The Current

CBC

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.

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.

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150 episodes
Avg 19 min
English

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October 1 · 7 min
US customs blocks supplies to Canadian Island
The only land crossing to Campobello Island, New Brunswick is through Maine. On Tuesday a truck full of supplies for the community was stopped at the US border after a US import ban on some Canadian goods came into effect. Campobello Island Mayor Harvey Matthews on what it will take to give his community the supplies they need.
October 1 · 17 min
Why does rape culture exist on campus?
An alleged gang rape case at Cornell University is drawing international attention after a woman known as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month against seven men accused of sexually assaulting her at a fraternity party in 2024. She is also suing Cornell, claiming the university failed to protect her. The case is bringing a spotlight to how pervasive rape culture is on university campuses. We hear from Farrah Khan, an award-winning gender justice advocate who works on sexual a
October 1 · 23 min
Do self-help books really work?
Self-Help is a multi-billion dollar industry — an entire ecosystem of books, podcasts, social media. Over ten-thousand self-help books are published in the US each year and they account for 17% of non-fiction book sales in Canada. What makes a good self help book? Does self help work? And how do you differentiate guru from grifter? Our panel of self help experts have answers.
September 30 · 19 min
Your gut feeling about the trade war is probably right
Statistics Canada numbers show the economy stalled in July. The trade war is hitting some harder than others, like the Stelco workers in Hamilton, Ontario who got news that part of their steel plant is closing indefinitely. We hear from Ron Wells, one of their union leaders, plus Deloitte Canada's Dawn Desjardins tells us why she sees the country's growth continuing to slow down.
September 30 · 9 min
Margaret Atwood honours late partner's love of birds
Margaret Atwood is donating 1 million dollars to Western University. The money will establish a new chair in avian biology and honour her late partner and fellow novelist Graeme Gibson who loved birds. We speak with Chris Guglielmo Professor of Biology and Director at the Centre for Animals on the Move at Western University about what this donation could mean for the research of birds and why humans are still so fascinated by them.
September 30 · 14 min
Here's why you should rethink your stance on mosquitos
Mosquitos, cockroaches, venomous snakes, and adults who steal candy from children, just some of the winning scientific discoveries at this year's Ig Nobel Prize. The award highlights research so bizarre and improbable you can't help but laugh at it. We speak with winner Chonghong Cao, a Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University about how his team worked with dead mosquitos and 3D printers to win the technology prize.
September 30 · 24 min
The story of Willie Blackwater
On this Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we speak with award-winning CBC reporter Jackie McKay who travelled to the village of Kispiox, BC, to learn about the man at the centre of a historic battle to hold the government and the church accountable for sexual abuse at the Alberni Indian Residential School. Willie Blackwater's class action lawsuit was one of the first in Canada, setting the stage for many others who came forward and the TRC. McKay's reporting and the rest of Willie’s story is f
September 29 · 8 min
What can Canada do about high diesel prices?
Diesel gas prices have spiked, hitting truckers and farmers especially hard. That means prices for things we buy are going up too. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on the federal government to take action. But energy expert Richard Masson is skeptical about the Conservative proposals. He says prices won't come down until the wars in Iran and Ukraine end, but Ottawa could still offer some relief.
September 29 · 40 min
Princess Diana book not about ‘settling scores’: Charles Spencer
Almost 30 years after the death of Princess Diana, her brother Charles Spencer has written a new memoir about her life, her struggles, and the royal institutions that played a role in both. He sits down with Matt Galloway to discuss the book Swan Song: Diana, my sister, and her legacy.
September 29 · 23 min
Netflix turns Stanford prison experiment into reality TV
Netflix's new reality show based on the infamous Stanford prison experiment is being met with controversy. The original psychological experiment had to be abandoned prematurely because of the harm it was causing participants. So why is Netflix releasing a reality series based on a troubling psychological experiment? And what could it tell us about what makes people abuse authority? We speak with Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology at New York University and the author of The Power of Us, p
September 28 · 24 min
How booze is Canada’s biggest drug problem
Jordan Kawchuk has struggled with alcohol use disorder for years. When he's drinking, he says nothing else matters. He's just finished his fifth attempt at treatment, but some doctors and advocates say people like him aren't getting the science-based treatment they need.
September 28 · 18 min
Albertans more likely to reject separation, but remain divided
A new poll done for CBC news shows separatist support is dropping in Alberta, so is the popularity of Premier Danielle Smith and her party. We speak with the independent pollster Janet Brown who conducted the survey about what these findings mean. Plus, Dozie Anyaegbunam, host of The Newcomers Podcast, says he fears the fractures created by all 10 questions, including five about immigration, will linger long after the Oct. 19 results are in.
September 28 · 24 min
North of North is back!
We speak with the creators of the series North of North as they launch Season 2 after the show became an international hit. Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril tell us about what it's like to film a comedy in Iqaluit, about the good things, and the challenges faced by those living in Canada's North.
September 25 · 22 min
What mending hearts taught a cardiac surgeon about humanity
Dr. Subodh Verma is a cardiac surgeon who has operated on more than 6,000 hearts. We speak with the surgeon-scientist and University of Toronto Professor of Surgery about what it's like to hold the human heart in his hands, and why breakthroughs in medicine and science can only happen through acts of interdependence.
September 25 · 19 min
Would the U.S. invade Canada?
Donald Trump ruled out using military force to annex Canada. The head of US Pacific Command called the idea of attacking Canada "preposterous." But Mark Carney called it an "extreme tail risk" that would be "irresponsible" not to prepare. We unpack the Canadian Prime Minister's eye-catching interview with the New York Times, with Stephen Saideman, a professor of political science at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and Wendy Gilmour, Vice-Chair of the Boa
September 25 · 23 min
How often do your parents tell you the same story?
Have you heard that same story over and over again from your aging parents?  Mary Ann McColl certainly did.  But instead of just complaining, like the rest of us, she decided to study the stories to see if there was something more there.  Mary Ann is a professor emerita of occupational therapy at Queens University. Her new book is The Ten Stories: What Aging Parents Want Us to Hear. Mary Ann's research might help you find patience with your older loved ones and their stories. <
September 24 · 19 min
What's at stake in Quebec's election
Emilie Nicolas, columnist for Le Devoir, and Michel C. Auger, columnist for La Presse break down the state of play in Quebec's provincial election, as five party leaders make their case to voters in the final debate of the campaign.
September 24 · 15 min
Why broadcaster Paul Workman kept his cancer a secret
Paul Workman was a foreign correspondent for more than 35 years, covering conflict and catastrophes around the world for CTV and CBC News. But when he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare type of blood cancer, he chose not to tell his employer and to keep on working. We speak with Paul Workman about why he decided to keep his disease secret, and where one draws the line about what your employer needs to know about your health.
September 24 · 24 min
She became an undercover RCMP agent to catch her abuser
In 2007, 20-year-old Vienna Luke was sexually assaulted by her brother-in-law. Decades later with the support of her older sister Shawnessy Luke, Vienna went undercover to elicit a confession from her abuser.  Their story is the subject of a new CBC podcast “<a href="https://app.magellan.ai/listen_links/TheCurrentAgentLayla" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Personally: Agent Layla.</a>”
September 24 · 9 min
The race to classify the world’s unidentified species
It's been a big week for new species. First, a new cat species was announced and then a new penguin made headlines. But scientists say this is just the tip of a rather huge iceberg.   Dirk Steinke is amongst the scientists who believe there are literally millions of species in the world yet to be revealed. Most are insects, spiders, and arthropods but there are some bigger animals to find too. Steinke is a research scientist at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Gu

Showing 41–60 of 150 episodes