The Current

Our National Affairs Panel talks about Alberta politics — and whatever the outcome, what it means for the federation and Alberta's relationship with Ottawa. Plus, the US mid-terms and how they could impact trade talks. 

Piera Aiello’s husband was murdered in a Sicilian Mafia hit. Three days later, she decided to testify against the Cosa Nostra, then she fled her home — spending the next three decades under a new identity. Her story reveals a side of Italy’s fight against organized crime we rarely hear about: what happens after people take a stand. Now, a new Italian law aims to protect children and adults trying...

Constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson has become a leading voice in the Alberta separatist movement. He’s the co-chair of Let Alberta Decide and leads the Alberta Transition Council. We speak to him about why he thinks even federalists should choose Option 2 and why independence is the best choice for Alberta. Plus, Monte Solberg held several cabinet posts under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and ind...

Matt Galloway is on the ground in Alberta as voting gets underway in a referendum on whether to start the legal process to leave Canada. Hear from voters and organizers on both sides of the debate about the impact on communities. Plus hear from Chief Samuel Crowfoot of Siksika Nation and Alberta newcomers worried about the immigration questions also on the ballot.

Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for the second time, he's been criticized for eroding democracy and the rule of law. Now, political scientist Lucan Way, argues that the United States has definitively crossed the line into a system of what he calls competitive authoritarianism. Lucan Way, a Distinguished Professor of Democracy in the Department of Political Science at the Univers...

The CBC has learned that the federal government has quietly put a pause on buying more American-made Black Hawk helicopters. That decision is getting mixed reviews as some analysts say it's the right call while others believe the Black Hawk is best suited for Canada's air force. We speak with the CBC's Murray Brewster and with University of Ottawa professor Peter Jones. 

Times and time zones in Canada are changing. November 1st much of the country will remain in daylight savings for the first time not turning their clocks back for the winter months. Joseph De Koninck is Emeritus Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa on what that means for our health and why the optimal calculation of time is impossible to achieve in Canada.

While we focus on success or fulfillment as the path to happiness, author Ian Bogost thinks we are overlooking a whole category of life experiences — delightful, small moments of sensory gratification — that can make our lives better. In his new book, The Small Stuff , Bogost says modern life, including our work life, has disconnected us from the physical world, but we'd all feel better if we foun...

U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal with Russia will see 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel released to the global markets this month, in an effort to lower prices for Americans. Simon Shuster, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of “ The Showman ,” describes how the deal is shaping the dynamics of the conflict.

The world's leading climate scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are convening in Addis Ababa to discuss the timeline to publish the latest climate science, ahead of COP 33 in 2028. But the IPCC is facing intense pressure from some member states to delay the key climate report. We speak with Chris Derksen, the director of Climate Research at Environment and Climate Change...

Bestselling author and conflict facilitator Priya Parker says most of us are not very good at fighting: either we avoid it, or we escalate it until it becomes explosive. In her new book, The Art of Fighting , she advocates for something called "healthy heat," what we can learn about conflict from the TV show The Bear , and when a conflict might signal that a relationship should end.

It has been just a few weeks since a woman known as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and seven men she alleges sexually assaulted her at a campus fraternity in 2024. Her name and her story have sparked a global conversation about misogyny, sexual assault, and accountability, and there has been an outpouring of online support for her and survivors of sexual assault. But her...

Voters in B.C. have a busy two weeks ahead with back to back municipal and provincial elections, after Premier David Eby called a snap election two years into his mandate. Katie DeRosa, CBC Legislative Reporter, and Rob Shaw, Check News Political Correspondent, talk about how a new leader of the Conservative Party changed the race and what’s at stake as voters head to the polls.

They power everything from phones to vapes to electric bikes. But lithium-ion batteries can also be highly combustible and dangerous. Brenda Dennis learned that when a lamp in her garden caught fire. Her pets died in the blaze, and her house will have to be completely rebuilt. Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop says his crews are also at risk and the government needs to step up safety measures.

This season of The Current kicked off with a road trip in the Maritimes. From that visit, we’ll bring you some highlights from Prince Edward Island. We’re talking about PEI's oyster industry and how farmers and fishers say government help hasn't been enough. We also get a preview of the ambitious new restoration of Province House in Charlottetown, and a sexy new romance novel by Carley Fortune has...

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.

Canadians who own homes in Florida are wrestling with a proposed property tax increase as Governor DeSantis looks to eliminate taxes for Floridians, offloading the costs to homeowners who don't live in the US.  

Retired General Wayne Eyre sits down with Matt Galloway to reflect on the forty-year military career he chronicles in his new memoir, Into the Breach: A Soldier’s Journey, from his time in Afghanistan, to handling the military's misconduct crisis as chief of the defence staff, to the culture changes and threats facing Canada today.

Jax Irwin is a Toronto broadcaster, originally from Nova Scotia, and she calls herself a phone enthusiast. Last month, we spoke to her on this program. Paul Matthews in Brigus, Newfoundland, heard the interview. About a week later, his phone rang. It was Jax - making a special call that day with the cast of Netflix’s new series "Below." A series filmed in Newfoundland.  We talk to them about...

A global investigation exposes the hidden costs of the fish meal industry, the food that's made to feed farmed seafood. Investigative journalist and director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, Ian Urbina, talks about the stench, the pollution and civil unrest driven by the booming fish feed industry.

Meta's personal AI agent Muse is now one of Canada's most downloaded apps, and has attracted millions of users since it was first launched in September. It acts as a personal assistant and can help with things like paying bills and ordering food, but it relies on a lot of your personal information. We speak with the Wall Street Journal's personal tech columnist, Nicole Nguyen, who has tried the ap...

The federal government says it's not going to go ahead with an expansion of medical assistance in dying for people whose only medical condition is a mental illness. Advocates say people with mental illness are being discriminated against, and opponents say there are too many unresolved questions about whether a mental illness is treatable. The Globe and Mail's Stephanie Levitz explains the politic...

After 25 years in development, there is a new apple hitting grocery stores near you. We'll hear from Amritpal Singh, a scientist at Summerland Research and Development Centre and creator of the Sunpunch apple, on why he makes new fruit and why it takes so long. 

The ‘Cornell 7’ incident has people talking about sexual assault. Some are asking why cases like this keep happening, even after years of education on consent. Two counsellors who talk to boys and young men about sexual violence and toxic masculinity tell us what's working and what stands in the way.

More than 250,000 students, teachers and parents are protesting across France over the conditions in the country’s high schools. Some demonstrations have turned violent, with police using tear gas and water canisters against protesters. Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief at the Economist, talks about what students are calling for.