The Current

Health influencers are selling peptides as a cure-all for everything from building muscle to losing weight and even boosting your libido. While Health Canada warns consumers they pose serious risks, in the U.S., government regulators are talking about loosening restrictions. Jonathan Jarry with McGill's Office for Science and Society on the potential risks and why they've become so popular in spite of a lack of evidence-based research.

Dr Kamran Khan was warning clients in December 2025 that the epidemiology of hantavirus was changing. It was showing up in places it had never been seen before, and fatality rates were higher too. Khan's company, Blue Dot, tracks and analyzes infectious disease data from around the world. Plus, Steven Taylor, professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia about how COVID and other public health emergencies are influencing how people are reacting to hantavirus.

Canada will be watching the U.S.-China summit closely, as it re-thinks and re-works its relationship with the two largest economies in the face of rising inflation and energy costs, the ongoing war in Iran and imperceptibility out of the Whitehouse. Phelim Kine is a Washington-based China correspondent for Politico on what could come from the summit and why more countries are happy to do business with China.

30 year-old Olivia Cazes, from the small town of Armagh, Quebec, started her 26,000 journey from the southern tip of Argentina, to Alaska. She is traveling along the Pan-American highway with her four horses; Caciqué. Bonsaï, Milo and Bigoté. Olivia shares her experience so far, traveling from the "Fin del Mundo", the southern tip of South America, to Buenos Aires.

It sounds like something straight out of science fiction: giant solar panels floating in space, beaming energy back down to Earth. Companies like Meta and space agencies in Japan are taking the idea seriously, hoping it could help power growing energy demands. Supporters say space-based solar could deliver constant, around-the-clock clean energy because the sun never stops shining. Critics say the technology is wildly expensive and still far from reality. Matt Galloway speaks with former NASA physicist John C. Mankins and former NASA technology policy chief Charity Weeden about whether this is the future of energy or a very expensive fantasy.

With more students vaping, high school administrators are rethinking the role of the washroom, from completely redesigning the space to implementing tools like vape sensors to curb the addictive habit, and help students feel safer at school.

Canadian unemployment has reached a six month high, 18,000 jobs were lost in April alone. A look at the realities of trying to find work in the face of economic uncertainty, upcoming CUSMA negotiations, and the war in Iran.

From hunting for a mythical treasure to solving the mystery of life in the universe -- why some people are driven to dedicate their lives to unachievable goals, and what that commitment to optimism means to the rest of us.

From housing costs and commuting habits to language, identity and family life, Canadians are once again being asked detailed questions in this year's census. So what is Statistics Canada trying to learn from all of it? And how does that information shape everything from political representation to schools, transit and public policy? Matt Galloway speaks with Geoff Bowlby, Assistant Chief Statistician at Statistics Canada.

The Iran war has shifted power to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, creating a much more militarized state. Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director for the Crisis Group, who was part of the negotiating team for the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, explains how this, coupled with US President Donald Trump's rhetoric, is complicating this “high-stakes game of chicken.”

It's a busy time for the Prime Minister. Alberta and Ottawa are inching closer to a pipeline deal, and the federal government wants to speed up the review process for major projects. Is it possible to keep everyone happy? Our national affairs panel weighs in.

Most Canadians know comedian Mary Walsh from her iconic characters on the CBC TV show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.But the story of Mary Walsh's life goes far beyond her comedic and acting triumphs. She tells those stories in her new book, a collection of essays about the highs, and the lows. We talk to Mary Walsh about her life and her new

Toronto Tempo begin their inaugural season as Canada's first WNBA team. Freelance sports journalist covering the WNBA and the host of the women's sports podcast Cinderella Stories on Savanna Hamilton why this is an exciting time to be a sports fan.

Former Democrat Congresswoman Jane Harman is the newly-appointed co-chair of a Commission for the Second Century of Canada-U.S. relations, an attempt to revive the bilateral relationship between the two countries. While she believes it can eventually be repaired, she says she's "heartbroken" about the way things have disintegrated under President Donald Trump, and believes Prime Minister Mark Carney is navigating the rupture "adroitly."

Claire Brosseau says after decades of mental illness and treatment, she wants to die by MAID. Ottawa will soon decide whether to allow medically-assisted death for those whose sole condition is mental illness or to postpone access, perhaps indefinitely.

Dr. Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, has been advising world leaders through this historic crisis, but he recently said that this one will have "permanent consequences."

Darren Ali was a healthy 45 year old when he had a massive heart attack that could have killed him. He wants everyone to learn from his experience and get tested for the cholesterol Lipoprotein(a) because it could save their lives. And we'll hear from a doctor about how this cholesterol can cause unexpected heart attacks among younger and otherwise healthy people -- and why new guidance recommends getting tested.

Emily Gustus was shocked to be one of this year's $100,000 Loran Scholarship winners. Now she can keep up with her school work and keep working as a volunteer firefighter and flying with the air cadets in her hometown of Tisdale, Saskatchewan.

A new study is exploring a radical idea: building a dam across the Bering Strait. The goal is to try to stabilize a massive ocean current, which helps regulate the planet's climate and is already slowing down. CBC science reporter Nicole Mortillaro walks us through what's happening to the system, why scientists are concerned, and what a slowdown could mean for rising sea levels to shifting weather and where people can live. Then, climate researcher Jelle Soons explains the thinking behind the dam. It's a proof of concept, not a real-world plan, and one that comes with significant risks and unknowns.

As passengers aboard the MV Hondius deal with the spread of a rare strain of hantavirus, we look at what it's like to be stuck on a cruise ship and what can be done to prevent the spread of hantavirus in Canada.

The Montreal Canadiens will be facing the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. This game comes from their win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex Rougas is confident that his team will succeed in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Oil shock has been synonymous with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the oil byproducts that make plastics aren't making it through the strait either, and as Beth Gardiner, author of the book, "Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet," explains it could start impacting the cost of goods here at home, from toys and clothes to the supply of medical gloves.

When the Canadian Centre for Child Protection found what is says are images of child sexual abuse on the messaging app Telegram they took that allegation to Britain's online safety watchdog Ofcom. That is because Canada doesn't have a regulator to look at how online platforms deal with this type of illegal content.

This spring, scientists have documented 23 North Atlantic right whale calves born off the U.S. coast, the highest number since 2009. It's hopeful news for the critically endangered species, whose population has fallen to fewer than 400 in recent years. We speak with Amy Warren, the scientific program officer for the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life who has been tracking the whales.

A Conservative private member's bill named after Bailey McCourt, a 32-year-old mother of two killed in a Kelowna parking lot in July 2025 is making its way through the Senate. Her estranged husband has been charged with first-degree murder. The legislation proposes changes to the criminal code; making the killing of an intimate partner an automatic first-degree murder charge; empowering courts to hold individuals charged with domestic assault for up to seven days for a risk assessment if there are red flags; and changing bail rules for those with a previous domestic violence conviction.

Robots are breaking world records and breaking the internet, doing seamless backflips and sidekicks online, but as they get more integrated into our world, are they going to help us, or replace us? Matt Galloway speaks to WIRED's Will Knight and Karol Hausman, co-founder and CEO of Physical Intelligence.

Alberta separatists say they have collected more than 300,000 signatures, well over the 178,000 needed to prompt the province to consider a referendum question. This comes after a court injunction forced a separatist group to shut down an online database built from an electoral list that contained the personal information of millions of Albertans. So what's next for Alberta's separatism movement? Our Alberta political panel joins us to break it down.

A recent study suggests the rate of young men contacting Ontario's mental health helpline for gambling-related problems has increased by more than 300 percent since the province allowed online gambling. CBC producer John Chipman dug into the world of online gaming, speaking to those who are most impacted by it. A warning: this story contains details about suicide.

U.S. President Donald Trump dangled a carrot in front of Canada's steel industry recently, offering a break on tariffs if steel companies commit to moving production to the U.S. Meanwhile, his administration has introduced new and different calculations for tariffs on manufactured goods. All this adds up to a Canadian steel industry that's facing uncertainty, layoffs and upheaval.

Extreme thinness is on the rise since the introduction of GLP1s — it has been hard to miss the parade of skinnier-than-ever celebrities. Now, Health Canada has approved the first two generic versions of Ozempic, and more are likely coming, driving down the price and making them even more accessible. It is raising complicated questions about what it means to be fat, thin, and healthy in the age of Ozempic.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he plans to ban kids 16 and under from using AI chatbots. If the legislation passes, the province could be the first jurisdiction in the world to do this. But not everyone agrees that a blanket ban is the most effective way to keep kids safe. We speak with Sara Austin,the founder and CEO of Children First Canada, and Mahtab Laghaei, a policy analyst with The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she researches AI chatbots, data and privacy.

Why is it so hard for us humans to come to grips with what it means to be conscious? Bestselling author Michael Pollan talks to Matt Galloway about how scientists have tried - and often failed - to unlock the mysteries of consciousness, whether plants could be considered conscious, and why he believes that we need to "defend" human consciousness against those who may try to simulate it with computers and AI.

At a time when the world is facing an energy crisis, solar power grew by 30 percent in 2025, with China leading the charge in harnessing the power of the sun. And yet, Canada has fallen behind other G7 nations when it comes to renewable energy from solar and wind. We speak with Nicolas Fulghum, senior data analyst with the international energy research agency, Ember, about that group's latest report, and Mark Winfield, professor of Environmental and Urban Change, and co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative at York University, about what has held Canada back, and the potential of renewable energy.

The federal government wants to address worker shortages in the skilled trades. At the spring economic update they announced a 5 year plan -- worth 6 billion dollars -- to help recruit, train and hire young people into the skilled trades.

The two-hour marathon was an unreachable limit for decades. Now, Sabastian Sawe has officially broken it. So what changed? Matt Galloway speaks with Alex Hutchinson, senior writer at Canadian Running Magazine, about what this moment tells us about the limits of human performance itself.

For the first time in Canada, a 62-year-old man is poised to be Canada's first person to be cured of HIV. There are currently only a handful of people world-wide considered cured of HIV. We speak with one of them, Adam Castillejo, about what it means to be cured. We also speak to the doctor of the Canadian patient, Dr. Sharon Walmsley, about what this breakthrough represents -- and the future of HIV treatment.

For decades, Hank Idsinga led some of Toronto's most high-profile murder investigations. In his new memoir, 'The High Road: Confessions of A Homicide Cop', he talks about what he says is rampant racism, anti-semitism and corruption in the largest police force in Canada.

UBC forest ecologist Suzanne Simard's viral TED talk about forests as communities turned her into a "celebrity scientist" and taught the world how to think differently about trees. Now she's written a new book, arguing that the way we harvest and cut down those trees urgently needs to change. We talk to her about what she's learned about logging from indigenous colleagues — and whether politicians and the logging industry are ready for her message.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) have been around for more than 50 years. Calgary doctor Dion Kelly developed Think 2Switch, an app allowing kids with disabilities, like Claire Sonnenberg, to control devices with their thoughts alone and play an active role in life. We'll talk about the possibilities this technology can bring.

Canada's finance minister has tabled a spring economic update with a smaller than expected deficit. We break down what's in it for Canadians — and what it will cost you. We talk to Catherine Cullen, host of CBC's The House, and Sahir Khan, Canada's former Assistant Parliamentary Budget Officer and co-founder of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy.

King Charles III is in the U.S. this week, more by force. On the surface, the state visit is to commemorate the 250 year anniversary of U.S.' independence, but it's no secret that he's been tasked to ease tensions with the U.S. He has to walk a fine line in dealing with the U.S. President Donald Trump, as explained by historian and royal commentator, Carolyn Harris.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says a sovereign wealth fund will ensure Canadians benefit from the country's future prosperity. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre says it will become an expensive Liberal slush fund. CBC reporter Peter Armstrong breaks down the details. Investor John Ruffolo tells us the benefits and potential pitfalls.