The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance, and Meeker Guerrier, commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra issued a stern warning to Canadian politicians over mid-term interference, directly targeting Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and MP Anthony Housefather.
• Statistics Canada data revealed a nearly seven percent spike in return trips from the United States, raising questions about the strength of Canada's ongoing consumer boycott.
• Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is fighting to keep his probationary driver's license after picking up major speeding tickets in his Audi RS Q8.

Joining Elias on today's Big 5 were Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800 & Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist.

Among the topics discussed

• Marwah Rizqy is going public with the tragic loss she and her husband Greg Kelly suffered recently. In a piece published in the Journal de Montréal titled La lettre à l’enfant que je n’aurai pas – or Letter to the child I will not have – the outgoing MNA opens up on losing her third child during pregnancy.
• In an attempt to gain popularity with the youth…Quebec Conservative leader Éric Duhaime decided to send a letter to over 46 thousand Quebecers between the ages of 18 and 22.
• Something we rarely cover on the Big Five – literary scandals. But this one hits close to home. Thélyson Orélien, a Haitian-born Quebec writer, was having quite the year. His debut novel, C’était ça ou mourir, went from a Quebec success to a literary sensation in France, earning international attention and major prize nominations.
• “AI-written speeches are taking over politics” – that’s the headline in the latest edition of The Economist catching a lot of attention.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Victor Henriquez, public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, and Dan Delmar, independent political analyst, media strategist, and co-founder of TNKR Media.

• Quebec's final election debate on Radio-Canada focused heavily on a potential sovereignty referendum, with Premier Christine Fréchette and Éric Duhaime drawing hard lines against the PQ.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed to The New York Times that Ottawa is preparing for extreme risks, including a potential U.S. military invasion, while warning against Canadian reliance on Elon Musk's Starlink.
• A new Leger poll indicates seventy percent of Canadians support seeking an associate membership with the European Union, though voters strongly oppose altering domestic laws to match European regulations.
• Outrage is growing over the murder of a forty-five-year-old Montreal woman during a work video call after reports surfaced that the prime suspect was recently released following an assault on police officers.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist, and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and political analyst Karim Boulos.

• Three new provincial election polls confirm Premier Christine Fréchette's CAQ is plunging in support, with one survey showing a massive seven-point drop into fourth place.
• Premier Christine Fréchette faced heavy criticism after reports revealed the CAQ tried shopping a "top secret" American election interference story to media outlets before contacting Canada's spy agency.
• Lawyers issued a formal warning to Élections Québec demanding a retraction of directives that reportedly instructed polling station workers to restrict their use of English.
• The UCI Road World Championships wrapped up in Montreal, leaving a mixed legacy of beautiful scenery alongside business frustrations over inaccurate maps and parking tickets.
• Meta's new AI agent Muse sparked immediate safety concerns following reports of the bot leaking a user's home address and reading private chat histories without permission.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos, and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. Host Akil Alleyne, is in for Elias Makos.

On today's Big 5: Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Daniel Tran, political analyst and former political advisor in economic development at Montreal City Hall.

• The Parti Quebecois is set to be sworn into the National Assembly on Thursday and PSPP will be naming his ministers on October 21st. Out of the 59 MNA elected, there is currently no representation in the Quebec City region.
• Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be in Michigan tomorrow to advocate for "tariff-free" free trade with business leaders and in the media.
• We are officially one week away from the referendum vote in Alberta. According to Abacus Data, 46 percent of rural areas of the province would vote to separate.
• If you are a criminal in Canada and are trying to find a way out of the country…turns out it's pretty easy.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Dan Delmar, independent political analyst, media strategist, and co-founder of TNKR Media, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy.

• On the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, listeners and panelists clashed over the lack of Indigenous history taught in French public schools while fewer than twenty of ninety-four historic Calls to Action have been completed.
• Correctional Service Canada announced federal prisons will now distribute safe inhalation and snorting supplies, including paper straws and foil, to reduce overdose risks.
• Guelph's mayor and university officials are demanding answers after an unsanctioned homecoming street party deteriorated into a violent riot.
• Trump advisor Peter Navarro ordered Canadian lobbyists to "get the hell out" of the US as Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Canada may escalate the trade war.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Rudy Husny, political analyst and former advisor in the Harper government.

• Premier Christine Fréchette admitted a member of her own campaign leaked the controversial American interference story to reporters before she was personally briefed on it.
• A scathing column in the Journal de Montréal compared Christine Fréchette's struggling campaign to Kim Campbell's historic 1993 conservative collapse.
• PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon faced intense pressure to clarify his position on religious symbols as he pushes for a majority government in the final week.
• Donald Trump's one billion dollar ban on Canadian alcohol, dairy, and motorcycles took effect today while Washington signals it is in no rush to negotiate.
• The NHL season launches tonight under a new broadcast era that completely eliminates free, over-the-air television coverage for hockey games.

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

On today's Big 5: Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance, and Jonathan Kalles, Senior Vice President at Vantage and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

• Columnist Paul Journet warned that PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon may weaponize future federal clashes, like the upcoming Bill 21 Supreme Court ruling, to manufacture the political crisis needed to boost stagnant sovereignty support.
• Independent Chambly candidate Caroline Boisvert sparked fierce campaign trail debate after distributing promotional flyers featuring herself topless.
• A constitutional challenge was officially filed against Montreal's newly passed bylaw that carries heavy fines for insulting police and city staff.
• An Ontario truck driver was sentenced to six years in prison for causing a deadly 2022 South Shore pileup while playing a game on his cellphone.