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Hosted by Catlin Spencer

Stories by Emeline Vidal, Saturn de Los Angeles & Catlin Spencer

Produced by Catlin Spencer

LOCAL
By Saturn De Los Angeles

A flight to Paris made an emergency landing at Trudeau Airport on Tuesday after recieving an anonymous security threat.  

According to the Montreal Gazette, Air France's flight 83 was coming from San Francisco when the crew announced that they had to stop in Montreal "as a precautionary measure".

Firetrucks and police cars showed up, blocked public access to the airport, and helped local authorities faciliate the security check and investigation.  

One traveler shared that the passengers were patient, relaxed, cooperative throughout the emergency landing.   

Air France confirmed that the security threat was a false alarm. 

Donald Trump defended his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States on Tuesday, which ended in his disqualification from the US presidential election.

According to the Toronto Sun, Trump compared his idea to the detainment of Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, saying he is no worse than President Roosevelt.

In a report by CNN, White House press secretary Josh Earnest says every president must make an oath to preserve, protect and defend the US Constitution, and Trump would not qualify in this case.

LOCAL
by Catlin Spencer

Quebec's CEGEP teacher unions have reached a tentative deal with the province after months of debating.

According to CBC News, while the deal doesn't cover salaries or contracts, it does offer better working conditions and extra support for students with disabilities

Teachers, along with health-care professionals and other civil servants have been without a collective agreement since April.

NATIONAL
by Catlin Spencer

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion says Canada's bombings against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria will come to an end in a mater of weeks.

According to The Star, the New Liberal government will be starting a new strategy in their fight against terror.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the military will remain involved in the area and that the country will assist refugees and humanitarian needs.

NATO has said that it wishes to see Canada play a role in it's missions to train Iraqi security forces, an idea that was pitched to Dion and apparently implemented in the new Liberal strategy.

INTERNATIONAL
by Catlin Spencer

At least 33 people have died in two south-eastern provinces of Iran after an outbreak of swine-flu.

According to BBC News, Iran's Deputy Health Minister Ali-Akbar Sayyari warns that the outbreak of the influenza virus H1N1 is likely to spread to other areas of the country.

There have also been reports that around 600 people in the Kerman province have had to seek medical treatment after contracting the virus.

The strain first appeared in 2009, quickly spreading from Mexico around the world.  

Many people know me as the movie guy, and for sure my list of the Top 10 Movies of 2015 is on way, but let me start out by reflecting on the best in television this year. Here are seven shows that I have been binge-watching, and a bonus video game!

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

This is a six part HBO miniseries from Andrew Jarecki, that focuses on one man, Robert "Bob" Durst. It is shown in a documentary Cinéma vérité style. Andrew Jarecki directed All Good Things, which is loosely based on the disappearance of Kathy Durst, and Robert Durst has always been connected to her disappearance in some way. After the release of All Good Things, as the story goes, Durst was a big fan of what Jarecki had done and offered him the chance of a lifetime. The once private Durst was now allowing Jarecki to interview him, which lasted more than 20 hours, and was then edited for this miniseries. In addition to the Kathy Durst incident, Durst also has to answer for the murder of his best friend Susan Berman, and the one that got him dead to rights, the death of Morris Black. There are so many great moments captured by Jarecki, if I had to pick one it is the way the trial of the State of Texas versus Robert Dust ends, and episode 6 picks up with Durst walking as a free man in New York City. The ending is shocking as a guilt ridden Durst reveals himself.

Better Call Saul

Many Breaking Bad fans are going through withdrawal, and let me just say to them you are not alone. Better Call Saul picks up where Breaking Bad ended with a montage of an aged Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) as a manager of a Cinnabon, just as he expressed to Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as his end game plan. Filmed in black and white, we can get a strong sense that this is not the same wise-cracking Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul explores how Jimmy became Saul Goodman, and it is a prelude to the events that happened in Breaking Bad. There are several returning characters from Breaking Bad, and to not go into to many spoilers, Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) receives a story arc. As much as Odenkirk brings the wise-cracking lawyer back with jokes and puns, Better Call Saul explores the serious side of Jimmy (or Saul Goodman as I call him) the sad clown. A definite must see for all Breaking Bad fans, and hopefully some nominations for Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks.

True Detective, Season 2

Let's get this out of the way: season two of True Detective is no True Detective season one, in the same way that the "McConaughey renaissance" is fading away in a Lincoln Buick. This season is set in California and deals with the murder of Ben Caspere, which reveals a darker truth of corruption on a higher level. The three detectives have to work together, along side their personal problems to uncover the truth. Antigone "Ani" Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams) is the female detective with a strong front about her, Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell) is the male detective dealing with a divorce, substance abuse, an illegitimate son alongside alliances. There is also Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch), who has the weakest story arch as a CHIPS riding cop who turns detective, where even Erik Estrada called him up to tell him to give the CHIPS reference a rest (OK maybe that didn't happen). Then there is the devil himself, Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn), who has a real command of being bad, but also finding the time to deliver dark comedy punch lines you'd expect from an unscripted Vaughn, "Your son did so much white substance he looked like a clown". Sure the ending was weak, but the camera work from director Justin Lin (episodes 1 and 2) and cinematographer Nigel Bluck set up the dark mysterious tones that are strongly reminiscent to the works of David Lynch (there is even a reference to Mulholland Drive). McAdams, Farrell, and Vaughn deliver strong performances that you'd come to expect from the True Detective series. Rick Springfield fans rejoice, he is a guest star in season two.

Game Of Thrones, Season 4

Before you tell me the truth I already know, I am behind on Game of Thrones. I prefer just binging through the majestically beautiful series on Blu-ray. This season was already spoiled for me because we all know the tyrannical Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) met his fate with karma, and he had it coming. I already know the major spoilers from season 5, but let me focus on my favourite moments from season 4. The one episode that stands out for me is "The Laws of Gods and Men", which is the sixth episode. It is a strongly-emotional episode for Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who stands trial for the death of a major character, and finds out that he is truly an outcast amongst everyone including Shae (Sibel Kekilli), the fare maiden who he loves. The final episode of the season tore my emotions to shreds in the same way that Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle" is a emotional song between a father and a son (OK that was a bit of spoiler).

Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways

Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl directed this documentary miniseries for HBO that explores the history of music within the context of eight American cities. His interviews with musicians, record producers, and sound engineers served as inspiration for the songs that were then recorded for the Foo Fighters album, Sonic Highways. Having seen the first two episodes in the series, Chicago and Washington DC, there is a strong sense that Grohl is interested in finding out the roots of the music scene, exploring the artists that influence him, and the creative process of music. This is not just a documentary on how Sonic Highways was created, but the way that music is created and its strong influence on American culture.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

This season was intense. From the fake church of Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption, the interview with an exiled Edward Snowdon, to examining the Canadian election, these are just some of the intensely funny and controversial subjects that John Oliver satirizes on his show. John Oliver always had the right pulse on America, even if America did not want to hear the truth. I was indecisive about the Canadian election, until I saw it from John Oliver's point of view.

Master of None

What is the true essence of a Netflix binge? I found out this year, when a friend who has Netflix and I decided to binge watch Aziz Ansari's Master of None. The series follows Aziz as he navigates the love world and the struggling world of an actor being typecast based on their ethnicity. It is the funniest thing that I have seen from a television show in a long time. There are many comedic influences that can be seen throughout the series from Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, and Judd Apatow. It is refreshing to watch a comedy that is fresh and original that does not require laugh tracks to be funny. It can be as edgy as it wants to be, without making the same innuendoes as seen on prime time comedies. The situations that Aziz deals with or puts himself in brought out many side-splitting laughs.

Rock Band 4

The video game that consumed the television basement this year was Rock Band 4. Let me get the bad out of the way first. The set list is the weakest it has been in Rock Band history, and most of my DLC or older editions can not be exported yet into Rock Band 4. I am not a big fan of metal, and the only big bands that crashed the party were U2 and Van Halen. You also get some newer tunes the kids are listening to these days, like Imagine Dragon's "I Bet My Life", "The Wolf" by Mumford and Sons, and "Fever" by The Black Keys. Though I still like the classic tracks from The Main Drag and my Weezer DLC's, I still have my old instruments from the first Rock Band pack that I bought for the Playstation 2, and they all still work with the Playstation 4, which is a big plus for Harmonix. I only have a broken whammy bar and needed to replace the original drum sticks after a intense Rock Band party. Also you get more band customization, get to vote on what song you should play next, and shred guitar solos that make you feel like you're a rock god as the crowd goes wild, despite the fact that you're playing a plastic guitar. Even though the set list might not float my boat, maybe it will find some love from CJLO's metal music director Andrew Wieler. I have some of my favourite tracks from the '80s and '90s like REM's "The One I Love" and "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure. At the end of the day, Rock Band 4 is a great party and solo game, with all the glitz and glam of being in a band without the inner conflicts or drama. Also, there is no excuse to channel your inner Eddie Van Halen when "Panama" comes on. No excuse at all.

--Remi is the host of At The Movies (with Iconic Sounds) every Tuesday morning from 8 to 9 AM, only on CJLO 1690AM.