How much is a job worth? Are we pleased with the way Strong Mayor Powers are being used? How effective are body cameras on police officers? Why can't people correctly spell your last name? These questions and more get addressed on this week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio with guest Mike Nabuurs.

Guest: Mike Nabuurs, Host of Hammer Down with Jay & Mike, PA Voice of Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Hamilton, like every city, has pot holes but is there anything we can do about it?

Guests: Carolyn Ryall, Director, Transportation, and Mark Priest, District Superintendent - Roadway Maintenance, City of Hamilton

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Lots of lessons are coming from the Zameer case, whether for politicians, police, including the Chief, and the public.

Guest: Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney

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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its most recent class of inductees with names like Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige and more among them.

Guest: Eric Alper, Publicist and music commentator

Who operates the LRT in Hamilton isn't a decision that will be made by the city council and yet they spent hours debating this very topic. Was that just wasted time?

Guest: John Best, Publisher, The Bay Observer

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Now that the federal budget has been announced, are we seeing a change in the polls in favour of the Liberals? What kind of response was garnered by the announcement?

Guest: Dr. Lori Turnbull, Professor & Chair of Public & International Affairs with Dalhousie University

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What's sparking this massive jump in the price of coffee? Do we need to keep importing coffee or can it be grown here?

Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. 'The Food Professor', Professor of Food Distribution and Policy, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

Was hate speech spouted this weekend outside of parliament? When should police step in? At what point does free speech become hate speech?

Guest: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor, Department of International Development Studies, Dalhousie University

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The federal government has announced 'halal mortgages'. What are they and why even suggest such a thing?

Guest: Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University

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Don Robertson is busy behind the bench as the Dundas Real McCoys campaign to hoist the Allan Cup again which means Scott needs to call in pinch hitter, Steve Foxcroft. Together they'll debate and revel in the highs and lows of the sports world.

Guest: Steve Foxcroft, NFL Chain-Gang Member & Vice-President, Fluke Transport

The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton Radio implies conversation however today's guest is more than bright the way he speaks but also in the way he writes. While his future topics may be a mystery to most, the topics he covers with Scott includes the NHL playoffs, Jon's long-form journalism, the Arizona Coyotes' move to Utah, Hamilton's LRT, how "truth" is being misconstrued with "opinion", the relationship between Joe Biden's uncle and cannibals in Papua New Guinea & more.

Guest: Jon Wells, Award-Winning Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator

This afternoon, city council discussed the privatization of LRT operations at its General Issues Committee with the final analysis being presented by the LRT subcommittee. What came of it and will it have in impact on the final decision?

Guest: John-Paul Danko, Councillor, Ward 8, City of Hamilton

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Could Canadians find themselves voting in a third referendum on the separation of Quebec? If things keep going the way they do in the province, that might just happen.

Guest: Daniel Béland, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada

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What's with the rise in true crime documentaries?

Guest: Bill Brioux, television critic and author

The federal budget was announced today which means we can take a look at what the government plans to do with your tax money in the near future. How does it look and have any meaningful changes been made?

Guest: Dr. Eric Kam, Professor of Economics with Toronto Metropolitan University

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We keep with the theme of the budget but look at it from a different perspective, the political perspective and the implications on that side.

Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair of Summa Strategies

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Since first stepping in front of MuchMusic’s national cameras in 1992, Bill Welychka has become one of Canada’s most enduring, recognizable and respected television personalities. Over the decades spent in entertainment, he's kept hearing, “You should write a book!” ​Well, that book is here.

Guest: Bill Welychka, Former MuchMusic VJ and Author of “A Happy Has-been: Exciting Times And Lessons Learned By One Of Canada's Foremost Entertainment Journalists”​

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Acclaimed former Toronto Star journalist Mary Ormsby unveils a riveting exposé that transcends sports, offering a poignant exploration of fame, ambition, and an enduring quest for redemption which promises to ignite conversations and challenge perceptions surrounding one of the most controversial figures in sporting history, Ben Johnson.

Guest: Mary Ormsby, Author of "World's Fastest Man* - The Incredible Life of Ben Johnson"

PM Trudeau's housing announcement contains implications for Hamilton's LRT. Also discussed, the Vrancor affordable housing proposal.

Guest: John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer.

Data shows that elementary students in Hamilton are staying home from school more often since the pandemic.

Guest: Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education.

Don Robertson joins us to talk about which cities might be getting new NHL teams (and which ones actually should), the Masters, and the upcoming Allan Cup!

GUEST: Don Robertson, Owner of the Dundas Real McCoys

Matthew Adams, Assistant Professor and GIS Program Director of Geography, Geomatics and Environment with the University of Toronto

New study tracks infamous ‘rotten egg’ smell in Hamilton lower city

Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney

How do televised trials impact justice? How did televising the OJ Simpson trial impact the justice system?

Tristan Borges, Midfielder for Forge FC

The four-time Canadian Premier League champions, Forge FC, will kick off the 2024 season this Saturday at Tim Hortons Field versus Cavalry FC. We are joined by Forge star Tristan Borges to tee up the season!

The countdown to the RBC Canadian Open is officially on, with just five weeks left until the big event! Today, we're thrilled to chat with tournament director Brian Crawford, who will share some details of a major announcement.

GUEST: Brian Crawford, Tournament Director of The RBC Canadian Open.

Prime Minister Trudeau to testify at the foreign interference inquiry.

GUEST: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University.

Chrystia Freeland won't rule out new taxes on wealthy Canadians and corporations in the upcoming budget.

GUEST: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.

Examining the PM's six-day Indo-Pacific trip, and it's potential impacts on the taxpayer. It cost $2 million, including $200K in catering!

GUEST: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation.