The Current

Liron Gertsman's award winning photo was years in the making. Then he got on a plane and took a boat to get it but it earned him the title of Bird Photographer of the Year out of 33 thousand other photos.

The men who wrote the American constitution included its goals right there in the preamble: Establish justice. Ensure tranquility. Secure the blessings of liberty. Lately, there have been plenty of reasons to question whether that document is living up to those goals — and there's real talk of a constitutional crisis. At a moment like this, when the future looks uncertain, Harvard historian and law professor Jill Lepore is an expert at explaining why history matters. We talk to her about her latest book, "We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution."

Maddie Cholette, from Oakville, Ont. and Debbie Rafuse, from Chester, N.S, tell us how they're preparing to watch their team go for baseball glory this weekend, why this year's edition of the Jays was so darn lovable — and why both of them have a special soft spot for George Springer.

There's a growing call for mandatory national service in Canada — asking 18- to 30-year-olds to spend a year in public health, the environment, youth services, civil protection, or the military. Esprit de Corps editor Scott Taylor says it could strengthen citizenship and even help the Armed Forces. Policy expert David McLaughlin argues it's a way to build unity but warns it won't come cheap. Seventeen-year-old Jaden Braves pushes back, saying young people need to shape the program themselves.

Jane Goodall's research into chimpanzees changed our understanding of the natural world. She died yesterday at the age of 91. So we're bringing back our conversation with Jane Gooddall from October 2023, where she told Matt Galloway how her youthful curiosity sparked a ground-breaking career — and why her hope for curbing climate change lied with young people

Marineland wanted to ship their 30 captive beluga whales to an amusement park in China — but the federal government stopped them. And with the once iconic amusement park shutting its doors, the question of what to do with whales, and whose responsibility they should be, remains unclear. W

Comedians playing at a festival in Riyadh are being skewered by fellow comics for ignoring the country's human rights abuses. But former Canadian ambassador Dennis Horak says this isn't simply Saudi whitewashing. It's part of a move towards limited reforms — and that's good for both Saudis and regional stability.

Farmer Paul Brooks is ringing the alarm over a surge in apple thefts on his farm in Uxbridge, Ontario. He is one of many other farmers across Ontario experiencing this and it's threatening the cultural-favourite activity of apple picking altogether.

A new survey shows that younger generations are watching TV with the subtitles way more than older people. Gen Z journalist Isabel Brooks says she gets why. Young people are watching in a noisy, distracted, TikTok-ified world. But that doesn't mean she likes it.

For the last three months Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been hosting “Alberta Next” town halls. On the agenda — how to get a better deal from Ottawa...and more autonomyThe final town hall happens online tonight. But separatist and pro-Canada groups are also criss-crossing the province with their campaigns. The CBC's Allison Dempster speaks with host Matt Galloway about what's next for the province.

Gen Z is reshaping debate culture. Online, millions tune in to fiery clashes over politics, identity, and health. It's raw, awkward, sometimes uncomfortable — and wildly popular.But is this about finding common ground, or just turning polarization into entertainment? We talk to Atlantic writer Spencer Kornhaber about why these debates resonate with Gen Z and what they reveal about how young people have discussions today. Then, physician and YouTube creator Dr. Mike Varshavski joins us to share why he stepped into one of these debates himself — and whether conversations like these can actually change minds.

The minimum wage is going up in some provinces today — for the second time this year in some cases. What does this actually mean for poverty in Canada? And is this meant to tackle the cost of living crisis?

10 years after the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, three members of the family of the late Murray Sinclair, the chair of the commission, reflect on his legacy. Stephanie and Sara Sinclair are the co-editors of two new collections of writing, "A Steady Brightness of Being" and "You Were Made for this World." They talk about their own family history, and the importance of sharing stories, knowledge and culture — as a path to a better future. And Niigaan Sinclair, Murray's son, and columnist and university professor, reflects on his Dad's lessons of love, and the time he spent at his father's bedside before he died.

Intimidation, extortion, and murder. After months of calls by political leaders, the Bishnoi Gang has been designated a terrorist organization by the federal government. But they're a group without a clear political ideology.

The Louvre is the world's biggest, most visited museum in the world - about nine million visitors a year — and it's getting a makeover. Our conversation with the first woman to lead the Louvre, President-Director Laurence des Cars about the challenges of overtourism, their ambitious billion-dollar plan to modernize the venerable institution, the role of art and culture in 2025, and the future of museums.

Perhaps when you turned 16 you were most looking forward to getting your driver's license. Talk to young people today and many have their eyes on a different rite of passage: a Costco membership. As Canadian communities clamour for Costcos, we speak to Canada's 'Costco Queen' Tina Chow about Costco's exploding social media growth. Then, journalist Ben Ryder Howe breaks down the global retailer's business strategy — and why it's working.

How long is too long to wait? For some Canadians, long waits in emergency rooms are driving them to leave — causing more return visits, and additional strain on an already burdened healthcare system. What new research says about why and how often Canadians are opting out of the ER and one hospital's unique solution.

It was a court battle that made headlines. In the early 1980's an Indigenous mother fought to get her child back from the foster family that had looked after her from the time she was an infant. Her birth mother went all the way to Ottawa, to the Supreme Court of Canada, and in a landmark decision, the judge ruled that it was in the best interest of the child to stay with the foster family. It was a decision that would change the life of the little girl at the centre of the battle, Leticia Racine, and impact child welfare cases involving Indigenous children for years to come. We speak with Racine today, about her tumultuous life, and her journey back to her First Nation and her Indigenous culture.

It can be dizzying for Canadians to look south at American politics these days. Tim Miller, host of the Bulwark's podcast, joins us to talk about how Americans see the relationship with Canada, what Donald Trump is doing to his country's standing in the world, and what he sees as the path out of the crisis in his country.

Coming off a shocking upset of New Zealand in last week's semifinals, Canada's women's rugby team gets set to take on England in the Finals tomorrow. Shireen Ahmed, a senior contributor with CBC Sports, talks about what makes this team so special, why women's rugby is taking off, and so many people are supporting Team Canada — including actor Russell Crowe!

Research shows moving your body has major physical and mental health benefits. But despite WHO guidelines for kids to get 60 minutes of active play each day — only 39% of Canadian children are meeting that mark. What needs to change to get kids moving? From phys ed class, to offering standing desks in class, researchers make the case for a more active school environment.

Merilyn Simonds and Beth Robinson are two friends from Kingston, Ontario, who decided during the Covid pandemic to make it a priority to get together, once a week, for a walk. Since then they've faced the challenges of aging, and discovered the joys of deep connections. The Current producer Alison Masemann spent an afternoon with them, and found out about Beth's passion for sports cars, and how they handled the role reversal when Merilyn — the younger of the two — became ill.

In the last year, Nova Scotia Health implemented a sepsis action improvement plan in six health care facilities throughout the province. It's worked so well, now, they're rolling it out province wide. In a first for Canada, all ER nurses across Nova Scotia will be able to administer antibiotics to anyone they suspect of having sepsis by the end of the month — a move that advocates are saying can, and will, save lives. We speak to Dr. Vanessa Sweet -- the medical co-lead of NHS' sepsis action improvement plan — about how Nova Scotia is changing how they approach sepsis, and what other provinces can learn from the work they're doing.

It can be hard to make sense of the barrage of news coming out of the United States these days. The murder of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk has ignited a fraught conversation about free speech and the limits of presidential power in the United States. MSNBC host Chris Hayes joins us to talk about why he says US President Donald Trump is an aspiring autocrat threatening American democracy — and why despite that he's not a "doomer".

Murad al-Katib started his pulse crop business in his basement. Now it's worth $3B a year and in 120 countries. At a time when many Canadian businesses are trying to diversify their markets, and get into value-added manufacturing, al-Katib's company AGT has actually done it. He's built rail infrastructure, manufacturing businesses, and partnerships around the world. He talks about the secret of his success, and why Canadians one day may thank Donald Trump for shaking us out of our complacency.

We all know people who are always late. Maybe you're one of them. The tardy gets a bad rap. But they aren't all self-centred, says University of Texas time expert Dawna Ballard. Some of them may be time blind. Others simply can't pull themselves away from people they value. Understanding what's behind our time personalities might help us get along better — and rethink when and why we obey the dictates of the clock.

President Trump made an announcement on Monday that Tylenol use in early pregnancy is linked to autism. But all the current research points to that not being true. Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou is a child neurologist and co-leads the Autism Research Centre at the Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto. She's not convinced either.

Canadians lost a whopping $647 million to fraud last year. Most scams involve money taken from your bank accounts or investments. But few victims of fraud get their money back from the bank. Sarah Bradley, Canada's Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, explains what the rules are, what your rights are, what to do if you've been scammed — and how not to get scammed in the first place.

The Trump administration is introducing a new $100,000 fee on the specialized visa, forcing companies to pay up for top talent. Our panel of tech experts looks at whether the Canadian tech industry could take advantage of the change and attract skilled workers here instead.

Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late night show last night after being suspended for comments he made surrounding the death of Charlie Kirk. The suspension ignited a debate about free speech in the media — but is his return a victory? We speak to Greg Lukianoff, is the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

As the UN General Assembly meets, an end to the war launched by Russia seems more distant than ever. Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk says abandoning hope, and the fight, just for peace is not an option for Ukrainians because too much is at stake.

With AI becoming part of the school day in classrooms across Canada we look to other countries to understand how regulation and curriculum could change the way students and teachers use AI tools.

An Alberta nurse goes public with her story about how, as a new mother, she fell victim to online misinformation about vaccines, and how she began to question those beliefs during the pandemic. Today, she's a pro-vaccine advocate, and uses her past experiences in the anti-vaccine movement to inform vaccine-hesitant parents.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is rolling back climate policies and ramping up oil and gas production, all while experts are warning that Canada isn't going to reach its 2030 emissions targets. We unpack what's going on with Mark Carney's climate policies — and what it means for the future of our economy, and environment.

Krista Tucker Petrick just wants to close her step-mother's will. But until she can reach a human at the CRA, she can't. The North Bay, Ontario school principal is just one of many people frustrated with the CRA call centre. Regina bookkeeper Erin Rudd says she and her staff spend endless hours trying to get an agent on the line — and that's bad for her business. The federal government is in the midst of a 100 day plan to improve service. But will anything change?

As the 80th UNGA gets underway, Canada is among a number of nations that will recognize Palestine and the need for a two State solution. We speak with Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae.

It had been a century since Texada Island had seen a grizzly bear. So when one swam 5 kilometres from the mainland over to the community off the B.C. coast, it created curiosity, panic and division about how to live with a giant predator — a giant predator they named, Tex. Molly Segal brings the story of that island community, and the bear, in her documentary, A Bear Called Tex.

Another claim of genocide has been lodged against Israel. This time by the UN Human Rights Council's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Human Rights lawyer Chris Sidoti explains how the commission came to their conclusions.

The McVeggie isn't pretending to be meat. It's a fried vegetable patty. A few years ago, imitation meat patties like Beyond and Impossible were all the rage. What happened? Food reporters Corey Mintz and Kim Severson dig into our shifting appetites when it comes to plant-based foods and why the North American love affair with beef continues.

Cities in Canada have been taking unprecedented measures to deal with crime in their city — like hiring private security guards to patrol their downtowns. Some have even declared a state of emergency. We speak with the Mayors of Smithers, BC., and Barrie, ON., to talk about the unprecedented path they've taken to address public safety, crime, addiction, and homelessness in their communities.

Jennifer Brady was suffering. The Nova Scotia woman was living with lymphedema, a chronic condition that causes painful swelling in the arms and legs. She couldn't get treatment there, and the government refused to pay for treatment out of province, so she applied for Medical Assistance in Dying. A year ago, we heard her story on our program. Ultimately, her case not only caught the attention of the Nova Scotia government — it has also prompted change. Now, a year later, Angela MacIvor brings us Jennifer's story in her documentary, The Fight.

What does the Bank of Canada cut to its key interest rate mean for you - and for Canada's economy? CBC's Senior Business Correspondent Peter Armstrong joins us to walk through the bad and the slightly less bad economic news. We'll also talk to Avery Shenfeld, Managing Director and Chief Economist of CIBC, and Pedro Antunes, the Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada to look at what the coming months could bring.