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
Jun 25, 2025 • 19min
Boosting Canada’s military will take 'sustained and stable' preparation: Defence chief
Defending Canada will require new strategies, investments in new equipment, and more recruits, according to Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Armed Forces. The country’s top soldier tells guest host Susan Ormiston about her priorities for the military, and what a new five per cent NATO defence spending target would mean for Canada.
Jun 25, 2025 • 17min
How to protect yourself against tick-borne illnesses
As the climate warms, ticks are finding more places to call home within Canada — and spreading more diseases to people wherever they go. A doctor talks about why Lyme disease isn’t the only infection you can catch from ticks, and how to protect yourself against the bugs.
Jun 25, 2025 • 8min
Delayed ferry leaves store shelves empty in Labrador
The Kamutik W ferry, which delivers critical items like food and toilet paper to remote communities in Labrador, has finally set sail after being delayed for more than a week. The delay has left people in those communities running low on supplies, and some advocates calling for a better solution.
Jun 24, 2025 • 24min
Do sanctions actually work?
Sanctions have become the go-to tool in global politics — used to punish rogue states, and signal international condemnation. But are they effective? With sanctions piling up against Russia, Iran, and two Israeli cabinet ministers, we ask whether economic punishment actually shapes behavior — or just creates diplomatic noise.
Jun 24, 2025 • 19min
What’s on the agenda at the NATO summit?
NATO leaders are meeting for a historic summit. The gathering comes as conflicts continue in Ukraine and Gaza, and as a ceasefire between Iran and Israel remains fragile. We talk to former Canadian ambassador Kerry Buck, and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, about what’s on the agenda – and what’s at stake. And what Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to do to call the meeting a success.
Jun 23, 2025 • 20min
The US bombed Iran. What happens now?
With the US inserting itself into the Iran-Israel war, dropping bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran, the CBC's Chris Brown reports from Jerusalem on the latest diplomatic efforts and what we know about Iran's nuclear capacity. We also talk to Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation think tank, on how the war is shaping sentiments inside Iran. Plus, we talk to The Atlantic journalist Isaac Stanley-Becker about the debate inside MAGA about US involvement.
Jun 23, 2025 • 24min
A crisis in men’s health
Men are struggling – according to a new study on men’s health. New data from the Movember Institute of Men’s Health shows that nearly half of Canadian men will die prematurely – before the age of 75 – from largely preventable causes. Men also account for three out of every four suicides in the country. Former Health Minister Mark Holland and study author and UBC professor Dr. John Oliffe, discuss the systemic, social, and psychological factors behind these outcomes, and call for a national men’s health strategy.
Jun 20, 2025 • 20min
Canadian politics heats up for the summer!
It’s the first day of summer and Canadian politics is already heating up. Prime Minister Mark Carney is hoping to pass Bill C-5 before the House breaks, but the legislation is drawing serious pushback from Indigenous leaders and others. Meanwhile, the G7 has wrapped — was there any progress on tariffs? Plus, a Conservative Party leadership review and by-elections in Alberta. It all makes for a busy summer in Canadian politics. Our national affairs panel — Rosemary Barton, Stephanie Levitz and Kathleen Petty — join us to break it all down.
Jun 20, 2025 • 17min
45 years later, Terry Fox’s brother is riding across Canada
45 years ago, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He made it more than 5,000 kilometres before cancer forced him to stop. This summer, his brother Darrell Fox is cycling coast to coast to honour that journey and raise funds through the Ride of Hope. We speak with Fred Fox, Terry's older brother, about what it means to see that legacy continue.
Jun 20, 2025 • 21min
Go dancing and still get to bed early — the rise of daytime parties
If staying out dancing until 3 a.m. doesn’t appeal to you like it used to, you’re not alone. Across Canada, daytime dance parties are making space for people who want to move, socialize and still be in bed before midnight. We talk to two daytime party organizers about what it means to dance in the daytime and how it's reshaping nightlife.
