Front Burner

CBC•www.cbc.ca

Front Burner is a daily news podcast that takes you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Each morning, from Monday to Friday, host Jayme Poisson talks with the smartest people covering the biggest stories to help you understand what’s going on. We’re Canada’s number one news podcast and a trusted source of Canadian news.

We cover Canadian news and Canadian politics, Pierre Poilievre, Mark Carney, the Donald Trump administration, the upcoming 2025 Canadian election, provincial politics from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and politicians Danielle Smith, David Eby and Doug Ford. We cover Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary as well as other municipalities across Canada.

In this Canadian election year, Front Burner will be focusing more on Canadian politics. We will take a close look at Mark Carney’s first few weeks as Prime Minister-Designate, the Conservatives and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre as well as other leaders like Jagmeet Singh from the NDP and Quebec’s Yves-François Blanchet from the Bloc Québécois during the 2025 Canadian federal election. The podcast goes beyond Ottawa and digs deeper into major election issues like U.S.-Canada relations, jobs, the economy, immigration, cost of living, housing and rental costs, taxes and tariffs, democracy and technology.

The Front Burner daily podcast covers Canadian news from every province and territory: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon. We cover news from major cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

When U.S. President Donald Trump declares he wants to make Canada the 51st state, and decides to implement tariffs, Front Burner has an analysis into what is happening. We cover Elon Musk’s DOGE. We cover the latest in technology from the rise of bitcoin and crypto, the future of TikTok, Meta, artificial intelligence, influencers, and more.

Look to our archives to see fact-checked stories about infrastructure, fascism, border security, immigration, Pierre Poilievre, Justin Trudeau, the Republican Party, American politics, Canadian politics, India, China, Trump’s tariffs, Mark Carney, Elon Musk, Toronto, technology, artificial intelligence, international students, healthcare, and inflation. We cover global news like the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the ceasefire, the Ukraine-Russia war, and the U.S. economy and U.S. politics.

Front Burner is a part of your morning news routine. Whether you’re in Toronto or Vancouver or Washington, this is the news that matters to Canadians. We take a look at the economy and break it down from the budget to interest rate hikes to inflation to recessions to jobs to the cost of living. We look at the policy around housing, Canadian housing supply, and what this means for first-time home buyers, renters, and those with a mortgage. We look at technology, from AI to the manosphere to social media like Meta, Twitter, Facebook, and more. We look at influential newsmakers like Elon Musk and influential technology industries like crypto and AI.

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Episodes

The true story behind ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

In the 1920s, something nefarious started happening to members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Within four years, at least 60 people were murdered or disappeared. Journalist David Grann takes us through the true crime story that inspired his book, and now a movie, Killers of the Flower Moon. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 20, 2023•25 min

Hamas hostages’ uncertain future

A former peace negotiator who worked on a high-profile prisoner swap on what it could take for captives in Gaza to be returned. Middle East director for the International Communities Organization Gershon Baskin also explains what he’s hearing from his contacts in Hamas. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 19, 2023•27 min

The 'algorithmic fog of war' with Israel and Hamas

Avi Asher-Schapiro, tech reporter with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, takes us through some of the reasons fake news or misleading content about the fight between Israel and Hamas is being amplified on social media feeds. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 18, 2023•26 min

After 5 years of legal weed, what's changed?

In October 2018, Canada legalized cannabis after decades of prohibition. The goals were to improve safety, public health and curb the illegal market. There were great expectations for a thriving cannabis industry. What’s changed in the industry since legalization? What challenges does it still face? And where does it go next? Solomon Israel, a journalist covering the cannabis industry for MJBizDaily, explains. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/tr...

Oct 17, 2023•21 min

Israel prepares to invade Gaza

As Israeli forces sit poised for a land invasion into Gaza in their campaign against Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Gazans are facing displacement or worse. Ishaan Tharoor, global affairs columnist with the Washington Post, brings us a recap of the latest developments, and where things could be headed next. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 16, 2023•27 min

Who’s responsible for the fentanyl crisis?

The U.S is cracking down on fentanyl’s global supply chain by targeting Mexican and Chinese individuals with indictments and sanctions. Officials from those countries insist it’s largely an American problem. What’s actually happening on the ground in China and Mexico? What impact will U.S. retaliation have? Today, journalist Zachary Siegel explains. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available b...

Oct 13, 2023•24 min

Voices from Gaza under ‘complete siege’

After Hamas’ attack on Israel, Israeli officials announced a full siege of Gaza, cutting off all supplies, including water, electricity and food. Intense missile attacks continue to hit the territory. Today, three people who call Gaza home tell us how they’re coping. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 12, 2023•24 min

What is Hamas?

In today's episode, we take a closer look at Hamas, the militant group behind this weekend’s assault on Israel. How did it end up governing Gaza? What are its origins and its goals? Lawrence Pintak — former CBS News Middle East correspondent and author of five books on religion, media and the Middle East — is our guest. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oct 11, 2023•19 min

Hamas attacks, Israel declares war

After Hamas launched thousands of rockets, broke through the Israeli border and took hostages in southern towns in a surprise attack on Saturday, Israel has retaliated with its own missile strikes and declared war. Now, Hamas has threatened to execute an Israeli captive for every unannounced strike on civilians, and Israel says it will block food, water and fuel from entering Gaza in a “complete siege.” As Israeli troops amass near Gaza, what could come next? Shayndi Raice is the Wall Street Jou...

Oct 10, 2023•20 min

Front Burner Introduces: Someone Knows Something | Season 8

Host David Ridgen joins victims' family members as they investigate cold cases, tracking down leads, speaking to suspects and searching for answers. In the highly-anticipated 8th season of Someone Knows Something, award-winning investigator David Ridgen delves into a cold case that has haunted Whitehorse for more than 15 years. Angel Carlick was a vibrant youth worker, nicknamed ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ by her loved ones. She had plans after graduation to become legal guardian of her brother and work to...

Oct 09, 2023•48 min

Canadian CIA MK-Ultra victims still fight for justice

What was MK-ULTRA? What brought the CIA to McGill University? What effects did the covert mind-control program have on its unwitting test subjects? How were the experiment results used in Guantanamo Bay? Why are survivors and their families still fighting for justice? Lisa Ellenwood, a producer with CBC’s The Fifth Estate and co-author of the book Les cobayes oubliés: l’histoire du programme MKULTRA à Montréal, tells the story. For more information on MKULTRA, you can check out the CBC Podcast B...

Oct 06, 2023•28 min

Bonus: Brainwashed

Brainwashed, hosted by Michelle Shephard, veteran national security reporter, investigates the CIA’s covert mind control experiments – from the Cold War and MKULTRA to the so-called War on Terror. It’s the story of how a renowned psychiatrist used his unwitting patients as human guinea pigs at a Montreal hospital, and the ripple effects on survivors, their families, and thousands of other people around the world. The series is an exploration of what happens in times of fear, when the military an...

Oct 06, 2023•24 min

Why Wab Kinew’s election win in Manitoba was historic

How did Wab Kinew, leader of the Manitoba NDP, win his province’s election to become the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province? What burden does this place on him in a province struggling with reconciliation? Ian Froese, a reporter with CBC Manitoba, breaks down the campaign.

Oct 05, 2023•23 min

A Tupac killing arrest. What took so long?

It's been 27 years since rapper Tupac Shakur was shot near the Las Vegas Strip, dying in hospital less than a week later. No charges were ever laid – that is, until Friday, when the police arrested long-time suspect Duane "Keefe D" Davis. Today, author and journalist Santi Elijah Holley explains how the Shakur legacy continues, and weighs in on the question we're all asking about the investigation: what took so long?

Oct 04, 2023•25 min

Anti-Canada rhetoric ramps up in India

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there are credible allegations linking India to the murder of a Canadian Sikh leader. CBC’s South Asia correspondent Salimah Shivji answers: how has Canada’s accusation played in the India media? What does the coverage tell us about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s politics? What could it mean for India’s Sikh community?

Oct 03, 2023•25 min

Front Burner Presents | The Naked Emperor | The Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried

Today we bring you a bonus episode of The Naked Emperor, our spinoff miniseries about the rise and fall of the crypto exchange FTX. As Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial kicks off in New York, host Jacob Silverman is back to bring you up to speed on the latest. What’s happened at the courthouse in the lead-up to the trial? And what’s expected in the weeks to come? Joining Jacob is Zeke Faux, an investigative reporter at Bloomberg, and the author of “Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and St...

Oct 02, 2023•27 min

As crises mount can Trudeau get back on track?

A dispute with India over assassination allegations. A Nazi fighter in Parliament. Plus a housing and cost of living crisis.  What damage has been done? Can Justin Trudeau find a path forward? Or will his party and the country lose faith?  Catherine Cullen, senior reporter and host of CBC’s political podcast The House, answers those questions and more. 

Sep 29, 2023•23 min

Sexual misconduct crisis rages on in Canada’s military

One of Canada’s first military sexual assault cases to be transferred to a civilian court since late 2021 will never go to trial because it took too long to get there. Is this a foreshadowing of what’s to come, in addressing the Canadian Armed Forces’ decades-long sexual misconduct crisis? CBC senior reporter Ashley Burke explains. 

Sep 28, 2023•20 min

How did a Nazi fighter end up in Parliament?

Canada’s Parliament gave two standing ovations to a Ukrainian man who fought for a Nazi division. What is this division, why are its fighters in Canada, and why is it receiving modern day memorials? Ottawa Citizen journalist David Pugliese explains.

Sep 27, 2023•20 min

How Rupert Murdoch changed the world

How did Rupert Murdoch build one of the most successful and politically influential media empires in the world? David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR News, tells the story of Murdoch's astonishing rise, the growth of Fox News, how world leaders flew around the globe in hopes of his support, and — from sexual harassment to phone hacking — how his companies got embroiled in scandal.

Sep 26, 2023•33 min

Following the trial of accused killer of Muslim family

It’s been just over two years since four members of the Afzaal family were killed after a truck drove into them on a summer evening in London, Ontario. Now, 22-year-old Nathaniel Veltman is on trial for four counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and terrorism charges for what prosecutors are calling an attack motivated by “white nationalism”. An earlier version of this episode incorrectly stated that Anders Breivik killed 77 people in Norway in 2021. That date is incorrect...

Sep 25, 2023•23 min

The Canada-wide protests over LGBTQ school rights

A call from a group called “1 Million March 4 Children” drew protestors in dozens of cities across Canada over LGBTQ-inclusive education and school policies. According to the organizers’ website, the day was supposed to be about advocating for the elimination of a number of things in schools: the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, “gender ideology” and mixed bathrooms. Coast-to-coast, they were met with counter-protesters who said they were there to defend LGBTQ ...

Sep 22, 2023•26 min

Did India kill a Canadian Sikh leader in B.C.?

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed outside his gurdwara in Surrey in June just after evening prayers. While the Sikh community has been urging investigators to get the bottom of what happened, it’s been quiet until a bombshell announcement from Prime Minister Trudeau on Monday: Canada believes there are “credible allegations” the Indian government was behind it. Since then it’s been a diplomatic firestorm. Diplomats are being pulled from both Canada and India and Canada’s allies are weighi...

Sep 21, 2023•24 min

How politics made Libya’s flood more deadly

The port city of Derna, Libya, has been devastated by flooding, with thousands of people killed. Mediterranean Storm Daniel brought torrential rain to the region last week, but it was the collapse of two dams that caused some of the worst damage, with entire sections of Derna washed away. Now, as rescue turns to recovery, we speak with Anas El Gomati, director of Sadeq Institute, a Libyan think tank, about the political situation in Libya since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted, and how that may have c...

Sep 20, 2023•23 min

An interview with Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he "could have" and "should have" moved faster on making affordable housing a priority for his government, but asks how much worse the situation would be without his policies. The concession comes as his government faces the worst polling it has seen since coming to power. Host Jayme Poisson returns for this special in-depth interview where Trudeau answers questions including: why he waited until last week to enact a 2015 housing promise, why his support from y...

Sep 19, 2023•39 min

What’s the future for global climate action?

It’s been a devastating summer of climate events in Canada, and the world. Canada saw its worst wildfire season on record, and the country was abnormally dry. There were also dramatic floods: on July 21st, Halifax got three months worth of rain in 24 hours. That’s the backdrop for the large-scale global climate action protests we saw this past weekend. Arno Kopecky is a longtime environmental journalist who attended the protests in Vancouver. After this summer, he decided that he wouldn’t just w...

Sep 18, 2023•25 min

Why the GOP wants to impeach Joe Biden

On Tuesday, U.S. House Speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy announced he is launching a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Republicans accuse Biden and his son, Hunter, of business dealings that benefited their family while he was Vice President. Though McCarthy says he is acting on “credible allegations” that Biden is entrenched in “a culture of corruption,” months of committee investigations led by the GOP failed to uncover any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Today, CBC Washin...

Sep 15, 2023•22 min

Modern ‘slavery’ faced by Canada’s migrant workers: UN report

“A breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.” That’s how a statement from a UN special rapporteur described Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program last week, focusing particularly on low-wage and agricultural workers. The TFWP allows Canadian employers to bring in workers from abroad if they couldn’t fill a position domestically, and Canada has recently expanded the program to allow more workers to stay longer. But migrant workers have complained about abuse and exploitation, as well...

Sep 14, 2023•23 min

After years of struggle, Canada’s men’s basketball levels up

Germany may have won gold this weekend, their first FIBA Men's Basketball World Cup ever, but it was Canada’s overtime upset against the United States in the bronze medal playoff game that has fans and sports writers breathlessly arguing that Canadian men’s basketball has finally hit the world stage. Today we’re talking about the long road to success, the volume of Canadian talent in the NBA and what this new victory means for Canada’s chances at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Oren Weisfeld, a fre...

Sep 13, 2023•22 min

Google on trial: U.S. takes on tech giant

On Tuesday, a judge in the U.S. will begin hearing arguments in what’s been called the first monopoly trial of the modern Internet era. At the heart of the case is whether Google used its search engine dominance to illegally throttle competition – an accusation Google denies, claiming “competition is just one click away.” Leah Nylen is an antitrust and investigations reporter with Bloomberg News, and today, she explains what the U.S. government is alleging, how Google is responding, and what thi...

Sep 12, 2023•23 min

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