The Current

Mixed martial arts can count some big-name politicians among its millions of fans, with Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre attending recent Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts. We dig into the sport’s intersection with politics, and the corners of the sport that seem to be embracing the manosphere, toxic masculinity and, in some cases, far-right figures.

Some schools are offering so-called adulting 101 courses, teaching Gen Zers basic skills like cooking, cleaning or changing a tire. Some social scientists call it “delayed adulthood,” the phenomenon of younger people lacking life skills that past generations took for granted.

Ed Yong has “birder derangement syndrome,” a condition that’s entirely made up but may be familiar to other birding enthusiasts. In a conversation from last spring, the science writer tells Matt Galloway how the joy of birding saved him from pandemic burnout and radically changed how he interacts with nature.

Are you worried about U.S. tariffs squeezing your retirement investments? Anxious about losing your job? Or afraid that inflation will make it harder to put food on the table? With economic uncertainty fuelling fears of recession, Matt Galloway puts your financial questions to economist Armine Yalnizyan and certified financial planner Shannon Lee Simmons.

The comedian Phil Hanley remembers his school teachers calling him lazy and stupid, when in truth he was struggling with dyslexia. In his new memoir Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith, Hanley writes about how his mother defended him in an unsympathetic education system, and why he doesn’t want dyslexic kids today to feel the shame he did.

Bird populations across North America have fallen by billions over the last 50 years, according to a staggering report from Cornell University. Researcher Amanda Rodewald explains what’s happening, and why common birds like sparrows, blackbirds and finches are suffering the greatest losses.

A small group of Canadian and Danish scientists have been drilling deep into the ice on Axel Heiberg Island, on the western edge of the Arctic Ocean. Ice core scientist Alison Criscitiello explains why drilling into the ice cap can give us a glimpse into the Earth’s past.

Cardinal Robert Prevost is the first American pontiff, choosing the name Pope Leo XIV. Jesuit priest and journalist Father Sam Sawyer explains why that surprised some people, as did the new pope’s social media rebuke, earlier this year, of JD Vance and the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers.

Hopes for peace in Ukraine rest with three men: the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Journalists Simon Shuster and Luke Harding have covered this conflict and its characters in depth. They join Matt Galloway to share their insights into each leader’s personalities and motivations.

There’s something undeniably special about Alberta’s World Famous Gopher Hole Museum, with its taxidermied rodents kitted out as firefighters, hair stylists, or even enjoying a game of curling. The CBC’s Allison Dempster went to Torrington, Alta., to find out how the town came up with such an unusual tourist attraction — and why it ended up drawing the ire of Paul McCartney.

Trump’s economic fight with China has already led to a drop in cargo coming into U.S. ports. Supply chain experts are warning that tariffs could soon mean half-empty shelves and higher prices south of the border, which could have a knock-on effect for Canada.

It's not you — the internet really does suck. Novelist, blogger and noted internet commentator Cory Doctorow explains what happened to the internet and why you're tormented by ads, bots, algorithms, AI slop and so many pop-ups. Spoiler alert: it wasn't an accident.

In Understood: Who Broke the Internet, Doctorow gets into the decisions made by powerful people that got us here, and most importantly, how we fix it. More episodes of Who Broke the Internet are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/te1tCG

The internet was once a user-friendly place built to connect people, but now it’s rife with bots picking fights, AI fakery and algorithms hellbent on selling you something. In the new CBC podcast Understood: Who Broke the Internet?, tech journalist Cory Doctorow breaks down what he calls the "enshittification" of the internet — and who’s responsible.

Air traffic controllers reportedly lost track of planes for 90 seconds at Newark airport recently in a chaotic radar outage that prompted some staff to take stress leave. We look at what led to this nightmare scenario, and what needs to be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Israel has blocked any humanitarian aid from entering Gaza for two months, with aid agencies now warning that thousands of children are experiencing severe malnutrition. Matt Galloway talks to lawyer Michael Byers about what Israel’s obligations are under international law, and Moumen al-Natour, a lawyer who has organized public demonstrations against Hamas in Gaza.

The axolotl is a salamander that always appears to be smiling, making them popular as aquarium pets or as characters in video games like Minecraft. But the species is endangered in their natural habitat in Mexico, where researchers are working hard to preserve them.

Robert Harris got rare access to the Vatican as he was writing Conclave, the novel that inspired the 2024 film starring Ralph Fiennes. He joins Matt Galloway to dig into what will happen behind closed doors as cardinals convene today to elect the next pope — and explains why the group dynamics aren't that different from a reality TV show.

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised 100 per cent tariffs on movies produced outside the United States — but no one is quite sure what that means. We look at what’s driving film and television productions out of the U.S., and what tariffs would mean for workers here in Canada.

Most people don’t like to think about their parents having sex, but their grandparents? Educator Mary Connell helps long-term care workers get comfortable with talking about the sexual needs of seniors, especially when it comes to issues around sexual health, dementia and consent.

Dozens of people were killed when India fired missiles into Pakistan on Wednesday. India says it was targeting alleged militants linked to a terrorist attack in Kashmir last month, but Pakistan has repeatedly denied any involvement in that massacre — and described the missile strikes as an act of war. The CBC’s Salimah Shivji joins us from Mumbai to explain the soaring tensions between these neighbouring nuclear powers.

The CBC’s Margaret Evans recently travelled to Iran on a rare reporting trip, where she saw a striking number of women choosing not to wear headscarves. Evans discusses what's fuelling this act of defiance against the Islamic regime, whether a crackdown is coming, and what the young Iranians she met want for themselves and their nation.

What kind of reception awaits Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House? The Liberal leader meets U.S. President Donald Trump this afternoon, but some observers are mindful of the public disparaging that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy endured in the Oval Office earlier this year. Matt Galloway talks to experts who’ve been at these types of meetings to discuss how Carney can manage the risk and make the best case for Canada.

The conclave to select a new pope starts Wednesday in Rome. Matt Galloway talks to journalist JD Flynn and writer Randy Boyagoda about who the frontrunners are, how long the conclave might be, and how the next pontiff might shape the future of the Catholic Church.

Premier Danielle Smith says there could be a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada as early as next year, if citizens who want one gather enough signatures. Mike Solberg, a former staffer in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, digs into the separatist sentiment in the province — and Smith’s list of demands for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government in Ottawa.

Record numbers of people are running marathons around the world, with tens of thousands completing the Toronto and Vancouver marathons this weekend. We dig into the appeal with Professor Fran Garrad-Cole, who oversees a university course on what it takes, both physically and psychologically.

Food with added protein is big business these days, with companies putting it in everything from candy to water to dog food. We break down how the food industry has capitalized on the protein rush, and ask a dietitian how much of the supplement we actually need — and what’s the best way to get it.

The Canadians most vulnerable to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs voted for the Conservatives in last week’s federal election, according to analysis from Jennifer Robson, a professor of political management at Carleton University. She explains how she crunched the numbers, and what it might mean for how Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney engages with those anxious communities.

It is “reckless” and “premature” for General Motors to cut roughly 750 jobs at its Oshawa plant in response to U.S. tariffs, says Jeff Gray, Unifor’s local 222 president. He tells Matt Galloway that companies that “bend a knee to Donald Trump” will face consequences as a result.

So-called vibecoding can turn anyone into a website creator, by getting AI to do the coding work based on your instructions. But experts are warning about the risks after a cooking website called RecipeNinja.ai suggested recipes for things like cyanide-laced ice cream, cholera-inspired chocolate cake and cocaine.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has laid out his government’s priorities, from domestic issues like housing and immigration to upcoming negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump. Matt Galloway talks to Conservative MP Jamil Jivani and Liberal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne about how Canada can become less reliant on the U.S. in the face of a trade war and threats of annexation — and whether their two opposing parties can work together for the good of all Canadians.

Canadians travelling to the U.S. have been warned to “expect scrutiny” at the border, including the possibility that border officials may search their electronic devices and detain them for questioning. Matt Galloway talks to immigration lawyer Heather Segal and cybersecurity expert Ron Deibert about what Canadians should think about before travelling, whether you should bring a burner phone — and what your rights are as a visitor to the U.S.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says autistic kids will never hold a job, write a poem or go on a date — but writer and autistic person Sarah Kurchak says that simply isn’t true. She explains why the autistic community is so alarmed by RFK Jr.'s statements, and by his pledge to find a “cause” for autism by September.

Where’s the best place to visit in Canada? For weeks, listeners have been voting for the vacation spots they love across this big, beautiful country to build The Current’s travel bucket list. Rick Mercer joins Matt Galloway to reveal the top 10. Did your favourite place make the list?

Getting older is difficult, but it can be even harder on your own. As part of our series As We Age, we look at the complications of aging without friends or family nearby — and where people can find the support they need.

Four days after 11 people were killed at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver, there’s been an outpouring of support and caregiving among the Filipino community. We hear how this tight-knit community is coming together in the spirit of co-operation known as bayanihan, and visit a kitchen where local businesses are preparing food for victims and their families.

Back in the 1970s, the young designer Patricia Moore travelled the U.S. disguised as an 85-year-old — and experienced the real struggle of navigating the world as an older person. Moore went on to become a leading figure in inclusive design, and finding practical solutions to create a world that doesn't leave seniors behind.

In their election night speeches, Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both pledged to find ways to work with other parties to protect Canadians against the threats of tariffs and annexation from U.S. President Donald Trump. Matt Galloway discusses what kind of common ground the parties can find, and whether they’ll differ on things like housing and the energy sector, with two newly re-elected MPs: Conservative Chris d'Entremont and Liberal Dominic LeBlanc.

How is the rest of the world responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs? We check in with reporters in Japan, South Africa and the EU to see what Canada could learn from negotiations around the globe.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney will form Canada’s next government, though it remains unclear if he will lead a minority or majority parliament. Matt Galloway digs into what happened overnight, from where the Liberals won and lost, to the collapse of the NDP and Jagmeet Singh’s resignation, to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre losing his seat in the Ottawa riding of Carleton, but insisting he’ll stay on to steer the party.

Then, former cabinet minister Sean Fraser said that he wouldn’t seek re-election, but changed his mind after a call from new Liberal Leader Mark Carney. He tells Galloway about the conversation that convinced him to change his mind, and Carney’s promise of a better work-life balance now that Fraser has retained his seat in Central Nova.

Plus, how are the winners and losers feeling as the dust begins to settle on a tight race with plenty of surprises? Galloway talks to re-elected Liberal Wayne Long, who was among the first in his party to call for former prime minister Justin Trudeau to step down; Andrew Lawton, author of Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life and the newly elected Conservative MP for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South; and Heather McPherson, the NDP’s re-elected MP for Edmonton Strathcona, who some observers are saying could be the NDP’s next leader. We also check in with voters and political commentators we met on The Current’s election road show to hear how they’re feeling about the results.

Also, what are Conservatives thinking this morning — and should Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre resign the party leadership? Galloway talks to Peter MacKay, a Conservative cabinet minister in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government, who ran for party leadership in 2020.

And Liberal Leader Mark Carney has said he’ll govern for all Canadians, but a tight race has laid bare some of the divisions he’ll face as he tries to unite Canada in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Galloway talks to three people experienced in the challenges of governing Canada: former NDP MP Matthew Dubé, former Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay, and Conservative Chris Alexander, who served as minister of citizenship and immigration under Stephen Harper.

Sarajevo's luge track was the pride of the city during the 1984 Olympics, but now it’s overgrown with weeds and riddled with bullet holes from the Bosnian war. A new film called The Track, screening at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto, explores how a group of young athletes and their coach are trying to bring this piece of their city's history back to life.

RJ Aquino sat on the curb and wept Sunday morning, close to the spot where an SUV rammed into the Lapu Lapu street festival in Vancouver the night before, killing 11 people. Aquino, chair of Filipino BC, says his community is grieving and coming together to heal — and he’s been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from people who want to help.

Two more listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a place on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Emilie English shares what she loves about the Cariboo-Chilcotin region in B.C., and Tania Millen takes us on a trip to Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favourite on cbc.ca/thecurrent.

Marnie Wraith had a comfortable life with her husband, but as she got older she started to wonder if good enough was really good enough. Deciding she had more life to live, Wraith became one of an increasing number of Canadians getting a so-called grey divorce — and navigating all the social, personal and financial upheaval that came with it.

Two more listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a place on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Richard Smith shares what he loves about Lake Laberge in Yukon, and Sharon McKenzie celebrates the vibrant cultural life of Stratford, Ont. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favourite on cbc.ca/thecurrent.

This federal election has had its fair share of surprises, from who’s pulled ahead to how engaged Canadians have been. Matt Galloway discusses what we’ve learned on the campaign trail — and whether tightening polls suggest more surprises in store — with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton, Toronto Star’s Ryan Tumilty and the Globe and Mail's Stephanie Levitz.

U.S. President Donald Trump is making good on his pledge to conduct the "largest mass deportation in history,” sweeping up both undocumented migrants and people with work permits and legal protections. We discuss the master database that DOGE is building to track and surveil immigrants, and hear what it’s like to live under that shadow.

When Sonja Krawesky found a pair of bright and beautiful sculptures in a bargain bin at a Hamilton, Ont. store, she knew there had to be a story behind them. Her quest to find out where they came from led to a new friend — and a lesson about the kindness of strangers.

The small Alaskan town of Skagway usually welcomes plenty of visitors from neighbouring Yukon, but this year Canadians aren’t coming because of tensions with the U.S. The CBC’s Julia Pagel went to Skagway, where people say that the financial hit to tourism is bad, but what really hurts is watching years of friendship break down before their eyes.

Three leaders from Canada’s North share what’s on their minds in the closing days of the election campaign, from sovereignty to the cost of living to climate change.

The trial of five former world junior hockey players accused of sexual assault has begun in London, Ont., with the Crown telling jurors that the case will centre on what constitutes consent — and what does not. Matt Galloway talks to The Globe and Mail’s Robyn Doolittle, who is at the trial; and Landon Kenney, an educator who teaches hockey players about consent.

Meta and Google have been hit with landmark antitrust trials recently, centred on allegations of operating illegal monopolies. The CBC’s Nora Young breaks down what this might mean for the power of major tech companies, and the people who use their platforms every day. 

Nova Scotia musician Joel Plaskett got a special surprise for his 50th birthday, a cover album of his own songs — secretly recorded by his friends and some of the biggest names in Canadian music, including Sloan and Arkells. Plaskett talks to Matt Galloway in Halifax about the album, Songs from the Gang, and why it was so fascinating to hear what other people hear in his music.

Four more listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a place on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Sandra Trask says that Cape Breton Island, N.S., is a place for everyone and every season; Lana Gauthier explains why her family fell in love with Basin Head Provincial Park, P.E.I.; Lisa Proulx shares what’s so special about Gros Morne National Park, N.L.; and Annette Barclay says you just have to visit Kouchibouguac National Park, N.B. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favourite on cbc.ca/thecurrent.

Matt Galloway travels to Halifax to hear what’s on voters’ minds, in the final stop of The Current’s election road show Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters.  

First up, the sea is both a livelihood and a way of life in Nova Scotia, flowing into how many people will vote. Galloway talks to a fisherman fed up with how his industry is being treated by the federal government, a restaurant owner serving up haddock with a side of national pride and a seaweed exporter worried about U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs.  

Then, housing costs have soared in Halifax since the pandemic, leaving people like Michelle McClung feeling squeezed. Her adult children can’t afford to move out, including one son living in a campervan out front. She wants less talk of Trump, and more work to solve the housing crisis and bring down the cost of living.

The first wins and losses of next week’s federal election will be announced in Atlantic Canada, where the political landscape has shifted dramatically in recent months. Matt Galloway heads to Halifax to talk to CBC reporters Silas Brown, Peter Cowan and Taryn Grant about what voters want, as part of Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters. 

Pope Francis worked to be close to people right up to the final day of his life, says Jesuit priest and journalist Father Sam Sawyer. We look at how that focus on human dignity has shaped his papacy, from speaking out for refugees and the marginalized, to his apology for the conduct of some members of the Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system.

The bones of a massive blue whale will soon hang at Dalhousie University. Veterinarian Chris Harvey-Clark tells us what it took to salvage the whale that washed up outside Halifax, and what we still don't understand about the largest mammal on earth.

Ashley Casciato from Innisfil, Ont., says she’s struggling to make ends meet, yet still sees herself as middle class — and she’s not alone. With the federal election just a week away, many Canadians are feeling the pressure of a rising cost of living that’s putting homeownership and the traditional middle-class lifestyle increasingly out of reach. We explore how the definition of “middle class” is changing and what party leaders should do to make life more affordable.

Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church since 2013, has died at the age of 88. Widely regarded as a progressive reformer, he sought to modernize the church and steer it away from rigid doctrine — making it more inclusive to the needs of the marginalized. Guest host Dave Seglins spoke to CBC’s Megan Williams and Christopher White of the National Catholic Reporter about the legacy Francis leaves behind — including his historic apology for Canada’s residential school system.

With election day fast approaching and advance polls opening today, the race for leadership has reached a critical moment. Matt Galloway talks to CBC’s Rosemary Barton, the Toronto Star’s Ryan Tumilty and the Globe and Mail’s Stephanie Levitz — and unpacks how Liberal Mark Carney, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, the NDP's Jagmeet Singh and the Bloc’s Yves-François Blanchet fared in the campaign’s only English-language debate on Thursday night.

Journalist Chris Hayes says “attention capitalism” demands we pay heed to everything at once, from social media doomscrolling to the relentless pace of the 24-hour news cycle. In a conversation from March, the MSNBC host spoke with Matt Galloway about his new book, The Siren’s Call, which explores what living under constant information overload means for our lives and politics — and explains why he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump’s attention-grabbing antics are “a kind of feral instinct.” 

Al Martin has lived with obesity since his teens. He says new guidelines for treating childhood obesity will offer new tools to help kids, but some approaches — like weight loss surgery — shouldn’t be taken lightly. Matt Galloway discusses the stigma around weight with Martin, an advocate with Obesity Matters, and Dr. Stasia Hadjiyannakis, one of the guidelines’ authors.

Everyone has certain words they struggle to spell, whether it’s stumbling on silent letters in words like “doubt,” or words like “fuchsia,” that just look very different from how they sound. In his new book Enough is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell, Gabe Henry looks at how spelling reformers have long tried — and failed — to simplify English spelling.

Radio-Canada parliamentary reporter Laurence Martin breaks down what was said at the French federal election debate Wednesday night, where Liberal Mark Carney, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, the NDP's Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois’s Yves-François Blanchet fought it out for francophone votes.

Deep in the forests of Germany, a Canadian company is drilling deep into the earth to tap into geothermal energy, aiming to pump clean power into the electricity grid. The CBC’s Paula Duhatschek explains how it works — and whether geothermal energy could be harnessed in Canada.

Quebec is a crucial battleground in this election, with enough seats to give any party a decisive lead. But with U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats and tariffs roiling Canadian politics, some Quebecers only seem sure of what they’re voting against, not for. As part of The Current’s election series, Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters, Matt Galloway went to Quebec City to talk to voters about the decision they have to make.

Canadian math prodigy Andean Medjedovic is on the run, after hacking the code of finance platforms and allegedly stealing $65 million US in cryptocurrency. The Globe and Mail’s Alexandra Posadzki explains how he did it, and why he argues he’s entitled to the funds thanks to a controversial cyber philosophy known as “Code is Law."

Cocaine use has exploded in Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, with deadly consequences for the small community in central Labrador. In his documentary Pure Hell, the CBC’s Ryan Cooke looks at how chaos in Colombia has unleashed an avalanche of unusually pure cocaine, upending the drug trade all the way to Canada’s North.

Clothing hauls from online stores like Temu and Shein could face a steep price hike next month, as U.S. President Donald Trump plans to remove the de minimis exemption, which excludes packages worth less than $800 US from tariffs. Retail analyst Doug Stephens explains what this rollback means for ultra-cheap fast fashion.

Party leaders aren’t listening to rural concerns in this election — but that’s nothing new, says Marlene Spruyt from the township of North Frontenac, Ont. She talks to guest host Mark Kelley about what her community is worried about, from health care to internet connectivity.

Fashion journalist Jeanne Beker shares some wild stories in her memoir, Heart on My Sleeve, from chatting to famous musicians in the bath to walking out on an interview with Iggy Pop. In an interview from October, she shows Matt Galloway how the items in her closet tell her story, from a yellow bikini top to a boxy Chanel dress.

Four more listeners make the case for their favourite vacation spots, hoping to win a place on The Current’s list of great Canadian travel destinations. Alexandra Esposito tells us why she loves Quebec City; Greer Kelley takes us on a drive from Amherst to Masstown in Nova Scotia; Stef MacDiarmid shares her memories of the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories; and Dianne Wilson shares what’s so special about Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. You can see the full shortlist and vote for your favorite on cbc.ca/thecurrent.

With two weeks until election day, this week’s English and French debates could be crucial for party leaders to convince voters who are still on the fence. Matt Galloway unpacks what it might take to shift the election story with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton, Toronto Star’s Ryan Tumilty, and the Globe and Mail's Stephanie Levitz.

Today we bring you a bonus episode from our friends at House Party, a pop-up election podcast answering one big, burning question every week. 

This week: Will this election bring Canada together or tear us apart?

The West wants out, Quebec wants in, and Canadian unity turned into a campaign issue this week after former Reform Party and opposition leader Preston Manning claimed increasing numbers of Westerners — particularly Albertans — may see secession as the only option if the Liberals win. Yet in Quebec, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet took the opposite tack, downplaying separatist sentiment and arguing Canada needs to be united in its response to Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

So is separatism really a ballot box issue this time around? Catherine Cullen in Ottawa, Jason Markusoff in Calgary and Daniel Thibeault in Montreal try to unite their three solitudes with an answer. 

Find more episodes of House Party here: https://link.mgln.ai/hpxthecurrent

Eating dinner by yourself at a restaurant can get you some sideways looks and maybe even pity — but for some people it's also one of life's great joys. We discuss why solo dining can be a gift of solitude in a busy world, and why going it alone doesn't always mean you're lonely.

In the depths of the pandemic, CBC reporter Justin McElroy hatched a plan to see as much of the world as possible. He ended up visiting 52 countries in 52 weeks, and now he’s back to share some of the amazing things he saw — and ate! — and what he learned by stepping out of his comfort zone.

Yair Reiner says the escalating trade war could kill his U.S.-based kitchen gadget business, which relies on manufacturing in China. We look at what rapidly climbing tariffs mean for the businesses caught in the crossfire, and ask whether Beijing or the White House will blink first.

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 end of their careers: students graduating into an uncertain economy, and retired workers who say they won’t take Trump’s tariffs lying down. Further west we visit a warehouse in Mississauga, where tariffs are already affecting the billions in imports and exports that travel through the city every day.

Then, a diverse range of immigrant communities make up the 905, with political debates playing out across different cultures — and the local media they consume. We discuss the conversations these communities are having with Yudhvir Jaswal of Y Media, one of the biggest media outlets for South Asians in Canada, and Andrea Chun, host of the Chinese-language radio show A1 Newsbeat.

And at the Rainbow Restaurant in Oshawa, Galloway sits down with four voters of different political stripes who all say they’re questioning their traditional loyalties in what they see as a high-stakes election.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As the election campaign ramps up, what kind of misinformation and disinformation is spreading online? We talk to Aengus Bridgman, one of Canada’s leading experts on misinformation.

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.

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.

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 resources, and is ignoring an “amazing opportunity to feed and fuel the world.” At a cafe where newcomers take English lessons, there’s optimism that Canada is one of the best places to live on earth, but fears that we’ve forgotten how to talk to each other. And in a staunchly Conservative area, one voter shares what it’s like to be an NDP supporter.

Then, three oil and gas workers share what they think the rest of the country gets wrong about their industry — and their province. And political strategists Shannon Phillips and Michael Solberg dig into the impact of Trump’s threats and tariffs, and whether Edmonton-born Liberal Leader Mark Carney is gaining any ground from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

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, Dig Studios and CBC, this eight-part series grants unprecedented access to declassified materials and firsthand accounts, revealing how the anthrax attacks reshaped America—and the hidden impact that still lingers today.

More episodes of Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/UoHuWX

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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-long career pretending to be somebody else, Agent Payne is ready to tell his side of the story.

This series was produced alongside a book co-written by Scott Payne and Michelle Shephard titled Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis.

More episodes of White Hot Hate: Agent Pale Horse are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/KxHmW1

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.