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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148 episodes
Avg 18 min
English

Episodes 148

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September 23 · 24 min
AI is everywhere, how can universities adapt?
With artificial intelligence on the rise, teaching staff at many universities are taking a hard look at how they teach and assess their students. Carleton University Religion Professor Shawna Dolansky talks about why she's banned all technology from her classrooms. McMaster University Physical Engineering Professor Mike Welland discusses how he's integrating AI into his teaching. And Samuel Madden, the co-chair of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Ad Hoc Committee on AI Use in Teach
September 23 · 10 min
The White House press pool boycotts the President
The White House press pool is banding together to suspend its video coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump. It comes after Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The Atlantic staff writer David A. Graham talks about why Trump is taking this step now and what it means for press freedom in the U.S.
September 22 · 24 min
How AI is changing how kids learn in schools
Across the country, schools are grappling with how to use artificial intelligence in the classroom and it's sparking a debate over how to balance the risks of AI in education against the benefits. Ben Humphreys is a member of the group Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces Vancouver and is calling for a two year pause on the technology in schools. Simon Worley is a high school teacher in North Vancouver who's incorporating AI in his classroom. Dr Dana Suskind is the Co-Director of the
September 22 · 9 min
Labour leaders critical of federal move to end strikes
Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, joins us to weigh in on freshly introduced government legislation that aims to increase speed and certainty around major infrastructure projects — which labour leaders worry could infringe on workers' right to strike.
September 22 · 9 min
Jewish community shaken by gunfire outside synagogue
A police constable was injured in a shootout by the Sons of Jacob synagogue as Yom Kippur services began. Synagogue President Norm Weddum believes that the officer saved the lives of everyone huddled inside. The alleged shooter is in hospital in life threatening condition. Weddum wants to know why he went on the attack.
September 22 · 25 min
How a KGB spy's erectile dysfunction changed history
Bestselling author Ben Macintyre has told many compelling spy stories — but Vladimir Kuzichkin's may be the most unusual yet. In his new book, Redwood, Macintyre explains how Kuzichkin's obsessive desire to find a solution to his own sexual problems drove him to defect from the Soviet KGB and start spying for British Intelligence in Tehran in the 1980s, and why the intelligence he gathered altered the course of Iranian history, changed the balance of power in the Middle East, and played a piv
September 21 · 16 min
Should you Brick your phone?
As people try to spend less time on social media apps, devices like a Brick are surging in popularity. The device forces users to tap their phones in order to access the platforms, creating physical space between the user and the apps. But is relying on more technology to curb our bad phone habits the right approach?
September 21 · 19 min
Parliament returns!
Our national affairs panel looks ahead to a busy political season — amid a trade war, US midterms, an election in Quebec and a referendum in Alberta.
September 21 · 24 min
Edward Burtynsky on the price of prosperity
Edward Burtynsky is world famous for his monumental photographs that reveal in overwhelming detail the impact that human beings have had on planet earth. He has travelled all over the world documenting mines, quarries, recycling yards, tailings pods, refineries and factories — places that are essential to the modern world but few of us get to see. We talk about how his working class upbringing in St. Catharines, Ontario, working at General Motors, and in gold mines of northern Ontario shapes
September 21 · 10 min
What does pawpaw taste like and where can you find one?
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Indigenous communities enjoyed the pawpaw fruit that grew wild along rivers and streams. Now that tropical tasting fruit is having a resurgence amongst Indigenous chefs and people who prefer local treats. Chef Tawyna Brant explains what she loves about the pawpaw fruit and how she likes to cook with it.
September 18 · 23 min
Protecting cyclists as the sport gets faster and faster
Beginning Sunday, Montreal hosts the UCI Road World Championships. Top cyclists from around the world will compete. But with racers averaging speeds of 42 kilometres an hour, it is a dangerous sport. Crashes are common, and sometimes fatal. This year alone, three competitive riders died during races, with at least six more killed on training rides. In his documentary, CBC’s John Chipman investigates what some cyclists say is an urgent need to protect riders.
September 18 · 9 min
Is hockey still Canada's game?
With the NHL back in action, what does the hockey season mean to Canadians if it's not easy to watch? As Hockey Night in Canada moves off CBC onto Sportsnet and Amazon, who will be tuning in — and what does that mean for Canada’s game?
September 18 · 19 min
U.S. tariffs push some Canadian businesses across the border
Many Canadian businesses are losing their US customer base after President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs. Some are now considering moving south of the border to avoid them. What relocating could mean for individual businesses, workers and the economy.
September 18 · 11 min
Indigenous mom dies after being denied medical travel
Miranda Mamakwa of Fort Severn First Nation in northern Ontario died after undergoing open-heart surgery in the spring, then missing several follow-up appointments. The mother of three applied for federal funding to pay to travel for the doctor's visits, but she was denied. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation says Miranda's death was not an isolated incident.
September 17 · 24 min
Could space be the next daily commute?
Ariel Ekblaw is a space architect looking to solve the problems of life on Earth and beyond. Hear how her designs for a new space habitat could replace the International Space Station, a reality check on data centres in space, and how low orbit manufacturing could hold the key to curing blindness. This is not science fiction, but is the next step in the space race.
September 17 · 21 min
Is there still power in a union?
Acclaimed documentarian Barbara Kopple turns her camera on the struggles of delivery workers in her new film "Union Town." The two-time Oscar winner made her name with "Harlan County USA," a harrowing film about a bitter coal strike in rural Kentucky. She speaks to Matt Galloway about the back-breaking and dangerous work delivery workers do, and what it would take to improve conditions.
September 17 · 20 min
Where will the Carney-EU romance lead?
EU leader Ursula von der Leyen wants Canada to become the European Union's first associate member, but what Canada wants is a “unique relationship” instead. Is Europe ready for an expansion? And what's in it for Canada? Jeremy Kinsman, former Canadian ambassador to the EU, and Berlin-based EU expert Nicolai von Ondarza weigh in.
September 16 · 14 min
Monarch Butterflies are making a stunning comeback
After years of decline, the monarch butterfly population is bouncing back. We speak to The Atlantic's Vann R. Newkirk II, who travelled to Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and tracked the migration journeys of three monarchs: Cinderella, Eric and Carle. He explains what's behind this butterfly's remarkable comeback and whether it can last.
September 16 · 18 min
Could AI really kill us?
AI insiders have increasingly been sounding the alarm on the risks of out-of-control superintelligence, with some claiming a non-zero chance that AI could kill all humans before the end of the decade. Author and investigative journalist Stephen Witt lays out the potential scenarios and the corporate interests at play.
September 16 · 11 min
What’s going on with B.C. Conservatives
Just 4 months after electing Kerry-Lynne Finlay as the new leader of the BC Conservatives, the party is in disarray.  So far, 9 MLAs have left the party. Of those, a faction of 7 MLAs has joined together to create another, yet unnamed, right wing party. Rob Shaw of Check News explains what's been happening and tries to give a sense of why.

Showing 61–80 of 148 episodes