Front Burner

DaBaby’s recent homophobic rant at a major music festival has set off a conversation about anti-gay sentiment and toxic masculinity in hip hop. Today, two rappers reflect on the controversy around DaBaby, the rise of Lil Nas X and the lack of queer representation in their industry.

Canadian Michael Spavor, who’s been detained in China since 2018, has been given an 11-year prison sentence by a Chinese court. Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau called the verdict “completely unjustified.” Today, Toronto Star reporter Joanna Chiu on what this means for Canada-China relations.

The Taliban continues to gain territory at a rapid pace, as the U.S. army and NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan. Journalist Akhtar Mohammad Makoii takes us to Herat, a city contested by Taliban and government forces.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is calling a major new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "a code red for humanity." Today on Front Burner, we break down what's in the report, its potential impact and why there might be reason to feel hopeful about it.

As a potential COVID-19 fourth wave looms, epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan talks to guest host Jonathan Montpetit about frustrations with those who have opted out of a COVID-19 vaccine thus far, and options for getting tougher on their access to public spaces.

There is growing anger around Alberta’s rollback of COVID-19 restrictions. Today on Front Burner, Macleans’ Alberta correspondent Jason Markusoff digs into what might be behind the controversial move.

A year after Beirut’s deadly port explosion, Lebanon’s economy is in freefall and protesters have hit the streets. Journalist Rebecca Collard gives us the backstory.

Kyle Lowry’s Toronto Raptors career is coming to an end after nine seasons. Sports writer Alex Wong looks back at his legacy on and off the court, through victory and defeat.

One woman’s experience using magic mushrooms therapeutically, and why some are now pushing for greater legal access to the drug in Canada.

The first Hong Konger to be charged under China’s National Security Law has been found guilty. Today on Front Burner, two pro-democracy activists from the city-state reflect on China’s tightening grip on Hong Kong.

This week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his final state of the nation. He’s been called the “vigilante president” for his handling of the illegal drug trade, and his treatment of dissenters. Today on Front Burner, veteran investigative journalist Sheila Coronel reflects on what his legacy might mean for the future of the Philippines.

The 24-year-old champion Simone Biles surprised the world this week by pulling out of the Olympics, saying she needed to look after her mental health. As historian Amira Rose Davis explains, that decision is a momentous shift in the culture of sport.

The armed insurrection in Washington, after Donald Trump lost the presidential election, shook many. This week, U.S. lawmakers heard from the police officers who tried to hold it at bay — as a committee pieces together what happened.

Another controversy for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Ottawa as some donations were made to it in honour of fascists and Nazi collaborators.

Chinese-Canadian pop superstar Kris Wu is caught in a #MeToo firestorm over allegations of predatory sexual behaviour with an underage girl now sweeping Chinese media.

Deepfake technology — the use of algorithms to create realistic copies of people in video, audio, or photography — is once again in the spotlight. That's after Morgan Neville's documentary Roadrunner used the technology to copy the voice of the late Anthony Bourdain. MIT Technology Review's senior A.I. editor, Karen Hao, breaks down the risks for how we perceive our reality.

Tokyo 2020 is forging ahead inside a host city effectively locked out of its own event. CBC senior correspondent Adrienne Arsenault brings us the view from Tokyo, where rising COVID-19 cases, a state of emergency and brewing resentment toward the International Olympic Committee is hanging over these unprecedented Olympic Games.

The Liberal government has been criticized for not acting substantially enough on the climate crisis. Former environment and current Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna defends her party’s actions on the issue, and explains why she believes Canada is on track to meet its emission targets.

Miami Herald reporter and author of 'Perversion of Justice' Julie K. Brown on Ghislaine Maxwell’s upcoming trial and her bombshell investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s 2008 plea deal that brought global attention to the case.

Cuba’s historic protests — and the government crackdown that followed — have shone a new light on the crisis currently facing the island. But questions about how to fix that crisis, and who’s to blame, are hotly disputed. Journalist Ed Augustin on what the protesters want, and how Cuba got to this point.

In late May, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation shocked Canadians with a preliminary finding of unmarked graves near the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Yesterday, the nation released more details. An expert said some 200 possible graves have been identified, but added that number might rise since 64 hectares remain unsurveyed and more forensic investigation and excavat...

As Republicans push voting laws widely seen as suppression, Texas becomes the next battleground. Today on Front Burner, CBC Washington correspondent Paul Hunter on what — if anything — U.S. President Joe Biden will do to fight back.

Following President Jovenel Moïse's assassination last week, Haitian police have arrested more than 20 people and say they’re beginning to piece together a fuller picture of who carried out the killing — and who ordered it. But many people are questioning the official narrative.

Nearly 78 per cent of eligible people in Canada have at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. What’s stopping the rest? Today, Dr. Naheed Dosani and Dr. Jia Hu discuss.

Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are promising a new era where anyone will have access to space. But not everyone’s on board. Today, we speak to science writer Shannon Stirone about the promises and perils of the billionaire space race.