The Current

The Louvre is the world's biggest, most visited museum in the world - about nine million visitors a year — and it's getting a makeover.  Our conversation with the first woman to lead the Louvre, President-Director Laurence des Cars about the challenges of overtourism, their ambitious billion-dollar plan to modernize the venerable institution, the role of art and culture in 2025, and the future of museums.  

How long is too long to wait? For some Canadians, long waits in emergency rooms are driving them to leave — causing more return visits, and additional strain on an already burdened healthcare system. What new research says about why and how often Canadians are opting out of the ER and one hospital's unique solution.

It was a court battle that made headlines. In the early 1980's an Indigenous mother fought to get her child back from the foster family that had looked after her from the time she was an infant. Her birth mother went all the way to Ottawa, to the Supreme Court of Canada, and in a landmark decision, the judge ruled that it was in the best interest of the child to stay with the foster family. It was a decision that would change the life of the little girl at the centre of the battle, Leticia Racine, and impact child welfare cases involving Indigenous children for years to come. We speak with Racine today, about her tumultuous life, and her journey back to her First Nation and her Indigenous culture.

Join Ben Ryder Howe, a freelance journalist and New York Times contributor, as he dives into Costco's unique business strategy. Discover why membership has become a rite of passage for many, especially younger shoppers. Ben reveals how Costco's authenticity and low-markup, high-quality Kirkland brand foster trust and loyalty. Learn about Costco's disciplined approach to marketing, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. Explore how the retailer has become a cultural phenomenon, transforming shopping into a community experience.

Merilyn Simonds and Beth Robinson are two friends from Kingston, Ontario, who decided during the Covid pandemic to make it a priority to get together, once a week, for a walk. Since then they've faced the challenges of aging, and discovered the joys of deep connections. The Current producer Alison Masemann spent an afternoon with them, and found out about Beth's passion for sports cars, and how they handled the role reversal when Merilyn — the younger of the two — became ill.

Research shows moving your body has major physical and mental health benefits. But despite WHO guidelines for kids to get 60 minutes of active play each day — only 39% of Canadian children are meeting that mark. What needs to change to get kids moving? From phys ed class, to offering standing desks in class, researchers make the case for a more active school environment.

Coming off a shocking upset of New Zealand in last week's semifinals, Canada's women's rugby team gets set to take on England in the Finals tomorrow. Shireen Ahmed, a senior contributor with CBC Sports, talks about what makes this team so special, why women’s rugby is taking off, and so many people are supporting Team Canada — including actor Russell Crowe!

It can be dizzying for Canadians to look south at American politics these days. Tim Miller, host of the Bulwark's podcast, joins us to talk about how Americans see the relationship with Canada, what Donald Trump is doing to his country's standing in the world, and what he sees as the path out of the crisis in his country.

Murad al-Katib started his pulse crop business in his basement. Now it's worth $3B a year and in 120 countries. At a time when many Canadian businesses are trying to diversify their markets, and get into value-added manufacturing, al-Katib's company AGT has actually done it. He's built rail infrastructure, manufacturing businesses, and partnerships around the world. He talks about the secret of his success, and why Canadians one day may thank Donald Trump for shaking us out of our complacency.

We all know people who are always late. Maybe you're one of them. The tardy gets a bad rap. But they aren't all self-centred, says University of Texas time expert Dawna Ballard. Some of them may be time blind. Others simply can't pull themselves away from people they value. Understanding what's behind our time personalities might help us get along better — and rethink when and why we obey the dictates of the clock.