The Current

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CBC Radio's The Current is a meeting place of perspectives with a fresh take on issues that affect Canadians today.

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    • Jun 11, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • daily NEW EPISODES
    • 19m AVG DURATION
    • 4,488 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Current

    What's behind the violence in Belfast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 18:42


    Rioters egged on by far right figures torched vehicles and homes in the Northern Irish city. The chaos followed a stabbing where the accused is a Sudanese refugee. City councillor Séamas de Faoite decries the violence and urges outsiders to stop inflaming tensions.

    Canada's decades long forced adoptions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 27:13


    For decades after the Second World War, more than 300,000 unmarried women were sent away to live with relatives or in federal grant-funded maternity homes. There, they were coerced into giving up their babies. Some mothers have reconnected with their grown children, while many have not. Now, some say an apology from the government is long overdue. We speak with mothers Valerie Andrews and Christine Nayler, as well as Lynda Hall, a daughter forcibly given up.

    Can the feds make the internet safe for kids?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 17:46


    Federal Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller on how Canada's government intends to make the internet safe, and if social media giants like Meta will listen.

    Why your attention span is trash and what you can do about it

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 24:35


    Can't concentrate? What about thinking deeply? Attention spans are shrinking rapidly. Cal Newport, a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and the author of the bestselling book 'Deep Work' says we're facing a crisis — an attack on our ability to think. He's calling for what he calls a revolution in defence of thinking. He outlines the steps for reclaiming your attention.

    How dementia care in Canada is failing patient

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 19:55


    A New Brunswick woman known as "Alice" wandered from her care home 12 times before dying cold and alone. The province's deputy senior advocate tells us what went wrong. Her B.C. counterpart says seniors there are also vulnerable with more than 7,000 waiting for a bed and no plan to fix the problem.

    The turmoil in Canadian cricket

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 13:58


    Steven D'Souza, co-host of CBC's The Fifth Estate, takes us inside the program's investigation into Cricket Canada — to explain why the sport in Canada is in turmoil. There are allegations of match fixing, and corruption, and recent incidents of violence that may be linked to organized crime.

    New York is going WILD for the Knicks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 10:08


    After more than 50 years of losing, the New York Knicks basketball team is back in the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs and their super star Victor Wembanyama. New York sports journalist Alex Day tells us about the electric vibe in his city, leading up to game 4.

    Countdown to the World Cup

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 19:16


    It's the largest soccer tournament in World Cup history, with 104 matches in 16 host cities in three countries, creating unprecedented security and logistical challenges. We speak with reporters on the ground in three host cities, Mexico City, Miami and Dallas, about how locals are feeling, security issues, the cost and the expectations ahead of kickoff.

    On the frontlines of CTE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 15:38


    CBC's Health reporter Lauren Pelley brings you the story of groundbreaking research into CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy — and hope for the future, and saving lives.

    Are you obsessed with checking the weather?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 8:59


    You read the alerts about upcoming storms. You might pore over the radar maps to see if it'll be sunny for your school fun fair. These days, many of us are checking our weather apps multiple times a day. But how useful is the info we find there? And should we just go experience the weather instead of obsessing over it? We talk to Newfoundland meteorologist Eddie Sheerr about what happens when our phones make it even easier to indulge in our weather fixations.

    Are we in a recession?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 20:17


    By one definition, Canada is now in a recession. But last week Canada also had a strong jobs report, and posted its first trade surplus in months. So what the heck is going on? We speak to three leading economic analysts — Charles St Arnaud from Servus Credit Union, Angelo Melino from the University of Toronto and the C.D. Howe Institute and Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers.

    The power of kindness and other life lessons from a priest

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 24:16


    Father James Martin is known around the world for giving voice to Catholics who are often excluded from their church, including those in the LGBTQ community. In his new book “Work in Progress” he writes about how he found faith in the margins and why his most important life lessons came working as a busboy in a busy small town restaurant.

    Meet the 'hit doctor,' assisting drug users across Vancouver

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 24:59


    For 10 years now, B.C.'s drug crisis has been a public health emergency. And over that time, we've brought you many stories, but this is one you will not have heard before. It's rooted in the understanding that the vast majority of the drug-related deaths aren't occurring in Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside, but rather among men, alone at home. In his documentary, Radio-Canada's Francis Plourde brings us on an unusual tour, meeting drug users trying to stay safe by relying on a man they've come to know as their “doctor.”

    What it will take to move Marineland's belugas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 8:38


    The federal government has greenlit a plan to move the belugas at the shuttered Niagara Falls theme park to aquariums in Spain and the United States. UBC marine mammal expert Andrew Trites explains what it will take to get the whales out of their pool, onto a plane and into new homes -- and why he thinks it's the best option.

    Canada's AI strategy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 19:50


    We dig into what the federal government's plan is for Artificial Intelligence in Canada.

    A Winnipeg man shares some neighbourly love

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 20:06


    David Balzer of Winnipeg is spending his summer recording people's stories of gratitude. Since 2023, the associate professor of Communications and Media at Canadian Mennonite University has set up a mobile recording studio at community events and invites people to share a story of a kind neighbour. He records in hopes they will share it with the neighbour to generate appreciation and community connection.

    media winnipeg neighbourly canadian mennonite university
    Got an idea for a new emoji? What it takes to make the cut

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 15:08


    Unicode is taking pitches for emojis. Graphic designer Jennifer Daniel helps decide which ones make it. She says a successful emoji should have multiple meanings. Sorry aerial tramway ;)

    Inside the Ebola epicentre

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 19:29


    We speak with New York Times reporter Declan Walsh who has just returned from a hospital in Congo where Ebola patients are treated with limited resources.

    "Make Haggis Legal Again"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 7:51


    For the first time in 28 years Scotland is headed to the World Cup. Now a butcher in the small village of Dunning, Scotland is trying to convince the American government to lift a decades long ban on traditional haggis so fans can celebrate with the country's national dish.

    They celebrate birthdays when it's not their birthday

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 16:43


    Meet people who blow out the candles on a different day than the one they were born on. Some hate the time of year their birthday falls. Others are celebrating a life change so big it feels like a rebirth. And for one woman, it's all about the vibes.

    Why David Sedaris hates the word “husband”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 22:04


    David Sedaris talks about his latest essay collection The Land and Its People. He reveals the news he'd kept from his family, that he secretly married his long-time boyfriend Hugh in 2016, and he reflects on his Duolingo obsession, his visit with Pope Francis, the aging process, and more.

    Why Elon Musk is taking SpaceX public

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 12:26


    SpaceX is going public with a sky high valuation of over $1 trillion. Max Chafkin, a reporter with Bloomberg, and the co-host of the podcast “Everybody's Business” breaks down what this could mean for the larger economy and for investors.

    Gen Z wants to bring tanning back

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 12:33


    Most young people have heard the warnings about cancer and sun damage. Many of them are soaking up the sun anyway. Montreal dermatologist Dr. Ivan Litvinov says Gen Z may feel invincible, but they're not. So doctors need to find creative ways to get their message to land.

    Do you worry that your job is meaningless?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 24:07


    Is your job all about meetings? And emails? And meetings that should have been an email? Some corporate workers say the pandemic pulled back the curtain on “bullshit jobs.” And now with a worsening economy and the threat of AI disruption, they're left wondering what value and meaning there is beyond the paycheque.

    Alberta conservatives push back against separatists

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 20:07


    A new group of conservative politicians and academics is pushing back against the separatist movement in Alberta. They call themselves Lead Not Leave and describe themselves as "frustrated federalists.” We're joined by two of the group's founders, former Alberta finance minister Travis Toews and Jared Wesley of the University of Alberta to discuss the source of Alberta's grievances, and how they plan to counter the separatist movement.

    How the Lebanon-Israeli war is affecting civilians

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 19:29


    As the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalates, we hear from people in Lebanon about how the fighting is affecting their lives. From Israel, political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin describes the sense of insecurity among Israelis, especially along the border, pushing the government's actions.

    Should talk therapy be covered by universal healthcare?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 24:18


    In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from a mental illness. Now there are growing calls to include counselling and psychotherapy in our publicly funded system. We speak with Jaden Dulle who struggled with depression and PTSD in his early twenties and went into debt paying for counselling, and two experts who weigh in on the current system, how it's addressing the mental health crisis, and whether publicly funded mental healthcare is the answer.

    A journalist's 365 day AI experiment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 25:46


    At a moment when there's a growing backlash and resistance against the AI that's starting to permeate so many parts of our life — tech journalist Joanna Stern went all in. She decided to see what would happen if she spent a year using AI in almost every part of her life. She used it to communicate, to help her plan her dinners, to track all her conversations. And she even created an AI boyfriend named Evan. The results of the experiment are in her new book, I Am Not A Robot: My Year Using AI to do (Almost) Everything.

    Is 6% milk good for you?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 7:31


    Sealtest's six per cent milk has hit the dairy aisles in Ontario grocery stores. With nearly twice the fat found in whole milk, it's a staple in South Asian recipes. US President Donald Trump has promised to reintroduce whole milk in the United States' school lunch programs, but Health Canada advises lower-fat options for ages above 2-years-old. We speak with Anika Dhalla, a South Asian registered dietician, about the dairy aisle's new addition and the trend towards whole milk

    Lesley Chesterman on how to cook like a Montrealer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 23:56


    Montreal is the gourmet capital of Canada, and the cookbook author and former restaurant critic Lesley Chesterman is an evangelist for the food culture of her hometown. For decades, she has been writing about what makes Montreal food great, from the bagels and smoked meat to the restaurants, markets, patisseries and cheese shops. Now, she wants you to cook like a local. We talk to her about her new book, A Montreal Cookbook: Recipes and Reflections From My Kitchen.

    Should there be stricter rules for e-bikes?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 16:22


    E-bikes come with a lot of benefits. Zero emissions and a quick convenient way to get around town. But a growing number of critics say they pose serious danger to riders and the public. We talk to Vancouver lawyer Michael Parrish about the legal grey zone around e-bikes and to Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, who led a review of e-bike deaths for the Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner.

    CUSMA: What does the U.S. want from us?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 18:40


    Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are due to review their three-way trade deal July 1 — but one month out, how are things looking for this country? Former acting U.S. Trade Representative in President Trump's first term, Stephen Vaughn, shares the American perspective; and Brian Clow, who handled Canada-U.S. relations as deputy chief of staff to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Jacques Shore, partner at law firm Gowling WLG and expert on international trade, map out the potential path forward for Canada

    Why grip strength matters more than you think

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 11:21


    Grip strength might seem like a small thing, but researchers say it can reveal a lot about how we age. Health and fitness journalist Alyssa Ages explains why grip strength is linked to longevity, what it actually reflects about the body, and how to maintain strength in realistic, everyday ways.

    Russian dissident says Moscow's threats come from weakness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 19:51


    Russia is warning foreigners to leave Kyiv in order to avoid a coming assault. But Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun and Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza say Ukraine and its allies should not be intimidated.

    A historic deal for unionized Uber drivers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 15:47


    The fight for an Uber union in Canada has been years in the making – this week drivers in Victoria, British Columbia ratified a deal, the first of its kind in Canada. A look at what they fought for and what this contract could mean for app-based workers across the country.

    Canadian Epstein survivor's fight for accountability

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 18:38


    Sharlene Rochard is an Epstein survivor and the only Canadian to come forward publicly with allegations against him. She says the abuse started when she was a teenage model and continued into her 20s. But it took her more than two decades to confront what happened. The Documentary: Butterfly is a look at how she found her voice and her push for accountability.

    Premier David Eby thinks Canada ‘is working'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 20:09


    Matt Galloway sits down with British Columbia Premier David Eby to discuss pipelines, property rights, and his province's relationship with Ottawa and neighbouring Alberta.

    What's it like to live in Antarctica around Adélie penguins

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 27:32


    Adélie penguins are the smallest and most widespread penguin species in the Antarctic, and one place you find them is Cape Royds. Conservation biologist Louise K. Blight is one of very few people who's spent time in the remote field camp in Cape Royds, living alongside those penguins, and doing field research. We'll talk to the author of “Where the Earth Meets the Sky: A Story of Penguins, People, and Place in Antarctica," about the magic and mystery of Antarctica, the power of solitude, and what it's like to be courted by an emperor penguin?

    B.C politicos on the rocky road ahead for Premier Eby

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 15:39


    As B.C. Premier David Eby contends with a potential Alberta pipeline, he's also facing questions about Indigenous land rights, and other policies he's had to roll back. On top of this, the B.C. Conservatives are picking up steam as they get set to elect a new leader this weekend. Katie DeRosa, CBC's provincial affairs reporter in B.C., and Rob Shaw, political correspondent for CHEK News in Victoria, take a close look at the complex political picture in the province.

    The Victoria group lending an ear to strangers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 7:42


    Sidewalk Talk in Victoria is a community listening group that's on a mission to help people in the city foster human connections and a sense of belonging. We chat with one of the group's volunteers about why talking with strangers is so important and how being a good listener is a skill that needs to be practiced.

    Why this Ebola outbreak could be "catastrophic"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 11:41


    The World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is outpacing response efforts to contain the virus. We speak with Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency physician and public health professor at Brown University, who contracted Ebola while treating patients in west Africa in 2014. He says the dismantling of US aid and CDC response teams have hampered efforts to detect and contain this latest outbreak.

    Will a US-Iran deal happen?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 18:49


    There were reports on the weekend about an imminent deal to end the U.S. war with Iran — but those hopes were dimmed by fresh airstrikes Monday. What's happening with talks between Washington and Tehran? And what does it mean for the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon? Guest host Catherine Cullen talks to Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist; and Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C.

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