This Is Why

When it comes to whether parents should vaccinate their children, there can be a lot of conflicting arguments to be made. Everyone has heard the myths, the studies, the "real-life" cases, but what should we believe? Well, the answer is pretty simple -- the anti-vaccination movement is wrong. According to exclusive Ipsos polling conducted for Global News, two-thirds of parents believe vaccinations are necessary but one in three still worry about side effects. And while 85 per cent of parents surveyed say they believe vaccinations are safe, 85 per cent also feel there is a lot of misinformation out there. On this week’s episode of the Global News original podcast This is Why, Global reporters Heather Yourex-West and Jeff Semple sit down with Niki Reitmayer to discuss their new series, Unvaccinated: Canada’s public health at risk. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitte

A recent Ipsos Reid poll shows that support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is dwindling. And the controversies that hang over his government from public perception on pipelines, the alleged scandal involving SNC-Lavalin, to leaked government documents could continue to plague the prime minister until Canadians mark their ballots this fall. On this week’s episode of the Global News original podcast This is Why, Ottawa Bureau Chief for Global News Mercedes Stephenson sits down with Niki Reitmayer to discuss the issues that could decide the result of October's federal election. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

On Friday, March 15 a terrorist walked into two mosques and opened fire on Muslim worshippers. Investigators believe the attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand were fuelled by Islamophobia and hate. It shocked people around the world, even though the hate exists globally. But did you know that close to 300 hate groups exist in Canada and that they often go undetected? On this week’s episode of the Global News original podcast This is Why, host Niki Reitmayer sits down with former white supremacist Brad Galloway who explains how hate crimes will only get worse. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

Between 2001 and 2016, the mortality rate from causes linked to alcohol climbed 26 per cent for women, compared to just five per cent for men. While it’s not clear what’s behind the rise in women drinking, there’s a growing theory that alcohol jokingly packaged as "mummy juice" could be playing a role. On this week’s episode, Niki Reitmayer sits down with CJOB morning show co-host Lauren McNabb, who has been investigating the worrisome trend. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

On February 20th this year, an unprecedented meeting happened between Bishops and survivors of alleged clergy sexual abuse at the Vatican. Twelve survivors from around the world urged the Catholic Church to have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse. Vancouver-based Leona Huggins was also one of the 12 people at the Vatican meeting. On this week’s episode, Huggins explains how the Vatican plans to take claims seriously. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

This past week, Global News' investigative team published an explosive investigation detailing how some pharmacists are making big bucks by scamming the Ontario Drug Benefit Program out of millions of dollars. In this week's episode, This is Why host Niki Reitmayer sits down with chief investigative correspondent Carolyn Jarvis as she explains how the scam is operating and why so few pharmacists are getting caught. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

With ever-advancing technologies and artificial intelligence creeping into the workforce, job security for current and future generations has never been more worrying. This week, we look at how the job market is going to evolve and how to help workers get the best possible employment opportunities in the future If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

When Audrey Parker, 57, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, she decided to turn to Canada’s assisted-dying law, but soon realized there was a catch: the law dictated that people approved for medically-assisted death had to be conscious and mentally sound at the moment they gave their final consent. Fearing she would be denied her wish if she eventually became incapacitated, Parker said she was forced to die sooner than she wanted to. Audrey Parker died on Nov. 1, 2018. In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, we hear from recorded messages from Parker and host Niki Reitmayer speaks with Dying With Dignity Canada's CEO, Shanaaz Gokool. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

Bruce McArthur, a 67-year-old, self-employed gardener, pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder. Most of the killings, which happened between 2010 and 2017, were described as “sexual in nature” and there were many instances cited where there was evidence of ligatures being used. In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, host Niki Reitmayer sits down with Mike Browne, host of the true crime podcast Dark Poutine, as they take a deeper look inside the minds of serial killers and discuss why society should do a better job at remembering their victims. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

“Russia Rising” is a new investigative podcast series hosted by Jeff Semple, the former Europe Bureau Chief for Global News. This series hopes to unravel the giant mystery behind Putin’s Russia with the help of those who know her best - Russian Trolls, Hackers, Putin Supporters, and even a former Russian K.G.B. agent.  Join Jeff on the journey to unravel how Russia has gone from tenuous ally, to a potential global threat. Here’s a sneak peek from episode 2 of the series…. and while you’re listening, search and subscribe to “Russia Rising” for free at Curiouscast.ca or wherever you’re enjoying this podcast.

A polar vortex has tens of millions of people caught in its grasp. But what exactly is a polar vortex? In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell chats with Niki Reitmayer and examines the cold snap that is sending shivers through the spines of a lot of people. Also, senior digital journalist for Global National, Jeff Semple, talks about his new podcast Russia Rising, as he investigates how Russian internet trolls operate and whether other countries, specifically Canada, are targeted too. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

The RCMP’s workplace culture has been called "dysfunctional," proven to have affected their policing ability and derailed decades of attempts at reform. Can civilian oversight change that? In a new Global News investigative series, reporter Jane Gerster looks at how $200 million in taxpayer funds has been spent over 20 years due to the fallout from mismanagement of the Mounties, from sexual harassment lawsuits to federal inquiries into workplace bullying. In this episode of the Global News podcast, This is Why, Gerster sits down with Niki Reitmayer and explains what she uncovered. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

While there has been a recent spate of Canadians finding themselves detained in China, a retaliation to Canada’s detention of Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou, the tension between the two countries has been growing for years. And geographically speaking, it's no surprise that a large percentage of that tension can be felt on Canada's west coast. As the fentanyl situation became a crisis, journalists started to reveal a connection. Chinese criminal organizations were shipping drugs to British Columbia. The money was being laundered in casinos, and then sent back to China and the cycle continued. Over the past few years, these drugs have caused thousands of deaths across the country. In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, we take a look at the darkening diplomatic feud between China and Canada, how it all started and what might happen next. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a

On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos were on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin, Sask., when the team’s bus and a semi collided at an intersection in eastern Saskatchewan. Sixteen people, including 10 players, were killed, while 13 others were injured. The driver of the semi, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2019, to 29 charges of dangerous driving. In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, we take a look back at the incident and examine what questions still need to be answered. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, Global News chief investigative correspondent Carolyn Jarvis looks back on some of her best work in 2018.  If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

In this episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, Global News investigative reporter Sam Cooper explains how organized crime groups and small-time operators alike are making a killing from fentanyl. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

Earlier this year, Global News reporter Farah Nasser spoke with prominent Canadians about their experiences with discrimination. They spoke candidly about names they’ve been called to shed light on the lasting impacts. What can be done to help future generations and how can we be proactive when we witness hate speech? If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

The result of Calgary’s plebiscite shows a changing attitude towards the Winter Olympic Games and the controversial organising committee, as cities around the world continue to decline invitations to host upcoming games. With the help of the former CEO of Vancouver's Olympic Committee John Furlong, and CHQR’s Rob Breakenridge, we examine how the future of the Winter Games may be at risk. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

Donald Trump's actions have many evangelicals questioning whether he exemplifies true Christian values. Despite his adulterous affairs, multiple marriages, vitriol towards refugees and frequent insult-laden diatribes, many Christians, especially white Republican Christians continue to stand by their president.   In this week's episode, things get heated as Donald Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, former spiritual advisor to Barack Obama Jim Wallis and Southern Baptist Evangelical pastor Tony Beam join Niki Reitmayer for a fascinating conversation. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show. Twitter: @thisiswhy Email: thisiswhy@curiouscast.ca

John Horace Oughton is believed to have sexually assaulted more than 100 women and children across Vancouver's Lower Mainland in the 1980s. He is known as the "paper bag rapist" because he used to make his victims wear a bag over their heads when he was assaulting them. Sometimes he wore a bag as well. In 1987, he was found guilty of committing 14 sexual assaults and has been in prison ever since. The youngest of his victims, Nikki, who wishes to keep her last name private, was just eight years old when she was assaulted. Nikki has spent the past 30 years dealing with the trauma of what happened to her, and in February of this year she decided to meet her rapist face-to-face as part of a restorative justice program. On this week's episode of the Global News podcast This is Why, we hear part two of a two-part series as Nikki shares her story for the very first time. If you enjoy the This is Why podcast, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please