On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined in the studio by former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott, London Cares Executive Director Chris Moss, and organizational consultant Mojdeh Azad.

They breakdown new numbers that show homelessness is on the rise - 85,000 Ontarians were homeless last year, up 8% from 2024. Craig and the panel talk about potential solutions, how bad this can get and whether governments are actually serious about the issue.

Then, a look at the construction delay with the micro modular shelters in south London, and why the build started as late as it did.

They wrap up with Mark Carney's trip to China - did he, as Doug Ford says damage Ontario's auto sector with this new deal?

Episode number 431 of the Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

It's the first Friday Round Table of 2026!

Craig was joined at the Covent Garden Market Studio by former city councillor Cheryl Miller, political insider Nathan Caranci and former TVDSB trustee Matthew Newton-Reid.

The panel looks ahead to the big political event in London this year - the municipal election.

What will the key issues be? How much turnover will there be on council? Will Josh Morgan have an easy road to re-election?

Should there be online voting in London? Woodstock is doing it!

Also, what's going on with those thrown out books at Beal? Who is to blame?

Episode 430 of the Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

The Temporary Foreign Worker program has come under criticism both in Canada from the opposition Conservatives and internationally from the United Nations - is it time to get rid of it?

Peter Fragiskatos says no.

The London Centre MP - who also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship - joined Craig on the podcast to explain.

Episode 429 of the Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Craig welcomes political insider Scott Collyer, advocate Dr. Jeff Preston and former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck to the studio for the last Friday Round Table of 2025!

First, they talk about this "good neighbour" clause proposed at London City Hall, that would require... something of social services. We just don't know exactly what. It seems to be about maintaining property standards - or something.

Anyway, will this be effective? Or actively bad for front facing social services agencies? Craig and the panel discuss.

Then, London Police have made some new hires. And the headliner is Ali Chahbar, who is their new general counsel. Of course, Chahbar is the former chair of the London Police Services Board and also left the Thames Valley District School Board amid their financial mess.

Was this a good hire? Doesn't it look too much like cronyism?

Those questions and more on the 428th episode of the Craig Needles Podcast, brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

We have an addictions crisis and a homelessness one - is it time for the province to step up?

Ontario's big city mayors say so. Will Doug Ford act?

Meantime, there's been some big debates at city hall about the micro-modular housing in south London, and a manager at the city of London is threatening to sue a member of the media.

Craig breaks down those stories - plus the latest Conservative-to-Liberal floor crossing - with former city councillor Cheryl Miller, CUPE Local 101 President Steve Holland and former TVDSB trustee Matthew Newton-Reid.

The 427th episode of the Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

London is in crisis - but will the province acknowledge it?

Ontario's Big City Mayors have all signed a letter urging the Ford government to declare homelessness and the addictions crisis a state of emergency.

Will they actually do it? What would that mean?

London Mayor Josh Morgan joined Craig on the podcast to discuss that story and the new micro-shelters being built in South London - far from the city's downtown core. How will they operate? How did security firm Xpera get the contract?

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

We're still trying to figure out what's next for trustees, the standard testing/EQAO results are pretty bad, school boards all over the province are in flux - strange times!

Craig was joined by education expert Debbie Kasman to tackle all of these issues and more on the latest podcast - brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

It's Friday Round Table time, and Craig opens the podcast by sharing what he knows about the Mariam Hamou arrest story.

He goes over where this all may have started, how was got to the point of an arrest being made, what may have been the catalyst for St. Thomas Police filing the charges and more.

Then, London Home Builders Association Executive Director Jared Zaifman and United Way Elgin Middlesex Kelly Ziegner joined Craig to analyze the big stories of the week, including council finalizing a budget - will voters be willing to live with a 3.4% tax hike?

Then, they talk about potential changes to the 'renoviction' bylaw in the City of London and another exit at the London Police Service Board.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.