The Current

CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand

Three stories to expand your worldview, delivered daily. Matt Galloway cuts through a sea of choice to bring you stories that transcend the news cycle. Conversations with big thinkers, household names, and people living the news. An antidote to algorithms that cater to what you already know — and a meeting place for diverse perspectives. In its 20 years, the Current has become a go-to place for stories that shape and entertain us. Released daily, Monday to Friday. Some of the topics we’ve covered recently, include: the Canadian Federal election and the party leaders running for Prime Minister; namely current Prime Minister and Liberal leader Mark Carney, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Also, how U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs are impacting the Canadian election; tariffs threatening Canadian jobs, especially farmers, truckers, auto workers, energy sector workers, construction workers and steel and aluminum workers; raising the cost of living, inflation, and unemployment in Canada; straining cross-border relationships, including the historic friendship between Windsor and Detroit. We also discuss “Team Canada,” interprovincial trade, and the rise of “elbows up” Canadian patriotism; Canadian sovereignty and backlash to ‘51st state’ threats; on the world stage, including our relationship with China, Ukraine, India; security and our status in the Five Eyes spy network, NATO and NORAD, and shifting global alliances in general. Other recent topics include: the liquidation of Hudson’s Bay; the surge in measles cases, hair loss drug finasteride, extremist network 764, protests against Elon Musk and Tesla; Starlink and the rural internet; the turmoil around Israel and Gaza’s ceasefire; more adults with ADHD, Blue Ghost on the moon, genetically modified pig organs; aging well, wellness, dementia and long term care, as well as cancer and “commonsense oncology,” Greenland and Arctic sovereignty, cuts to USAID; Canada’s critical minerals; inflation; mortgages; opioids and Fentanyl, parenting, Canada’s best vacation spots, teens ditching social media; crypto power brokers in the White House; NASA’s new telescope and the making of a 3D map of the universe. Some of the stand-out guests we’ve had on recently: acclaimed author Salman Rushdie; Basketball star Demar Derozan; comedian Mark Critch; music legend Bob Ezrin; addictions advocate Scott Oake; Sapiens writer Yuval Noah Harari; Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha; CBC’s new CEO Marie-Philippe Bouchard; Chef Yotam Ottolenghi; best-selling author Louise Penny, Fashion journalist Jeanne Beker; On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder; former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew; Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, author and former spouse of the Prime Minister; MSNBC’s Chris Hayes; Alberta Premier Danielle Smith; Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell; godfather of AI Yoshua Bengio; Xena star Lucy Lawless; bestselling author and Prof G Pod host Scott Galloway; Trump nephew and critic Fred Trump III; former prime minister Joe Clark; The Certainty Illusion author Tim Caulfied; Indigenous author Tanya Talaga; tech insider and Pivot podcast host Kara Swisher; and NWT Premier R.J. Simpson. The Current is produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada — and has recently recorded live shows about the Canadian election in Surrey and Burnaby BC. And shows to come in Oshawa and the 905, Red Deer, Alberta, Quebec City and Halifax.

Location:

Canada, ON

Genres:

Public Radio

Podcasts

Interviews

Networks:

CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand

Description:

Three stories to expand your worldview, delivered daily. Matt Galloway cuts through a sea of choice to bring you stories that transcend the news cycle. Conversations with big thinkers, household names, and people living the news. An antidote to algorithms that cater to what you already know — and a meeting place for diverse perspectives. In its 20 years, the Current has become a go-to place for stories that shape and entertain us. Released daily, Monday to Friday. Some of the topics we’ve covered recently, include: the Canadian Federal election and the party leaders running for Prime Minister; namely current Prime Minister and Liberal leader Mark Carney, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Also, how U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs are impacting the Canadian election; tariffs threatening Canadian jobs, especially farmers, truckers, auto workers, energy sector workers, construction workers and steel and aluminum workers; raising the cost of living, inflation, and unemployment in Canada; straining cross-border relationships, including the historic friendship between Windsor and Detroit. We also discuss “Team Canada,” interprovincial trade, and the rise of “elbows up” Canadian patriotism; Canadian sovereignty and backlash to ‘51st state’ threats; on the world stage, including our relationship with China, Ukraine, India; security and our status in the Five Eyes spy network, NATO and NORAD, and shifting global alliances in general. Other recent topics include: the liquidation of Hudson’s Bay; the surge in measles cases, hair loss drug finasteride, extremist network 764, protests against Elon Musk and Tesla; Starlink and the rural internet; the turmoil around Israel and Gaza’s ceasefire; more adults with ADHD, Blue Ghost on the moon, genetically modified pig organs; aging well, wellness, dementia and long term care, as well as cancer and “commonsense oncology,” Greenland and Arctic sovereignty, cuts to USAID; Canada’s critical minerals; inflation; mortgages; opioids and Fentanyl, parenting, Canada’s best vacation spots, teens ditching social media; crypto power brokers in the White House; NASA’s new telescope and the making of a 3D map of the universe. Some of the stand-out guests we’ve had on recently: acclaimed author Salman Rushdie; Basketball star Demar Derozan; comedian Mark Critch; music legend Bob Ezrin; addictions advocate Scott Oake; Sapiens writer Yuval Noah Harari; Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha; CBC’s new CEO Marie-Philippe Bouchard; Chef Yotam Ottolenghi; best-selling author Louise Penny, Fashion journalist Jeanne Beker; On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder; former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew; Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, author and former spouse of the Prime Minister; MSNBC’s Chris Hayes; Alberta Premier Danielle Smith; Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell; godfather of AI Yoshua Bengio; Xena star Lucy Lawless; bestselling author and Prof G Pod host Scott Galloway; Trump nephew and critic Fred Trump III; former prime minister Joe Clark; The Certainty Illusion author Tim Caulfied; Indigenous author Tanya Talaga; tech insider and Pivot podcast host Kara Swisher; and NWT Premier R.J. Simpson. The Current is produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada — and has recently recorded live shows about the Canadian election in Surrey and Burnaby BC. And shows to come in Oshawa and the 905, Red Deer, Alberta, Quebec City and Halifax.

Twitter:

@TheCurrentCBC

Language:

English

Contact:

The Current CBC Radio P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 (877) 287-7366

Website:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent

Email:

thecurrent@cbc.ca

Episodes

Hospital network pledges millions to attract U.S. talent

4/8/2025

A Toronto hospital network has a plan to recruit the best and brightest medical scientists from the U.S. and around the world, as funding cuts and layoffs put a chill on research south of the border. Matt Galloway discusses what Canada stands to gain with Kevin Smith, president and CEO of University Health Network; and Brad Wouters, UHN’s executive vice-president of science and research.

Duration:00:19:44

Three more Canadians share their favourite vacation spots

4/8/2025

Three listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a spot on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Amber Jenkins tells us why she loves St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B.; Deborah Nixon explains what’s so special about Churchill, Man.; and Rita Komendant shares fond memories of canoeing along Bow River, Alta. with her family. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favorite on cbc.ca/thecurrent.

Duration:00:19:11

Why run when you can't win? Longshot candidates explain why

4/8/2025

They're sometimes called "paper candidates" or even "sacrificial lambs:" federal election candidates who enter so-called "unwinnable" races. In her 2021 documentary The Longshots, Joan Webber spoke with former candidates from previous elections, to hear what it’s like to be the horse no one’s betting on.

Duration:00:26:16

What does stock market chaos mean for your money?

4/7/2025

Trump’s global tariffs have sparked a stock market meltdown, leaving many Canadians worried about their investments, their pensions — and what it all means for day-to-day cost of living. Guest host Mark Kelley breaks down how this will affect ordinary Canadians with the CBC’s senior business reporter Peter Armstrong and economist Armine Yalnizyan.

Duration:00:19:18

These young Canadians want their peers to get out and vote

4/7/2025

Young voters aren’t known for high turnout on polling day, but some hope that’ll be different in what they see as a high-stakes election. We speak to three voters about what matters to them in this vote, and why they want their peers to overcome their apathy.

Duration:00:23:29

More young women with alcohol-related liver failure, study warns

4/7/2025

Samantha Harasemchuk was 27 when she was diagnosed with cirrhosis, the beginning of liver failure linked to heavy alcohol consumption. Now, a new study suggests the problem is rising sharply among teens and young adults — and women are most at risk.

Duration:00:22:13

Almost halfway to election day, what have we learned so far?

4/6/2025

With three weeks until election day, what have we learned about the candidates criss-crossing the country? What are the leaders focused on — and who’s resonating with Canadians? Matt Galloway breaks down what we’ve seen so far with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton and the Toronto Star’s Ryan Tumilty.

Duration:00:19:43

Caring for an aging parent, when you live hundreds of miles away

4/6/2025

Shirley Gignac is 73 and living with dementia, but she lives hours away from her two daughters, Annette and Natalie Goerner. As part of our series As We Age, the sisters share how they’ve navigated hard conversations and found ways to care for their mom from a distance.

Duration:00:23:29

Can you tell online fact from fiction in this election?

4/6/2025

As the election campaign ramps up, what kind of misinformation and disinformation is spreading online? We talk to Aengus Bridgman, one of Canada’s leading experts on misinformation.

Duration:00:13:16

Perfect pitch can be learned, new research suggests

4/6/2025

New research suggests you can actually learn how to recognize a musical note just by hearing it, challenging the conventional wisdom that you either have perfect pitch, or you don’t. We talk to researcher Yetta Kwailing Wong and take a pop quiz to test our ears.

Duration:00:12:06

For some Albertans, this election is all about national unity

4/3/2025

Many Albertans say they don’t feel understood or appreciated by the rest of Canada, but as U.S. tensions deepen, so too do conversations about national unity. As part of The Current’s election series, Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters, Matt Galloway travels to Red Deer in the heart of Alberta, to hear what matters most to voters in this election. Galloway visits a fracking site, a wind farm and a cattle farm to talk to voters who say Canada isn’t making the most of its natural resources, and is ignoring an “amazing opportunity to feed and fuel the world.” At a cafe where newcomers take English lessons, there’s optimism that Canada is one of the best places to live on earth, but fears that we’ve forgotten how to talk to each other. And in a staunchly Conservative area, one voter shares what it’s like to be an NDP supporter. Then, three oil and gas workers share what they think the rest of the country gets wrong about their industry — and their province. And political strategists Shannon Phillips and Michael Solberg dig into the impact of Trump’s threats and tariffs, and whether Edmonton-born Liberal Leader Mark Carney is gaining any ground from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Duration:01:12:34

The Current Introduces | Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer

4/3/2025

In the wake of 9/11, anthrax-laced letters unleashed a new wave of terror across the nation. But who was behind the attacks — and why has America nearly forgotten this story? As government buildings shut down and law enforcement scrambled to track the perpetrator, the FBI launched one of the largest and most complex investigations in its history. Untangling a web of scientific evidence and false leads, the case took unexpected turns with lasting consequences. From Wolf Entertainment, USG Audio, Dig Studios and CBC, this eight-part series grants unprecedented access to declassified materials and firsthand accounts, revealing how the anthrax attacks reshaped America—and the hidden impact that still lingers today. More episodes of Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/UoHuWX

Duration:00:37:45

Trump wants to shut down Canada’s auto sector. Can he do it?

4/2/2025

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada’s auto industry will lead to “mutually assured destruction,” says Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association. Kingston talks to guest host Mark Kelley about Trump’s stated aim of shutting down auto manufacturing in Canada, and why he thinks these tariffs ultimately leave the U.S. less competitive against rivals like China.

Duration:00:14:32

What it’s like growing up as a ‘restaurant kid’

4/2/2025

Rachel Phan was three years old when her parents opened a restaurant in Kingsville, Ont., a venture that quickly ate up most of their time and energy. In her new memoir, Restaurant Kid, the Chinese-Canadian author writes about feeling like the restaurant had stolen her parents away from her, and how it affected her well into adulthood.

Duration:00:25:16

Many treatments for low back pain just don’t work, study suggests

4/2/2025

Ann Marie Gaudon tried everything she could think of to treat debilitating back pain, but for a long time nothing worked. Now, a new study suggests very few treatments actually do work — where does that leave the millions of Canadians struggling with chronic pain?

Duration:00:20:46

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ is here. What should Canadians expect?

4/1/2025

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to unveil the full scope of his tariffs plan Wednesday afternoon, a trade policy he says will liberate his country from reliance on foreign goods. Guest host Mark Kelley discusses the economic and political fallout for Canada with former federal minister Lisa Raitt, and Carlo Dade, director of trade and trade infrastructure for the Canada West Foundation.

Duration:00:19:53

Civil war complicates earthquake rescue efforts in Myanmar

4/1/2025

Rescue operations continue after the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand last week. But journalist Dave Grunebaum says Myanmar’s civil war is complicating relief efforts, as fighting between the military junta and resistance forces continues amid the destruction.

Duration:00:10:23

Should torpedo bats be banned from Major League Baseball?

4/1/2025

The New York Yankees are off to a record-breaking start this season, but all eyes are on their new, torpedo-shaped bats. Baseball historian Gary Gillette explains why these bats — developed by an MIT physicist — are making such a splash, and why there’s already talk of banning them.

Duration:00:12:10

Is technology becoming the world's most powerful religion?

4/1/2025

Our daily interactions with technology are looking more and more like a religious act, according to Greg Epstein, a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and author of Tech Agnostic. In an interview from December, he discusses whether the tech that surrounds us is worthy of our faith.

Duration:00:22:38

The Current Introduces: Agent Pale Horse

4/1/2025

FBI undercover agent Scott Payne’s job was to infiltrate the most dangerous gangs of our times: outlaw bikers, drug cartels and the international neo-Nazi networks hellbent on inciting a race war. He was taking down these groups from within. And Scott was good at it — people confided in him their most audacious plans for mass violence and domestic terrorism. In the second season of White Hot Hate, host Michelle Shephard gives you an unvarnished view of a life undercover. Because after a 28-year-long career pretending to be somebody else, Agent Payne is ready to tell his side of the story. Coming March 25, 2025. This series was produced alongside a book co-written by Scott Payne and Michelle Shephard titled Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis. More episodes of White Hot Hate: Agent Pale Horse are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/KxHmW1

Duration:00:31:47