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 18, 2025 • 25min
How mRNA vaccines went from scientific darlings to a political football
mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the pandemic. But now, that science is under political attack in the United States. Funding is being pulled, approvals are being delayed, and the science questioned by politicians. Science journalist Elie Dolgin joins us to explain how a technology once hailed as revolutionary is now facing an existential threat — and what that could cost in the fight against diseases.
Jun 17, 2025 • 10min
He started his degree in 1976. Last week, he graduated
Dave Burnett started his degree in 1976. Now 49 years later, he is graduating. He talks to Matt Galloway about that moment crossing the stage nearly half a century in the making. The 68-year-old just completed his agriculture degree — and reflects on the long road to graduation — a story of addiction, recovery and achieving long-held dreams.
Jun 17, 2025 • 24min
U of T’s president on what a university education is really for
As thousands of graduates toss their caps in the air, the president of Canada’s largest university is stepping down. Meric Gertler reflects on 12 years at the helm of the University of Toronto — and the future of education and life after the classroom in the age of AI and fewer jobs.
Jun 17, 2025 • 20min
What to do about the high cost of hospital parking?
Hospital parking is expensive. Add that to the already high cost of being sick. Cancer patients, parents and caregivers can spend thousands on parking and are calling for fees to be reduced or eliminated. But hospitals say they need the money to help pay for healthcare in a stretched system. We hear from one patient about the cost, and why when Nova Scotia recently made parking at hospitals free, it didn't exactly go as planned.
Jun 17, 2025 • 15min
The greatest artist of the 20th century? AI’s answer and why it matters
AI is exploding. It’s everywhere. And almost everyone is using it. From writing emails to generating lifelike videos, to booking appointments, artificial intelligence is moving beyond simple prompts and into what experts call “agentic AI” — systems that can act on our behalf. CBC’s Nora Young joins Matt Galloway to talk about this moment in AI. She’s been testing some of the newest tools, including Google's Veo 3 video generator and OpenAI’s latest web-browsing agents.
Jun 16, 2025 • 20min
Drama plagued Canada’s last G7 summit. Can Carney avoid repeating it?
A lot is at stake at this week’s G7 summit in Alberta. Prime Minister Mark Carney will be looking for a deal on tariffs, and avoiding the kind of drama that roiled the meeting last time Canada hosted it. CBC journalist JP Tasker walks us through the challenges Carney faces at this meeting, while Peter MacKay and Bessma Momani assess whether world leaders can stay focused on economic issues while the Israel-Iran conflict continues to escalate.
Jun 16, 2025 • 27min
How this conductor is bringing Powell River, B.C. together with music
Many small communities across the country are struggling to survive, as people age and their children chase big city life. Powell River, B.C. is trying to keep its own numbers up with the help of a conductor who’s worked with some of the world’s biggest orchestras. In her documentary War and Peace, the CBC’s Liz Hoath hears from locals who say Arthur Arnold is bringing a lot more than music to their town of 13,000 people.
Jun 16, 2025 • 24min
What will it take to get more people into the trades?
Simon Gaudreault, Chief Economist for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work, explore the urgent demand for skilled tradespeople in Canada. They discuss the challenges faced by students attracted to careers in trades and the tension between maintaining quality training standards and rapidly addressing labor shortages. Immigration and government initiatives are debated as potential solutions to enhance workforce mobility. The conversation highlights the essential role of trades in executing significant national projects.
Jun 13, 2025 • 24min
A Saskatchewan scientist says he has a treatment for ALS. Critics say his claims are questionable
ALS is a death sentence for those diagnosed with it. Now a scientist in Moose Jaw claims he has discovered the secret to stopping the disease in its tracks. CBC’s Geoff Leo investigated the claims of a treatment, which desperate patients are forking over tens of thousands of dollars for, in his documentary Hard to Swallow.
Jun 13, 2025 • 25min
Meet suzetrigine, the new non-opioid painkiller promising relief without risk of addiction
When it comes to treating chronic pain, doctors have few options to reach for aside from opioid prescriptions for their patients. A non-opioid medication recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stands to change that. A journalist explains how researchers discovered a new way to combat pain with this drug, which a Canadian doctor describes as “almost the holy grail.”
