Front Burner

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote letters to over two dozen trading partners last week, threatening a fresh set of tariffs. Canada was among them and is now facing the possibility of 35% tariffs on all Canadian goods that don't comply with CUSMA, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, if a deal isn't reached by August 1st. Where do our negotiations with the Trump administration stand and how much worse could things get if these tariffs come into effect? What cards can Canada still play at the negotiating table? And what does Trump's ongoing tariff approach mean for the world? To help make sense of it all, we're joined by Eric Miller, trade analyst and president of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts.

To kick off the week, we tackle a few big stories in two realms of Canadian politics: the military, and the federal public service.First, the Ottawa Citizen's David Pugliese tells us about the investigation into a Facebook group where military members of one regiment regularly share misogynistic, racist and derogatory content. He also shares his thoughts on another story involving the Canadian army: the charges laid last week by the RCMP against military members accused of planning to form an anti-government militia.Then, to get a sense of what Prime Minister Mark Carney's goal to cut tens of billions in government spending might look like, we are joined by Yves Giroux, Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer, the non-partisan watchdog whose job is to promote budget transparency and accountability.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Following years of speculation, this week U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the existence of a long-rumored "Epstein client list," and reaffirmed that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide.This comes after months of hopes — in some quarters — that Trump would make good on his promise to reveal more details about the case and those involved in a powerful network surrounding the now-dead Epstein.Trump's own vice president, J.D. Vance, wanted to know more. So did Elon Musk, who accused Trump of being in the so-called "Epstein files." Folks in the conservative media ecosystem are not taking this well. Vicky Ward is an investigative reporter and bestselling author who has been reporting on Epstein for years. You can read her work on Substack at Vicky Ward Investigates, and her most recent book, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy, is out on Monday. Ward joins us to talk about the "Epstein files" and how the life and crimes of Jeffrey Epstein became one of the defining conspiracies of the 21st century.

The Dalai Lama has spent almost his entire adult life as a refugee from his homeland of Tibet. Fleeing Chinese persecution in the 1950s, he has built a nation in exile, striving to preserve Tibetan culture as not just the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, but as a global ambassador for his people's cause.But he knows a transition is coming. On his 90th birthday this week, the Dalai Lama announced plans for how his successor will be chosen after his death. Since that successor will be a child, that means years of power vacuum that China is almost certain to capitalize on, including attempting to name a rival Dalai Lama of their own.Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief with the New York Times. He explains what's at stake for the people of Tibet — and Asian geopolitics more broadly — in the coming power struggle when the Dalai Lama passes on.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Search efforts continue in central Texas after extraordinary flash flooding killed more than 100 people. As the death toll rises, questions are growing about whether local, state and federal authorities should have done more to warn residents, and help them get to safety.The disaster is also placing fresh scrutiny on the Trump administration's enormous cuts to the federal bodies involved in disaster alerts and relief, including the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Many are wondering what this means for the next time disaster strikes.Today we're joined by Emily Foxhall, a climate reporter with the Texas Tribune.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington this week, meeting with Donald Trump and senior members of the Trump administration, in a trip that could end in a Gaza ceasefire agreement expected to last 60 days. The critical questions revolve around Hamas' attitude toward the repatriation of the remaining 50 Israeli hostages in their custody, and Israel's hesitancy to agree to a deal that involves a permanent peace. Our guest is Meron Rappaport, a 35-year veteran of the Israeli news industry and was formerly the head of news at Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper. Today, he works as an editor at Local Call, a Hebrew language news organization operating in Israel.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The passing of Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill last week came with over a trillion dollars of cuts to Medicaid, kicking an estimated 12 million Americans off health insurance coverage by 2034. And it was passed with the blessing of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Widespread upheaval of the American healthcare system, including cuts to public health departments and medical research, is all part of RFK Jr.'s plan to further his Make America Healthy Again agenda. But how will MAHA, a movement that's touted vaccine disinformation among other things, actually impact the health of Americans and the world? Nicholas Florko from The Atlantic joins us. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

After a long and very public trial, producer and music mogul Sean Diddy Combs has been found not guilty of the most severe charges against him.On Wednesday he was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, but found guilty on lesser charges - two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. This was widely considered as a huge victory for Diddy.During the trial, prosecutors had accused him of running an extensive sex trafficking operation. And that he did so with the help of a network of employees.Diddy's lawyers argued all the sex at issue in the case was consensual.Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty is a BBC journalist and host of the podcast, Diddy on Trial. She talks to Elaine Chau about the verdict, what led to this win for Diddy in federal court, and what it might mean for the #MeToo movement more broadly.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Prime Minister Mark Carney made big promises to transform the Canadian economy, fast track national building projects and secure a trade deal with U.S. He also set Canada Day this year as a deadline for some key goals. How has he done so far and what are we learning about what he's willing to do to make things happen?Plus, where do trade talks stand now that Ottawa has dropped the Digital Services Tax, a major sticking point for their American counterparts? How has Pierre Poilievre been handling his time away from Parliament and the byelection race in Alberta? Catherine Cullen, host of CBC's The House, joins us. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

For at least the last decade U.S. President Doanld Trump has discussed his desire to end the practice of birthright citizenship. On his first day back in office Trump passed an executive order looking to exclude the children of undocumented people from birthright citizenship completely: an action that was immediately challenged in lower courts across the country. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered Donald Trump a major victory, limiting the power of lower courts to challenge the President's executive actions. Isabela Dias is an immigration reporter with Mother Jones, and has reported extensively on birthright citizenship. She joins the show to discuss the impact of the Supreme Court's decision, Trump's changing definition of ‘citizen,' and what the end of 160 years of birthright citizenship would mean for all American citizens. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The Outlaw Ocean is an anthology podcast that plunges you into the vast and often lawless world of the open seas. Today we're featuring an investigation from S2 called The repo man of the seas. In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina joins Max Hardberger. Depending on who you ask, Max is either a seagoing James Bond or a swashbuckling pirate. Hardberger runs a rare kind of repo service, extracting huge ships from foreign ports. His company is a last resort for ship owners whose vessels have been seized, often by bad actors, and over the years he's built a reputation for taking the kinds of jobs others turn down. Hardberger's specialty is infiltrating hostile territory and taking control of ships in whatever way he can – usually through subterfuge and stealth. Whatever part of the world his missions take him, Hardberger thrives in its grey areas.More episodes of The Outlaw Ocean are available here: https://link.mgln.ai/oo-FB

After a transformative 13 years, it was announced that the Toronto Raptors and longtime President Masai Ujiri would be parting ways. Across his time with the Raptors Ujiri became a figure central to Canadian and international sport — capping his time with the Raptors' lone NBA championship in 2019. The years since then have been slower and gave way to a team in purgatory, as well as executive level disagreements about Ujiri's place in the Raptors hierarchy. We sat down with Masai Ujiri in 2021 for a conversation about his career to that point. About revolutionizing basketball in Toronto, life after a history-making NBA title, his African roots, and his bid to internationalize the game of basketball.

Canada's energy and natural resources minister Tim Hodgson is in charge of an extremely important file for the federal government.That's because Prime Minister Carney campaigned on getting big energy and resources projects done, boosting Canada's economy and extracting us from our close relationship with the U.S.The stakes are pretty high for Minister Hodgson, who is new to politics but has extensive experience in the private sector, including time as CEO of Goldman Sachs Canada. He was also an adviser to Mark Carney during his time as governor of Bank of Canada.He talks to host Jayme Poisson about the controversial piece of legislation, Bill C-5, that would allow the government to fast track projects, but also exempt them from environmental laws and with some exceptions, acts of Parliament.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

On Tuesday, Donald Trump angrily swore about his frustrations with Israel and Iran after both countries exchanged missile fire just before the ceasefire Trump helped negotiate.So far, the fragile ceasefire has held. However as more information comes out about the extent of the damage done to Iran's nuclear facilities and their plans to continue their nuclear program, will it last? Will the U.S. be able to engage in diplomacy with Iran after joining Israel's bombing campaign? And after Trump publicly chastised Israel, what does it tell us about the U.S.'s relationship with Israel right now?Our returning guest is Gregg Carlstrom, longtime Middle East correspondent with The Economist and author of the book “How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat From Within”. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has just launched a constitutional challenge against legislation in the city of Vaughan known as a “bubble zone” bylaw. It restricts protest within 100 metres of a place of worship, school, daycare, hospital or care facility. Advocates say that in a time of rising extremism and hate crimes, the bylaws are necessary to protect vulnerable groups' access to these spaces.Toronto and the nearby town of Oakville also passed bubble zone bylaws last month, and several other Ontario municipalities, including Ottawa, are considering similar legislation of their own.But the CCLA argues the bylaws are unnecessary and infringe on free expression rights, while other critics have argued they're being used to silence dissent — in particular pro-Palestinian protest. Today, producer Allie Jaynes looks at the surprising history of bubble zones, the cases for and against them, and whether they're being used to chill peaceful protest.This episode references another Front Burner episode, from May 2024, on protests outside a synagogue in Vaughan, Ontario. You can find that episode here: Apple / SpotifyFor transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Over the last week, as the exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran intensified, Donald Trump's supporters have found themselves in two camps: the hawks, like Lindsay Graham and Ted Cruz who support America joining Israel in its fight against Iran. And the isolationists, like Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, who urge the president not to plunge the U.S. into yet another protracted war in the Middle East. Now that the U.S. air strikes on Iran have been met with a retaliatory strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar, are the MAGA factions digging in their heels or falling in line with the White House?Adam Wren, senior politics correspondent at Politico and a contributing author to POLITICO Playbook, breaks it all down. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Days into the Iran-Israel war, the United States has carried out a series of limited strikes centered on three Iranian nuclear sites. U.S. President Donald Trump has referred to the strikes as a “spectacular military success” and the Israeli government has made clear there was “full co-ordination” on the operation. Iranian officials claim to have removed enriched uranium from the facilities before they were bombed. Negar Mortazavi is a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy, and the Host of the Iran Podcast. She joins the show to discuss the American strikes on Iran and whether this escalation from Trump was about addressing Iran's nuclear capability, clearing a pathway to regime change, or something else. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Last week, Front Burner spent a few days in Three Hills, Alberta, a small town northeast of Calgary. We attended an event about Alberta independence, and spoke to a wide array of people about separation from Canada, and the possibility of an upcoming referendum on the issue. CBC Calgary's Jason Markusoff came with us.Why Three Hills? Because while separatist sentiment does exist in the province's cities, it runs deeper in rural small towns, where people tend to feel more disconnected and frustrated with the federal government.People in Three Hills will also be voting in a provincial byelection this Monday, where a separatist party – the Alberta Republican Party – is running a candidate. So in a way, separatism is already on the ballot.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

For months now, agents working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, have been carrying out raids, arresting people on the street, at work and at immigration courthouses. Often they are wearing plain clothes and masks.As U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown intensifies, so have the instances of arrests and detentions by ICE, sometimes without warrants or due process. Despite mass protests and pushback from opposition politicians and immigrants rights groups, the Trump administration has vowed the arrests will continue as they aim for one million deportations a year.But how, exactly, does ICE operate? How did the agency come to be and how does it compare to immigration enforcement in America's past? To help us dive deep into ICE's history and put it all into context, we're joined by Adam Goodman, an associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and the author of The Deportation Machine: America's Long History of Expelling Immigrants.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

In this politics roundup, we first check in with the CBC's Aaron Wherry in the Alberta Rockies about the main takeaways from the G7 summit, which wrapped without Donald Trump after he left to deal with the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Then, we speak to Toronto Star national columnist Althia Raj about C-5, an omnibus bill which is moving through parliament at breakneck speed. The bill's intent is to speed up approval for resource projects, but it's been panned by critics as dangerous and undemocratic.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Palantir's technology has been used by everyone from the CIA and Mossad to Airbus and Morgan Stanley. The multi-billion dollar big data software company is at the centre of many of the major issues of our time. Michael Steinberger is a reporter with The New York Times Magazine and the author of a forthcoming book on Palantir's CEO entitled ‘The Philosopher in the Valley.' He joins the show to discuss Palantir's wide-reaching technology, and what it tells us about the future of government and surveillance.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Longstanding tensions came to a head last week when Israel launched a missile attack on Iran, targeting the country's nuclear facilities and killing several high-level military personnel and nuclear scientists. In the days following the two countries have exchanged missile strikes, killing at least 78 in Iran and 13 in Israel. As the conflict continues to escalate, what will it mean for the region? And as the bombardment derails Iran-U.S. nuclear talks, will the U.S. be pulled into an active war? To discuss this perilous moment and its dangerous implications, we're joined by Greg Carlstrom, a longtime Middle East correspondent with The Economist and author of the book “How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat From Within.” Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Starting Sunday, political and economic representatives of a world order that Donald Trump is intent on shattering are gathering in Kananaskis, in Alberta's Rocky Mountains.That on its own would be high stakes. But add to it Mark Carney's aggressive national to-do list, and you've got two days that could show us how much Canada and the world have changed since Trump became president a second time.Aaron Wherry, a senior writer with CBC's Parliamentary Bureau, joins the show to unpack what he'll be watching for as he covers the event. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

For years now Canada's been badgered to pony up, and spend more money on the military. Those calls have come from our actual military itself, our NATO allies, and more recently the U.S. President.Well it looks like Mark Carney is going to pull out the credit card, and commit to spending an extra $9.3-billion on the armed forces by March, bumping our military spending up to two per cent of Canada's entire GDP.Carney has also pledged to end this country's reliance on the U.S. for equipment by diverting billions of dollars in spending to Canadian manufacturers.The timing awkwardly coincided with news about an embarrassing foray into Canadian military procurement: our plans to buy a fleet of F-35 fighter jets from America that the auditor general reported was billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.So, what is Carney's vision for the future of our military? And how serious are the threats against Canada?David Pugliese, defence reporter with the Ottawa Citizen, talks us through it.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

As many as 40,000 Canadians are out of their homes right now with evacuation alerts and states of emergency in effect across much of western Canada, from B.C. through northern Ontario. Many, especially those from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, have been away from home for weeks, with no indication of when they'll return.CBC Thunder Bay's Sarah Law brings us the story of evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation, making their way to Thunder Bay, Ont., as fire bears down on their fly-in, fly-out community.Then, Chief David Monias of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba tells us about the struggle his community has had getting the resources to effectively fight the fires and support its community members through the ongoing evacuation.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The city of Los Angeles has been embroiled in protests for days after a series of ICE raids rounded up dozens of people. Now, after President Donald Trump sent in 2000 members of the National Guard, the city finds itself in the middle of a fight between the White House and state and local governments over the rights of undocumented immigrants.Jeannette Zanipatin is a lawyer and the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), an L.A.-based organization that supports immigrants. The group has been involved with some of the demonstrations. She explains how this situation came to be, what the community has been dealing with and the legal and political implications of Trump's crackdown. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

A feud between Elon Musk and U.S. President Trump escalated and exploded over the course of 72 hours last week.It started off with Musk's criticism of Trump's new spending bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Trump later criticized Musk during a press conference in the Oval Office, saying that he would have won the 2024 election without the millions of dollars Musk spent to support him. From there, a barrage of attacks ensued over social media, and threats to cancel government contracts and cooperation. Dasha Burns, Politico's White House Bureau Chief and host of “The Conversation with Dasha Burns”, is here to walk through the twists and turns of this public breakup, and reflect on who wins and who loses when two of the most powerful people in the world fight.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

What is Canadian content? And why does it matter? The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission has been hearing very different answers to that question — as they try to come up with new CanCon rules. Commotion's Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with storyteller Jesse Wente, policy expert Vass Bednar and showrunner Anthony Q Farrell about why getting CanCon right has never been more important.Big laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts and entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.More episodes of Commotion are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/L1GJWq

On Sunday, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web, a surprise drone attack that went deep inside Russia, reaching as far as Siberia for the first time.Ukraine says 117 drones were smuggled into Russia, hidden in the roofs of wooden sheds and later loaded onto the backs of trucks then launched remotely. The result was an enormous blow to Russia's strategic bomber fleet.Cheaper than traditional weapons and commercially available, drones have become increasingly important to both sides of the Ukraine-Russia war and in conflicts around the world.Josh Schwartz, an assistant professor of international relations at Carnegie Mellon University, joins the show to explain how they are transforming modern warfare.  For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The Liberals have tabled new legislation that would significantly expand law enforcement powers and tighten immigration of all kinds, including refugee claims, in a move to appease the Trump White House — but critics say it raises major concerns for Canadians' civil liberties.Meanwhile, Mark Carney met with Canada's provincial and territorial premiers this week in his first ever first ministers' meeting, and the post-meeting vibes have been extremely positive. There seems to be a general agreement on the idea of building a new east-west pipeline — but almost nothing else about it is clear, including who would actually build it. How long will the honeymoon last?The Toronto Star's Althia Raj and CBC Ottawa's Aaron Wherry are on the show to tackle this political doubleheader.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

A little over five months ago, few outside of the New York City real estate scene knew who Steve Witkoff was. Now, as the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, he's not only been tasked with trying to end the war in Gaza but he's also at the centre of negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine and with Iran to secure a new nuclear deal. To understand how one of President Donald Trump's closest friends came to spearhead negotiations in some of the most complex foreign policy files of the last few years we talk to Isaac Stanley-Becker, staff writer at The Atlantic who recently wrote a profile on Steve Witkoff. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Since October 7, access to food in Gaza – and its systematic restriction by Israel – has been the subject of international condemnation. The most recent incident is the killing of dozens of Palestinians attempting to obtain food from an aid distribution centre.Israeli settlers have blocked roads, and aid delivery. Aid convoys and workers have also been targeted with violence. And as of March, Israel established a full scale blockade on aid into the Gaza strip. Today a trickle has been allowed into the territory.International organizations have been warning of famine in Gaza for more than a year. Alex de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, and author of ‘Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.' He joins the show for a discussion about starvation crimes, why the weaponization of food during wartime continues, and how famine has proven difficult to prosecute in court.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Alex Shephard, senior editor at The New Republic, is on Front Burner to break down a few of the big developing news stories coming out of the Trump administration in recent weeks.He talks to host Jayme Poisson about Elon Musk's exit from the White House, U.S. President Trump's war with Harvard, and where we are right now with the on again, off again tariffs as they get kicked around the courts.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The use of generative AI has become rampant on college and university campuses across North America. KPMG - who surveyed over 400 Canadian students about this in the fall — found that around 60 per cent use AI models like ChatGPT in their assignments.James Walsh recently wrote a piece in New York Magazine called Everyone is Cheating Their Way Through College, where he spoke to dozens of students, professors, and administrators about the AI cheating surge, and how it's ratcheting up a debate about the future of the higher education system in North America.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act – also known as Bill 5 – aims to fast track mining projects in Ontario and gives the government the power to create 'special economic zones' that would grant the government the power to exempt companies from still-unspecified laws.Ontario Premier Doug Ford has framed these measures as necessary to protect the province against the threat of Donald Trump's trade war. But the sweeping power it affords the government has Indigenous groups, the Civil Liberties Association and more sounding the alarm.Mike Crawley is a senior reporter with CBC News covering Ontario and he's here to break down the bill, the controversy around it and whether 'cutting red tape' is really the answer to the economic threat posed by Donald Trump.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

For the third time in Canadian history, the head of the British monarchy delivered the throne speech before ushering in a new session of parliament. It comes at a time when Canada could use some help protecting its sovereignty in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.But how does this moment fit in with King Charles' reign so far, which has been marked by political turmoil, royal rifts, calls for reparations and cutting ties with the British monarchy? We break it all down with Ellie Hall, a freelance reporter and former official royal correspondent for BuzzFeed News. Listen to Power & Politics' exclusive interview with Prime Minister Mark Carney here: https://link.mgln.ai/E5RqMrFor transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Last June, during the first presidential debate of the 2024 U.S. election campaign, Joe Biden stumbled and struggled to find the right words. His performance was described as disastrous and incoherent.At that point, many Americans had already come to the conclusion that Biden was too old for the job. But for those who hadn't yet, the debate was the moment that fact became impossible to deny.Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again is a new book that investigates Biden's cognitive and physical decline in recent years, and the attempt by a small group of loyalists and family members to keep it from public view.Journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson did over two hundred interviews with lawmakers, White House officials, and campaign insiders for it.Despite the reporting, Joe Biden continues to reject concerns about his age. His recent diagnosis of an aggressive prostate cancer has brought his health back into the spotlight.Today on Front Burner, Axios' National Political Correspondent Alex Thompson on his new book, and the political consequences of Joe Biden's decline.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Donald Trump's 'Golden Dome' is a proposed defense program that will feature the use of space lasers, satellites and interceptors designed to provide 24/7 space based defence. It's advertised as a bulwark against missiles and nuclear attacks from the likes of China, North Korea and Russia. Mike Stone is a Reuters reporter covering the U.S. arms trade and defense industry and joins the show to discuss Donald Trump's trillion dollar sci-fi inspired project, Canada's potential involvement, and its implications for the global arms race. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

On May 25th 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes. The whole thing was caught on video and once it got out, it set America on fire. Protests spread across the country and then the world. Promises of sweeping changes to policing and greater commitment to racial justice and equity were made.Fast forward to now, five years later, and the outlook is very different. There are more Americans killed at the hands of police, DEI initiatives have been rolled back and President Donald Trump is taking actions to give police more power.We talk to Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison, about calls to pardon Derek Chauvin, the current state of policing and racial justice and where America could be headed.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

It's been a year and a half since the R&B singer Cassie Ventura first accused hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of rape and repeated physical abuse over the course of their decade-long relationship. Those initial allegations unleashed a torrent of accusations from others, more than 70 sexual assault lawsuits, and federal raids of his homes.Now, Diddy's high-profile criminal trial is underway in a Manhattan court. He faces charges of sexually trafficking three women, as well as transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.Today, the BBC's Nada Tawfik takes us inside the trial to learn what the court has heard so far from Cassie and other witnesses, and how the prosecution is trying to build their case that this was not simply a story of domestic violence, but of sex trafficking and racketeering.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Today on the show is historian Timothy Ryback. Timothy is an author and writer with The Atlantic. He's the director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague. Last year he published ‘Takeover' which documents the ways Hitler and his enablers in the German establishment cleared the pathway to Nazism through constitutional means.He's on the show to discuss - what he refers to as the “disturbing echoes” between Nazi Germany and contemporary America. Particularly between Adolf Hitler and US President Donald Trump.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Hundreds of people filled a banquet hall in Calgary last week to hear from the Alberta Prosperity Project, a group that wants Alberta to separate from Canada.They're trying to drum up support for a petition and earn enough signatures to trigger a referendum on separation in 2026.One of the reasons the petition is picking up steam is because Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party has just passed legislation that would lower the bar for holding a referendum vote.Jason Markusoff is a producer and writer who covers Alberta politics for the CBC. He speaks to host Jayme Poisson about Smith's latest political moves, including the backlash, as well as the separatist movement itself.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts