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.

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82 episodes
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English

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Yesterday · 16 min
Should you Brick your phone?
As people try to spend less time on social media apps, devices like a Brick are surging in popularity. The device forces users to tap their phones in order to access the platforms, creating physical space between the user and the apps. But is relying on more technology to curb our bad phone habits the right approach?
Yesterday · 18 min
Parliament returns!
Our national affairs panel looks ahead to a busy political season — amid a trade war, US midterms, an election in Quebec and a referendum in Alberta.
Yesterday · 24 min
Edward Burtynsky on the price of prosperity
Edward Burtynsky is world famous for his monumental photographs that reveal in overwhelming detail the impact that human beings have had on planet earth. He has travelled all over the world documenting mines, quarries, recycling yards, tailings pods, refineries and factories — places that are essential to the modern world but few of us get to see. We talk about how his working class upbringing in St. Catharines, Ontario, working at General Motors, and in gold mines of northern Ontario shapes
Yesterday · 10 min
What does pawpaw taste like and where can you find one?
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Indigenous communities enjoyed the pawpaw fruit that grew wild along rivers and streams. Now that tropical tasting fruit is having a resurgence amongst Indigenous chefs and people who prefer local treats. Chef Tawyna Brant explains what she loves about the pawpaw fruit and how she likes to cook with it.
Friday · 23 min
Protecting cyclists as the sport gets faster and faster
Beginning Sunday, Montreal hosts the UCI Road World Championships. Top cyclists from around the world will compete. But with racers averaging speeds of 42 kilometres an hour, it is a dangerous sport. Crashes are common, and sometimes fatal. This year alone, three competitive riders died during races, with at least six more killed on training rides. In his documentary, CBC’s John Chipman investigates what some cyclists say is an urgent need to protect riders.
Friday · 9 min
Is hockey still Canada's game?
With the NHL back in action, what does the hockey season mean to Canadians if it's not easy to watch? As Hockey Night in Canada moves off CBC onto Sportsnet and Amazon, who will be tuning in — and what does that mean for Canada’s game?
Friday · 19 min
U.S. tariffs push some Canadian businesses across the border
Many Canadian businesses are losing their US customer base after President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs. Some are now considering moving south of the border to avoid them. What relocating could mean for individual businesses, workers and the economy.
Friday · 11 min
Indigenous mom dies after being denied medical travel
Miranda Mamakwa of Fort Severn First Nation in northern Ontario died after undergoing open-heart surgery in the spring, then missing several follow-up appointments. The mother of three applied for federal funding to pay to travel for the doctor's visits, but she was denied. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation says Miranda's death was not an isolated incident.
Thursday · 24 min
Could space be the next daily commute?
Ariel Ekblaw is a space architect looking to solve the problems of life on Earth and beyond. Hear how her designs for a new space habitat could replace the International Space Station, a reality check on data centres in space, and how low orbit manufacturing could hold the key to curing blindness. This is not science fiction, but is the next step in the space race.
Thursday · 21 min
Is there still power in a union?
Acclaimed documentarian Barbara Kopple turns her camera on the struggles of delivery workers in her new film "Union Town." The two-time Oscar winner made her name with "Harlan County USA," a harrowing film about a bitter coal strike in rural Kentucky. She speaks to Matt Galloway about the back-breaking and dangerous work delivery workers do, and what it would take to improve conditions.
Thursday · 20 min
Where will the Carney-EU romance lead?
EU leader Ursula von der Leyen wants Canada to become the European Union's first associate member, but what Canada wants is a “unique relationship” instead. Is Europe ready for an expansion? And what's in it for Canada? Jeremy Kinsman, former Canadian ambassador to the EU, and Berlin-based EU expert Nicolai von Ondarza weigh in.
Wednesday · 14 min
Monarch Butterflies are making a stunning comeback
After years of decline, the monarch butterfly population is bouncing back. We speak to The Atlantic's Vann R. Newkirk II, who travelled to Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and tracked the migration journeys of three monarchs: Cinderella, Eric and Carle. He explains what's behind this butterfly's remarkable comeback and whether it can last.
Wednesday · 18 min
Could AI really kill us?
AI insiders have increasingly been sounding the alarm on the risks of out-of-control superintelligence, with some claiming a non-zero chance that AI could kill all humans before the end of the decade. Author and investigative journalist Stephen Witt lays out the potential scenarios and the corporate interests at play.
Wednesday · 11 min
What’s going on with B.C. Conservatives
Just 4 months after electing Kerry-Lynne Finlay as the new leader of the BC Conservatives, the party is in disarray.  So far, 9 MLAs have left the party. Of those, a faction of 7 MLAs has joined together to create another, yet unnamed, right wing party. Rob Shaw of Check News explains what's been happening and tries to give a sense of why.
Wednesday · 23 min
Summerland, B.C. Fires came with speed and violence”
A forest fire northwest of Summerland, British Columbia started around dinnertime on August 7th. It’s not unusual for the Okanagan to see fires spark in the summer. But what was unusual was how aggressively it spread, causing more than 20-thousand people to flee. Fires are getting bigger and faster. And they’re causing more devastation. So, residents and politicians are now trying to figure out how to better prepare. CBC’s Sarah Penton explores all that in her documentary, With Speed and Viol
September 15 · 23 min
This man says chatbot therapy saved his life
Doug Kitchen was depressed and lonely after his wife left him. He says using a chatbot was key to his recovery. He's one of a growing number of Canadians turning to AI-powered tools for mental health support. Montreal psychiatrist Vincent Paquin says chatbots can help, but says we still need guardrails for this powerful tech.
September 15 · 12 min
Canada’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year
We hear from Canadian Geographic's 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, David Sturge, about a rare encounter with a seal pup on a melting ice sheet in a Newfoundland Bay, and the stories of environmental stewardship he tells through his pictures.
September 15 · 20 min
Does Canada's future lie with the US or Europe?
Canada's relationship with the United States is rocky right now. Is it a glitch or a new feature? Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman argues the ties that bind the two neighbours will endure. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Europe hoping to deepen ties to the EU. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest says that's in Canada's interest.
September 15 · 11 min
Why female athletes are mad at Sydney Sweeney’s ad
Actor Sydney Sweeney is once again facing backlash over an advertisement. Female athletes around the world are responding to a nude sports gambling ad. Culture critic Bee Quamie on why Sweeney is such a lightning rod for controversy and what this ad and response to it can tell us about this moment in women’s sport.
September 14 · 10 min
What's a supermover, and why should you become one?
If you're pushing 80 and still walking as fast as your 50-year-old friends, you might be a supermover. New research on 'supermovers' - people 90+ who walk faster than their ageing peers - have a 50 percent lower chance of developing cognitive decline as they age. Plus, their brains are bigger.

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