A Global News exclusive has revealed new information about WE Charity and the WE Charity Foundation, prompting further questions about the organization and the now-cancelled contract with the Candadian federal government to oversee a massive student grant program. Today, we’re joined by Global News’ investigative reporter Stewart Bell and Financial Post reporter Vanmala Subramaniam to talk about the latest revelations surrounding the charitable group and its real estate holdings.

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New revelations about WE Charity and its real estate holdings

In recent months, public experts are in agreement that wearing a mask in public is one of the only ways we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the absence of a treatment or a vaccine. Still, there are tons of people who refuse to wear one, saying it’s uncomfortable or a violation of their constitutional rights. Today, we’re talking to a behavioural psychologist about why we should all be wearing masks right now, and how we can convince those who won’t to change their minds.

How to deal with anti-maskers

Kids haven't physically gone to school for months now because of the pandemic. This means that parents who are working from home have been juggling a million different things. But women have been disproportionately impacted by school closures and by the economic crisis. Today, we’re talking to Lauren Dobson-Hughes, a consultant specializing in gender and equality, about plans to reopen schools and what’s at stake for the future of women.

School closures are pushing women out of the work force

It might seem unhinged and farfetched to the average person, but the QAnon movement seems to be gaining traction. Since the start of the pandemic lockdowns, researchers are noticing a huge spike in QAnon content on social media—and a growing presence in real life. Today, we’re joined by journalist Justin Ling to talk about the movement and whether it’s taking root in Canada.

What is QAnon, and why are Canadians being drawn to it?

The Twitter accounts of some of the world’s most powerful people were hacked on Wednesday in a brazen attack. Hackers took over accounts belonging to Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and many others, to promote a bitcoin scam. How did this happen and what should we make of it? We’ve got Motherboard’s senior editor Jordan Pearson to help us make sense of it all.

Hackers came for Elon Musk and other high-profile Twitter users

The Canadian government has been spending huge amounts on financial assistance programs for people and businesses affected by the pandemic. A major one has been the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which is $500 a week to help those who have lost their jobs or work hours. The program has been praised for its effectiveness, and it’s also reignited the debate around universal basic income (UBI). Today, we’re joined by Sheila Block, senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, to talk about whether we could see UBI in our future.

First CERB... then universal basic income?

This week, Ontario is moving into Stage 3 of reopening, which means that more places like indoor bars and gyms are opening. Even though Ontario has been flattening the curve to some extent, a lot of people are concerned that we’re moving too fast and that there could be a surge in cases. Today, we’re joined by the Globe and Mail’s health reporter Carly Weeks to talk about what Stage 3 means, why there’s a plan for reopening bars but not for schools, and whether we’re ready.

Ontario is entering Stage 3, but is that a good idea?

COVID-19 patients are typically split into three categories: those who are infected, those who have recovered, and those who have died. But over the last few months, we’ve been hearing more and more about the thousands of people who don’t fit neatly into these groups: the ‘long-haulers’. Even though they should have recovered, or have tested negative for the virus, they are nonetheless grappling with debilitating symptoms. Today, we’re joined by two ‘long-haulers’ and a family physician to talk about this phenomenon and what it says about the nature of the virus.

The agony of COVID-19 ‘long-haulers’

 Justin Trudeau is facing his third investigation by Canada’s ethics watchdog after outcry over a $900 million federal contract awarded to WE Charity. The controversy over the now-cancelled WE Charity government contract ramped up this week after it was revealed that Trudeau’s family members were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak at WE Charity events. Today, we’re joined by Global News’ chief political correspondent David Akin to break down the debacle and what it says about Trudeau and the Liberals. 

Trudeau’s WE Charity debacle

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic since the start. Then this week, he became one of the 1.6 million people in Brazil to get infected by the virus. Today, we’re talking with journalist Gustavo Ribeiro, founder of The Brazilian Report and host of Explaining Brazil Podcast, about how things got so bad in Brazil and whether Bolsonaro will take it more seriously now that he’s tested positive for COVID-19.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro dismissed COVID-19, now he has it

This week, more than 200 scientists wrote an open letter to the World Health Organization urging it to acknowledge mounting evidence that the novel coronavirus is airborne. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist, to talk about the ongoing debate over whether the virus is airborne, what this really means, and how it could impact physical distancing guidelines. Social Sell: “We should be vigilant and cautious around reopening anything that puts lots of people in a small airspace with either poor ventilation or recirculated air.” Epidemiologist Dr. Colin Furness joins us to discuss whether the coronavirus is airborne.

Is the coronavirus airborne or not?

If you’ve been paying attention to conversations happening online about race, you might’ve noticed that the acronym BIPOC is suddenly everywhere. BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of colour, and it’s meant to be inclusive and specific at the same time. But not everyone’s a fan of it. We’re joined by linguistics Phd student deandre miles-hercules to talk about the origins of BIPOC and whether it’s helpful when talking about race.

Where did 'BIPOC' come from?

The COVID-19 case count in the U.S. has broken records over the last week. And more than 130,000 there have now died from the virus. Global News’s Washington Bureau Chief Jackson Proskow is back on the show today to talk about how the outbreak got so bad in the U.S. and what this could all mean for Donald Trump’s political future.

A coronavirus surge is pummelling America and Trump

Advocates have been saying for years that police aren’t equipped to deal with mental health crisis calls. They point to a number of wellness checks that have ended up with the person in crisis getting killed. And as we talk about defunding the police, these deaths have prompted growing calls for mental health workers to be more involved in responding to these incidents. Today, we’re joined by mental health lawyer Anita Szigeti to talk about what the solutions could be.

Why people are getting killed by cops during mental health crises

In recent weeks, some police unions in the U.S. have been pushing back hard against criticism from the public. And as governments across North America are responding to calls to defund the police, there’s been heightened focus on how powerful these unions really are, how they’ve been an obstacle to reform in the past, and how they might stand in the way this time around. Today, we’re joined by Global News reporter Brian Hill to talk about his new story on the role of police unions.

The power of police unions

A daily Global News podcast released every afternoon just in time for your commute home. The world moves way too fast and it’s easy to fall behind the news cycle. Host Tamara Khandaker takes you beyond the headlines to reveal the full story, explore new angles, ask tough questions, and talk directly to the people most affected by the big stories.

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