• The private citizen’s guide to accessing public records
    Mar 21 2026

    As someone living anywhere in this country, you have rights to request records directly from your government. Most people have no idea how this works.


    Our guests got you covered. Robyn Doolittle is a staff reporter at The Globe and Mail, where she investigates freedom of information systems across the country. Cecil Rosner is an investigative journalist and managing editor of the Investigative Journalism Foundation.

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Is AI dulling our minds?
    Mar 21 2026

    Critics warn of AI-induced cognitive decline, a flood of 'slop' and 'dross' dulling the human mind. But is brain rot inevitable? And in a world of instant answers, how do we build the future of education?


    We are joined by two guests. Surya Ganguli is a professor of applied physics at Stanford University working on both neuroscience and AI. Tracey Burns is chief of global strategy and research at the National Centre on Education and the Economy.

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    47 mins
  • Rethinking road salt
    Mar 14 2026

    Ecologists are worried about how much road salt is ending up in our lakes.

    Salt is also corrosive to infrastructure, tough on doggy paws and unsightly on our winter boots.


    Shelley Arnott is a professor in the department of biology at Queen’s University and the director of the Queen’s University Biological Station. Joe Salemi is an executive director with Landscape Ontario.


    They answered our questions about the popularity of road salt, its impact on the environment, and other alternatives to de-ice winter roads.

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    40 mins
  • How the Iran war is disrupting the global oil market
    Mar 14 2026

    The U.S. and Israel-Iran war has triggered an unprecedented disruption in the global energy market. Our guests break down how we got here, what the near future could look like, and the impact of rising oil prices on Canadian consumers.


    Joe Calnan is vice-president of Energy and Calgary Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Rosemary Kelanic is director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities.

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Why working women are burning out and what to do about it
    Mar 7 2026

    Studies show that working women globally are burning out at a higher rate than men. On the eve of International Women’s Day, we’re fielding your questions about modern womanhood and the pressure to do it all.


    Tamu Thomas is a speaker, writer, and author of the book, Women Who Work Too Much: Break Free from Toxic Productivity and Find Your Joy.


    Amelia Nagoski is a conductor and co-author of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.”

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    51 mins
  • Is the U.S. war on Iran legal?
    Mar 7 2026

    Experts take your questions about where U.S. domestic and international law stand on President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran.


    Sabine is Canada’s Former Ambassador to the Netherlands and Specialist in International Law. She joins Just Asking alongside Quinta Jurecic, who is a staff writer at The Atlantic covering the courts, democracy and the rule of law.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Living with Tourette Syndrome
    Feb 28 2026

    There’s little awareness about Tourette Syndrome and the many ways it manifests itself. This week on Just Asking, we have two guests to field your questions about Tourette Syndrome and what it’s like living with it.


    Rena Zito is a professor of sociology at Elon University, where she studies stigmatization and Tourette syndrome. She has Tourette Syndrome. Dr. Daniel Gorman is a staff psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children. He’s also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, where he researches Tourette syndrome.

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    58 mins
  • The US-Israel military strikes on Iran explained
    Feb 28 2026

    Two experts joined Just Asking to take your questions about Saturday’s joint U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran, and what could come next for the region.


    Kamran Bokhari is a senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington. Negar Mojtahedi is a reporter and host at Iran International English.

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    53 mins