The Current

Fluoride is returning to Calgary's drinking water. The city removed it more than a decade ago, but after a public vote and years of planning, it's back. A city councilor who once voted against fluoride explains why he's changed his mind.

Jeff Bezos is getting married in Venice, but not everyone is celebrating. As A-list guests gather, activists and locals are protesting what they see as a city being rented out to the ultra-wealthy. We hear from a protester with “No Space for Bezos,” and from a former luxury wedding planner who now writes about class and culture.

Yoga pants and stolen goods. Court documents obtained by CBC reveal a suspected organized crime ring behind a wave of high-value thefts from Lululemon stores across British Columbia. CBC journalist Jason Proctor breaks down how police tracked down the suspects.

Rick Steves had his first puff of a joint in Afghanistan while he was travelling the Hippie Trail in 1978, the overland route from Istanbul to Kathmandu. The travel writer and entrepreneur talks to Matt Galloway about how that trip made him think about the world differently — and why he says others should seek out mind-expanding travel, too.

A fragile ceasefire is in place between Israel and Iran — but where does this leave Iran's nuclear program? U.S. President Donald Trump is confident the program is destroyed but some intelligence reports suggest only setbacks. We speak with nuclear policy expert James Acton about what happens now.

Defending Canada will require new strategies, investments in new equipment, and more recruits, according to Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Armed Forces. The country's top soldier tells guest host Susan Ormiston about her priorities for the military, and what a new five per cent NATO defence spending target would mean for Canada.

As the climate warms, ticks are finding more places to call home within Canada — and spreading more diseases to people wherever they go. A doctor talks about why Lyme disease isn't the only infection you can catch from ticks, and how to protect yourself against the bugs.

The Kamutik W ferry, which delivers critical items like food and toilet paper to remote communities in Labrador, has finally set sail after being delayed for more than a week. The delay has left people in those communities running low on supplies, and some advocates calling for a better solution.

NATO leaders are meeting for a historic summit. The gathering comes as conflicts continue in Ukraine and Gaza, and as a ceasefire between Iran and Israel remains fragile. We talk to former Canadian ambassador Kerry Buck, and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, about what's on the agenda – and what's at stake. And what Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to do to call the meeting a success.

Sanctions have become the go-to tool in global politics — used to punish rogue states, and signal international condemnation. But are they effective? With sanctions piling up against Russia, Iran, and two Israeli cabinet ministers, we ask whether economic punishment actually shapes behavior — or just creates diplomatic noise.

With the US inserting itself into the Iran-Israel war, dropping bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran, the CBC's Chris Brown reports from Jerusalem on the latest diplomatic efforts and what we know about Iran's nuclear capacity. We also talk to Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation think tank, on how the war is shaping sentiments inside Iran. Plus, we talk to The Atlantic journalist Isaac Stanley-Becker about the debate inside MAGA about US involvement.

Men are struggling – according to a new study on men's health. New data from the Movember Institute of Men's Health shows that nearly half of Canadian men will die prematurely – before the age of 75 – from largely preventable causes. Men also account for three out of every four suicides in the country. Former Health Minister Mark Holland and study author and UBC professor Dr. John Oliffe, discuss the systemic, social, and psychological factors behind these outcomes, and call for a national men's health strategy.

If staying out dancing until 3 a.m. doesn't appeal to you like it used to, you're not alone. Across Canada, daytime dance parties are making space for people who want to move, socialize and still be in bed before midnight. We talk to two daytime party organizers about what it means to dance in the daytime and how it's reshaping nightlife.

45 years ago, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He made it more than 5,000 kilometres before cancer forced him to stop. This summer, his brother Darrell Fox is cycling coast to coast to honour that journey and raise funds through the Ride of Hope. We speak with Fred Fox, Terry's older brother, about what it means to see that legacy continue.

It's the first day of summer and Canadian politics is already heating up. Prime Minister Mark Carney is hoping to pass Bill C-5 before the House breaks, but the legislation is drawing serious pushback from Indigenous leaders and others. Meanwhile, the G7 has wrapped — was there any progress on tariffs? Plus, a Conservative Party leadership review and by-elections in Alberta. It all makes for a busy summer in Canadian politics. Our national affairs panel — Rosemary Barton, Stephanie Levitz and Kathleen Petty — join us to break it all down.

A powerful documentary about a woman breaking the silence around sexual abuse in her family. Robin Heald was abused for years by her stepfather — and her mother stayed with him - even after he pleaded guilty. In It Ends With Me, CBC producer John Chipman follows Robin's journey back into that past — and how she's working to stop the cycle for future generations.

Across Canada, final exams are disappearing from high schools. Since the pandemic, some school boards have dropped or reworked them entirely. Supporters say the shift reduces student stress and allows for more meaningful assessments. But critics worry we're sending teens into adulthood without learning how to cope with pressure. We speak with two educators on opposite sides of the debate: What are we really testing for — and what happens when those tests disappear?

In the conclusion of our series As We Age, we bring together a panel of guests navigating emotional and complex conversations — from how to care for their aging parents, negotiating moves into retirement homes, to what it means to grow old yourself while caring for someone else. It's an intimate look at the realities many Canadians are quietly managing behind closed doors.

Forty years ago, a bomb tore through Air India Flight 182, killing all 329 people on board — the majority of them Canadian. Despite being the worst mass murder in this country's history, many Canadians still don't know the story. In a new CBC documentary, families of the victims reflect on the trauma, the justice they feel they never received, and the memories of their loved ones.

mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the pandemic. But now, that science is under political attack in the United States. Funding is being pulled, approvals are being delayed, and the science questioned by politicians. Science journalist Elie Dolgin joins us to explain how a technology once hailed as revolutionary is now facing an existential threat — and what that could cost in the fight against diseases.

Nike's latest collection is making waves — not just for the fashion, but for who's behind it. The brand has teamed up with the Toronto-born label NorBlack NorWhite in what's being celebrated as a landmark collaboration. For many in the South Asian community, it's a rare moment of representation in an industry that often borrows from their culture without credit.

As tensions rise between Israel and Iran, a Canadian citizen and her family trapped in Tehran are trying to find a way out — with fuel scarce and borders uncertain. We speak with one family preparing to flee, and hear what it's like on the ground in Jerusalem with CBC's Margaret Evans.

AI is exploding. It's everywhere. And almost everyone is using it. From writing emails to generating lifelike videos, to booking appointments, artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple prompts and into what experts call “agentic AI” — systems that can act on our behalf. CBC's Nora Young joins Matt Galloway to talk about this moment in AI. She's been testing some of the newest tools, including Google's Veo 3 video generator and OpenAI's latest web-browsing agents.

Dave Burnett started his degree in 1976. Now 49 years later, he is graduating. He talks to Matt Galloway about that moment crossing the stage nearly half a century in the making. The 68-year-old just completed his agriculture degree — and reflects on the long road to graduation — a story of addiction, recovery and achieving long-held dreams.

As thousands of graduates toss their caps in the air, the president of Canada's largest university is stepping down. Meric Gertler reflects on 12 years at the helm of the University of Toronto — and the future of education and life after the classroom in the age of AI and fewer jobs.

Hospital parking is expensive. Add that to the already high cost of being sick. Cancer patients, parents and caregivers can spend thousands on parking and are calling for fees to be reduced or eliminated. But hospitals say they need the money to help pay for healthcare in a stretched system. We hear from one patient about the cost, and why when Nova Scotia recently made parking at hospitals free, it didn't exactly go as planned.

A lot is at stake at this week's G7 summit in Alberta. Prime Minister Mark Carney will be looking for a deal on tariffs, and avoiding the kind of drama that roiled the meeting last time Canada hosted it. CBC journalist JP Tasker walks us through the challenges Carney faces at this meeting, while Peter MacKay and Bessma Momani assess whether world leaders can stay focused on economic issues while the Israel-Iran conflict continues to escalate.

Many small communities across the country are struggling to survive, as people age and their children chase big city life. Powell River, B.C. is trying to keep its own numbers up with the help of a conductor who's worked with some of the world's biggest orchestras. In her documentary War and Peace, the CBC's Liz Hoath hears from locals who say Arthur Arnold is bringing a lot more than music to their town of 13,000 people.

As the prime minister eyes a number of “nation-building” projects, the country is in need of tens of thousands more tradespeople to make them happen. We hear from high school students planning to pursue jobs in the trades, while economists Simon Gaudreault and Jim Stanford debate whether lowering standards and encouraging greater immigration could get this country the skilled workers it needs.

Israel targeted nuclear facilities inside Iran in a major attack against the country, killing top military brass and civilians alike. Iran is already retaliating against what it calls a “declaration of war” by Israel with drone strikes of its own. We hear from a journalist and an Iranian political expert about why the escalation is coming right now, and what it will take to de-escalate from here.

When it comes to treating chronic pain, doctors have few options to reach for aside from opioid prescriptions for their patients. A non-opioid medication recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stands to change that. A journalist explains how researchers discovered a new way to combat pain with this drug, which a Canadian doctor describes as “almost the holy grail.”

ALS is a death sentence for those diagnosed with it. Now a scientist in Moose Jaw claims he has discovered the secret to stopping the disease in its tracks. CBC's Geoff Leo investigated the claims of a treatment, which desperate patients are forking over tens of thousands of dollars for, in his documentary Hard to Swallow.

It's not always easy to get your kids reading in the summer. Whether it's Minecraft or going to the swimming pool, kids have plenty of excuses to not pick up a book. Three experts are here with their favourite kids books for the season — and they tell us how you, too, can get the child in your life to keep reading.

ICE raids in L.A. sparked protests, pushback and stopped traffic in that city — which have been met with military force, as U.S. President Donald Trump sent in the National Guard and Marines earlier this week. Antonio Gutierrez, co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations, says these moves are a threat to American democracy — and a law professor says the deployment risks politicizing the military.

Earlier this month, Remy Siu and his team at Sunset Visitor won a Peabody for their video game 1000xResist. The project was a success, to its own creators' surprise, as they attempted to create a story about mythology for the Asian diaspora. Siu talks about the big win — and a journalist breaks down the context of mass layoffs that are roiling a video game industry that's facing growing pains.

Matt Galloway visited St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to talk about the hurdles the province faces, and the conditions there that have produced great artists of all kinds, from authors to comedians. In this special edition of The Current, Galloway heard from some of the people that make the city one of a kind in front of a live audience at The Majestic Theatre.Authors Michael Crummy and Holly Hogan, who are also a married couple, talk about competing for the same literary prizes and what it means to get “Newfoundland on paper.”CBC host Jane Adey explains what it's like wrapping up the sixtieth season of the iconic show, Land and Sea – a program Newfoundlanders have fought to keep on air for decades.Premier John Hogan talks about taking on the job after the last premier suddenly stepped down, and why he believes that Newfoundland will endure through the tariff threat presented by U.S. president Donald Trump. And Hogan argues Newfoundland's oil and gas sector has a place, even during a green transition.Opera singer Deantha Edmunds explains how the natural world inspires her music and the shock that came along with her recent Juno win. Comedians Matt Wright, Andy Jones, Bree Parsons discuss one of the province's most famous exports — laughter. Plus, we'll hear music from homegrown singer-songwriter Tim Baker — and the stories that inspire his songs.

As Canada's relationship with the U.S. shifts, Mark Carney announced yesterday a $9 billion boost to defence spending that would allow the country to meet its NATO spending targets. A reporter explains that Carney is seizing the moment to usher in new investment. Meanwhile, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran hopes the increased spending will end decades of "embarrassment" for soldiers who have been working with decades-old equipment.

From shore, the ocean looks brilliant, blue and clear. But somewhere out there, pirates, traffickers, slave labourers and migrants navigate the high seas — a place without laws. Ian Urbina shares the incredible stories of squid fishers who haven't touched solid ground in years and of migrants shot at by Libya's coastguard in the second season of his podcast The Outlaw Ocean.

Journalist Chris Hayes says “attention capitalism” demands we pay heed to everything at once, from social media doomscrolling to the 24-hour global news cycle. In a conversation with Matt Galloway from March, the MSNBC host explores what that means for our lives and politics — and explains why he thinks Donald Trump's attention-grabbing antics are “a kind of feral instinct.”

In the past, folks in Newfoundland left the province to find work opportunities elsewhere — but now, immigrants are moving there to build their futures. Matt Galloway hears from business owners and recruiters in St. John's about what's drawing newcomers to the province, and the East Coast kindness that makes them want to stay.

Offshore oil is big business in Newfoundland. And with “nation building projects” a priority of the new federal government, some hope the stalled Bay du Nord drilling project might get a boost. An industry expert shares her hopes for the province's offshore industry, though a researcher argues oil projects aren't nation building — they're “nation destroying.”

The only mosque in St. John's, built in the 1980s, has become so crowded in recent years that worshippers often spill into the kitchen and lawn during Friday prayer. In her documentary The Best of Planners, Caroline Hillier tells the story of the community's quest for a new place of worship — which they're now renovating from the remains of a Catholic church, with the help of a generous donation.