The Current - podcast cover

The Current

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.


Some of the topics we’ve covered recently, include: the results of the Canadian Federal election — a minority Liberal government — and Canada’s new Prime Minister-elect Mark Carney. Also, Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative party, who lost his seat in the Ottawa riding of Carleton but also boosted Conservative popular vote share. Meanwhile, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who also lost his seat, has resigned following historically low results for his party, which lost official party status in the House. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet kept his seat in Beloeil–Chambly, but lost about a third of its seats. Elizabeth May’s Green Party held on to her seat but she also lost her co-leader Jonathan Pedneault.


Also on our radar: Heather McPherson, the NDP’s re-elected MP for Edmonton Strathcona, who some observers are saying could be the NDP’s next leader. What Conservatives are thinking now about their leader Pierre Poilievre and the path forward for their party. And how Liberal Leader Mark Carney will govern for all Canadians in a politically divided country facing threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.


We’re still keeping an eye on: annexation and “51st state” threats, tariffs impacting Canadian jobs, especially farmers, truckers, auto workers, energy sector workers, construction workers and steel and aluminum workers; raising the cost of living, inflation, and unemployment in Canada; straining cross-border relationships, including the historic friendship between Windsor and Detroit. We also discuss “Team Canada,” interprovincial trade, and the rise of “elbows up” Canadian patriotism; Canadian sovereignty and backlash to ‘51st state’ threats; on the world stage, including our relationship with China, Ukraine, India; security and our status in the Five Eyes spy network, NATO and NORAD, and shifting global alliances in general.


Other recent topics include: Filipino community reeling after Lapu Lapu street festival killings; “Grey divorce” and the rise of separation in late life; Canadians’ top vacation spots; migrants affected by Trump’s deportation push; the death of Pope Francis; landmark antitrust trials against Meta and Google; the sexual assault trial of five ex-world junior hockey players; the liquidation of Hudson’s Bay; the surge in measles cases, hair loss drug finasteride, extremist network 764, protests against Elon Musk and Tesla; Starlink and the rural internet; the turmoil around Israel and Gaza’s ceasefire; more adults with ADHD, Blue Ghost on the moon, genetically modified pig organs; aging well, wellness, dementia and long term care, as well as cancer and “commonsense oncology,” Greenland and Arctic sovereignty, cuts to USAID; Canada’s critical minerals; inflation; mortgages; opioids and Fentanyl, parenting, Canada’s best vacation spots, teens ditching social media; crypto power brokers in the White House; NASA’s new telescope and the making of a 3D map of the universe.


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.

Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Can you spell this word? Test your spelling bee knowledge

Join Matt Galloway as he talks with Jacques Bailly, the head pronouncer and a former champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. They relive the drama of the recent competition, discuss what it takes to win, the strategies spellers use, and Bailly's unique perspective from both sides of the microphone. Bailly also puts Matt's spelling skills to the test, exploring why this traditional competition remains so popular in the age of technology.

May 30, 202514 min

‘It is traumatizing’ First Nations communities flee fires

The wildfire season is in full effect, and it’s only May. Saskatchewan and Manitoba are in a state of emergency as wildfires burn across the provinces. Thousands of people have evacuated their homes, and many are still finding ways to get out of the fire’s way. First Nations leaders Peter Beatty, Chief of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and David Monias, Chief of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba explain how they are moving their communities out of danger when many ex...

May 30, 202512 min

Does looksmaxxing set toxic beauty standards for young men?

Thumb pulling, chin tucking, hair transplants…. and on the less extreme side, skin, hair, and eyebrow care — those are just some examples of looksmaxxing, a viral social media trend for young men to improve their looks. Elijah Forcier is a TikToker with advice on how, and Christian Ylagan is an instructor with the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies at Western University, we talk about what these unrealistic beauty standards mean for young men’s self-esteem — and masculinity in ...

May 30, 202525 min

What to do about Sir John A. Macdonald statues?

There are many statues of Canada’s first Prime Minister across this country — but in recent years statues of John A. Macdonald have been toppled or taken down to protest his role as an architect of the residential schools system and his treatment of Indigenous people. We'll talk about what to do about the statues - and why the plans to clean up and uncover one John A. Mcdonald in Toronto is particularly controversial.

May 30, 202520 min

Canada-US tensions: Why Can't We Be Friends?

Democratic U.S. Senator Peter Welch recently came to Canada to try to mend fences, over what he sees as President Donald Trump’s damaging tariffs and threats to make Canada the 51st state. The Vermont senator talks to Matt Galloway about the Canada-U.S. relationship — and military expert Christian Leuprecht digs into Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan for a defence deal with the EU, as a way to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S.

May 29, 202524 min

Grieving couple were sent stillborn baby’s autopsy in error

The first time Laura Bordignon held her daughter Makayla Poppy was also the last. A month after Makayla Poppy was delivered stillborn, Laura and her husband Nick received an invoice for her autopsy. The bill included an itemized list of procedures, but also revealed their daughter’s remains were still in the morgue — weeks after they should have been released. Laura and Nick share their story in Jodie Martinson’s documentary Seven Months with Makayla , in the hopes of highlighting the errors tha...

May 29, 202523 min

One family’s ‘very strange car trip’ to flee Manitoba fires

Noelle Drimmie could taste the smoke in the air as she and her family fled the wildfires approaching their home in Flin Flon, Man. She tells Matt Galloway how surreal it felt to drive away under apocalyptic skies, while trying to keep her young kids entertained in the back seat.

May 29, 202520 min

How near death experiences change your look at work and life

Oji-Cree musician Aysanabee almost died when he was 19, after falling through the ice on a frozen lake. That experience changed the life of the Juno award winner, pushing him to his career today. A new study shows his experience is a common one among people who have near-death experiences. So why do a brush with death might help people have a better work-life balance — and how do we gain the same attitude without almost dying? Well, that’s the question.

May 28, 202523 min

War in Ukraine: Russia warns of World War Three

Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin is "playing with fire," following Russia’s largest air attack of the war on Ukraine, Russia responds with a warning for World War Three. Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times joins Matt Galloway to talk about what’s on the mind of Ukrainians after months of failed peace talks — and what Volodymyr Zelenskyy told him yesterday.

May 28, 202515 min

Everyone wants a Labubu! …a what?

A little elvish toy in a bunny suit with a mischievous smile, that’s a Labubu for you — and she, yes it’s a girl, is taking the world by storm. What made Labubus so popular, and how are they bringing us together when people are fighting to get their hands on one? We have answers.

May 28, 202513 min

Brand new bacteria found in space... what can it teach us?

The search for alien life in space continues, but there is an update. Chinese astronauts discovered a bacteria, and it turns out it can survive the extreme conditions of space. “That’s evolution at work,” says Jamie Foster, a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida. What lessons should it teach us, and how can we use it to help us with future space missions, Foster explains.

May 28, 202511 min

What message is the King's Throne speech sending?

Parliament is back and King Charles delivered his throne speech today. What message is the King's speech meant to send to Canadians, and to one American in particular, Donald Trump? What are the new Liberal government's priorities? CBC’s Catherine Cullen, The Globe and Mail’s Stephanie Levitz, and The National Post’s Christopher Nardi join Matt Galloway to talk about all that and more.

May 27, 202520 min

Can you run a 100km ultramarathon… while breastfeeding?

Running an ultramarathon is hard, but running 100kms six months post-partum and breastfeeding during breaks… Well, that sounds like a scene from an inspirational movie. But, for Stephanie Case, and her baby girl Pepper, it was real life. Why would she do this, and what keeps her running these extreme distances, she shares with Matt Galloway.

May 27, 202520 min

What are animals saying? AI is helping to decode

Do you speak dolphin? What about marmoset or nightingale? Did you know cuttlefish use a form of sign language to communicate? If your answer was no to all those questions, you should know that scientists are working to turn that into a yes — and AI is playing a key role. How to decode animal communication, and whether that's even a good idea. Three animal communication scientists join us to talk it all through - human to human.

May 27, 202524 min

The Current Introduces | Other People’s Problems, on psychedelics

Normally, therapy sessions are totally confidential — but this podcast opens the doors. In this season of Other People’s Problems, Dr. Hillary McBride explores the transformative power of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting. With her psychological expertise, Dr. Hillary leads her clients through drug-assisted therapy, guiding them to new heights on their healing journeys. Experience these real, unscripted sessions firsthand as they unfold in each episode. This season offers an unprecedented lo...

May 26, 202537 min

Do you like grilling? Try live fire for flavour — and zen

It's grilling season, and Chef on Fire has one thing on his mind: cooking on live fire — and he says you should try it too. Chef Michael Smith, in his new book Wood, Fire and Smoke: Recipes and Techniques for Wood-Fired Cooking , explores how cooking on live fire can bring more than just flavour into your life; lighting a fire for zen and a good time.

May 26, 202523 min

Parliament returns today. What’s Mark Carney’s plan?

The House of Commons returns today after nearly six months, Prime Minister Mark Carney with his new Liberal minority government, and Conservatives without their leader Pierre Poilievre in the Parliament. What’s next? Matt Galloway speaks with Karina Gould, the re-elected Liberal MP; Heather McPherson, the re-elected NDP MP; and Andrew Lawton, the first-time Conservative MP about their parties’ priorities, the challenges ahead — and how they can work together for Canada.

May 26, 202520 min

How effective is involuntary care?

‘It is absolutely an act of compassion,’ says Leonard Krog, the mayor of Nanaimo about the use of involuntary care to deal with B.C.’s mental health crisis — but some experts are worried that forcing someone into treatment is a violation of their rights. Matt Galloway speaks with Mayor Krog; Jonny Morris, the CEO of the B.C. Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association; and Dr. Shimi Kang, a psychiatrist with Future Ready Minds for their insight about how to provide care for mental health ...

May 26, 202524 min

Why Michael Crummey is interested in places on the edge

Michael Crummey has won the $154,000 Dublin Literary Award for his book The Adversary, which explores familiar themes around life at the ocean's edge. Matt Galloway spoke with the author at the Woody Point Writers Festival in Newfoundland in Sept. 2023, to discuss isolation, vulgarity and the responsibility that comes with telling the stories of home.

May 23, 202524 min

5 years after George Floyd: What changed, and what hasn’t?

“I did not see humanity provided to Mr. Floyd that day,” says Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis police chief at the time of George Floyd’s murder. Five years after Floyd was murdered in an interaction with police officers Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, Matt Galloway talks to former police chief Arradondo and civil rights lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong about what has or hasn’t changed — and where the Black Lives Matter movement stands in the U.S. today wi...

May 23, 202519 min

Planning your next vacation? Here’s how to be a good tourist

“Tourists go home," protesters chant in Spain, and they’re not alone. People in many European countries say they want tourists to stay away — but only the bad ones. So as you plan your next vacation, we get some advice on how to be a better tourist.

May 23, 202521 min

Inside the swarming attack that killed a homeless man in Toronto

New details have emerged about the 2022 swarming attack that killed a homeless man in Toronto, after a judge ruled that strip searches conducted on the accused teenage girls were unconstitutional. Toronto Star crime reporter Jennifer Pagliaro walks us through what happened that night, and why this judge’s ruling will affect sentencing.

May 22, 202524 min

‘Not again’: Why does drunk driving persist among young men?

Tanya Hansen Pratt was frustrated to hear of three children killed in a Toronto highway crash this week — she lost her own mother to a young drunk driver almost 30 years ago. With a 19-year-old now facing multiple impaired-driving charges, we dig into why young men still take the most risks on the road, and how to talk to them about drunk driving.

May 22, 202519 min

Walking with Dinosaurs is back — and Alberta takes centre stage

Do you have fond memories of Walking with Dinosaurs , the much-loved BBC series that aired back in 1999. If your answer is yes, you and all dinosaur lovers are in luck — it’s coming back this summer, and Alberta is taking centre stage. Matt Galloway talks to Emily Bamforth, the lead scientist of the Pipestone Creek Bonebed in Alberta and a fan of the original series, about how she made her younger self proud — and why the dig is called the “River of Death.”

May 22, 202511 min

Canada threatens Israel with sanctions over Gaza aid crisis

Canada, France and the U.K. are threatening sanctions against Israel over its 11-week blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and plans to escalate military action in the enclave. Matt Galloway talks to Jon Allen, former Canadian ambassador to Israel; and UNICEF spokesperson James Elder about the mounting international pressure on Israel — and what it might mean for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

May 21, 202520 min

How gene editing saved a baby’s life

“A triumph of science, a miracle of medicine” is how researcher Fyodor Urnov describes the gene-editing treatment that saved baby KJ Muldoon’s life. Now nine months old, KJ was born with a genetic condition called urea cycle disorder, which is fatal for many infants. Urnov was part of the research team supporting KJ's doctors, he tells us what gene-editing treatments could mean for others born with life-threatening conditions.

May 21, 202516 min

What we learned after the hockey trial jury was dismissed

In an “extraordinary” development, the jury has been dismissed in the sexual assault trial of five ex-world junior hockey players. The Globe and Mail’s investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle explains what a judge-only trial could mean for the case, and why the jury’s dismissal means new details can now be reported

May 21, 202511 min

How teenagers can start to manage their money

Managing money is always challenging, and it’s even trickier when you’re a teenager. In her new book Making Bank, Money Skills for Real Life , certified financial planner Shannon Lee Simmons offers advice for teens: from budgeting and saving for things you enjoy, to dealing with the constant wave of influencers trying to sell them something.

May 21, 202524 min

Does your cat have behavioural issues? Here’s some help

Have you ever thought of training your cat, just like you would your dog? Did you say no… or are you laughing in disbelief? A cat behavior specialist says you can, and explains what we are getting wrong about cats — especially about the ones with behavioural issues.

May 20, 202524 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast