Zoomer Week In Review

Given today's increasing environmental awareness, you'd think consumers would be looking for smaller and smaller cars. But the clear message from the crowds at this year's auto show is "go big or go home!". Libby chatted with leading automotive consultant Denis DesRosiers. AND How have attitudes to sexual behaviour changed in the wake of the #MeToo movement, and why is there a generational divide in the way women think about it? Those are just some of the questions award-winning author and investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle asks in her latest book "Had it Coming." She came by our studios to discuss it.

Despite accusations of misleading the public with pseudoscience, Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP empire has a new series on Netflix. According to the head of Britain's National health System, among other critics, it is dangerous and poses a considerable risk to public health. Libby Znaimer reached law professor and pseudoscience debunker Tim Caulfield in Edmonton. AND This Friday marked Valentine's Day, and just when most singles had accepted that online dating is the modern way to go, it's falling out of favour for all age groups but especially Zoomers. The problems include, catfishing, fake profiles, and no-shows. Relationship coach Grace Cirocco says it's time to get back to the basics.

Women are not small men and, when it comes to heart disease, they have paid a high price because medical science has treated them that way. Women have been under-researched, under-diagnosed and under-treated, but, according to "The 2020 Heart & Stroke Spotlight on Women", progress is being made. Libby Znaimer sat down with Dr. Paula Harvey, Physician-in-Chief and director of the Cardiovascular research Program at Women's College Hospital. AND Are you an optimist? A growing number of long-term studies have linked that frame of mind to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses and to fostering longevity. Libby reached Dr. Alan Rozanski, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital in New York.

The spread of the novel coronavirus is bringing back anti-Chinese stereotypes - just like the spread of SARS sparked racism and anti-Asian tropes back in 2003. It's also bringing a big drop in business on our Chinatowns. Libby Znaimer talked with Amy Go, of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice AND World Cancer Day is a global initiative to raise awareness and make sure that cancer continues to be a priority in the world health and development agenda. It's also a good time to take stock of the progress that's been made against this devastating disease. Libby checked in with Dr. Aaron Schimmer, director of research at PMCC.

In honour of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz, we tell the little known story of a Polish patriot who snuck into the camp to try to organize a rebellion and warn the Allies of Nazi crimes. AND Freedom 55! For years there were ads dangling that prospect for the baby boom generation. Now it turns out, for most people retirement is very different than what they expected.

Canadians have until January 27 to give Ottawa input on how to change the law on medical assistance in dying. Libby Znaimer broached these difficult issues with Justice Minister David Lametti. AND Is salt really that bad for us? A new documentary, "Pass the Salt", takes a contrary view. Libby sat down with filmmaker Michael McNamara

Politicians at Queen's Park plan to consider a private members bill that would ensure couples continue to live together in long-term care homes, even if their care needs are different. Waterloo New Democrat Catherine Fife is behind the proposal. THEN More than 700 patients, who'd been admitted to Ontario hospitals the past three years, were part of a local study that aimed to learn what affected their experience during their discharge and transition to home. Family physician and St. Michael's Hospital researcher Dr. Tara Kiran hopes the findings result in improvements in the transition navigated by one million patients every year in Ontario.

Toronto politicians are all in … approving the next step in the continuing focus on caring for the growing number of seniors in the city. You’ll hear about the new ‘emotion-centred approach’ pilot project from Toronto’s Seniors Advocate. AND Dispelling heart health misconceptions that have guided while also misleading patients for years. American cardiologist turned author Dr. Jignesh Shah will help you and your loved ones navigate the healthcare system … regardless of which side of the border you’re on.

There's one holiday list that isn't about being naughty or nice. Before clinking the New Year's champagne glasses, we should all sign off on a year-end financial checklist to put us in the best position for tax time. Libby went over it with Mark Halpern of WEALTHinsurance.com

Have you had any scam calls lately? For many of us it is a daily occurrence. Regulators are promising that we'll see a dramatic reduction because of a new requirement for call-blocking technology that just took effect. Will it work? And how can you protect yourself? Libby Znaimer chatted with tech expert Carmi Levy. AND There's one holiday list that isn't about being naughty or nice. Before clinking the New Year's champagne glasses, we should all sign off on a year end financial checklist to put us in the best position for tax time. Libby went over it with Mark Halperin of wealthinsurance.com.

Libby Znaimer talks to acclaimed producer Robert Lantos about his latest film, "The Song of Names". It's a sweeping drama that spans 50 years, about a man searching for his childhood best friend, a Polish violin prodigy orphaned in the Holocaust. who vanished on the night of his first public performance. AND At this time of year we hear a lot about people who are ill, about their caregivers...not so much. Veteran caregiver and author, Peter Rosenberger, offers 8 great tips for caregivers to give to themselves for this holiday season.

From the Christmas Song to White Christmas to Winter Wonderland - many of the most iconic Christmas songs were written by Jews. It's the ultimate yuletide irony and the subject of Veteran filmmaker Larry Weinstein's documentary "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas." Libby Znaimer sat down with him when the film came out. AND Have you tried to deal with Air Canada lately? Just in time for the busy holiday travel season - hundreds of passengers are complaining about Air Canada's new reservation system which is preventing them from changing or booking flights and in some cases endangering their personal information. Don't even ask about reaching them by phone. Passenger Rights advocate Gabor Lukacs has some ideas on what to do.

Do you ever speed? Do you have trouble seeing cyclists and pedestrians in the dark? If the answer is yes, those are just two of many reasons it could be time for a driving update. Winter is here, and so is National Safe Driving Week. Expert driver Alex Kelly dropped by with tips to improve our performance on the road. AND As we head into the holiday season, the Christmas season, there’s a fascinating new survey on how Canadians view religion in public life. We are divided on the question - and our views don’t necessarily depend on whether we are believers or not. Libby Znaimer took a deep dive with Dave Korzinski lead author of the research from Angus Reid.

For nearly a year, Mary Sardelis was barred from visiting the nursing home where her 97 year old mother Voula lives. The owners claimed they had the right to do this under trespass laws. It took 316 days before Mary could get in front a judge who ruled that the home was misusing the law. It's not an isolated incident. Jane Meadus of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly receives dozens of complaints from family members who say they have been barred for speaking out about conditions in the home. AND She had a career as an aerospace engineer before going into politics. Deb Schulte is one of seven Liberals promoted to the front bench. She is the new Minister of Seniors and we had a get-to-know you chat.

There is important new research that will change the treatment for thousands of patients with blocked coronary arteries. The work found that bypass surgery and stents are no more effective than medication in preventing heart attacks and deaths. Libby Znaimer talked with Cardiologist Dr. Vlad Dzavik at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital. AND The holiday season is also prime time for charitable giving. But do you know how much impact your donations have? Or how many cents on the dollar actually go to the cause after administration and other costs. Charity Intelligence has done the research on 750 Canadian charities. Libby sat down with managing Director Kate Bahen.

This week we marked World Kindness Day. Before you roll your eyes, or join hands and sing Kumbaya, have a listen to the evidence of what kindness can do for you. Libby reached Professor Daniel Fessler at UCLA's Bedari Kindness Institute. AND This year drug resistant infections killed 5400 Canadians and those numbers are set to rise dramatically over the next 30 years. A landmark new report predicts superbugs kill nearly 400,000 Canadians and cost the economy $400 billion unless we are able to stop them. Libby reached report author Brett Finlay at his office at the University of British Columbia.

Canadians are often known for downplaying our own stories. As we approach Remembrance Day, author Mark Zuelke is highlighting a forgotten part of our contribution to winning World War 2. The River Battles is the story of one Canadian Corp's crossing of the Emilia Romana plain in Italy in 1944-45. The Italian campaign was the longest undertaken by the Canadian Army and by the time it ended more than 5000 soldiers were killed and nearly 20,000 wounded. Zuelke dropped by our studios to tell the story. AND A new film explores the life and work of Canada's most iconic writer - Margaret Atwood - as she approaches her 80th birthday. Filmmakers Nancy Lang and Peter Raymont got to tag along with Atwood for a year to make their documentary and they told Libby Znaimer all about it.

It was first described as a murder suicide when their bodies were found in a maccabre death scene at their Bridle Path home. It's almost two years after what turned out to be the double murder of Apotex founder Barry Sherman and his philanthropist wife Honey. We still don't know who killed the billionaire victims and why. But The Toronto Star's chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan uncovered some tantalizing new details in his book: The Billionaire Murders. He stopped by our studios. AND She was one of the first women to rise to the top in Ontario's political back rooms and she was the architect of the unlikely victory of another woman, Kathleen Wynne. But Pat Sorbara, author of 'Let 'Em Howl: Lessons from a Life in Back Room Politics', was caught up in bribery charges that ended her career even though she was acquitted. She looks back on the lessons of a life in politics.

The votes were barely counted after this week's federal election before CARP issued a warning to the new government: The Zoomers advocacy group is demanding dramatic improvements to our healthcare system despite the fact that the issue was largely ignored during the campaign - a campaign that had 40% of CARP members feeling that none of the leaders represented their interests. CARP's Marissa Lennox and demographic expert David Cravit dropped by to mobilize some action. AND It strikes more women over 50 than heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer combined. And while the biggest risk factor for osteoporosis is simply age, most Zoomer women do not believe they are at risk. One in three will break a bone due to osteoporosis but that can be prevented. Libby talked with Family Physician Dr. Iris Gorfinkel about what we can do to protect ourselves.

Canadians go to the polls tomorrow after a polarizing campaign. Short on issues and long on personal attacks is the way many people describe it. And for the Zoomer demographic, there is an overriding feeling of frustration because of the sense that we have been ignored or taken for granted. With only hours left, Libby Znaimer is checking in with our ZoomerVote panel, Peter Muggeridge senior Editor at Zoomer Magazine, and David Cravit, Vice President of ZoomerMedia and our guru on all things demographic. AND Two out of 3 Canadians over the age of 65 take at least 5 different prescription medications. 1 out of 4 take at least 10. With every additional drug, there's also an increased risk of adverse reactions like memory problems and falls. Now a team of researchers at Mcgill University has come up with an online tool to figure out which drugs can be stopped safely. Libby reached Dr. Todd Lee, Associate Professor of Medicine at McGill University.