funding shares. But what will this funding accomplish? Are these thresholds realistic? To answer all your NATO questions, Just Asking spoke to two experts. Oleksa Drachewych is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Western University. And Erika Simpson is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Western University and the President of the Canadian Peace Research Association.

It's officially summer - that time of year where we all have to get a little more comfortable feeling sticky, sweaty and maybe a little... stinky? So what are the best ways to stay fresh and clean during the hotter months? Just Asking spoke to two experts about the science behind staying clean and how to address our sweaty, smelly discomfort. Jason Tetro is a microbiologist and the author of the book, “The Germ Files.” Sarah Everts is a science journalist and the author of the book, “The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.”

To celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, we brought together a special panel for Just Asking. Michelle Good is a Cree writer and poet, award-winning author of the novel "Five Little Indians," and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation. Marek Tyler is a musician and leader of the band Asko. He is nêhiyaw from Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton. And Riley Yesno is an Anishinaabe scholar and distinguished fellow at the Yellowhead Institute, from Eabametoong First Nation.

This week, Canada's privacy commissioner found that DNA testing company 23andMe didn't have adequate data protections in place, when hackers gained access to roughly 6.9 millions profiles on the site. The commissioner also revealed that some of the stolen information was later being sold online. So how much information are these tests gathering, and what could users' data be used for? And if you're looking for quick access to genetic information, how accurate are these tests and what can they tell you? To answer your questions, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Brent Arnold is a Partner and litigator at Gowling WLG working with a focus on tech and cybersecurity. Jehannine Austin is a Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC. They're also a genetic counsellor.

Have you ever felt like a fraud at work, plagued by self-doubt? Just Asking spoke to two experts about why so many of us feel "imposter syndrome," what to do about it, and what employers can do to create more supportive work environments. Kim Meninger is a leadership coach who has her own story of imposter syndrome that fuels her work. Kevin Cokley is a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and the editor of "The Impostor Phenomenon." 

Israel launched attacks targeting Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists. In response, Iran launched a series of counter strikes and casualties are being reported in Israel. Just Asking had two experts on the show to share their analysis and answer your questions on the conflict. Dennis Horak was Canada's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen from 2015 to 2018. Alex Vatanka is the Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, a non-partisan think tank providing expert policy analysis on the region.

At Just Asking, we know you want clear answers to help you make sense of the world and all the information out there. That’s why we’re recommending that you listen to The Dose, hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman. Every Thursday, the show dives into health news that matters to you, using plain language to explain the science behind it.In this episode, The Dose explores the big business of Cosmetics —and the many brands promising to beautify and rejuvenate. But for the average customer, it's not always clear whether their makeup and creams actually benefit your skin. Dermatologist Dr. Renee Beach explains how some cosmetics, including anti-aging creams, can make a difference…but you shouldn't believe everything on the label.You can find more episodes of The Dose here.

Last month, Utah became the first state to introduce a law to regulate mental health chatbots, arguing these bots cannot present themselves as regulated health professionals or therapists. At the same time, clinicians are researching ways to integrate AI into mental healthcare to make it more accessible. So what do patients need to understand about talking to a chatbot vs. a therapist? How can privacy be protected, and is there an ethical way to integrate AI into therapy? To answer your questions, Just Asking talked to two guests. Dr. Betsy Stade is a clinical psychologist and research scientist at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. Dr. Janine Hubbard is a child psychologist.

This week, Ontario passed Bill 5 that aims to speed up mining projects, despite opposition from First Nations and environmental groups. Last week, B.C. passed Bill 15 intended to speed up major projects, including critical mineral mines - which is being met with similar pushback in that province. So what do critical minerals mean for the future of the Canadian economy, and what are the environmental impacts of these projects? To answer your questions about critical minerals, Just Asking spoke to two experts. Mark Cameron is a Public Policy Forum fellow and Warren Mabee is the Director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy.

Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan are in a state of emergency as communities across Canada are witnessing the effects of wildfires - from Newfoundland and Labrador, to northern Ontario to B.C. Early signs point to another active wildfire season in 2025 after Canada just experienced two of its worst wildfire seasons on record. To talk tell us more about wildfire in Canada, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Lori Daniels is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at UBC. Anabela Bonada is the Managing Director of Climate Science at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. 

There's a growing body of research pointing to the therapeutic applications for psychedelics, including MDMA and psilocybin, along with ketamine which was approved for therapeutic use in 2020. The promise of a new frontier in treatment for depression, anxiety and PTSD is an appealing one for researchers and patients desperately looking for solutions in a mental health crisis. But with all the excitement around psychedelics in therapy, where does the research stand, and what risks should patients be aware of? To answer those questions, Just Asking brought out two guests. Leah Mayo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary and the Parker Research Chair in Psychedelics. Ron Shore is the Interim Assistant Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, at Queen’s University in Kingston.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has called for a halt on overtime work, while negotiations continue with Canada Post. A report this week described the company as "effectively bankrupt." Workers are pushing for higher wages to cope with inflation and challenging the idea of a part-time workforce to extend their services to seven days a week. To answer your questions about the future of Canada Post, Just Asking was joined by two guests. Marvin Ryder is an Associate Professor, DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Barry Eidlin is an associate professor of sociology at McGill University and an expert on labour policy.

As graduation season approaches, young people are entering into a tough job market. In April, the unemployment rate for those aged between 15 to 24 years old was 14.1 per cent - the highest rate seen in over a decade. To answer your questions about what young people and their parents should keep in mind as they enter into the workforce, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Shenelle Payne Cuffy is a career counsellor focusing on young clients and Katherine Scott is a Senior Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives who's been studying the youth job market.

Celebrity doctors and Silicon Valley billionaires have been promoting the so-called "longevity movement," promoting health trends that claim to extend your life. They claim by following strict diets, taking dozens of supplements per day and regular cold plunges they can extend their life well-past 100. But how much evidence is there behind these claims? And what do we actually know about healthy aging? To answer your questions about longevity, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Timothy is a professor and the research director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta who studies health misinformation. Andy De Santis is a Registered Dietitian.

Stock markets bounced back this week thanks to the tariff truce between the U.S. and China after plunging to record lows last month. The markets are being closely watched through all the tariff turbulence - but what does it all mean for your finances? Our experts will broke it all down for us. Aravind Sithamparapillai is a financial planner and Preet Banerjee is a personal finance expert.

The man behind the world's most notorious website for non-consensual, AI-generated porn of real people is a hospital pharmacist from just outside of Toronto according to a CBC investigation. His site, MrDeepFakes, was the world's most popular site for "deepfake" porn, hosting tens of thousands of non-consensual and sometimes violent fake videos and images of celebrities, politicians, social media influencers and private citizens, including Canadians. To answer your questions about deepfakes, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Hany Farid is a professor at the University of California and a member of the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab. Suzie Dunn is a professor of law at Dalhousie University, specializing in technology.

The new leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics is, for the first time, an American. The former Cardinal Robert Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV, the 267th man to hold that office. To answer your questions about the new Pope, Just Asking was joined by two guests. Father Darren Dias is the Executive Director of the Toronto School of Theology at University of St Michael’s College. Mark McGowan is a professor of history at University of Toronto, who specializes in the history of the Catholic Church in Canada.

Have you ever been in a "sort-of" relationship? If you're more than friends but not quite partners, if the definitions are fuzzy and the commitments are loose, you might be in a "situationship". For some people, situationships are liberating because there are no labels and no expectations. For others, a situationship is an anxiety-causing waiting game. To answer all your questions about situationships, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Jessica Maxwell is an assistant professor at McMaster University whose research focuses on interpersonal relationships and sexuality. And Jen Kirsch is a relationship expert and journalist.

The federal NDP was nearly wiped off the electoral map in the recent federal election. Jagmeet Singh stepped down as party leader after the New Democrats dropped to seven seats, and lost official party status. So where does the NDP go from here? Just Asking was joined by two guests to talk about what's next for the party. Jordan Leichnitz is a former NDP senior strategist. David McGrane is a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan.

Apparently just over half of Canadians play video games according to industry numbers. And the games themselves have evolved from two-dimensional, simplistic adventures to three dimensional worlds with complicated moral choices that can suck up hours of your time. To answer your questions about video games and your relationship with video games, Just Asking brought out three guests. Chelsea Rodrigues is a counsellor who focuses on problem technology use at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare centre in Windsor. Samantha Stahlke is a former game developer and instructor at Ontario Tech University. And Jake Uskoski is recovering from a video game disorder and tells us why he quit playing games, but still makes them for fun.

The federal election is Monday, April 28. But there's still a daily barrage of announcements, attack ads and press conferences. To provide you with more information before you vote, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Chris Cochrane is an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. And Laura Osmond is the parliamentary correspondent for The Logic.

With Canadians heading to the polls in a matter of days, it's time for a bit of an Election 101. How does our system actually work? What is first-past-the-post? And what do MPs actually do once they are elected? To answer all your Canadian election questions, Just Asking was joined by two guests. Andrea Perrella is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University. Tari Ajadi is an assistant professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal.

Making friends can be tough no matter how old you are. But once you get out of school and don't have classmates to fall back on, your pool of potential friends shrinks. So what do you do? Just Asking spoke to two friendship experts. Aaron Karo is the co-host of the podcast, "Man of the Year". Danielle Bayard Jackson is a friendship coach and author.

Just Asking has been on the air for just over a year now! To celebrate, we reached out to some of the people who have called in for advice to see whether we were able to solve their problems. Take a listen!

Alberta has introduced a bill to regulate online private gambling. Ontario has regulated this space since 2022. To answer your questions on gambling, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Steve Rose is an addiction counsellor in Windsor, and Youssef Allami is an assistant professor at the School of Psychology at Université Laval who has completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Alberta Gambling Research Institute.

Adolescence is a searing 4-part series on Netflix about boys, violence, cyberbullying and social media. It has ignited a conversation among parents and guardians about how to raise boys who are happy, healthy and kind to others. To answer your questions about raising boys, we spoke to two guests. Jonathan Reed is the director of programs for Next Gen Men, and Michael Kehler is a research professor of Masculinities Studies in Education at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.

Stories of strict enforcement at the Canada-U.S. border have left many wondering if it's safe to travel. As we hear reports of more scrutiny, devices being searched, even arrests and detention, it can be scary to approach a border that, until now, has been celebrated for its peaceful nature and lack of significant military presence. What do you need to know when approaching the U.S. border? Will you need a burner phone, or to delete your social media accounts? Two guests took your questions. Melissa Babel is a Canadian immigration lawyer and Laura Dawson is the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, an organization dedicated to better trade relations between the U.S. and Canada.

Are you suffering from burn out? Alexandra Lily has been there and come through the other side. She has three step-children, and two of her own. One of her sons is living with a disability. Three years ago she was navigating doctors appointments, her son's daily seizures, and her own cancer diagnosis. She says she hit a wall. Now she's on the other side and helps parents who are in a similar situation. She took your questions about how to get through burnout. We also heard from Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell. She's a clinical psychologist and a psychology professor with the faculty of health at York University.

You might not need a study to tell you that Canadians aren't particularly happy right now, but in case you do, the Global Happiness Report has Canada ranked as the 18th happiest country in the world. That's down from last year's ranking, and much lower than fifth place which was Canada's highest rank ever (back in 2015). To answer your questions about how to be happy, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Gillian Mandich is a happiness researcher, and Dr. Saunia Ahmad is a clinical psychologist. We also heard from Darren Hamilton, assistant professor of music education at the University of Toronto, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir.

Canadian military spending hasn't traditionally been a top election issue. But thanks to Canada's shifting relationship with the United States, it certainly is right now. To answer your questions about Canada's military readiness, Just Asking was joined by two guests. Richard Shimooka is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute who studies defence policy. And Whitney Lackenbauer is the Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North, and an expert on Arctic security. We'll also hear from former Nunavut Premier Paul Quassa on Arctic sovereignty and defence.

Tariff uncertainty has slowed Canada's housing market, and reports show that the national average asking price for rent has gone down for five months in a row. So is this finally good news for renters and buyers? Whether you are renting, buying, leasing, or selling - Just Asking was joined by two experts with advice for you. Tom Storey is a realtor in Toronto, and Sydney Blum is a community legal worker at Dalhousie Legal Aid.

Another federal election campaign means we are about to be bombarded by opinion polls. Weekly polls, local polls, aggregate polls, there is a ton to keep track of. To answer your questions about political polls and how they work, Just Asking brought on two guests. Mario Canseco is a pollster and the President of Research Co., and Feodor Snagovsky is a professor of political science at the University of Alberta who specializes in the comparative analysis of elections and political behaviour.

Ontario is seeing a surge in measles cases right now. Public Health Ontario is reporting 350 total cases since an outbreak began on Oct. 28, 2024. The number has increased by 173 cases in the last several weeks. To answer your questions about measles, Just Asking spoke with guests Dr. Brian Conway - President and Medical Director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. And Devon Greyson - Assistant Professor at the School of Population and Public Health, UBC.

It's been another week of escalating tariffs and threats between the United States and Canada. The U.S. placed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports coming across the border, and Canada responded with its own counter-tariffs on U.S. goods. Whether it's dairy, lumber, or trade deficits, Donald Trump has made a lot of claims about the Canada-U.S. relationship the last few weeks. To help us fact-check, Just Asking was joined by Jim Stanford - an economist and the Director of the Centre for Future Work in Vancouver. And Rambod Behboodi - a trade lawyer and senior counsel at the law firm Borden Ladner Gervais.

You can find a bully in many places - in a school yard, at work or maybe even at the highest levels of government. Some have accused U.S. President Donald Trump of being a bully, in a world of international politics, where diplomacy is the norm. Canadians have been forced to respond. When you've got no choice but to take on your bully, how do you do it? Just Asking spoke with Tony Volk, a Brock University professor and scientist who studies bullying as well as parenting, personality and psychopathy and Linda Crockett, the founder of the Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources.

It seems like the trade war is here to stay for the foreseeable future. That was the message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after another week of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. What do you want to know about tariffs and how this all affects your personal finances? We put your questions to Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, a political economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and Bruce Sellery, an expert on personal finances.

After an explosive press conference, a mineral deal between the United States and Ukraine is off the table for now. What does this mean for a war that has been going on for 3 years now? What's next for Ukraine? Just Asking was joined by two guests to answer all of your questions. Paul Goode is an Associate Professor and McMillan Chair of Russian Studies at the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at Carleton University. Ann Fitz-Gerald is the Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a Professor in Wilfrid Laurier University’s Political Science Department.

More adults under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with cancer and doctors aren't sure why exactly. The trend is apparent in specific types of cancers, such as colorectal and breast cancer. And doctors say that an increase in obesity and sedentary lifestyles could be to blame. What questions do you have about early-onset cancer? Just Asking spoke with Tim Caulfield, Law professor and research director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta, and an expert in medical misinformation.

Late last month, the Ontario government announced that over $75 million dollars is going to municipalities to help them take down encampments in public spaces. That money would be going towards emergency shelter spaces and affordable housing units. To answer your questions about life in a homeless encampment, Just Asking brought in two guests. Justin Laflamme used to live in an encampment and currently lives in a respite centre. We've also booked Latonya Ludford, the Canada project manager at The Shift.

The Liberal government has launched a six-year, multi-billion dollar design and development plan that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says will eventually lead to high-speed rail connecting Quebec City and Toronto. Just Asking was joined by two guests to answer your questions about the new project. Ryan Katz-Rosene is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies, and Jonathan English is a Fellow at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management (based in Toronto).

The threat of tariffs, and the possibility of a trade war, have changed the way some Canadians spend their money - with many boycotting American products. But ‘buying Canadian’ isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. To answer all your questions on how to buy Canadian, we had two guests join Just Asking. Vass Bednar is Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University. Grant Packard is a professor of marketing at York University’s Shulich School of Business’. 

Not all relationships are meant to go the distance. With dating apps, texting, IMs and ghosting... breaking up has never been more complicated. So how do you do it? To help explain, Just Asking brought in three guests. Jen Kirsch is a relationship expert and journalist. Andrew Sofin is a couples and family therapist and registered psychotherapist in Quebec. Kaitlyn Rosati is a travel blogger and writer.

More than 6.9 million Canadians are experiencing some level of food insecurity. What got us to this point and what are we up against as we look for the solutions? Just Asking puts Canada's questions to Tyler McMann, Managing director at the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, and Rachel Engler-Stringer, a professor of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan. We also hear from Demian Lawrenchuk, the executive director for Food Matters Manitoba, on how his community of Fox Lake Cree Nation is returning to traditional practices like hunting to combat high food prices in the region.  

Tech titans are tumbling, US firms are scrambling and a new name in AI has emerged: DeepSeek. This is a Chinese artificial intelligence firm that launched a new chatbot just a month ago. This week - for the second week in a row - it is North America's most downloaded app. But what does this all mean for you? What can DeepSeek do? Data scientist Nikita Roy and computer science professor Maura Grossman take our questions.  

U.S. President Donald Trump will hit Canadian imports with a 25% tariff starting this Tuesday. To talk about these tariffs and how other Trump policies affect Canada, we spoke to two guests. Pedro Antunes is Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada. Laura Dawson is Executive Director of Future Borders Coalition.

Donald Trump, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde all gave speeches in recent days that captured at least national attention. So what makes a great speaker? What about those who have an anxiety about public speaking? We spoke to two guests about ways to overcome those fears. Dr. Martin Antony is a psychologist who says he's seen people turn down jobs to avoid public speaking, and students who avoid taking classes where they have to talk in front of their peers. Plus, Suzannah Baum is an author, speaker, and executive speech coach. We also spoke to Joze Piranian who is a lifelong stutterer turned International Keynote Speaker and Stand-up Comedian.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he's pulling out of the Paris climate agreement. Canada is still in, as are many other countries. To explain what this all means, we spoke to two guests. Kathryn Harrison is a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia who teaches courses on climate and energy policy. Alienor Rougeot is a 26-yeard-old climate activist who has attended international climate conferences.

A ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. But there are still a lot of questions to be answered about how it will work exactly, and whether each phase will be fully implemented. We spoke to two guests about what comes next in Gaza. Jon Allen is Senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Diana Sarosi is the Director of Policy and Campaigns at Oxfam Canada.

About one million Canadians have an eating disorder according to numbers from Stats Canada. That number is likely higher, because so many people don't recognize they have one and never get help. At the same time, there is rampant misinformation about health and food on social media. To answer your questions about eating disorders, we spoke to three guests. Amanda Raffoul is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Gina Dimitropoulos is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Calgary and research lead of the Calgary Eating Disorders Program. Chloe Grande is an eating disorder recovery speaker and writer.

Many kids are back to school this week. They're cracking open their books and learning about migrating butterflies, where France is on a map, or what happens when you add vinegar to baking soda. There's so much information, and so many stories to be found between the covers of a book. But how do you get children excited about reading? We had two guests on Just Asking to help answer your questions about kids and reading. Marc Joanisse is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Western University. Katelyn Bryant is a psychologist and assistant director of the Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic.