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The Current

CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand

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...

Location:

Canada, ON

Description:

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.

Language:

English

Contact:

The Current CBC Radio P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 (877) 287-7366


Episodes
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Ditching the 9-5 for a career behind the bar

4/24/2026
As entry-level office jobs seem to be vanishing and people are prioritizing mental health and work-life balance over corporate hustle culture, some young people are looking at the service industry as a viable career path despite being trained or having gone to school for different jobs.

Duration:00:18:32

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A picture says a thousand words: documenting ICE

4/24/2026
Carol Guzy's World Press Photo of the Year image shows two daughters clinging to their father as ICE agents detain him at his immigration hearing. The renowned photojournalist says she hopes her work can cut through today's media noise and make people feel for others.

Duration:00:13:11

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The rural-urban divide over high-speed rail

4/24/2026
The federal government wants to build a high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City. Rural land-owners along the proposed corridor are concerned the major project will carve into their farms. City-dwelling proponents are worried the dream of cutting travel time between Toronto and Montreal may never be realized. We hear from both sides about what this project means and the risk of sowing division between rural and urban Canadians.

Duration:00:18:55

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Ottawa dads vs the Elsa braid

4/24/2026
How good are your braiding skills? The answer from some Ottawa dads was: not great. We talk to Chris Hughes, a single father of twin girls, who created the workshop Braids and Beers to help fellow dads in the area keep up with their kids’ hair styling demands.

Duration:00:12:08

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Could mRNA vaccines cure cancer?

4/23/2026
Six years ago, Donna Gustafson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer one of the deadliest cancers. Today, she's cancer-free. She’'s one of 16 patients in an early clinical trial testing a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine designed to train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer.We hear from Donna and from the doctor leading the research, Dr. Vinod Balachandran, about what these early — but encouraging — results could mean. And we speak to Dr. Ramy Saleh, Associate Professor at McGill University, on how similar research is taking shape in Canada.

Duration:00:24:12

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Got an idea for a new emoji? What it takes to make the cut

4/23/2026
Unicode is taking pitches for emojis. Graphic designer Jennifer Daniel helps decide which ones make it. She says a successful emoji should have multiple meanings. Sorry aerial tramway ;)

Duration:00:15:28

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Testimony of residential school survivors is about to be destroyed

4/23/2026
The most comprehensive archive of what happened at Canadian residential schools is about to be destroyed after a 2017 Supreme Court ruling to protect survivors privacy. Now Pulitzer and Peabody-winning journalist Connie Walker is creating a new public archive to preserve survivor accounts.

Duration:00:12:23

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Negotiating CUSMA – what’s at stake?

4/23/2026
We hear from two members of the Prime Minister’s advisory council chosen to help on CUSMA negotiations in July. Former conservative cabinet member Lisa Raitt and the president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Denis Darby take us through what’s at stake for Canadians.

Duration:00:19:37

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Sudan Through the Lens: The Stories Behind the War

4/22/2026
As Sudan's war enters its fourth year, much of the story is told in numbers, millions displaced, thousands killed. But photojournalist Abdulmonam Eassa is trying to show something else. He's spent years documenting Sudan, from the hope of the 2019 revolution to the devastation of today's conflict. His latest work, “War in Sudan: A Trapped Nation,”just earned him a World Press Photo award. He takes us behind the images on what's described as the world's forgotten war.

Duration:00:11:33

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Can red light therapy really reverse aging?

4/22/2026
It was once in NASA laboratories. Now, it's part of your nighttime routine. Red light therapy has become a booming industry, with popular products like face masks and red light panels claiming to have the ability to treat anything from wrinkles to cancer. But does science back this up?

Duration:00:16:05

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Why some women are choosing to “freebirth”

4/22/2026
Mistrust in the medical system and barriers to access maternity care in rural communities has some women turning to ‘freebirth’ — giving birth without the support of doctors and registered midwives. On Vancouver Island, a court case is highlighting a divide in the birthing community after a freebirth activist was accused of manslaughter in the death of a newborn in a home birth she allegedly attended.

Duration:00:22:54

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Should high school students get a grade for attendance?

4/22/2026
With absenteeism rates on the rise, Ontario is trying to get kids back to class -- but making it count toward their final grade in high school. But which students will this help? And who will be left behind?

Duration:00:19:32

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Fareed Zakaria on the US’ moral decline

4/21/2026
It's been seven weeks since the United States and Israel launched a coordinated bombing campaign against Iran. Fareed Zakaria tells Matt Galloway that the US's lack of coherent plan, moral bankruptcy and dubious legal standing in the Iran war have made it and the world more dangerous.

Duration:00:20:08

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Canada's energy minister on a future pipeline

4/21/2026
Tim Hodgson, federal energy and natural resources minister, weighs in on economic uncertainty surrounding the global energy crisis, financial relief for Canadians, building major projects, and the prospect of an Alberta-backed pipeline that is already facing pushback in British Columbia.

Duration:00:19:42

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Doug Ford’s “gravy plane” irks Ontario voters

4/21/2026
Just days after Ontario announced it had purchased a $28.9 million private jet for Premier Doug Ford, the province is now trying to sell it. The decision to buy the jet sparked backlash, with critics calling it tone deaf at a time when many Canadians are struggling with the cost of living. But others argue a plane like this could help a leader do their job more effectively, especially in a province as large as Ontario.

Duration:00:13:49

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How dangerous is it to stream music and drive?

4/21/2026
U.S. researchers looked at what happens to drivers on the days that major album releases drop, from artists like Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift. And they found that traffic fatalities increased by nearly 15 percent. We talk to Dr Vishal Patel of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School about what the findings mean -- and what they can tell us about exactly what distracts us when we're driving.

Duration:00:12:26

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Jeremy Hansen on his trip around the moon

4/20/2026
After making history as the first Canadian travelling beyond Earth's orbit, Jeremy Hansen reflects on the experience, and what he's learned pushing the boundaries of human exploration.

Duration:00:17:15

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Waterloo’s water shortage a warning bell for Canadian communities

4/20/2026
Most new development in Waterloo, Ontario has been put on hold because the region doesn't have enough water infrastructure for future projects. How this is a warning bell for other communities across Canada.

Duration:00:24:19

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Why your attention span is trash and what you can do about it

4/20/2026
Can't concentrate? What about thinking deeply? Attention spans are shrinking rapidly. Cal Newport, a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and the author of the bestselling book 'Deep Work' says we're facing a crisis -- an attack on our ability to think. He's calling for what he calls a revolution in defence of thinking. He outlines the steps for reclaiming your attention.

Duration:00:24:32

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Artemis II inspires: the ripple effects of the moon mission

4/17/2026
As the Artemis II mission wraps up, its impact is still being felt here on Earth. From classrooms to rocket clubs, a new generation is looking up and imagining themselves in space. We hear from Dhyan Soni, a Grade 12 student already building rockets and dreaming big about Canada's future in space. And later, Canadian astrophysicist Sara Seager helps us understand where this renewed excitement for space could lead next

Duration:00:17:48