Front Burner
CBC
Front Burner is a daily news podcast that takes you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Each morning, from Monday to Friday, host Jayme Poisson talks with the smartest people covering the biggest stories to help you understand what’s going on.We’re Canada’s number one news podcast and a trusted source of Canadian news. We cover Canadian news and Canadian politics, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, the Donald Trump administration, provincial politics from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and politicians Danielle Smith, David Eby and Doug Ford.We cover Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary as well as other municipalities across Canada. In this Canadian election year, Front Burner will be focusing more on Canadian politics. We will take a close look at Mark Carney’s first few weeks as Prime Minister, the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre as well as the future of the NDP and Quebec’s Yves-François Blanchet from the Bloc Québécois during the 2025 Canadian federal election.The podcast goes beyond Ottawa and digs deeper into major issues like U.S.-Canada relations, jobs, the economy, immigration, cost of living, housing and rental costs, taxes and tariffs, democracy and technology. The Front Burner daily podcast covers Canadian news from every province and territory: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon.We cover news from major cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. When U.S. President Donald Trump declares he wants to make Canada the 51st state and decides to implement tariffs, Front Burner has an analysis into what is happening. We cover Elon Musk’s DOGE. We cover the latest in technology from the rise of bitcoin and crypto, the future of TikTok, Meta, artificial intelligence, influencers, and more. Look to our archives to see fact-checked stories about infrastructure, fascism, border security, immigration, Pierre Poilievre, the Republican Party, American politics, Canadian politics, India, China, Trump’s tariffs, Mark Carney, Elon Musk, Toronto, technology, artificial intelligence, international students, healthcare, and inflation. We cover global news like the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the ceasefire, the Ukraine-Russia war, the India-Pakistan conflict, and the U.S. economy and U.S. politics. Front Burner is a part of your morning news routine. Whether you’re in Toronto or Vancouver or Washington, this is the news that matters to Canadians. We take a look at the economy and break it down from the budget to interest rate hikes to inflation to recessions to jobs to the cost of living. We look at the policy around housing, Canadian housing supply, and what this means for first-time home buyers, renters, and those with a mortgage. We look at technology, from AI to the manosphere to social media like Meta, Twitter, Facebook, and more. We look at influential newsmakers like Elon Musk and influential technology industries like crypto and AI.
Episodes
Mentioned books
24 snips
Oct 6, 2025 • 25min
Politics! Carney meets Trump again, Smith pitches a pipeline
Aaron Wherry, a senior writer at CBC's Parliamentary Bureau, dives deep into Canadian politics. He discusses Mark Carney’s pivotal Washington trip and its implications for trade with the U.S. Wherry also explores Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's controversial proposal for a new bitumen pipeline to British Columbia, examining the strong opposition from Indigenous communities and the provincial government. The conversation wraps up with insights on Canada's fiscal sustainability and the potential impact of these political maneuvers on the upcoming budget.
4 snips
Oct 4, 2025 • 38min
Weekend Listen: Death, sex, money … and podcasting? (via Bookends)
Anna Sale, host of the hit podcast Death, Sex & Money and author of Let's Talk About Hard Things, dives deep with Mattea Roach. They explore why Anna transitioned from short-form media to long-form narratives, revealing how her perspective on tough subjects like death and money has evolved. The conversation touches on communal death rituals, the challenges of writing about personal finances, and the importance of choosing tenderness over solutions. Plus, Anna shares insights on teaching her children about sharing and the complexities of cross-class money discussions.
14 snips
Oct 3, 2025 • 31min
Trump, and the alarm bells of fascism
Historian Timothy Snyder, a professor at the University of Toronto and author of notable books like On Tyranny, explores the alarming presence of fascism in today’s political climate, particularly under Trump's influence. He discusses the dangers of deploying military troops domestically, the risks this poses to constitutional norms, and potential fractures within the armed forces. Snyder also highlights the concerning tactics of ICE and the normalization of political cruelty, warning that these developments undermine democracy and free expression.
12 snips
Oct 2, 2025 • 27min
U.S. politics! Government shutdown, military pep talk
Alex Shephard, Senior Editor at The New Republic, dives into the recent U.S. government shutdown, explaining its mechanics and the political miscalculations that led to it. He discusses the shifting dynamics among Democrats and outlines the electoral risks they face. The conversation shifts to a rare gathering of military leaders led by Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, where the implications of their speeches on military engagement and domestic deployments are scrutinized. Shephard highlights the tense reactions from military brass to this politicization of the armed forces.
Oct 1, 2025 • 26min
Will recognition lead to a Palestinian state?
Noura Erakat, an esteemed academic, human rights lawyer, and Palestinian-American activist, dives deep into the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by Canada. She critiques the conditional nature of such recognitions, arguing they often harm Palestinians. The discussion highlights the failures of the Oslo Accords and how settlement expansion obstructs statehood. Erakat also explores the complexities of the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy and presents a compelling case for a one-state solution that emphasizes equality and rights.
18 snips
Sep 30, 2025 • 28min
How the world abandoned climate politics
Journalist David Wallace-Wells, known for his critical exploration of climate change in "The Uninhabitable Earth," discusses the alarming retreat from climate politics globally. He delves into the waning influence of the Paris Agreement and the geopolitical backsliding affecting climate action. David explores China’s pivotal role in renewable energy and critiques Canada's recent policy shifts. He emphasizes the moral imperative of valuing nature beyond economics and the urgency of private sector initiatives despite political deprioritization.
41 snips
Sep 29, 2025 • 33min
Who can rebuild the NDP?
Martin Lukacs, managing editor of The Breach, and Cheryl Oates, a seasoned political consultant, dive into the current NDP leadership race between Avi Lewis and Heather McPherson. They dissect the party's recent collapse and assess its messaging failures. The duo debates whether the NDP's approach to social movements is too cautious and whether bold rhetoric could broaden the party's appeal. They also explore the significance of climate policies in everyday life and discuss how the NDP can reclaim its position as a governing alternative.
22 snips
Sep 26, 2025 • 28min
The secret to China’s dominance
Dan Wang, a tech analyst and research fellow at Stanford's Hoover History Lab, shares insights from his book, "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future." He discusses why China, as an 'engineering state,' is poised for future dominance over the U.S., which he describes as a 'lawyerly society' mired in legal obstacles. Topics include China's vast infrastructure advancements, the impact of Deng Xiaoping's technocratic leadership, and the challenges of rapid growth. He also examines the decline of U.S. manufacturing and inefficacies of tariffs in revitalizing it.
8 snips
Sep 25, 2025 • 31min
Jimmy Kimmel, free speech and big money media
Eoin Higgins, independent reporter and author of 'Owned,' dives into the intriguing world of media consolidation and censorship pressures. He discusses Jimmy Kimmel's return to late night, shedding light on the corporate influences that dictated his reinstatement. The conversation unpacks the role of right-wing tech billionaires, including their motivations for investing in media and the implications for free speech. Higgins also explores the shifting dynamics within major news networks, revealing how political affiliations shape editorial choices.
22 snips
Sep 24, 2025 • 27min
Autism and Tylenol: what the science says
Deepa Singal, scientific director of the Autism Alliance of Canada, dives into the controversial claims linking Tylenol to autism during pregnancy. She explains how autism is a lifelong condition with genetic and environmental nuances, emphasizing that it's not preventable. Deepa debunks misleading statements from the Trump administration about acetaminophen and autism, citing comprehensive studies that fail to support any causal link. She advocates for informed discussions, urging respect for the complexities of autism and caution against harmful myths.
