The Current
CBC
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.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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 15, 2025 • 20min
Why is Europe getting warmer faster?
Southern Europe is in the grip of another summer of extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to record highs and wildfires burning across the region. The Guardian’s Ajit Niranjan explains why Europe is heating faster than other continents, and what that means for people on the ground. Then, University of Waterloo’s Daniel Scott on how the tourism industry is adapting to rising temperatures and why more travellers are booking “cool-cations” in cooler destinations.
Aug 15, 2025 • 20min
Why are more women diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than men?
Researchers are uncovering new reasons why more women are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease than men and it’s not just because they live longer. We hear from Fe Wyma, who cared for her mother with dementia for over a decade, about how that experience has changed her own approach to brain health. Plus, University of Toronto’s Gillian Einstein and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Natasha Rajah on how biology, menopause, and social factors all shape women’s risk, and what can be done to prevent cognitive decline.
Aug 14, 2025 • 12min
Can deleting emails help save water during a drought?
With drought gripping the U.K., the government is urging people to delete old emails and photos to cut the water used by data centres. Civil engineering professor Venki Uddameri explains the link between cloud storage and water consumption, why individual actions have limits, and how to better manage resources as AI and other data-heavy technologies expand.
Aug 14, 2025 • 10min
Will Air Canada and its flight attendants reach a deal before a strike?
Air Canada will begin cancelling flights today ahead of a possible weekend strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants. We speak with union leader Natasha Stea about the breakdown in negotiations over pay, work rules and unpaid hours — and what’s at stake for passengers if no deal is reached.
Aug 14, 2025 • 20min
What’s at stake as Trump and Putin meet on Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. We hear from Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a Ukrainian MP who says leaving her country out of the talks is a win for Putin and ignores those living under Russian occupation. Plus, Brookings Institution foreign policy expert Michael O’Hanlon and Atlantic Council’s Peter Dickinson on what the two leaders might hope to gain, and whether the talks could bring the war any closer to an end.
Aug 13, 2025 • 23min
How a camera opened Eldred Allen’s eyes to Labrador’s beauty
Picking up a camera taught Eldred Allen to look at his home in Labrador differently, from its dramatic coastlines to the shimmering northern lights. The self-taught Inuk photographer shares some portraits of his home, with a warning that its beauty is under threat from climate change.
Aug 13, 2025 • 19min
Trump puts Washington, D.C police under federal power, but why?
U.S. politics has not slowed down this summer. President Donald Trump says Washington D.C. is a “nightmare of murder and crime,” despite violent crime numbers going down. So, he has put the police in the capital under federal power. We talk to Molly Ball from The Wall Street Journal, David A. Graham from The Atlantic, and Andrew Egger from The Bulwark about what this means for the rest of the U.S. — and more.
Aug 12, 2025 • 19min
Six journalists in Gaza killed by Israeli airstrike
Six journalists were killed by a recent Israeli strike in Gaza. Anas Al-Sharif, with Al-Jazeera, was one of them. He had become the face and voice of the war in Gaza for many Palestinians. We speak with his former colleague and friend, journalist Ahmed Zakot — and Sara Qudah from the Committee to Protect Journalists about the threats Al-Sharif had been receiving, and the allegations from Israel that he was an active member of Hamas's military wing.
Aug 12, 2025 • 23min
U.S. hits Canadian lumber with new anti-dumping duties
Donald Trump often says 'tariff' is the most beautiful word in the dictionary. And it's been his favoured weapon in his global trade war. But it's not the only one. On Friday, the US commerce department announced a big hike in countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. Combined with anti-dumping duties announced in July, Canadian lumber is now subject to duties of more than 35%. We talk about what this means for the industry.
Aug 11, 2025 • 24min
How the ultrarich get into petty fights, influence power and live so lavishly
There are more billionaires in the world now than ever before, and the power of those select few is also growing. In a conversation from June, the journalist Evan Osnos tells Matt Galloway about the influence and excesses of the 0.01 per cent, which he charts in his book, The Haves and the Have Yachts.
