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.

Follow on

Episodes

The “brain school” that experimented on Indigenous children

In 2014, a U.S. brainwave scientist claimed he could increase people’s creativity and cure their traumas. And he got permission to experiment on Indigenous children in Canada, offering an all-expenses-paid trip to Victoria, B.C. But a decade later, some study participants say the testing they went through — which included staff attaching electrodes to their heads and being asked to talk about the most traumatic moments of their lives — wasn’t what they signed up for and may have left side-effect...

Jun 14, 2024•29 min

Céline Dion’s struggle with stiff-person syndrome

Everyone knows who Céline Dion is. You can’t forget her incredible power ballads, her iconic outfits at the Met Gala or her quirky conversations with journalists and fellow singers alike. But what fans didn’t know for years was Céline was suffering from stiff-person syndrome. It was causing her body to tense up and spasm, making it hard to use her famous vocal chords. She went public with the diagnosis a year and a half ago, and then stepped away from showbiz and the public eye. Now, she’s openi...

Jun 13, 2024•25 min

Two Jewish parents on recent school attacks

Over the past few months attacks that hit Jewish schools, community centres and synagogues have shaken Canada’s Jewish community. For some Jewish-Canadian parents, there is now a question of whether it’s safe to send their children to Jewish schools. “Right now, it's a bit fraught to be very Jewish out in the broader world,” says Kim Werker, a Jewish-Canadian mother with a 13-year-old son.  We speak to Werker and another Jewish-Canadian mother about these concerns, how they’ve been coping a...

Jun 12, 2024•27 min

Grift, Disinfo, Fraud? What happened at The Epoch Times?

We dive into the wild story behind The Epoch Times, a fringe conservative newspaper turned right-wing propaganda machine with ties to a mysterious dissident Chinese meditation movement.  What are its aims? How did it become one of the biggest pro-Trump ad spenders and a destination for the likes of Candace Owens and Conrad Black? And what will happen now that its CFO is charged in a $67-million money laundering scandal. NBC disinfo reporter Brandy Zadrozny explains. Help us make Front Burne...

Jun 11, 2024•26 min

Are there ‘traitors’ in Canada’s parliament?

A new report accuses parliamentarians of aiding foreign governments to interfere in Canadian politics, which some national security experts say would amount to ‘traitors’ at the heart of our democracy.   Will we ever get the names of the MPs in question? How has it already created a chill between parliamentarians and their colleagues? And if the primary goal of interference is to destabilize Canada, is this report just another success for foreign actors? CBC’s chief political correspon...

Jun 10, 2024•26 min

Life's tough. Will the interest rate cut help?

An interest rate cut of a quarter of a percent might not sound like much. But as the first cut in four years following the COVID-19 pandemic and all the economic upheaval that followed, it's a big deal. And it could be the first of several in the months ahead. But what does that mean for you? How does that affect your ability to afford things like a mortgage, a car, groceries, or growing your business? And after a rocky couple of years, do people even have faith in the Bank of Canada's ability t...

Jun 07, 2024•27 min

The battle over Vancouver’s legal tent camp

Tent encampments have been around in Canada for a long time. But since the pandemic, the number of camps have grown drastically as Canadians struggle with soaring housing prices and homeless shelters often operating at full capacity. Meanwhile, cities have gotten more aggressive in removing these camps — claiming they’re lawless, unhealthy environments. So how did the city of Vancouver end up with a fully legal tent community in CRAB Park?  Sarah Berman, an investigative journalist based in...

Jun 06, 2024•24 min

Will the Liberals dump Trudeau?

It’s no secret the Liberal Party is Canada is unpopular. Poll after poll shows the Liberals between 15 to 20 points behind the Conservatives, led by a surging Pierre Poilievre. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t faring any better, hitting record low approval ratings after nearly ten years in power. Is it time to replace him? And if so, who can take over the sinking ship? David Herle, a partner at Rubicon Strategy and chief campaign strategist for the Liberals under Paul Martin, joins us to answ...

Jun 05, 2024•27 min

George Floyd’s legacy of racial progress — and backlash

Four years ago, George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death sparked a massive movement in the U.S. and around the world as protestors passionately rallied against police violence and systemic racism. Not only that, but companies and politicians promised to enact change. But since that reckoning, has progress really been made? Or is there now a cultural backlash that’s cutting down progress? Washington Post journalist Tolu Olurunnipa, who wrote a Pulitzer Priz...

Jun 04, 2024•28 min

Is Doug Ford’s $225M booze plan worth it?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced the province will pay at least $225 million to get beer and wine into corner stores over a year ahead of schedule. But why does the province need to pay at all, and why has Ford spent so much time and energy on this issue over his six years in power? Our Ontario provincial affairs reporter Mike Crawley joins us to explain the massive payment, Ford’s political history with alcohol sales and how the new announcement may tie into rumours that an early electio...

Jun 03, 2024•22 min

Donald Trump is a convicted felon

A New York jury has found former U.S. president Donald Trump guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to conceal payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels. This makes Trump the first American president to be found guilty of a felony. Just six months out from election day, voters are left with an unprecedented scenario in which a convicted felon could become the next President of the United States. Perry Stein is a justice reporter for the Washington Post, where she is also the co-author...

May 31, 2024•18 min

When Israel investigates itself, what happens?

Earlier this week, an Israeli airstrike that set off a huge blaze in a tent camp in Rafah killed dozens of Palestinians and prompted outrage around the world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a “tragic mistake,” and promised a thorough investigation. His words echoed previous pledges of investigations and accountability, after past incidents involving the Israel Defense Forces that caused similar global outrage.  But when Israel investigates itself, what happens...

May 31, 2024•27 min

Is Canada's economy working hard, or hardly working?

You might be hearing some positive-sounding headlines about Canada's economy recently. Inflation is coming down, and we've (so far) managed to avoid the recession many were predicting following the pandemic. So why do so many Canadians still feel like they're struggling to get by? In a word: productivity. The Bank of Canada has called the country's economic productivity situation an "emergency," and economists say there's a direct link between productivity and standard of living. BMO chief econo...

May 30, 2024•22 min

For Humboldt trucker, what punishment is enough?

It’s been six years since Jaskirat Singh Sidhu crashed a truck into a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team — killing 16 people, injuring 13 others and forever changing the victims’ families. Sidhu, a former permanent resident of Canada, has spent years in prison. Now, he’s been ordered to be deported to India — which critics say is a systemic problem in our legal and immigration systems that leaves noncitizens facing a ‘double punishment.’ The Narwhal’s Prairies Bureau Chief, Sharon J. ...

May 29, 2024•23 min

How did a Mormon town grab first dibs on Alberta water?

As Alberta struggles to navigate several years of dry conditions in the province, its historic water license system has come under scrutiny. In short, whoever got water rights first has first dibs on the water today. One of the small towns that really benefits from this system is Magrath, established in 1899 by Mormon settlers from Utah and Idaho. But its senior water rights are becoming more contentious as other communities are forced to buy water amid an increasingly taxed supply. We hear from...

May 28, 2024•23 min

Election season in the UK, again

Standing in the pouring rain, and drowned out by protest music, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood in front of 10 Downing street with an announcement: the British public would be heading to the polls for a snap election on July 4th.  British Politics has been a whirlwind for the last decade, with several conservative governments, and the polarizing passage of Brexit. And after nearly 15 years in the political wilderness, the Labour Party looks primed to deliver a historic election vic...

May 27, 2024•24 min

Inside Haiti's capital, ripped apart by gangs

For months, Haiti has been ravaged by out-of-control gangs, especially in the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince. But international forces are expected to arrive any day now, led by Kenya. Getting in and out of Haiti is dangerous — and for many, impossible. But CBC’s Paul Hunter managed to go inside the gang-controlled capital and tells us what life is like for Haitians struggling to escape the brutal conditions and how they feel about the looming international intervention. Help us make Front ...

May 24, 2024•21 min

Was Red Lobster's fall caused by more than endless shrimp?

Red Lobster used to be one of the biggest names in the world of casual dining — but now the restaurant chain is on the brink of collapse as it files for bankruptcy protection. Was its famous "endless shrimp" promotion really too much for the restaurant to handle? Or is this more about the business decisions of a private equity firm and a major Thai seafood company? Business Insider senior correspondent Emily Stewart takes us through the story of Red Lobster's years-long fall from glory — and how...

May 23, 2024•24 min

ICC prosecutor wants Netanyahu, Hamas leaders arrested

The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor is requesting arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister. Officials on both sides are being accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity — claims they strongly deny and argue benefit their enemies. Could these requests make a difference in the war? And what goes into building a war crimes case at the ICC? Michael Lynk, a former UN Special Rapporteur for the ...

May 22, 2024•29 min

Lessons for Canada from Europe’s housing fails

Europe has a reputation as a place that is generally ahead of the curve on things like social housing. So it might surprise some Canadians to learn that much of the EU is well into the throes of a full-blown housing affordability crisis — and the general patterns bear a striking resemblance to our own. Senior Politico reporter Aitor Hernandez-Morales explains just how bad things are getting, and what we might learn from how it's unfolding.

May 21, 2024•31 min

Front Burner Presents: Modi's India, Episode 1

How did Narendra Modi, the son of a humble tea seller rise up the political ranks to become one of the most powerful leaders India has ever seen? And did bloody religious riots damage his political future, or turbocharge it? This is episode 1 of Modi's India: Understood. Hosted by Salimah Shivji. More episodes are available here .

May 20, 2024•34 min

Can you have a 'real' relationship with an AI?

OpenAI is showing off the latest version of its ChatGPT software in a new set of promotional videos, sounding almost human in the way it talks to users, inviting all sorts of sci-fi comparisons. But AI chatbots are already here, using large language models to simulate human speech, emotion — and even relationships. As this technology goes increasingly mainstream, what will it mean for our "real life" relationships? Can you actually have a meaningful relationship with a computer program? And if y...

May 17, 2024•28 min

Politics! Taxing the rich, birth control and hybrid work

CBC’s chief political correspondent, Rosemary Barton, returns to explain the latest dust-ups in Ottawa. Will the tax changes the Liberals are promising impact only Canada’s richest? Why is a fight over public service workers returning to the office three days a week leading to threats about government services? And why are the NDP accusing the Conservatives of attacking women’s reproductive health?

May 16, 2024•22 min

The WNBA enters its Caitlin Clark era

The Women's National Basketball Association has been around for 30 years now, but has long struggled to stand out in an increasingly busy marketplace. The league has also struggled with viewership, and pay equity.  But they may have finally found a star transformative enough to break out of the pack. Her name? Caitlin Clark.  Just before Clark's professional debut with the Indiana Fever, CBC's Shireen Ahmed joins the show to discuss the WNBA's talismanic star, what some are referring t...

May 15, 2024•24 min

Eurovision’s charged political history

Eurovision might best be described as “the Olympics meets American Idol”: a singing contest where countries face off for the number one spot in musical glory. It’s incredibly campy, silly, and mostly very fun. But this year’s Eurovision — which wrapped on the weekend — was dogged by controversy, as organizers faced protests for allowing Israel to compete amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, insists the contest is “non-political”. But our guest tod...

May 14, 2024•25 min

Israel rejects ceasefire deal, pushes into Gaza’s last refuge

There were scenes of celebration in Gaza last Monday, as word spread that Hamas had accepted the terms of an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. But the same day, Israel rejected the deal. Its military has since ordered more evacuations and pushed further into Rafah, considered a last refuge for over 1 million Gazans displaced by the war.   So what would it take for Israel to agree to a ceasefire? If it wants the safety of hostages, why didn’t it take a deal to release them? And what c...

May 13, 2024•23 min

Think you’re too smart to be scammed? Think again.

Whether it’s a complex network of fake online designer shops set up to get your credit card details, a scammer impersonating your bank’s fraud department to get more personal information, or a simple “How are you today?” text that might lead to asking you to invest in a crypto scheme…scams are on the rise. And they are getting more sophisticated. Today on the show, David Reevely, who covers cybersecurity for The Logic, on the evolution of scamming and what you can do to guard against it. For tra...

May 10, 2024•23 min

Is lobbying corrupting Canadian governments?

On Friday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre published an op-ed criticizing Canadian businesses’ use of lobbyists. He’s also called out the Liberals for high-priced fundraisers and "undue handouts” to the business lobby. But since Poilievre became leader, dozens of federal lobbyists have also paid to attend the roughly 50 private fundraising events he’s spoken at. So despite all the critiques of big money and lobbying in politics, why do they still seem to be everywhere? How has lobbying shif...

May 09, 2024•20 min

Is India hiring gangs to kill political enemies in Canada?

In June of 2023, Sikh activist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., after evening prayers. Three men have now been arrested and charged with his murder, and all three are affiliated with a gang with ties to Punjab. But sources close to the investigation believe these men were just hired guns, acting on orders from the top levels of the Indian government's intelligence service. CBC senior reporter Evan Dyer breaks down his exclusive reporti...

May 08, 2024•26 min

At the McGill encampment: Calls to divest from Israel

Unless it was dismantled last night after we put this podcast to bed, the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University is now entering into its 11th day. It's just one of several across Canada, and one of many more across North America. So last Tuesday, we headed to Montreal to check out the McGill encampment for ourselves.  We went to speak to students there about their central demand: divestment. We wanted to learn more about what it means, why the students are calling for it, and why ...

May 07, 2024•35 min

← Prev Next →