The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge

Bruce Anderson has a new hobby, at least I think it's new!  All that to say we go behind the strategies or lack of them being used by some political leaders in Canada and assess whether they're working.  But we don't stop there, we look at how Joe Biden, faced with many of the same issues, is handling them with very different results.

Are tech firms changing their minds about employees working from home?  And, how many complaints do you think the BBC has had about Prince Phillip coverage?  Plus, a feature discussion about the business of hockey -- some things may surprise you.

The BBC had to open a new complaints page over its coverage of Prince Phillip's death.  How times have changed. And more blunt talk about Covid in Canada this wee with Dr. Lynora Saxinger from Edmonton.

My thoughts on the life of Prince Philip as the Duke passes on.

And it being Friday the best of your letters on the Weekend Special.

The cruise ships want to leave dock, should they be given that permission?  

Plus, airlines begin retraining laid off pilots.  And The Bridge goes with some humour as the website "Yahoo Answers" signals it's shutting down.

Are the gloves coming off between the provinces and Ottawa on vaccine distribution and who is telling the truth?  Bruce Anderson and I go at it on that, plus a hard look at journalism -- is it doing its job on the pandemic?  And some thoughts about Naheed Nenshi as he steps down from the stage.

Are there days when it's okay to talk about Toronto?  If there are then today is one of them!  I'll explain.

Also the top five plagues of all time and what we learned from them?  And are you getting enough sleep?

Who's winning between the variants and the vaccines?  Dr Isaac Bogoch doesn't hold back on giving his answer on this and some other key questions about where we are on Covid. All this while Britain starts a serious reopening program.

Does lockdown really mean lockdown?  Case numbers, hospitalizations and ICU stays are all up in many parts of the country.  Can partial lockdowns make a difference in the race between vaccines and new cases?

First some good strategy talk on why Doug Ford is attacking Justin Trudeau, and then some pretty funny talk about Uncle Don at a Mara Lago Wedding.

It's hard to imagine a worse rollout than the AstraZeneca vaccine -- what to believe and what to do.  We get some blunt talk from Dr Lisa Barrett of Dalhousie University in Halifax.

And in a special guest appearance, we're joined from the US Library of Congress by Winston Churchill!

You had the vaccine a week ago, is your life really any different than it was a month ago?

Dr Zain Chagla joins us.  But also, the Suez Canal and why its blockage is so important.  And the sound of history, we take you back thanks to the US Library of Congress. "Holy Cow"!

Our weekly roundup of your letters, comments and questions.

It's potpourri Thursday and topic one is all about drones and the good things they're doing right now. An excuse of course for an old anecdote!  Also the shrinking infrastructure of the news business, and Digital Passports -- is that our future?

Coming up later on Sirius XM Ch 167 an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, so today on SMT a chance to preview the interview with an excerpt and analysis with Bruce Anderson and me.  The PM discusses everything from the pandemic and vaccines to the budget, an election, China and Russia.  

We are into the third year of China's detention of two Canadians -- time for some blunt talk about options.  Former diplomat and Vice President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute Colin Robertson joins us.  Plus, How different countries have different lockdown rules on Covid.

I was lucky enough to get my vaccine over the weekend, but a letter I received shortly after made me realize there are others who may be much more needy than me.  Plus the lay of the pandemic land as a new week begins with Dr Isaac Bogoch. And some big news about a guest later this week.

Your letters, comments and questions -- especially on the issue of dinner invites this summer.

Remember all that talk including on this podcast about 4000 steps a day to stay healthy, then 10,000 steps a day.  Well, time for new research to tell us what's the right total. And have you ever heard of National Napping Day?  Get ready, you will now.  And how about taking a university course in "happiness"?  

Bruce tells us what it was like getting the Astra Zeneca shot.  And then we're joined by Benjamin Tal, the Deputy Chief Economist of CIBC World Markets for a real down to earth, easy to understand conversation about the economy and what you should know to protect your pocketbook.

This summer if you've had your vaccine, will you go to a small dinner part if other participants have not been vaccinated?  

Plus a new study determines how the pandemic has affected our bodies.  And an excerpt from my interview with Kaleb Dalghren, one of the survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash three years ago.

A listener letter prompts an informative discussion about kids and vaccines with infectious disease specialist Dr Lisa Barrett from Dalhousie University in Halifax.  Plus what Zoom fatigue is doing to your brain and the simple way to deal with it.  

We introduce the corrections box to show a little transparency.  But the main body of the special is as it always is -- your thoughts, ideas and questions.  The main focus -- the monarchy and Canada.

Young journalists probably have no idea who Roger Mudd was.,  Here's why they should remember him.

Also, how to deal with vaccine hesitancy.  Why health reporters deserve our thanks.  And a 91-year old cop? 

This is a master class in communications strategy.  Bruce Anderson and our guest in London, former Stephen Harper Communications Director Andrew MacDougall, take us inside what likely happened as Buckingham Palace put out a statement to counter the Harry and Meagan interview.  What likely happened, how did they decide what to say, how to say it and when to say it.  You'll learn a lot about how these things are done.

Tens of millions around the world have watched the Harry and Meghan interview and the aftershocks continue.  What will happen next?  Plus Canada's obligation to help others on the vaccine front, how are we doing?  Dr Samantha Nutt joins the Bridge. And something about Justin Bieber -- go figure.

What to do with Harry and Meghan?  The Royal Family is rocked by another internal scandal this time after a headline setting interview the two royals had with Oprah Winfrey on American television. Also our regular Monday morning lay of the land on how Canada is dealing with Covid with the help of Dr Zain Chagla, infectious disease specialist at McMaster University.

Your thoughts, comments and questions and there are lots of them this week.  

Special emphasis on your take on electric vehicles, but still lots of other issues as well.

It's potpourri day and lots of good "stuff" to talk about.  An amazing sculpture in the Oval Office and the story behind it.  A new set of global rankings on the fight against Covid with some surprising results.  Why a tweet can sink a career.  The five medical appointments you should not postpone.  All that and more.

Part two of our Smoke, Mirrors and The Truth two-part series on how our personal use of energy is changing.  This week the explosion in "EV's", electric vehicles.

Robert Lockhart is an EV hobbyist and he helps Bruce and me navigate the EV story.   

We also start SMT with a discussion about vaccines and ask why Canada is so far behind the US in putting vaccines in arms.

The pandemic has staggered the entertainment business worldwide -- is it starting to find ways to make a comeback? We check in with Stratford, Broadway and Beijing. And Bitcoin, the market numbers are raising interest, excitement and concern.  We try to answer the questions with a guest who has the cred to deal with them.

Last week there were just two, now three, and maybe four within a week.  We're talking vaccines -- and how could that change everything?  Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogotch is our guest.

Your best answers to the question: What was your favourite Canadian speech quote?  Lots of entries from across the country as well as a special letter opening the program from a listener in Japan.

It's everyone's favourite guessing game -- when will things be normal again?  The Bridge gets into the game today with a pretty good assessment from The Atlantic.  And as this is Thursday, there's a potpourri of "stuff" from drones flying masks into remote islands in Scotland to dating apps demanding your vaccination status and a lot more.

A major international oil company says it has started to decrease oil production and won't be turning back.  Does this signal a major change in the world's dependence on oil? And what does it mean for Canadian oil producers.  The first of a two part Smoke Mirrors and The Truth look at the energy world -- this week oil, and next week electric vehicles.

Great speeches can change the course of history. So, on the heels of a pretty good  Joe Biden speech last night, The Bridge asks today, do you know a Canadian speech that's impacted the country? Plus, Amber Mac drops by to answer your question about the safety of your personal computer during the pandemic. And, what was the worst year in world history? And, would YOU  pay for a sightseeing flight over Chernobyl?  

A lot of indicators suggest things are improving quickly on the Covid front, but does that mean we have turned the corner?  Two of the country's respected infectious disease specialists have their view.  One in Halifax and one in Edmonton.  Plus, is Israel trading vaccines for hostages? And, what would you charge researchers to be deliberately infected?

Our regular Friday special that focuses on the best of your week's comments and questions   Today vaccines, books, and weather highlight the comments and then as we do every week, we pick the letter of the week.

It's potpourri Thursday and there's lots to choose from.  Who should pick the next Governor-General, Bitcoin; forgotten passwords; pandemic passports; where Canadians really miss visiting Americans; which food has become our favourite thanks to Covid-19; and have you hit the pandemic wall?  All that and more.

US President Joe Biden now says his country is not divided, but is it?  And is Canada divided too?  We lift the curtain on what's real and what isn't. And how it could affect the future here at home.  

And, some exciting "breaking news" on Chantal Hebert!