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
Sep 26, 2025 • 20min
Why don't Canadian kids get enough exercise?
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.
Sep 26, 2025 • 17min
How these 76 and 105 year-old women became "soul friends"
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.
Sep 25, 2025 • 25min
"Lentil King" wants Canadian businesses to think bigger
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.
Sep 25, 2025 • 13min
What’s your “time personality”?
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.
Sep 25, 2025 • 19min
Why Chris Hayes isn't a "doomer" about U.S. democracy
It can be hard to make sense of the barrage of news coming out of the United States these days. The murder of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk has ignited a fraught conversation about free speech and the limits of presidential power in the United States. MSNBC host Chris Hayes joins us to talk about why he says US President Donald Trump is an aspiring autocrat threatening American democracy — and why despite that he's not a "doomer".
Sep 25, 2025 • 13min
How is Nova Scotia revolutionizing their sepsis approach
In the last year, Nova Scotia Health implemented a sepsis action improvement plan in six health care facilities throughout the province. It's worked so well, now, they're rolling it out province wide. In a first for Canada, all ER nurses across Nova Scotia will be able to administer antibiotics to anyone they suspect of having sepsis by the end of the month — a move that advocates are saying can, and will, save lives. We speak to Dr. Vanessa Sweet -- the medical co-lead of NHS' sepsis action improvement plan — about how Nova Scotia is changing how they approach sepsis, and what other provinces can learn from the work they're doing.
Sep 24, 2025 • 12min
Trump links autism and Tylenol. What does research say?
President Trump made an announcement on Monday that Tylenol use in early pregnancy is linked to autism. But all the current research points to that not being true. Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou is a child neurologist and co-leads the Autism Research Centre at the Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto. She's not convinced either.
Sep 24, 2025 • 20min
Could the U.S. H1-B visa fee be a win for Canadian tech?
The Trump administration is introducing a new $100,000 fee on the specialized visa, forcing companies to pay up for top talent. Our panel of tech experts looks at whether the Canadian tech industry could take advantage of the change and attract skilled workers here instead.
Sep 24, 2025 • 16min
What’s the state of free speech in America?
Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late night show last night after being suspended for comments he made surrounding the death of Charlie Kirk. The suspension ignited a debate about free speech in the media — but is his return a victory? We speak to Greg Lukianoff, is the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
Sep 24, 2025 • 21min
Scammed and the bank won't help? Here's what you can do
Canadians lost a whopping $647 million to fraud last year. Most scams involve money taken from your bank accounts or investments. But few victims of fraud get their money back from the bank. Sarah Bradley, Canada's Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, explains what the rules are, what your rights are, what to do if you've been scammed — and how not to get scammed in the first place.
