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.

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Episodes

Stranded, this diver lost oxygen for 25 minutes. He survived

Christopher Lemons was working at the bottom of the North Sea when he was suddenly cut off from his support vessel — leaving him rapidly running out of oxygen, almost 100 metres below the surface. He tells Matt Galloway the incredible story of how he survived, which is now the subject of Last Breath, a Hollywood film starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu.

Mar 17, 202520 min

Mark Carney becomes PM today. When will he call an election?

Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be sworn in as prime minister later today, with political observers suggesting he could call a federal election as early as next week. Our politics panel unpacks what that campaign might look like — and whether it will come down to who Canadians think is capable of standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Mar 14, 202520 min

A woman’s search for truth about her sister’s murder

Sonya Cywink was found murdered in London, Ont. in 1994, but her killer was never found. The Anishinaabe woman’s sister Meggie has spent decades seeking answers, and growing increasingly frustrated with police. Now, Meggie’s relentless quest for justice has uncovered new details, with the help of The Fifth Estate and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Walker.

Mar 14, 202520 min

The top EU diplomat navigating shifting global alliances

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has strained his country’s alliances with Canada and the EU, while drawing Russia closer. As G7 foreign ministers meet in Quebec, guest host Mark Kelley talks to Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas about navigating this shifting world order.

Mar 14, 202523 min

Why John Green is obsessed with tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is entirely curable and yet also the deadliest infectious disease in the world. That paradox has fascinated John Green, the popular YouTuber and author of The Fault in Our Stars , ever since he met a boy called Henry at a TB hospital in Sierra Leone. Green's new book, Everything is Tuberculosis , tells Henry’s story and asks why this disease still kills more people every year than homicide, war, and malaria combined.

Mar 13, 202524 min

What will the U.S. push for ‘energy dominance’ mean for Canada?

Donald Trump’s administration wants to create a new era of “energy dominance” in the U.S., by ramping up energy production to bring cheap power to more Americans. What will this mean for Canada's oil and gas sector? CBC business reporter Kyle Bakx went to CERAWeek, the “Super Bowl” of energy conferences, to find out what the industry is thinking.

Mar 13, 202520 min

Five years later, how did the pandemic change our lives?

It’s been five years since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, completely upending life as we knew it. We reconnect with some of the people we spoke to in those early days of lockdown, to ask where they are now and how the pandemic changed their lives.

Mar 13, 202523 min

What this U.S. farmer would say to Trump about his trade war

Iowa farmer Joshua Manske says the trade war could be “really, really, really harmful” for him and the other farmers who helped U.S. President Donald Trump win his second term. Matt Galloway talks to Americans about the impact of tariffs and counter-tariffs on their businesses — and what they’d like to say to Trump.

Mar 12, 202519 min

The push to exonerate Russell Woodhouse

Four Indigenous men were convicted of a 1973 Winnipeg murder following forced confessions and a trial later described by a judge as “infected” by racism. Three of those men have since been exonerated — after years behind bars — but Russell Woodhouse died in 2011 before he saw his name cleared. Now, his family are pushing for his posthumous exoneration.

Mar 12, 202524 min

One woman's campaign to bring us together — with grammar

Do you silently judge someone who says “less” when they mean “fewer”? Do you have very strong feelings about the Oxford comma? You may want a word with Ellen Jovin. For years, the author of Rebel with a Clause has been setting up a folding table on the street to talk to people about grammar — which she says can actually bring us together in divisive times.

Mar 12, 202514 min

Aid organizations trying to fill the gap left by USAID cuts

The Trump administration’s dramatic cuts to USAID sparked worldwide alarm among humanitarian workers, leaving other organizations struggling to fill the gap. Matt Galloway talks to Avril Benoit, CEO of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the U.S.

Mar 12, 202513 min

What’s your favourite vacation spot in Canada? Add it to our bucket list!

With simmering U.S.-Canada tensions around tariffs, some Canadians are rethinking where they want to spend their travel dollars — and looking to some of the great places this country has to offer. The Current is putting together a travel bucket list and we want your suggestions! Go to cbc.ca/thecurrent to help us celebrate this big, beautiful country.

Mar 11, 202520 min

Could U.S. cuts to science research be an opportunity for Canada?

U.S. President Donald Trump has slashed and frozen funding to the National Institutes of Health, stalling research on ailments from cancer to dementia and possible new drugs to treat them. We look at the impact on research in Canada, and hear why some say this is an opportunity to attract talent to laboratories here.

Mar 11, 202523 min

How to keep seniors safe from dangerous falls at home

Many people want to stay in their own homes as they get older, but things like stairs and slippery bathtubs can lead to falls and injury. As part of our ongoing series on getting older, we look at what kind of improvements and modifications can keep seniors safe — and in their homes longer.

Mar 11, 202525 min

Is Mark Carney the man to stand up for Canada?

Mark Carney won the race to become Liberal Party leader by a landslide, and will likely replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister in the coming days. We talk to partisan strategists and commentators about what lies ahead for both Carney and Canadians, from Trump’s tariffs to an imminent election.

Mar 10, 202520 min

Louise Penny cancels U.S. book tour over Trump’s threats

Best-selling Canadian author Louise Penny has cancelled all upcoming appearances in the U.S., posting online that she doesn't feel she can visit the country amid “the ongoing threat of an unprovoked trade war against Canada by the U.S. president.” She talks to Matt Galloway about her decision.

Mar 10, 202512 min

World’s biggest iceberg runs aground

An iceberg weighing nearly a trillion tonnes, named A23a, appears to have run aground off the shore of an island in the South Atlantic. A scientist warns that it could pose a significant risk to local wildlife — but also presents an opportunity to study these rare, giant slabs of ice.

Mar 10, 202511 min

These teens grew up with social media. Now, they’re ditching it

Today’s teenagers have grown up with smartphones, but some have turned away from these devices’ constant demand for attention. Matt Galloway talks to three 18 year olds who have either unplugged from social media or forgone smartphones completely.

Mar 10, 202525 min

Why music legend Bob Ezrin renounced his U.S. citizenship

The legendary music producer Bob Ezrin has renounced his U.S. citizenship and moved home to Canada, saying he doesn’t recognize America anymore. Matt Galloway talks to Ezrin about his decision; and to Peter Wall, who is organizing an “Elbows Up, Canada” rally to bring Canadians together in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats of annexation.

Mar 07, 202522 min

Our aging parents face hard choices. Here’s how to talk about it

Everyone’s getting older, but not everyone wants to think or talk about it. In a new series, The Current looks at aging well and the hard choices facing older adults and their loved ones. We start with a conversation many people have been avoiding: how to talk to our aging parents about getting older.

Mar 07, 202520 min

Nursing still in ‘post-traumatic state’ after pandemic, says front-line worker

It’s been five years since people banged pots and pans to support health-care workers battling the pandemic — but today many nurses say they’re still struggling in an overwhelmed system. Matt Galloway talks to two front-line nurses about the burnout, violence and staff shortages that are driving some out of the profession entirely.

Mar 07, 202523 min

How will tariffs affect your money? We answer your questions

What will U.S. tariffs mean for prices at the grocery store? What if you're about to renegotiate your mortgage? Matt Galloway puts your questions about the trade war to personal finance columnist Rob Carrick and economist Armine Yalnizyan.

Mar 06, 202520 min

Could vertical farming reduce Canada’s need for U.S. produce?

With a big push to buy Canadian, vertical farming could be a way to grow leafy greens in the dead of winter — and reduce our reliance on U.S. produce. We look at how vertical farming works, what it costs, and whether it can actually be scaled up to help feed Canadians.

Mar 06, 202524 min

Trump to host who’s-who of the crypto world at White House

U.S. President Donald Trump launched his own cryptocurrency meme coin, $TRUMP, in January, and this week he’s hosting the White House's first-ever cryptocurrency summit. The CBC’s Nora Young explains why the president's interest in crypto — including plans to create a national reserve of the digital currency — is setting off alarms.

Mar 06, 202511 min

Why 7-11 is a national treasure in Japan. (Yes, that 7-11)

7-11 is a national institution in Japan, offering customers everything from great food to a way to pay bills and send money. But now a takeover bid from a Canadian conglomerate has some worried that these unique Japanese stores and the culture surrounding them could change.

Mar 06, 20259 min

Canada won’t meet U.S. ‘in the middle’ on tariffs: finance minister

Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc says Ottawa isn’t interested in meeting the U.S. “in the middle” on tariffs — as suggested by one U.S. official — and that Canada just wants the tariffs removed. LeBlanc talks to Matt Galloway about how his government is fighting the trade war started by Donald Trump’s administration, and why he thinks trying to understand the president’s rationale can amount to “negative energy.”...

Mar 05, 202521 min

Could the U.S. push Canada out of the Five Eyes spy network?

The White House has denied reports that the U.S. is trying to eject Canada from the Five Eyes, the spy network both countries share with the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. We look at the critical role the U.S. plays in global intelligence, and whether it’s still a reliable partner.

Mar 05, 202523 min

Why are more adults being diagnosed with ADHD?

There’s been an increase in the number of adults diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication to treat it. We talk to two adults about what getting a diagnosis meant to them, and ask a doctor if social media and private clinics might be leading to an overdiagnosis of ADHD.

Mar 05, 202525 min

Trump’s tariffs are here. What happens now?

The trade war between Canada and the United States has begun, with President Donald Trump slapping 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods. We look at what happens now, and how Canadian businesses and politicians are already responding.

Mar 04, 202519 min
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