Front Burner

The prime minister is firing off a warning today to Canadians who are not abiding by social distancing measures. He said “enough is enough” and asked people to “go home and stay home.” On tonight’s coronavirus episode, we will get you caught up on: The increasingly tough language coming from the federal government on social distancing. Questions about whether the Emergencies Act Measures act will...

In the global fight against the spread of COVID-19, Hong Kong has been recognized for its success keeping the number of cases low despite its proximity to China. Today on Front Burner, Shibani Mahtani, the Washington Post’s Hong Kong and Southeast Asia bureau chief, talks to guest host Michelle Shephard about how they did it, and what preparations are underway now for a second wave of imported COV...

Things are not great. But people still are. And some good is happening. For example: competitive marble racing has gone viral because of the void left by professional sports. Artists are live streaming free concerts for fans. And in one of the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, people are taking to their balconies to sing songs in solidarity. So today, a mental break from our serious coronavirus c...

As deaths and confirmed cases rise the number of ‘Acute-care’ beds and ventilators in Canada is causing concern. On this episode of Front Burner we zero in on Canadian deaths and discuss whether hospitals are ready to cope with the rise in cases. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch talks to host Jayme Poisson about the latest ‘outbreak modelling,’ and how many new cases, hospitalization...

COVID-19 has sent an economic shockwave through this country with countless livelihoods impact in the short term, and maybe permanently. To help, the federal government announced an $82-billion aid package. Today, one woman who has been laid off tells her story. And CBC senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong unpacks how the federal response is intended to help.

With no clear end in sight, the urgent race for a vaccine is on across the world. This week, hopes for a vaccine grew as some biotech players are seemingly making progress. But, some experts caution that this process cannot be rushed - and that we are still far from seeing a vaccine on the market.

Public health bodies like the World Health Organization tell us that widespread testing for COVID-19 is key to fighting the pandemic. But we’re also hearing that some provinces are planning to tighten criteria for who can get tested. Today on Front Burner, we speak to infectious disease specialist Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti about the testing strategy being used across Canada and how effective it is in...

Government and public health officials are urging Canadians to practice social distancing. But what, exactly, does that mean? We speak to a man with cerebral palsy who says that for him, social distancing could make the difference between life and death. Then, a public health expert answers some of our questions about how to do social distancing right.

Canada is barring entry to all travellers who are not citizens, permanent residents or Americans, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today. Will the prime minister’s new measures have a meaningful impact? Why are American citizens allowed to enter Canada, while some border states are grappling with widespread community transmission? Adam Miller from CBC’s health unit is back to discuss.

It’s been an overwhelming few days of developments around the COVID-19 pandemic. As cases tick upwards, and more drastic measures are taken to curb the outbreak - CBC’s former chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge helps us set it in historical context with other global crises.

From U.S President Donald Trump suspending most travel from Europe, to major sports leagues suspending their seasons — efforts to slow down the COVID-19 pandemic are ramping up. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch talks to host Jayme Poisson about whether Canada is doing enough.

A trial has begun in Amsterdam for the murder of the 298 people killed in 2014 in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash over Ukraine. But the four men charged are still at large, and although Russia has been implicated in the downing of the plane, the Putin government has denied any responsibility. CBC's Chris Brown joins Jayme Poisson to talk about the victims' families' search for justice – an...

The temperature of the federal Conservative leadership race has just been cranked up by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. Kenney stepped out of Alberta’s legislature to give an unambiguous endorsement of Erin O’Toole, and a jab at rival candidate Peter MacKay. Vassy Kapelos, the host of CBC’s Power & Politics, joins us to discuss why Kenney is taking sides and how it might influence the race.

What does it mean that WHO is now calling COVID-19 a pandemic? And what’s behind the idea of “flattening the curve”? Plus, Prime Minister Trudeau has announced measures to fight the outbreak, including $1 billion in spending. So is Canada doing enough? We’re joined by CBC senior health writer Adam Miller to explain all that and to break down the latest news.

It was a historically bad day for global markets. The twin factors of COVID-19 and a collapse in the price of oil led to widespread panic and one of the worst days in the stock market in years, with consequences still to come. What just happened, and why are people freaking out? Manulife global chief economist Frances Donald is here to explain.

In Canada, domestic violence has reached crisis levels. But in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a radical domestic abuse intervention project is showing the way forward, and how to save countless lives. Katie Nicholson joins Jayme Poisson to explain the “Blueprint for Safety” program and how it’s protecting victims of domestic violence.

COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have reached double digits. As efforts to contain the coronavirus in the U.S. continue, certain factors make it even more difficult. First, there's a shortage of test kits. Then there's the question of cost for patients. We look at the U.S. public health response with Laurie Garrett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist who built her career studying pandemics.

What happens when your fragile parenthood dream is not in your control? In the second part of our series on surrogacy in Canada, we look at how the surrogacy industry affects parents. The costs can reach more than $100,000. There’s a fear that they’re breaking the law. The pressure to not rock the boat is high. Jayme talks to Chris Glover and Chelsea Gomez about the ways surrogacy is not working f...

As infertility rates go up in Canada, desperate couples are turning to surrogacy. But a new investigation reveals that because there are few federal regulations on the surrogacy system, the process isn’t working for everyone. Jayme Poisson speaks with Chris Glover and Chelsea Gomez, who spent months investigating surrogacy in Canada, in the first of a two-part series.

That photo you posted to Instagram? It might be a part of Clearview AI’s massive database of some 3 billion images, all scraped from the internet. The facial recognition app has experts worried about privacy overreach. Canadian police forces first said they’re not using Clearview — until it turned out they are. Toronto Star reporters Wendy Gillis and Kate Allen have followed this story closely, an...

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders got off to a strong start in the early primaries and caucuses, but former vice-president Joe Biden is right behind him in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. After a major victory in South Carolina, Biden has momentum heading into Super Tuesday — when 14 states vote for their preferred candidate. Today on Front Burner, Alex Panetta from CBC's Washington...

The Dose is a new weekly podcast that answers everyday health questions like: What vaccines do adults need? Does your Fitbit actually make you fitter? Or, should I bother taking vitamins? Dr. Brian Goldman and the team behind White Coat Black Art bring you the best science from top experts in about the same amount of time as an appointment with your GP. Subscribe to The Dose at smarturl.it/thedose...

From Iran to Italy to South Korea — there are new epicentres for the coronavirus. On Thursday, World Health Organization officials stressed the need for governments to have national preparedness plans and training in place for health-care workers. Today on Front Burner, infectious disease expert Isaac Bogoch returns to the podcast to talk about how the public health response needs to change to add...

This week, a shocking report from L’Arche revealed Jean Vanier sexually abused at least six women. Less than a year ago, longtime Globe and Mail reporter Ian Brown wrote the obituary of Vanier. Brown wrote about how the beloved Canadian founder of L’Arche, an international network of communities for people with intellectual disabilities, will be remembered as a radical philosopher of disability. T...

The shelving of the Teck Resources Frontier project — an oilsands mine twice the size of Vancouver — has many arguing over the right balance between climate action and resource development. Today on Front Burner, we get two viewpoints on Canada's energy future: former TransCanada executive Dennis McConaghy and Stand.earth program director Tzeporah Berman. McConaghy says Canada is punishing itself...