Best Nils Root Podcasts (2025)

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The Shepherd Edition 52:56

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1d ago52:56

52:56

Buckle your seatbelt and prepare for take-off. Here is "Fireside" Al Maitland's classic reading of "The Shepherd", by the late Frederick Forsyth. Mr. Forsyth lived many lives before becoming a best-selling author, including the life of a RAF pilot. He told us what it's like to be thousands of metres in the sky when fog sets in, and how that experie…

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At age 20, Brown University was her second mass shooting 50:58

2d ago50:58

50:58

As Brown University tries to reassure its community about safety on campus...we reach a student who’s been here before. While Australia has vowed to crack down on hate speech, a politician there says antisemitism has become 'part of life' in his country. The World Health Organization's chief scientist tells us why the W-H-O is taking a closer look …

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The message behind the killing of a Russian general 52:16

3d ago52:16

52:16

Russian investigators suggest Ukraine could be behind a car bomb that killed a top military official in Moscow. Our guest tells us whoever's behind it, the message is clear. Cyclone reconstruction is just the latest shock to Sri Lanka's bottom line. And an economist in Colombo says the way forward is mixed at best. We reach a National Cancer Instit…

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🔥In the Hot Seat: Ventry Parker "Poetik"– PART 1 | ROOTS & BECOMING🔥 18:47

3d ago18:47

18:47

Send us a text Every story has a beginning — this is his. In Part 1 of our conversation with Poetik, we step into the foundation of his life: the village that raised him, the music that shaped him, and the people who poured into him before the world ever knew his name. This episode isn’t just about music. It’s about identity, belonging, gratitude, …

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An MIT professor’s murder and the Brown mass shooting 58:30

6d ago58:30

58:30

A fellow scientist remembers his friend Nuno Loureiro -- the beloved MIT professor authorities believe was killed this week by the same man suspected of killing two students at Brown University. Air Canada reaches a settlement with passengers after a crash-landing in a Halifax snowstorm more than 10 years ago -- an event that left our guest with an…

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The Democrats bury their 2024 election postmortem 1:01:24

7d ago1:01:24

1:01:24

Months ago, the Democratic Party commissioned a report on what went wrong in the 2024 presidential election. Now, party leaders are saying they're actually not going to release the details. Our guest says that just makes him more anxious to see it. After 23 years in an Ontario prison a new legal victory means Tim Rees can finally consider his name …

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Reconstructing the path of the alleged Bondi Beach shooters 1:04:57

8d ago1:04:57

1:04:57

The surviving accused gunman in the Bondi Beach attack is charged -- and an Australian investigative reporter reveals disturbing allegations about the father-and-son suspects. We'll talk to an artist who is painstakingly recreating one of the Bamiyan Buddha statues that was destroyed by the Taliban over two decades ago. After corruption allegations…

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A Canadian delegation blocked from entering the West Bank 1:07:24

9d ago1:07:24

1:07:24

NDP MP Jenny Kwan was supposed to be visiting both Israelis and Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank. But we'll reach her in Jordan -- after she and the rest of a Canadian delegation were blocked by Israel for what it describes as “security reasons”. Media mogul Jimmy Lai's daughter says she made the difficult decision to leave Hong Kong to advoc…

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Tragedy and heroism in the Bondi attack 1:00:51

10d ago1:00:51

1:00:51

A cousin of a rabbi killed in the Bondi beach attack says Eli Schlanger devoted himself to bringing joy and love to others -- and his family plans to continue that tradition. A Syrian father of two who risked his life to disarm one of the alleged shooters is being hailed as a hero; our guest sat with his family as they waited for news. Hong Kong pr…

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Where does Pierre Poilievre go from here? 57:25

13d ago57:25

57:25

Another Conservative crosses the floor to join the government -- and now the Liberals are one vote shy of a majority. A Conservative strategist discusses the winter of his party's discontent. It's been nine months since he was deported to a prison in El Salvador. Now, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is out of detention. But his lawyer says that, under the Tru…

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B.C. flooding brings back all-too-recent memories 1:03:18

14d ago1:03:18

1:03:18

People in British Columbia's Fraser Valley could only watch as torrential rain triggered widespread flooding…again. A campground owner tells us parts of her property were swept away without warning. The United States jacks up tensions with Venezuela by seizing an oil tanker — a tactic our guest says is meant to catalyze regime change, an outcome he…

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Sailor rescued after hours in frigid Pacific waters 55:03

15d ago55:03

55:03

A Royal Canadian Navy sailor is rescued after going missing -- in the Pacific Ocean; we'll talk to a commander on a ship that got the mayday call. The Alberta government has used the notwithstanding clause yet again, this time to push through laws that will affect young transgender people. A trans advocate tells us it's too much -- and they've gone…

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A soybean farmer calls Trump's bailout too little, too late 51:05

16d ago51:05

51:05

A Virginia farmer tells us what he thinks of Washington's 12 billion dollar aid package -- and whether it can actually help save farms collapsing under the weight of the U.S. President's tariffs. Maryland's top public defender tells us the heating at a youth jail in Baltimore has been broken for weeks in winter temperatures -- says the state should…

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One of the biggest movie mergers ever gets a plot twist 1:05:09

17d ago1:05:09

1:05:09

Last week, it seemed Netflix had made a deal to take over Warner Bros. -- but now, Paramount Skydance has swooped in with a surprise hostile takeover bid. New numbers show that already high rates of over-crowding in Ontario jails are getting worse. And our guest warns that promised bail and sentencing reforms will just exacerbate the problem. His a…

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Brothers Building a Legacy: Changing the Pasifika Drinking Narrative | Pulse of Polynesia Podcast 1:19:24

18d ago1:19:24

1:19:24

Send us a text This episode shares the story behind Uso Beer — not to promote alcohol, but to highlight a cultural movement led by four Pasifika entrepreneurs reshaping conversations around unity, identity, and responsible celebration. Jack, Love, Sione, and Ghanit created something deeper than a beverage — a legacy rooted in brotherhood, culture, …

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Special Episode: Free Joan Little 23:55

19d ago23:55

23:55

As It Happens host Nil Köksal speaks with Yoruba Richen about her new documentary about the life of Joan Little, an unlikely civil rights figure who became the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted of murder on the basis that she was defending herself from sexual assault.

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Is it “That’s All Folks?” for movies in theatres? 46:51

20d ago46:51

46:51

The Netflix-Warner Brothers merger is a multi-billion dollar blockbuster -- a business journalist tells us what the deal might mean for where -- and what kind of blockbusters -- you'll be watching from here on out. The chair of the expert panel advising the government on reaching net-zero goals says he had no choice but to resign -- because he does…

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Is North American free trade on its last legs? 1:02:24

21d ago1:02:24

1:02:24

Donald Trump says he could let the Canada-US-Mexico trade deal expire -- but our guest, the president of the Business Council of Canada, argues the agreement is crucial to American and Canadian prosperity. A new trove of thousands of photos shows the horrors of detention under the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. British Columbia makes a …

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Trump rattles a Somali community, including his supporters 1:01:28

22d ago1:01:28

1:01:28

A Somali-American says his community is living in fear, after a series of ugly comments by U.S. President Donald Trump -- language he says need to be called out as racism, pure and simple. The ICC's first chief prosecutor says American strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats are definitely illegal -- and possibly a war crime. One family's hopes of…

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Mark Carney’s trouble building consensus on major projects 1:05:31

23d ago1:05:31

1:05:31

Before the Prime Minister even arrived at a Special Chiefs Meeting today, the Assembly of First Nations had already voted to oppose Ottawa's pipeline agreement with Alberta. After getting hundreds of thousands of signatures, Alberta's 'Forever Canadian' petition will be submitted to the provincial legislature. The man who started it says he hopes i…

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EP 256: Isabella Nichols & Jakob Gjerluff Ager – Nordborn, Returning to her Danish roots, Wave and air temperatures in cold-water, The meaning of hygge, Off-season, Expectations, & Carissa and Steph returning ... 1:01:11

24d ago1:01:11

1:01:11

Dave sits down with WSL Championship Tour standout Isabella Nichols and filmmaker/photographer Jakob Gjerluff Ager to dive into their new film Nordborn, a cinematic ode to Isabella’s Danish heritage and the quiet strength found in cold-water surfing. Fresh off a season of heavy travel, Isabella reflects on a year that pushed her physically and emot…

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An alleged gunman’s roots in the secretive Zero Units 1:01:45

24d ago1:01:45

1:01:45

The man accused of killing a member of the National Guard served in a CIA-backed paramilitary group in Afghanistan called the "Zero Units"; we'll find out what that is, and what those who served with him are saying about the attack. A Toronto man says he doesn't know if anything from his childhood home was saved from the catastrophic fire in Hong K…

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As Denmark sleeps, the ‘night watch’ keeps tabs on Trump 1:02:50

27d ago1:02:50

1:02:50

After Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland, Denmark's Foreign Affairs Ministry establishes a new "night watch" of bureaucrats -- who keep an eye on the U.S. President after hours. A B.C. Indigenous leader says he's not interested in sitting down with a minister from Alberta's government -- because he is never going to support a bitumen pipelin…

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How much agreement is there really about a new pipeline? 1:01:36

28d ago1:01:36

1:01:36

Alberta and Ottawa gleefully shake hands on an agreement that promises to fast-track a pipeline project. We'll ask Calgary's only Liberal MP if this newly chummy relationship between Mark Carney and Danielle Smith can last, and what dissent from other province, First Nations and now his own party says about the project’s future. The Quebec governme…

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The Future Doesn’t Wait — Leadership, Identity & Purpose w/ Elijah Jenkins 1:21:01

28d ago1:21:01

1:21:01

Send us a text In this powerful episode, we sit down with Elijah Jenkins — a proud Chamorro, two-term Undergraduate Student Government President at the University of Chicago, Stamps Scholar, poet, storyteller, and one of the most promising young leaders of the Pacific diaspora. From growing up far from the islands… to reclaiming his cultural identi…

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The questions raised by a shooting near the White House 48:49

29d ago48:49

48:49

The White House went into lockdown this afternoon after two members of the National Guard were shot in Washington; we'll get the latest from the U.S. capital. A reporter in describes the catastrophic scene in Hong Kong, after a fire rips through high-rise apartment towers, killing at least 40s -- including a firefighter. A huge donation to a Toront…

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What Thomas King’s revelation says about Canadian literature 1:01:22

1M ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Anishnaabe columnist Niigaan Sinclair says the news that renowned author Thomas King is not Indigenous is a painful breach of a trust -- and demands that Canada ask itself some serious questions. After violating anti-doping rules, swimmer Penny Oleksiak -- Canada's most decorated female Olympian -- is banned from competition for two years. The fire…

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Another setback for Donald Trump in the courts 1:01:01

1M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

A US federal judge dismisses the criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James. But a former US Attorney tells us this may not be their last day in court. The editor of a Toronto magazine tells us he was ready to take a chance on an ambitious young writer -- but the more he dug in to her work, th…

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Bill de Blasio breaks down Mamdani’s meeting with Trump 1:03:40

1M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

After months of mutual criticism, New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and U.S. President Trump have a surprisingly warm meeting. Bill de Blasio tells us he knows why Mr. Trump was impressed by the man he once called a "Communist lunatic." A survivor of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein explains why she took on Donald Trump and Congress to secure a promise t…

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Is this a plan for peace in Ukraine, or surrender? 58:35

1M ago58:35

58:35

Ukrainian officials are pushing back on a purported peace plan that would require major concessions to Russia. A former American ambassador to Ukraine tells us Kyiv won't accept any deal that looks like surrender. A paramedic in Saskatoon tells us a toxic drug supply caused more than a hundred overdoses in just seven days -- and that crisis has als…

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Is the world’s most valuable company fueling a giant bubble? 57:14

1M ago57:14

57:14

Despite investor jitters, there are strong projections in chip-maker Nvidia's earnings report; a market reporter tells us what this means for the AI boom-or-bubble debate. Prime Minister Carney is off to the U.A.E., and Canada's former ambassador to that country says it's about time and says there is a lot to gain from a strengthened relationship. …

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Another mass kidnapping and the woman who tried to stop it 58:30

1M ago58:30

58:30

In Nigeria -- two dozen girls are missing after armed men attacked their school. Bukky Shonibare helped draft the rules that are supposed to protect the country's youngest citizens. A nonprofit director in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells us what an onslaught of federal agents is doing to his city, as the Trump administration's immigration crackdow…

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Mark Carney’s government survives, for now 1:02:39

1M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

We'll take a close look at the political manoeuvering behind Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget as he tries to make sure it passes. After an explosion on the railway line from Poland to Ukraine, a Polish Senator says she believes it's part of a larger effort to sow confusion and terror -- and she's got a suspect in mind. One of Donald Trump'…

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What Bob Rae learned at the United Nations 1:06:44

1M ago1:06:44

1:06:44

On his last day after five years as Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae reflects on his time in the post -- and makes some order of the chaos. Indigenous activists stage multiple protests at the UN climate summit in Brazil; a delegate tells us that's because the meeting isn't living up to its billing as an "Amazonian COP". The U-S co…

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Major projects and a mixed reaction 1:02:20

1M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

Energy production in the Arctic is on Prime Minister Carney's latest list of nation-building projects; We'll speak with the woman in charge of the Inuit-owned clean energy corporation with big plans for Iqaluit. It may have Indigenous backing but a liquefied natural gas facility fast-tracked by Ottawa is facing tough opposition from several First N…

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The real costs of the U.S. government shutdown 59:54

1M ago59:54

59:54

The U.S. government shutdown cut off funding for a crucial food program; a grocery store owner says he's heartbroken to see his customers suffering -- and he has a special message for Donald Trump. A survivor of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines tells us about the day she lost her home -- and how she's hoping to make fossil fuel giants pay. A sma…

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Are India and Pakistan moving back to the brink? 54:18

1M ago54:18

54:18

Two separate explosions shake the capitals of India and Pakistan in as many days. An expert helps us make sense of what those bombings could mean for the fragile peace in the region. After Quebec passes a bill reforming the way they're paid, hundreds of doctors apply to be able to work in Ontario. The largely untold story of two First World War vet…

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What happened with Canada and measles? 57:08

2M ago57:08

57:08

Canada loses its gold star for measles elimination. A doctor in Alberta tells us how that happened, and what has to happen now to keep one of the world's most infectious diseases under control. Donald Trump has welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House -- and our guest says it's one of the most significant moments in his country'…

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Norway bets big on Brazil's $125B deforestation fund 1:10:42

2M ago1:10:42

1:10:42

As Brazil unveils a much-anticipated fund to preserve tropical rainforests around the world, Norway’s environment minister tells us why his county has pledged billions -- and why he thinks everyone will benefit. A political analyst from Sudan tells us what a ceasefire could mean for her country -- but she says she's not holding her breath just yet.…

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Behind the Badge: A Conversation with Retired FBI Agent Utley Noble, LA’85, JD’88 1:12:49

2M ago1:12:49

1:12:49

Step inside the world of high-stakes investigations with Utley Noble, LA’85, JD’88, a retired FBI agent whose career spanned some of the nation’s most consequential cases. From leading a multi-state search in a nationally known student abduction to collecting evidence at Ground Zero after 9/11, Noble has seen it all. In this Everclass, he shares ho…

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The company that took Trump’s tariffs to the Supreme Court 1:05:54

2M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

An educational toy company takes its case against the U.S. President's tariffs all the way to the Supreme Court. In Chicago, ICE agents arrest a daycare teacher in front of the kids. An alderman tells us that shattered people's sense of safety, not just at one school, but at schools across the city. A scientist in Italy tells us how she convinced v…

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How Zohran Mamdani inspired young New Yorkers 1:09:38

2M ago1:09:38

1:09:38

In a historic victory, New Yorkers elect Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor -- thanks, in part, to a surge of young voters. One 24-year-old tells us why she jumped to help him run. A fellow Nova Scotia candidate says he did everything he could to get his friend Chris d'Entremont elected as a Conservative -- so it's a serious betrayal that he crosse…

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Mark Carney’s budget shakes up Canadian politics 1:04:25

2M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

The Liberals brag that their brand-new budget is big and bold. Opposition leaders have have some less-positive adjectives to describe it. And now a Conservative MP has left caucus over it. One of the big winners in today's federal budget is the Canadian military. We'll ask a defence analyst if this new financial attention compensates for what he fe…

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Making sense of “sacrifice” and “investment” in the budget 1:05:17

2M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

Before tomorrow's federal budget, Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canadians are going to have to make some "sacrifices" -- which is not what anyone who's already making sacrifices wants to hear. It's already created a crisis for families that rely on federal food assistance -- and now, the U.S. government shutdown is threatening the child care prog…

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Can China be part of the answer to Canada’s trade woes? 47:23

2M ago47:23

47:23

Amid a messy breakup with the U-S, Canada looks elsewhere -- and our guest says today's meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping suggests the start of a new chapter. As the UN reports on mass killings and executions in the Sudanese city of El Fasher, families struggle to reach their loved ones there. A D.C. woman …

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Did Trump just start a new era of nuclear proliferation? 54:20

2M ago54:20

54:20

The world is stunned, and arms control experts are up in arms, over U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about potentially testing nuclear weapons for the first time in more than three decades. The most jaw-dropping story in this World Series is the Blue Jays' rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage. His former coach tells us what makes him so singular -- a…

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Paul Wells on the Reagan ad, Doug Ford and the fallout 57:37

2M ago57:37

57:37

After U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra’s unleashes an expletive-lace rant about Doug Ford’s anti-tariff ad, Ontario premier's says his trade envoy deserves an apology. Paul Well says he shouldn't hold his breath. Blossom Davis tells me about the moment Hurricane Melissa crashed through her neighbourhood in Rocky Point, Jamaica, and the terri…

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Hurricane Melissa bears down. Is Jamaica ready? 1:01:25

2M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

We'll reach a government minister who is among those trying to make sure people have what they need to make it through the chaos. Donald Trump cozies up to Japan's new Prime Minister and signs a deal that will see billions in Japanese investment in the U.S. An expert tells us that's good for those two countries, and a clear message to a third count…

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EP 255: Morgane Herculano – High diving in an abandoned mine, Finishing top 5 in the world, Going from free education in Switzerland to $80k per year at Harvard, Redefining fear & focus, Finding opportunity ... 50:39

2M ago50:39

50:39

Morgane Herculano is a professional high diver, Harvard graduate, and one of the most fascinating athletes you’ve never heard of. Born and raised in Switzerland, Morgane turned a love of flips at her local pool into a global career, diving from cliffs and platforms towering nearly 60 feet above the water. Now based between Boston and Montreal, she …

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How Jamaica is preparing for Hurricane Melissa 1:01:40

2M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

A Jamaican living in the path of what could be the worst hurricane in the country's history says he is preparing as best he can -- and thinking a lot about what he endured thirty-seven years ago, when Hurricane Gilbert hit. We'll talk to a Wisconsin mom who's started a one-woman food bank to help families who, in just days, could lose their federal…