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

Elections can be won or lost in the 905. What do voters there care about?

Many Canadian elections can be won or lost in the 905, the area that encircles Toronto and has more ridings than some provinces. As part of The Current’s election series, Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters , Matt Galloway travels across this influential region to hear what matters most to voters. In Oshawa, the automotive industry that once generated so much wealth is under fresh threat from U.S. tariffs. Galloway talks to local union president Jeff Gray, as well as people at either...

Apr 10, 20251 hr 9 min

Three more Canadians share their favourite vacation spots

Three listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a spot on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Amber Jenkins tells us why she loves St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B.; Deborah Nixon explains what’s so special about Churchill, Man.; and Rita Komendant shares fond memories of canoeing along Bow River, Alta. with her family. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favorite on cbc.ca/thecurrent ....

Apr 09, 202519 min

Hospital network pledges millions to attract U.S. talent

A Toronto hospital network has a plan to recruit the best and brightest medical scientists from the U.S. and around the world, as funding cuts and layoffs put a chill on research south of the border. Matt Galloway discusses what Canada stands to gain with Kevin Smith, president and CEO of University Health Network; and Brad Wouters, UHN’s executive vice-president of science and research.

Apr 09, 202520 min

Why run when you can't win? Longshot candidates explain why

They're sometimes called "paper candidates" or even "sacrificial lambs:" federal election candidates who enter so-called "unwinnable" races. In her 2021 documentary The Longshots , Joan Webber spoke with former candidates from previous elections, to hear what it’s like to be the horse no one’s betting on.

Apr 09, 202526 min

More young women with alcohol-related liver failure, study warns

Samantha Harasemchuk was 27 when she was diagnosed with cirrhosis, the beginning of liver failure linked to heavy alcohol consumption. Now, a new study suggests the problem is rising sharply among teens and young adults — and women are most at risk.

Apr 08, 202522 min

What does stock market chaos mean for your money?

Trump’s global tariffs have sparked a stock market meltdown, leaving many Canadians worried about their investments, their pensions — and what it all means for day-to-day cost of living. Guest host Mark Kelley breaks down how this will affect ordinary Canadians with the CBC’s senior business reporter Peter Armstrong and economist Armine Yalnizyan.

Apr 08, 202519 min

These young Canadians want their peers to get out and vote

Young voters aren’t known for high turnout on polling day, but some hope that’ll be different in what they see as a high-stakes election. We speak to three voters about what matters to them in this vote, and why they want their peers to overcome their apathy.

Apr 08, 202523 min

Perfect pitch can be learned, new research suggests

New research suggests you can actually learn how to recognize a musical note just by hearing it, challenging the conventional wisdom that you either have perfect pitch, or you don’t. We talk to researcher Yetta Kwailing Wong and take a pop quiz to test our ears.

Apr 07, 202512 min

Caring for an aging parent, when you live hundreds of miles away

Shirley Gignac is 73 and living with dementia, but she lives hours away from her two daughters, Annette and Natalie Goerner. As part of our series As We Age , the sisters share how they’ve navigated hard conversations and found ways to care for their mom from a distance.

Apr 07, 202523 min

Almost halfway to election day, what have we learned so far?

With three weeks until election day, what have we learned about the candidates criss-crossing the country? What are the leaders focused on — and who’s resonating with Canadians? Matt Galloway breaks down what we’ve seen so far with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton and the Toronto Star’s Ryan Tumilty.

Apr 07, 202520 min

For some Albertans, this election is all about national unity

Many Albertans say they don’t feel understood or appreciated by the rest of Canada, but as U.S. tensions deepen, so too do conversations about national unity. As part of The Current’s election series, Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters, Matt Galloway travels to Red Deer in the heart of Alberta, to hear what matters most to voters in this election. Galloway visits a fracking site, a wind farm and a cattle farm to talk to voters who say Canada isn’t making the most of its natural reso...

Apr 04, 20251 hr 13 min

The Current Introduces | Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer

In the wake of 9/11, anthrax-laced letters unleashed a new wave of terror across the nation. But who was behind the attacks — and why has America nearly forgotten this story? As government buildings shut down and law enforcement scrambled to track the perpetrator, the FBI launched one of the largest and most complex investigations in its history. Untangling a web of scientific evidence and false leads, the case took unexpected turns with lasting consequences. From Wolf Entertainment, USG Audio, ...

Apr 03, 202538 min

What it’s like growing up as a ‘restaurant kid’

Rachel Phan was three years old when her parents opened a restaurant in Kingsville, Ont., a venture that quickly ate up most of their time and energy. In her new memoir, Restaurant Kid, the Chinese-Canadian author writes about feeling like the restaurant had stolen her parents away from her, and how it affected her well into adulthood.

Apr 03, 202525 min

Many treatments for low back pain just don’t work, study suggests

Ann Marie Gaudon tried everything she could think of to treat debilitating back pain, but for a long time nothing worked. Now, a new study suggests very few treatments actually do work — where does that leave the millions of Canadians struggling with chronic pain?

Apr 03, 202521 min

Trump wants to shut down Canada’s auto sector. Can he do it?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada’s auto industry will lead to “mutually assured destruction,” says Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association. Kingston talks to guest host Mark Kelley about Trump’s stated aim of shutting down auto manufacturing in Canada, and why he thinks these tariffs ultimately leave the U.S. less competitive against rivals like China.

Apr 03, 202515 min

Should torpedo bats be banned from Major League Baseball?

The New York Yankees are off to a record-breaking start this season, but all eyes are on their new, torpedo-shaped bats. Baseball historian Gary Gillette explains why these bats — developed by an MIT physicist — are making such a splash, and why there’s already talk of banning them.

Apr 02, 202512 min

Civil war complicates earthquake rescue efforts in Myanmar

Rescue operations continue after the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand last week. But journalist Dave Grunebaum says Myanmar’s civil war is complicating relief efforts, as fighting between the military junta and resistance forces continues amid the destruction.

Apr 02, 202510 min

Is technology becoming the world's most powerful religion?

Our daily interactions with technology are looking more and more like a religious act, according to Greg Epstein, a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and author of Tech Agnostic . In an interview from December, he discusses whether the tech that surrounds us is worthy of our faith.

Apr 02, 202523 min

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ is here. What should Canadians expect?

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to unveil the full scope of his tariffs plan Wednesday afternoon, a trade policy he says will liberate his country from reliance on foreign goods. Guest host Mark Kelley discusses the economic and political fallout for Canada with former federal minister Lisa Raitt, and Carlo Dade, director of trade and trade infrastructure for the Canada West Foundation.

Apr 02, 202520 min

The Current Introduces: Agent Pale Horse

FBI undercover agent Scott Payne’s job was to infiltrate the most dangerous gangs of our times: outlaw bikers, drug cartels and the international neo-Nazi networks hellbent on inciting a race war. He was taking down these groups from within. And Scott was good at it — people confided in him their most audacious plans for mass violence and domestic terrorism. In the second season of White Hot Hate, host Michelle Shephard gives you an unvarnished view of a life undercover. Because after a 28-year-...

Apr 01, 202532 min

Did you hear the one about the old comedian?

Getting older isn’t always easy, but sometimes it can be hilarious. As part of our series As We Age , we talk to older comedians about finding humour in everything from senior sex to Old Age Security — and tackling aches and pains when stand-up is literally the job description.

Apr 01, 202525 min

Which of these beautiful Canadian spots should you visit?

Three listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots to be included in The Current’s travel bucket list. Ellie Poirier tells us why she loves Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Yvonne Kyle fights for Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut, and Nancy Edwards explains why you can’t miss the Saguenay fjord in Quebec. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favorite on cbc.ca/thecurrent ....

Apr 01, 202520 min

Trump puts Canada’s defence spending in election spotlight

Defence is now a key election issue, fuelled by questions over whether the U.S. is a reliable ally under President Donald Trump. We ask military experts what kind of investment is needed to make sure Canada can protect itself, and whether whoever wins the election can deliver it.

Apr 01, 202519 min

The Current’s travel bucket list: Vote for your favourite!

We asked for your favourite Canadian vacation spots for The Current’s travel bucket list — and you certainly delivered, with more than 2,000 submissions. Rick Mercer joins Matt Galloway to unveil the shortlist of 20 amazing locations, and explain how you can vote for your favourite .

Mar 31, 202520 min

Is the election pitting generations against each other?

Recent polls show a stark generational divide this election, with the majority of young voters angry about the cost of living, while seniors are more anxious about Donald Trump’s threats against Canada. We look at what the different parties are pitching, to all Canadians.

Mar 31, 202525 min

The FBI agent who infiltrated neo-Nazi biker gangs

FBI agent Scott Payne went undercover among neo-Nazis, biker gangs and white supremacists, putting his life on the line to expose their plans for mass violence and terrorism. Now he’s telling his story in the new CBC podcast White Hot Hate: Agent Pale Horse, hosted by Michelle Shephard.

Mar 31, 202527 min

How a bear attack story helped this author understand her cancer diagnosis

Claire Cameron has been obsessed with bears since hearing about a bear attack while she was working in Ontario’s Algonquin Park as a teenager. But when she was diagnosed with cancer, Cameron revisited the details of that attack and the wilderness environment that’s shaped much of her life. She tells Galloway about her new memoir How to Survive a Bear Attack , and what facing death taught her about how to live.

Mar 28, 202526 min

Which will matter more in this election, policy or vibes?

Promises and policies will matter in this election — but in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, could a strongman persona be more important? CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, senior reporter with The Globe and Mail Stephanie Levitz, and Toronto Star political reporter Ryan Tumilty are here to discuss that and break down the first few days of the campaign.

Mar 28, 202519 min

Why Yale professor Jason Stanley is moving to Canada

Jason Stanley, a Yale University professor who studies fascism, is moving to Canada after seeing too many signs from his own work in the American political landscape. Stanley tells Matt Galloway about how he hopes to protect democracy from north of the border — and issues a warning to his new Canadian neighbors.

Mar 28, 202521 min
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