Podcast
Front Burner
Episodes — page 34
- Ohtani, Porter and sport’s gambling problem
At a time when major sports leagues are embracing online betting, the MLB’s biggest star and a player for the Toronto Raptors are now involved in gambling investigations. So what…
- Front Burner Presents: The Pornhub Empire Episode 2
Not only did Pornhub become a massive moneymaker, it also helped push porn into the spotlight by using data, clever PR, and the power of celebrity. How did Pornhub make itself a ho…
- Beyoncé and country’s Black rootsExplicit
When Beyoncé took the stage at the 2016 Country Music Awards, alongside the Chicks, the racist backlash was immediate. Eight years later, she alluded to that experience when she…
- Why didn’t the U.S. block a Gaza ceasefire vote?
This week, for the first time since the start of the Gaza war, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. It passed after the U.S. abstained fr…
- Inflation has slowed. At what cost?
Canada's inflation numbers have once again come in lower than expected, and are nearing where our central bank wants them. But to get here, the Bank of Canada has kept interest rat…
- Drought bears down on Alberta
After a warm, dry winter, Albertans are preparing for what could be a devastatingly dry summer. Snowpack is low, reservoirs around the province are well below seasonal levels, and…
- Why would ISIS-K attack Russia?
On Friday night, gunmen stormed the packed Crocus City concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, where thousands had gathered for a rock concert. At least 133 people were killed, ma…
- Front Burner Presents: The Pornhub Empire
How did a handful of competitive foosball players in Montreal create the world’s largest online porn site? And what do a picturesque Dutch cabin, thousands of pornographic VHS tape…
- Political grab-bag: Palestinian statehood, carbon tax fight
This week, the NDP introduced a motion to recognize Palestinian statehood. The negotiations went into the night with last-minute amendments made. Why did it get so messy? What rami…
- The dark side of family influencers
Vanessa had her entire life put online during the 2000s “mommy blogger” era. She’s in her 20s now. And as she tells influence culture journalist Fortesa Latifi, her life was anythi…
- West Bank real estate, protests at Canadian synagogue
Ahead of its event at a Thornhill, Ontario synagogue, the “great Israeli Real Estate Event” seemed to list settlements in the occupied West Bank on its website – settlements which…
- What went wrong with Boeing’s planes?
From emergency landings to mechanical failures, airplane manufacturer Boeing has been in the news a lot recently. Earlier this year, a panel flew off mid-air on a flight, and just…
- How gang leader “Barbeque” took over Haiti
On Monday, Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced from Puerto Rico that he would be stepping down. He’s been unable to return to Haiti since January, because heavily armed ga…
- Will America really ban TikTok?
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill that could lead to the forced sale or nationwide ban of TikTok in the U.S. To become law, the bi…
- Royal mystery: What’s going on with Kate Middleton?
Kate Middleton is one of the most photographed people in the world. But for months she’s been out of the public eye, recovering from what Kensington Palace says was abdominal surge…
- Why is air travel so miserable?
March break, one of the busiest travel times of the year, just started in Ontario. It’ll kick off across much of the country in the next few weeks. Chances are, if you’re flying…
- Why does Russia want Canadian tech for its war drones?
Orlan-10 drones are arguably one of Russia’s most important assets on the battlefield. Which is why the West has sanctions in place to keep the tech needed to build the drones out…
- Pierre Poilievre confronts Canada's media
Pierre Poilievre does not hide how he feels about Canadian mainstream media. His numerous, testy exchanges with reporters earn lots of online traction. Is the relationship between…
- Unraveling the Winnipeg disease lab mystery
Since 2019, questions have swirled around why two scientists, originally from China, were marched out of a high-security infectious disease lab in Winnipeg. They were later strippe…
- Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and a legion of Saudi-backed bots
The legal proceedings between ex-spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard made nonstop headlines in 2022 — and online discourse at the time seemed to be overwhelmingly in favour of Depp…
