Real Talkers Erin and AJ have thoughts on the Canada-China trade deal; Laura, Lisa, Natasha, and Gerald are fired up over the "defund private schools" debate; Josef is "terrified" of civil war in the USA, Travis has heard enough excuses about Edmonton's snow clearing debacle, the "thesco" has a direct question for Jespo. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!

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The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Audio leaked from an Alberta classroom is causing a stir, as a high school teacher parodies Conservative stereotypes including references to the oil and gas industry. Premier Danielle Smith uses her X account to amplify the 90-second clip originally shared by a right wing content creator, stating she's "deeply disappointed" by "profanity, partisan attacks, or insults toward Alberta’s ethical energy workers and their families." What do you think about it? We hit the story out of the gates (3:30) and later (1:19:30) in this episode of Real Talk.

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com

27:30 | Are you comfortable using public transit? Transit safety is a key concern for riders, operators, and city officials across Canada. We talk solutions with experts and advocates David Cooper, Denis Agar, and Daniel Witte to our Real Talk Round Table presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

LEADING MOBILITY: https://www.leadingmobility.com/

MOVEMENT - METRO VANCOUVER TRANSIT RIDERS: https://movementyvr.ca/

EDMONTON TRANSIT RIDERS: https://edmontontransitriders.org/

MICHAEL JANZ EVENT DETAILS: https://www.michaeljanz.ca/movementAMA

"ON THE FRONT LINE" DOCUMENTARY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e63FFFZdHg

1:56:15 | Real Talkers Erin and AJ have thoughts on the Canada-China trade deal; Laura, Lisa, Natasha, and Gerald are fired up over the "defund private schools" debate; Josef is "terrified" of civil war in the USA, Travis has heard enough excuses about Edmonton's snow clearing debacle, the "thesco" has a direct question for Jespo. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alberta funds private and independent schools at a higher level than any other province, but spends less per public school student than anywhere else in the country. Alicia Taylor, a Calgary high school teacher, is trying to change that. She tells us about her citizen initiative petition Alberta Funds Public Schools (3:00) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY HANSEN DISTILLERY -- EDMONTON'S ORIGINAL DISTILLERY -- ROOTED IN PRAIRIE GRIT AND A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT. PROUDLY LOCAL, ALWAYS ORIGINAL. HANSEN DISTILLERY IS MADE RIGHT, RIGHT HERE. https://hansendistillery.com/

LEARN MORE: https://abfundspublicschools.ca/

CHECK OUT OUR OCT. 22 INTERVIEW WITH AISCA: https://rtrj.info/102225AISCA

32:30 | Our Live Chat powered by Park Power is HUMMING with a ton of different takes on education funding in Alberta (and across the country). If you've got something to add but you missed watching this episode live, send us an email to talk@ryanjspersen.com.

SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk

1:12:00 | Did you know Alberta is home to Canada's only companion bird rescue, rehab, and rehoming organization? We had no idea until Real Talker "Cloud9117" told us about Meika's Safehouse. We're proud to shine a light on this super cool organization in this edition of Alberta Wins presented by Play Alberta.

MEIKA'S SAFEHOUSE: https://www.meikasbirdhouse.com/safehouse#available-for-adoption

THERE'S A MAJOR CASINO WINNER EVERY HOUR WITH PLAY ALBERTA, AND ALL REVENUE STAYS RIGHT HERE IN THE PROVINCE. DOWNLOAD THE PLAY ALBERTA APP TODAY TO GET STARTED WITH CASINO, SPORTS, AND LOTTERY ALL IN ONE APP. MUST BE 18+ TO PLAY. IF YOU GAMBLE, PLEASE USE YOUR GAMESENSE. https://playalberta.ca/

1:17:00 | Jespo and Johnny dip back into the Live Chat for more takes on education funding.

1:27:00 | It's absolute mayhem in Minnesota, with another civilian shot by ICE agents.

Registration is open for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!

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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

RCMP arrested award-winning photojournalist Amber Bracken in 2021 while she was covering the Wet’suwet’en pipeline standoff in Northern B.C. for The Narwhal. Now, both Bracken and The Narwhal are suing the RCMP for what they say was a concerted campaign to limit press freedom. We connect with Amber Bracken and Narwhal co-founder Carol Linnitt (35:00) just moments before they head to court in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

HIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/.

But first...

6:00 | Thousands of Canadians are calling on the feds to ban X, Elon Musk's social media platform formerly known as Twitter. This, after revelations the platform's Grok AI tool is being used to generate sexualized images of children and unconsenting adults. But is a ban really the right move? We ask tech expert and SiriusXM host Amber MacArthur.

MORE FROM AMBER MAC: https://ambermac.com/

35:00 | Amber Bracken and Carol Linnitt update us on The Narwhal's court battle against the RCMP.

LEARN MORE/SUPPORT AMBER & THE NARWHAL: https://thenarwhal.ca/press-freedom/

59:10 | Jespo shares a few memories from his magical weekend in Jasper, and tees up a couple upcoming events you've got to check out during Jasper in January! #MyJasper Memories is presented Wednesdays on Real Talk by our friends at Tourism Jasper.

APRES WINE: https://www.jasper.travel/january/events/apres-wine/

MOUNTAIN MALANKA: https://www.jasper.travel/january/events/mountain-malanka/

1:07:45 | Ryan's struck by an apology in the Live Chat.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com

Registration is open for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!

SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with Coastal First Nations leaders before heading to China for Canada's first formal PM visit since 2017. This, amid uncertainty in Venezuela. Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot and Max Fawcett talk implications (3:15) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY HANSEN DISTILLERY -- EDMONTON'S ORIGINAL DISTILLERY -- ROOTED IN PRAIRIE GRIT AND A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT. PROUDLY LOCAL, ALWAYS ORIGINAL. HANSEN DISTILLERY IS MADE RIGHT, RIGHT HERE. https://hansendistillery.com/

READ MAX'S WORK: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/opinion/twitter-x-musk-canada-politicians

MORE FROM HEATHER: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/cm-expert/heather-exner-pirot/

MBEW: https://www.mercedes-benz-edmontonwest.ca/

33:45 | Max sticks around to talk about Chinese EV tariffs (and what Canadians want), plus we get to an interesting email on coal and steel production from Real Talker Marcus, P.Eng (1:00:00) and a remarkable statement from Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal (1:10:30).

55:45 | Real Talker Sara leads off this edition of Echoes of the Alex presented by the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. Then, we hear about Frances and Roy's incredible connection to The Alex.

SUPPORT THE ROYAL ALEX: https://givetoroyalalex.org/

Registration is open for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!

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FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch

RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Venezuela. Greenland. Iran. A Minnesota mom is dead, and ICE protests continue across the country. POTUS is threatening to indict the Federal Reserve Chair. You could argue all hell has *already* broken loose in the United States, but is the nation headed toward a legit breaking point? Supriya Dwivedi gets into it (3:45) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/.

38:10 | Where should PM Mark Carney's focus be in China, and what would define a successful visit? Supriya tells us what she's keeping an eye on. Plus, should Canada (and other countries) consider banning X if the platform can't prevent users from using its AI tool to generate sexual deepfakes (45:45)?

1:19:30 | Did you see Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann honouring a deceased fan by wearing his grocery store vest to a game over the weekend? Real Talker Landon submits his Positive Reflection, proudly presented by our friends at Solar by Kuby.

SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com

GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Denise is appalled by the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, KP's thrilled to see the US in Venezuela, Don's bracing for WWIII, and Joe from Airdrie figures we should cap independence referendums, and Mr. Dad has a warning for Calgarians. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Former Poilievre comms director Ben Woodfinden and former Notley cabinet minister Shannon Phillips respond to our exclusive with former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos (4:30), share their thoughts on the fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota (22:15), give a Canadian perspective on the Venezuela "situation" (37:15), debate the merits of dropping tariffs on Chinese EVs (45:30), and predict whether or not we'll see another federal election in 2026 (50:30) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/.

52:30 | We see what Real Talkers have to say about the Minneapolis tragedy in our Live Chat powered by Park Power.

SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/

1:07:30 | Real Talker Jim worked for Alberta Health Services for 13 years. He chimes in on what we heard from Athana Mentzelopoulos.

WATCH THE ATHANA INTERVIEW: https://rtrj.info/010826Athana

1:13:25 | Congratulations to the Apex Icebreakers, winners of the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic Early Bird Prize! Make sure you register your team for the 2026 RTPHC before it sells out, and we'll see you in St. Albert on January 31!

SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey

1:19:30 | Denise is appalled by the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, KP's thrilled to see the US in Venezuela, Don's bracing for WWIII, and Joe from Airdrie figures we should cap independence referendums at one per century. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen

REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch

RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.