Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners weighed in on TIFF's controversial decision to cancel a screening of a documentary about October 7th and then how it walked back that decision only after plenty of public backlash, and the reality that motorized vehicles have been taking over bike lanes in Toronto. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: WHAT ARE MOTORIZED VEHICLES DOING IN BIKE LANES? Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. Libby talks about seeing motorized vehicles taking over bike lanes in Toronto, the City of Mississauga going after "nuisance gatherings" at Ridgeway Plaza and other municipal news of the week. LIBBY'S EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH AMIR TIBON Amir Tibon tells the shocking story of how his father Noam Tibon, a retired Major General in the IDF, rescued him and his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas Massacre of October 7 2023. This interview originally aired on The Zoomer on Oct. 7 2024. Earlier this week, TIFF faced plenty of backlash for deciding to cancel the screening of Barry Avrich's doc that covers the story above during October 7th. TIFF has since walked back that decision but only after they were called out on it.   SIMONS OPENS AT YORKDALE SHOPPING MALL IN TORONTO Lib

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS SPREADING IN CHINA Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. There's concerning news about a virus called Chikungunya that is spreading in China. Our doctors weigh in on its signs and symptoms and how worried we should be about it here in Canada. AIR CANADA TO CANCEL FLIGHTS BEGINNING ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF POTENTIAL FLIGHT ATTENDANT STRIKE Libby Znaimer is joined by Karl Moore, Associate Professor, Strategy & Organization at McGill University, and Devyn Perry of Devyn Perry Travel in Toronto. Air Canada is taking measures ahead of a potential flight attendant strike with flight cancellations starting Thursday. Our panel reacts to the latest. T

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  WHAT CANADIANS THINK ABOUT PM MARK CARNEY'S PERFORMANCE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Robin Sears, a crisis communications consultant and former NDP strategist; and John Capobianco, Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard HighRoad. An Abacus Data poll paints a picture of Prime Minister Mark Carney's favorability rating among Canadians & PM Carney speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's summit meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska.   WARREN KINSELLA ON CANADA'S ANTISEMITISM PROBLEM AND THE WELL ORGANIZED ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPAIGN Libby Znaimer is joined by Warren Kinsella, a Canadian Journalist and lawyer. In a wide-ranging interview, Warren Kinsella spoke with Libby Znaimer about being a staunch ally of the Jewish community, his thoughts about the explosion of antisemitism post-October 7th and the well-organized

ZOOMER SQUAD: 91-YEAR-OLD MAN EVICTED IN TORONTO Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP; Liz West, Host of the Afternoon Express; and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. Our panel reacts to the latest polling on Prime Minister Mark Carney's approval rating, the concerning story of a 91-year-old Toronto man who was evicted from his apartment unit, and Toronto Police have introduced a new, easy-to-remember number for non-emergencies. Our panel also reacts to Libby's exclusive interview with Gil Penalosa whereby he talked about seniors' issues. WHY YOU SHOULDN'T RUSH TO REBOOK FLIGHTS AMID POTENTIAL AIR CANADA FLIGHT ATTENDANT STRIKE Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Gabor Lukacs, Founder and President of Air Passenger Rights. Are you worried about how a potential Air Canada flight attendants strike this month could impact your travel plans? Gabor tells us why you shouldn't rush to make changes to your flights. AIR CANADA HAS MADE CHANGES TO AEROPLAN PROGRAM: HERE'S WHA

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to Canadian tennis player Victoria Mboko beating Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open Final and other news that made headlines this week. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: REACTION TO LIBBY'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GIL PENALOSA ON MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East), Brad Bradford, City Councillor for Ward 19 Beaches-East York and former Toronto City Councillor Karen Stintz. We get reaction from the panel to Gil Penalosa's big interview on Fight Back with Libby Znaimer where he discussed his disappointment in Mayor Olivia Chow's track record. You'll remember he ensured her victory in the last election.  Meanwhile, we discuss Ontario Premier Doug Ford's plans for a Highway 401 underground tunnel and his gripe about the court's ruling on bike lanes. THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR AN AIR CANADA STRIKE: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Martin Firestone President, Travel Secure Inc. An Air Canada flight attendant strike could come down on August 16th. Martin weighs in on steps you might consider taking if you do have travel plans in August and what you should think about when it

THE MEDICAL RECORD: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE INDUSTRY OF FRAUDULENT SCIENTIFIC PAPERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; Dr. Nadia Alam, family doctor and anesthetist in Georgetown, Ontario; and Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist. Our panel of doctors reacts to the concerning trend of fraudulent scientific papers & RFK Jr. is cutting off $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding. GIL PENALOSA UNLEASHES ON OLIVIA CHOW'S TRACK RECORD AS MAYOR OF TORONTO Libby Znaimer is joined by Gil Penalosa, a popular urbanist and the Founder of 8 80 Cities who formerly ran for mayor of Toronto. In a wide ranging interview this week, Gil Penalosa, who backed Olivia Chow in the last mayoral election, unleashes on her track record as mayor of the city. He goes on to criticize h

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: MORE REACTION TO PM MARK CARNEY'S PLANS TO RECOGNIZE A PALESTINIAN STATE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Robin Sears, a Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist; and Chris Alexander, a former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan and Minister of Immigration under Stephen Harper. We get reaction from our panel on Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement last week that he plans to recognize a Palestinian state come September. THE LATEST ON CANADA POST & CUSMA  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Dr. Lee weighs in on the implications of Canada Post workers opposing the postal service's latest offer and the latest trade tensions between Canada and the U.S.   IS TORONTO CITY HALL DELIVERING FOR RESIDENTS?    Libby Znaimer is joined by Daniel Tate, a concerned citizen, taxpayer and Director of I

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: THE COST OF GOING CASHLESS, CHANGES TO RRIF RULES, AND SENIORS AGEING IN PLACE Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons; Alex Nanoff, Principal at Liaison Strategies; and public affairs consultant Bob Richardson, to discuss the latest stories that matter to Zoomers. A HISTORY LESSON ON SIMCOE DAY Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada, for a brush-up on the Simcoe Day holiday. A REFLECTION ON THE NORTH AMERICAN HOLOCAUST MUSEUM MOTORCYCLE TOUR Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Andy Reti, a child survivor of the Holocaust, who participated in the North American Holocaust Museum Motorcycle Tour.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement on his plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September. What do you think about this?

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: FORD GOV'T APPEALING COURT RULING OVER BIKE LANES  Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East) and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis. The Ford government is appealing a court ruling over bike lanes and Toronto City Council has approved a colour coding system for rental units that is meant to hold landlords accountable. Our panelists react to the latest! PM MARK CARNEY PLANS TO RECOGNIZE THE STATE OF PALESTINE (WITH CONDITIONS) Libby Znaimer is joined by Iddo Moed, the Ambassador of Israel to Canada. Mr. Moed gives us Israel's official point of view on Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing that he'll recognize a Palestinian state in September, should certain conditions be met including the Palestinian Authorities' Mahmoud Abbas calling an election in 2026 without Hamas being part of that. Just how realistic is that? Also, this is a major change in Canada's approach to Israel. How did we get here? MORE REACTION TO PM M

THE MEDICAL RECORD: PAINKILLER SHORTAGES AND A NEW STUDY ON LIVER CANCER Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. We're facing a shortage of certain common painkiller drugs in Canada; the world's largest Alzheimer's conference is being hosted in Toronto this week; a new study details how 3 in 5 liver cancer cases can be preventable. HE MADE DEATH THREATS AGAINST JEWS AND IS NOW ON HOUSE ARREST: WHY? Libby Znaimer is joined by Richard Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada. A Toronto man made death threats to Jews and also threatened to blow up synagogues. His punishment after being convicted: house arrest. It's prompted Jewish advocacy groups to sound the alarm! 600 FOREIGN NAT

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  ALBERTA RIDING HAS MORE THAN 200 NAMES ON BALLOT, INCLUDING POILIEVRE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC Finance Minister. There are over 200 names on the ballot for the Alberta riding where Pierre Poilievre is running and it has led to Elections Canada creating an adapted ballot. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has described trade talks with the U.S. as reaching an "intense phase" ahead of the August 1st deadline whereby the Trump administration could increase tariffs on a number of Canadian goods to 35 percent. Our panel reacts to the latest. AUTO THEFT HAS GONE DOWN IN CANADA ACCORDING TO NEW REPORT Libby Znaimer is joined by Bryan Gast, VP, Investigative Services at Équité Association. A new Équité Association report points to a drop in auto theft in Canada. What has led to the decline and how can we be sure this t

ZOOMER SQUAD:  THE WORLD'S LARGEST ALZHEIMER'S CONFERENCE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN TORONTO  Libby Znaimer is joined by David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies, Bob Richardson, a public affairs consultant and Dr. Howard Chertkow, Scientific Director, Baycrest’s Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness. The world's largest dementia conference is being hosted right here in Toronto this week and it is bringing researchers together from numerous countries. Our guests weigh in on the latest. WHAT A REPORT SAYS ABOUT ANTISEMITISM AT ONTARIO SCHOOLS Libby Znaimer is joined by Tamara Gottlieb, founding member of the Jewish Educators and Family Association of Canada (JEFA). Tamara reacts to a disturbing report that recently came out of the Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism which points to a rise in antisemitism at Ontario schools.   U.S PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNS A BIG TRADE DEAL WITH THE E.U. Libby Znaimer is joined by Perrin Beatty, a fo

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners offered their reactions to the not guilty verdicts delivered in the hockey sexual assault trial that took place in London, ON. What did you think about the judge's decision in this high-profile case?

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: BATHURST AND DUFFERIN STREETS WILL BE GETTING PRIORITY TRANSIT LANES AFTER COUNCIL APPROVAL Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak for Ward 6 York Centre, and former Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz and Rob Davis.  We discuss the plan for priority bus lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin Streets as well as traffic congestion in the city. And, what is the status of the bubble zone bylaw here in Toronto? PEEL POLICE MAKE ARRESTS IN CONNECTION TO SERIES OF HOME INVASIONS Libby Znaimer is joined by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.  The Mayor reacts to the arrests made by Peel Regional Police in connection with a series of home invasions and jewelry store robberies that took place in the GTA and he talks about having to get heightened security after facing a recent death threat. We also talk about Brampton's own bubble zone bylaw. JUDGE DELIVERING VERDICTS IN HOCKEY SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL TODAY Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer A

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto. Let's discuss mosquitos and West Nile Virus now that we've learned that Toronto Public Health is reporting that some mosquitos have tested positive for it. How serious of a threat is this to residents and what are some preventative measures you can take? Meanwhile, legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76. He suffered from Parkinson's Disease before that. Let's talk about the signs and symptoms of this health condition. RAPIDTO ON BATHURST STREET IS BEING DISCUSSED AT CITY HALL TODAY  Libby Znaimer is joined by Marco Santaguida, Principal, Santaguida Fine Foods located on Bathurst

RECOVERING POLITICIANS:  PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT HAPPY THAT CANADIANS ARE BOYCOTTING TRAVEL TO THE U.S. Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and Finance Minister. U.S. President Donald Trump has some thoughts about Canadians' decision to boycott American alcohol and travel and Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with Canada's Premiers today. CMA WANTS A FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE IN TALKS BETWEEN PM CARNEY AND PREMIERS Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Margot Burnell, President of the Canadian Medical Association. As Canada's premiers continue their 3 day meeting at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville with a focus on tariffs and trade, a new poll released by the Canadian Medical Association suggests nearly all Canadians (9 in 10) believe improving access to our universal health system should also be a key priority in building a s

ZOOMER SQUAD: THE LATEST REGARDING CANADA POST  Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at CARP;  Liz West, host of The Afternoon Express on Zoomer Radio; and David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies. Our Squad reacts to the latest at Canada Post and offers their thoughts on how the postal service should evolve for the future. THE CITY OF TORONTO NEEDS SOLUTIONS FOR ITS TRAFFIC CONGESTION WOES Jane Brown is joined by Matti Siemiatycki, Director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto. We ask a traffic expert to give his thoughts on strategies that the City of Toronto might want to adopt to ease the ongoing problem of traffic congestion and gridlock. URBAN COMBAT TIPS TO HELP KEEP YOU SAFE Jane Brown is joined by Sergey Baskin, a Krav Maga Instructor based in Toronto. We're living in a reality where Torontonians have to worry about the potential threat of an unprovoked daytime attack that could be fatal. Tha