Front Burner

The rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing are key issues in Ontario’s provincial election campaign which officially began this week. Another big issue is how voters feel about Progressive Conservative leader and incumbent Doug Ford. While Ford’s handling of the pandemic is likely to be part of what makes up the minds of voters, it is just one factor in who will form the next government. Today on Front Burner, we talk to Mike Crawley, the CBC’s Ontario provincial affairs reporter about what will sway Ontario voters.

An unprecedented leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court decision suggested plans to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that enshrined abortion rights across the country in 1973. If Roe v. Wade is reversed, abortion could be banned in as many as 26 states, some starting almost immediately. Today on Front Burner, we talk to journalist and Nomadland author Jessica Bruder about the networks of underground abortion providers and what comes next for people seeking help.

For the first time in more than a decade, Netflix announced it has lost 200,000 subscribers globally, and the company says it may lose as many as two million more in the months ahead. But that loss doesn't just signal a change in how Netflix does business — it has ripple effects on streaming services everywhere and sends a strong message about how and what we want to watch. Today on Front Burner, we talk to Alex Weprin, media and business writer with The Hollywood Reporter about how the streaming wars could affect what you'll be watching next.

Touring is often an essential aspect of a musician's career — perhaps now more than ever. Some bands rely on performance income because streaming plays net fractional pay, while for others it might be the only way they grow their audience. And while many COVID-19 restrictions have ended and music fans are flocking to stages, the virus is still making this very exposed way of life even more challenging. Today on Front Burner, producer Derek Vanderwyk speaks to independent musicians — including Charlotte Cornfield, Daniel Monkman and Zack Mykula — about the challenges of going on tour in 2022.

Starting in the mid-2000s, a pulsing fusion of EDM, rap and Egyptian folk – known as Mahraganat – has risen from the streets of Cairo and become a worldwide phenomenon. But Egypt's authorities are now cracking down on the music and the artists creating it, saying it's immoral and corrupting young people. We take you inside the culture and class wars of Egypt and explore what the banning of popular music says about the African country's image and its future. Featuring: Mahmoud Refat, music producer and executive of 100Copies Music. Fady Adel, Egyptian culture journalist.

If you've tuned into the NBA playoffs, it seems like every second ad is for sports betting websites. That's because Canada recently made single-game betting legal, and in Ontario private companies like Bet365, BetMGM and FanDuel are allowed to operate in this multi-billion dollar industry. This booming business has seen companies partner with broadcasters, other media companies and celebrities to promote their platforms. But experts are worried that no one is looking after the betters. Today on Front Burner we talk to John Holden, an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, and an expert on the sports betting industry.

Disney got into a battle with Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis over a recently passed education bill that critics call the "Don't Say Gay" law. After Disney's CEO spoke out against it, state lawmakers revoked the theme park's special tax status that it has held for more than half a century. Today on Front Burner, New York Times reporter Brooks Barnes explains how this became the latest flash point in America's ongoing culture wars.

After two weeks of twists and turns, Elon Musk — CEO of Tesla, richest person on Earth, and a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist" — has acquired Twitter for $44 billion US. The move has been cheered by some, and raised concerns among others that Musk may remove controls on the platform meant to clamp down on hate speech and harassment. Today, we speak to Kari Paul, a technology reporter for the Guardian US, about what it means for the mercurial billionaire to hold the reins of one of the world's most influential social media sites.

The port city of Mariupol in Eastern Ukraine, once home to around 400,000, has been effectively reduced to rubble by Russian forces, which have battered the city and surrounded its steel plant, where women and children are still trapped. A battered but stubborn force of Ukrainian soldiers is still holding out, made up of members of the Azov Battalion, a far-right group that has become part of Ukraine's armed forces. After Ukraine's early success in the north, especially its defence of the capital Kyiv, Russia has shifted its brutal campaign to other parts of the country. Today on Front Burner, we're talking to the Wall Street Journal's European security correspondent James Marson on Russia's changing tactics 61 days into its war with Ukraine — and what could happen next.

It's still early in the Conservative leadership race, but candidate Pierre Poilievre seems to have momentum. He's drawing big crowds at rallies across the country with promises to make Canada "the freest country on Earth." Front Burner producer Allie Jaynes introduces you to some of the people who attended a Toronto event last week, and CBC Politics senior reporter Catherine Cullen gives context around those crowds and how Poilievre's brand of populism compares to past candidates.

France is electing a new president this weekend — and once again the culture war over Islam is front and centre. Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, has proposed a ban on Muslim women wearing headscarves in public, and she's in striking distance of upsetting Emmanuel Macron, France's current centrist president. With the debate over French identity and rampant Islamaphobia flaring up again, Nothing is Foreign host Tamara Khandaker speaks with guest, Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French legal scholar, who says it's "draining" to feel as a French Muslim that "you are never enough." So what does this moment mean for Western Europe's largest Muslim population? And just how close is France to the brink of a far-right future? Featuring: Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French legal scholar and civil liberties expert.

In 2010, Julian Assange uploaded hundreds of thousands of U.S. intelligence documents to WikiLeaks, the website he co-founded. Twelve years, an array of allegations in the U.S. and Sweden, and an extended stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in London later, a British judge has now approved his extradition to the U.S. to face spying charges. The order has been sent to the U.K. home secretary for final approval. Today, The Guardian reporter Ben Quinn joins us to explain how British courts arrived at this order, what recourse remains for Assange, and the chilling precedent his supporters fear an extradition could set.

It's been two months since police cleared out the trucks and protesters who'd been occupying the streets around Parliament Hill. Several of the key figures involved in the convoy protests are in custody or out on bail, waiting for their trials to begin. Millions in donations have been seized, repaid or spent, but almost $8 million have not been accounted for. And many people in Ottawa — and across the country — are still waiting for answers and accountability. CBC Ottawa reporter David Fraser has been following the money and the latest from court. He fills us in on what we know now about how this protest became so entrenched.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is making a play to take over Twitter. It's a platform he dominates already with 82 million followers. The bold but unconventional tactics he's employed are on brand for Musk; part tech billionaire, part internet troll. Today on Front Burner, we're talking to the Washington Post's Will Oremus about Musk's latest endeavour, some of his past controversies and whether it's even possible to hold the world's richest man to account.

On Sunday, French citizens will go to the polls to choose their next president. They have two choices: incumbent Emmanuel Macron, who is seen by many to have handled crises, like the pandemic, well but has struggled to shake the perception that he is out of touch and elitist. Or, longtime far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who has worked hard to reimagine her party, even though many of the core ideas — especially about immigration reform — remain. Some polls have the pair only a few percentage points apart — much closer than when they faced off in 2017. Sarah White, a Paris correspondent for The Financial Times, joins us to discuss why the race is so tight, and what it could mean if Le Pen wins.

Economically, Sri Lanka is on fire. Residents are dealing with ballooning food costs, hours-long lineups for fuel and power blackouts that last half the day. The country is facing record inflation and unemployment, the likes of which haven't been seen in 74 years. But the crisis has united a nation that's long been divided along ethnic and religious lines — all to oust the political family they blame for the disaster. This week on Nothing is Foreign, we hear from Sri Lankans who explain how their country landed in a $51-billion debt hole and the island nation's unprecedented protests. Featuring: Aritha Wickramasinghe, lawyer and human rights activist. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo.

Nearly two years ago, denturist Gabriel Wortman, in a fake police cruiser and uniform, terrorized rural Nova Scotia and killed 22 people. Looking for answers, a public inquiry is now connecting the dots between how the killer evaded RCMP and the chaotic situation officers faced on the ground. For weeks, the Mass Casualty Commission has shared its findings, revealed critical documents, and gathered public testimony from witnesses. Today on Front Burner we hear RCMP testimony about how officers constantly felt a step behind the gunman – and how they eventually ended the rampage. CBC Nova Scotia reporter Elizabeth McMillan joins us to explain what happened on April 18 and 19, 2020 and what's still to come from the commission. (This episode originally played a clip that was misattributed. We've corrected the error.)

Etsy wants a place among the giants of online commerce. The handmade and vintage item marketplace has seen sales explode during the pandemic, doubling since 2019 and passing $12 billion US last year. CEO Josh Silverman says it's competing to be "the starting point for your e-commerce journey." But some of the creators and sellers on Etsy say, amid this growth, the site has been shrinking their profits and devaluing their labour. Thousands of sellers are on what they call a "strike" this week, pausing their shops to protest growing fees. Today, a conversation with an organizer behind the effort, Gothic and Victorian dress- and costume-maker Kristi Cassidy.

For weeks, most of Shanghai’s 26 million residents haven’t been able to leave their apartments, due to a strict lockdown meant to curb a massive COVID-19 outbreak. There have been reports of food and medicine shortages, of unsanitary conditions in the city’s giant quarantine facilities, and of authorities forcibly separating parents from children who test positive. All of which is leading to rare public displays of anger against the government. Today, Reuters reporter Engen Tham joins us to explain what life has been like in Shanghai, why China is sticking to its “dynamic zero COVID” strategy, and where things could go from here.

Almost nine months ago, an investigation was launched into the Jan. 6 insurrection, and recently some of the people closest to Donald Trump have testified, including his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. But after hearing from more than 800 witnesses a few key questions remain — will the former U.S. president be called to testify? What happened to almost eight hours of missing phone records? Will this now move to the Department of Justice? Today on Front Burner, we talk to congressional reporter for Politico, Nicholas Wu, on the major revelations of this committee so far, what’s left to learn and where it all goes from here.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney addressed United Conservative Party members at a special general meeting on Saturday and made his pitch to stay on as party leader. UCP members can begin voting via mail-in ballot on the future of Kenney’s leadership this week, with results expected May 18. But the lead-up to this vote has been rife with party infighting. Today, Maclean's Alberta correspondent Jason Markusoff explains what’s preceded this leadership review, the discontent within the UCP and why Kenney may have reason to be concerned regardless of the outcome next month.

If you're sitting in the West, listening to Western politicians, the Ukraine-Russia war has a pretty clear narrative: Russia is the aggressor and should be sanctioned to the fullest extent, in solidarity with Ukraine. But how does the rest of the world view this war? Much of the Global South and some of the most powerful nations in the world, like China, India and Brazil, don't see the war in black and white. They're refusing to sanction or officially condemn Russia over the invasion. Why aren't they taking a side and what does that mean for how this war can end? This week on Nothing is Foreign, we speak with two geopolitical experts on the tightrope these countries are walking and whether we're witnessing a reordering of power among the biggest players on the world stage. Featuring: Swapna Kona Nayudu, associate at the Harvard University Asia Center and Indian foreign policy expert. Chidochashe Nyere, post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg.

The Liberals’ new budget doesn’t come with the hefty price tag of last year’s plan for pandemic recovery. But it isn’t thrifty either, pledging about $31.2 billion in net new spending over the next five years — mainly for housing, defence, and climate change. Today, CBC’s host of Power and Politics Vassy Kapelos joins us to break down the big-ticket items in the government's new spending plan, and look at whether it will help make life more affordable for Canadians.

Last week, a group of current and former Amazon workers in New York’s Staten Island accomplished what some of the biggest unions in the United States could not: they organized Amazon’s first successful union vote in the country. The battle isn’t over yet: in a statement, Amazon said it is weighing whether to file objections. But today, we speak to Chris Smalls, interim president of the newly-formed Amazon Labor Union, about how he sparked a movement that succeeded where others have failed — and where that movement is headed next.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party won their fourth consecutive victory in Sunday’s election, even after a historic effort by opposition parties to come together and defeat the autocratic leader. Today, Justin Spike, Budapest Correspondent for the Associated Press, explains how Orbán has held onto power, changed Hungary, and what his latest victory could mean for the future.

Long before federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was leading the file in Canada's fight against the climate crisis, he was an activist — some might even say a radical one, most famous for scaling the CN tower in 2001 to bring attention to climate change. Now, he's the architect of the Liberals' latest plan to dramatically curb greenhouse gas emissions. It's Guilbeault's first big move in his new role, and it's getting a lot of attention — by those who think it goes too far, and those who think it doesn't go far enough. Today on Front Burner, we're talking to environmental writer Arno Kopecky about Guilbeault, the move from activist to politician and how his new climate plan measures up to expectations.

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Turkey last week to discuss an end to the ongoing hostilities. Since then, Russian attacks have continued and Ukraine has brought forward new allegations of atrocities committed by Russian troops. Disturbing images have emerged from Bucha, a town outside Kyiv, showing charred streets and bodies left in the open. Residents say civilians were killed by Russian troops, and Ukraine’s foreign minister has called it a “deliberate massacre.” BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams joins Front Burner to explain the latest out of the war in Ukraine, what’s on the negotiating table and whether a deal is possible amidst the devastation.

The demands are growing in Jamaica to get Britain to pay up and offer reparations for slavery. Anti-monarchy sentiments, protests and calls for reparations made for an uncomfortable visit for Prince William and Kate through the Caribbean last week. Jamaica's prime minister said the Commonwealth realm is looking to "move on" from the monarchy and become an independent republic. One of its most urgent demands — reparations for slavery — has been decades in the making but is now gaining momentum as more Jamaicans say the intergenerational trauma of slavery has shaped the nation in a way that must be rectified. This week, Nothing is Foreign takes a closer look at Jamaica's push for reparations, the long legacy of resistance against colonialism in the country, and the Royal Family's connection to the slave trade. Featuring: Matthew J. Smith, professor of history and director of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. Bert Samuels, lawyer and member of Jamaica's Reparations Council.

This week, First Nations, Métis and Inuit delegations from Canada travelled to the Vatican to share stories of the impact of church-run residential schools on their communities with Pope Francis and to call for an official apology from the very top of the Catholic Church for abuses committed at the schools, up to 70 per cent of which were run by the church. They got one. Pope Francis apologized on Friday for the conduct of some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system. "It's chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots," he said. "This is something that unfortunately, and at various levels, still happens today — that is, ideological colonization. "All this has made me feel two things very strongly — indignation and shame." Journalist Brandi Morin joins us from Rome after listening closely this week to Indigenous leaders, youth and religious figures. She explains what delegates hope these meetings will lead to — and why they are only the start of reconciliation with the church.

After years of delays, Canada is upgrading its air force and replacing its fleet of aging CF-18 fighters with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II — a jet the Liberals once vowed they would never buy. The stealth fighter jet has long been touted as the future of aerial warfare, but the debate over buying a fleet has dragged on for more than a decade, starting under the Harper government. On the campaign trail in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the F-35 would be a "nightmare" for Canadian taxpayers. Today on Front Burner, we talk to Ottawa Citizen's Defence Reporter David Pugliese about why, after disavowing the F-35 fighter jet, the Liberals have decided to launch negotiations to buy 88 of them at an expected cost of $19-billion.

Randy Hillier, a longtime member of Ontario’s legislature, is facing nine charges related to his participation in the Ottawa trucker convoy — and they could lead to jail time. Hillier’s protests against public health restrictions and spreading of misinformation about vaccines have also gotten him banned from Twitter and barred from speaking in the legislature. Today, we speak to CBC reporter Mike Crawley about how the long-standing Ontario politician became a high-profile voice in Canada’s anti-vaccine movement, and the trouble he finds himself in now.

Medical workers from across Canada have volunteered and even paid their own way to provide aid to refugees at the Ukrainian border, taking a mission with disaster relief group Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT). The journey to set up a field clinic, however, has met unexpected obstacles from thieves, “disaster tourists” and organizational turf wars. Freelance journalist and former CBC reporter Margo McDiarmid spent five days with the team from CMAT as they persevered to deliver aid and grappled with the decision to enter a country at war. Today, she brings us the stories of the CMAT volunteers and refugees entering Poland.

A nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought,” warned NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last Wednesday. It’s a prospect that many in Canada haven’t had to consider since the end of the Cold War, but experts say the risk hasn't disappeared. A few weeks ago, Front Burner did an episode about no-fly zones, and how some experts argue that the U.S. shouldn’t enforce one in Ukraine because it could lead to an escalation that could put Russia and the United States, two nuclear powers, in direct conflict. Today, guest host Jason D’Souza speaks with nuclear weapons expert Tom Collina about the state of these major powers’ nuclear arsenals and the destruction they could cause. Collina, the director of policy at the Ploughshares Fund, says nuclear weapons are enabling Russia to “take Ukraine hostage and keep other nations out.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has delivered unprecedented success for his team, London's Chelsea Football Club, in the English Premier League. But with sanctions tightening around Abramovich, who is on the list of those deemed to be enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine, the team's finances and ethics are under the microscope. And that scrutiny levelled at Abramovich has expanded to other Premier League clubs that are owned by countries with questionable human rights records, leaving fans and its millions of viewers around the world asking what team they're really supporting. Does the blinding gleam of trophies cover up bigger, darker and more complicated questions about ethical ownership in sports? This week, Nothing is Foreign looks into how oligarchs and countries have used "sportswashing" to launder their reputations, the tentacles that extend from England into Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and beyond, and the reckoning underway at the highest levels of sports and business. Note, this episode contains explicit language. Featuring: Mayowa Quadri, editorial officer at Versus and Chelsea FC supporter. Ben Jacobs, sports journalist and producer, CBS Sports.

Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered child protective services to investigate parents of transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care. Even going so far as to say that this care should be categorized as “child abuse.” Abbot’s directive, although not actually law, was an alarming consequence of a rise of anti-trans bills being proposed at the state level across the U.S. In Alabama, lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to provide gender-affirming care to minors. Today on Front Burner, Gillian Branstetter gets into the importance of gender-affirming care, and the impact of blocking trans youth from safely accessing it. We also explore the forces behind this Republican-led movement, and the kind of effort an opposition needs to mount to counter it.

For more than a month, one of the biggest women’s basketball stars in the world has been detained in Russia. Russian officials are alleging that Brittney Griner, a centre for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, brought cannabis oil into the country. Much remains unknown about Griner’s case — including whether there’s any evidence to those charges. But with Russia continuing its war in Ukraine, the timing could hardly be worse. Today, ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn joins us to talk about Griner’s detention, why so many WNBA stars go to Russia and the heated debate over whether talking more about Griner’s case would harm her — or help bring her home.

According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an unstable world demands a stable Canadian Parliament. Trudeau pointed to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and financial and trade woes yesterday, before announcing a “confidence-and-supply” deal between the Liberals and NDP. Essentially, in exchange for moving forward on NDP policy priorities, the NDP will back the Trudeau government in votes that could defeat it until June of 2025. But the opposition Conservatives are already decrying the deal as a “power grab.” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says the deal will end if the Liberals don’t hold up their end of the bargain. Questions remain about whether the agreement can create any kind of lasting stability, and whether it safeguards — or jeopardizes — the parties’ future influence. Today, a look at how this deal changes Canada’s political landscape with the reporter who broke the story, Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos

It’s been almost a month since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The UN Human Rights Office says at least 902 civilians have been killed between Feb. 24 and March 19, but warns that the real death toll is actually considerably higher as it has not yet verified numbers from several badly hit cities, including the besieged Mariupol. Still, as the war rages on, the capital Kyiv and much of the rest of the country remains in Ukrainian control. Today, the Wall Street Journal’s European security correspondent James Marson explains the state of Russia’s war in Ukraine now, where Russian forces have advanced, and the strength of the Ukrainian resistance.

In February, as a massive trucker convoy rolled into Ottawa to protest COVID-19 mandates, another convoy set up outside the tiny town of Coutts, Alta., where protesters paralyzed a major U.S.-Canada border crossing for over two weeks. A month after those blockades were finally dismantled, CBC reporter Joel Dryden travelled to Coutts to look at the lasting rifts the protests created among residents — and why, even with most mandates now lifted across Canada, some protesters are staying put.

South’s Korea incoming president, Yoon Suk Yeol, demonizes feminism, blames women for the country’s low birth rate and denies the existence of gender inequality. His campaign — which capitalized on the politics of grievance — has drawn comparisons to former U.S. president Donald Trump. So much so that he is also known as K-Trump. This week, on Nothing is Foreign, we hear from the women who are fighting for their voices, rights and safety and explore the roots of the country’s anti-feminist movement. Featuring: Jieun Choi, South Korean journalist. Haein Shim, artist and activist of Seoul-based feminist group Haeil.

Russia’s elite class of billionaire oligarchs have become major targets for Western sanctions over the war on Ukraine. Last week, Canada announced it was freezing assets and banning business from Russian figures including Roman Abramovich, who has been ordered to sell his Chelsea Football Club in the United Kingdom. The U.K. and European Union have taken similar measures against Abramovich and others, and the U.S. has convened a multilateral task force dedicated to sanctioning these elites. But while oligarchs traditionally wield outsized political influence in Russia, President Vladimir Putin has consolidated power over his decades in leadership. Questions remain about whether Russian billionaires — however incensed by the limits placed on their Western-style lives of excess — can pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. Today, Forbes’ John Hyatt uses his experience on the billionaire beat to explain where the oligarchs’ wealth comes from, and what Western pressure on their wallets could mean for Putin.

The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is scathing: it lays out the stark divide between rich and poor nations’ ability to withstand global warming’s worst effects. This, just months after COP26 in Glasgow, where many delegates and activists were asking rich nations most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions to pay for the losses and damages that many developing nations are already experiencing from climate change. Demands for a specific compensation fund were not met. Today, Canadian human rights lawyer Payam Akhavan is here to explain how some small island nations are looking at how they can use international law to make rich countries pay up. He’s a senior fellow at Massey College at the University of Toronto, and a former UN war crimes prosecutor who has served on tribunals investigating genocide in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Now, he’s helped establish the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, and is serving as the group’s legal counsel.

It’s been three straight election losses for the Conservative Party of Canada, and now three consecutive races to find a new leader. MPs booted Erin O’Toole as leader last month after he failed to best Justin Trudeau in an unpopular 2021 election. Now, the race to replace him as leader is underway, with the first week of the race marked by attacks, ideology and differing tactics for how to return the party to power. Five candidates have put their names in so far: Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, former Quebec premier Jean Charest, Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis and independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber. Today, Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos returns with an overview of the candidates, their strategies and what’s at stake for the party beyond just winning.

Russia is stepping up its bombing campaign against Ukraine. So for weeks, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been making a desperate plea to the United States and its NATO allies to impose a “no-fly zone” over the country — to keep Russian warplanes out of the sky. But a no-fly zone hinges on the notion that if a Russian plane violates the terms, it will be shot down. And the idea of entering into armed combat with a nuclear power is a clear and potentially catastrophic risk for Western leaders. This week, Zelensky is planning a virtual address to Canada’s House of Commons and the U.S. Congress, in the hopes of winning more support in his country’s fight against Putin’s military. Today on Front Burner, we speak to University of British Columbia’s Allen Sens about the case for and against a “no-fly zone,” whether there’s a red line in this war, and the ways in which it could escalate.

Rents in Canada are skyrocketing, and tenants are struggling to keep up. One in three Canadian households rent, and yet much of the public conversation around Canada’s housing crisis focuses on homebuyers. Today on Front Burner, Shaina Luck brings us her investigation for the Fifth Estate into Canada’s rental crisis: what’s driving prices up, the role of institutional landlords, and the absence of government action.

Peering inside Russia – and it’s complex web of state propaganda – presents a very different view of the war in Ukraine and who the real victims are. As nations around the world condemn Russia’s invasion, many within Russia are supporting Russian president Vladimir Putin. How is Putin selling the war to the Russian people? Will thousands of anti-war protesters challenging the Kremlin make a difference to the government? This week, Nothing is Foreign takes you inside the alternate reality being created by Russian state propaganda, explores how fear and new laws have choked off dissenting voices and listen in on the difficult conversations between a Ukrainian son and a Russian father in the war over disinformation. Featuring: Alexey Kovalev, investigative editor of Meduza. Sergey Utkin, researcher and head of strategic assessment at Primakov Institute of World Economy and International relations. Misha Katsurin, Kyiv resident and creator of Papapover.com. Yulia Zhivtsova, anti-war protester in Moscow.

Oil prices in Canada skyrocketed this week as sanctions on Russian energy effectively shut the world’s third largest oil supplier out of the market following its invasion of Ukraine. The United States and the United Kingdom moved to ban Russian oil imports. Even the European Union, Russia’s biggest oil customer, announced its plan to slash Russian oil imports by two-thirds this year. Although Canada has never really relied on Russian oil, the impact of sky-high oil prices is already being felt in Canada, as prices at the pumps remain at record highs across the country. It’s forcing a moment of reckoning inside Canada’s oilpatch, an industry facing a choice — transition away from fossil fuels or ramp up production. Today on Front Burner, we speak with CBC’s Kyle Bakx about the fork in the road for Canada’s energy future.

As he declared his war on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an odd promise to a country with a Jewish president and an annual Pride parade: He said he was doing this to "de-Nazify" the country. Sam Sokol, a reporter with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, was taken back to a time moments eight years ago — when Russian media advanced fictitious stories about Jewish communities targeted in Ukraine, around the time that Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. Sokol is the author of Putin's Hybrid War and the Jews: Antisemitism, Propaganda, and the Displacement of Ukrainian Jewry. He has covered Ukrainian far-right movements in depth — and explained how those groups have been weaponized by Russian propaganda to legitimize the mass violence we are seeing today. He's joining us to separate Putin's rhetoric from Ukraine's reality, and to break down what all this means for Ukrainian Jewish communities.

As pandemic restrictions continue to lift across the country, we’re joined by Zain Chagla, an infectious diseases physician at St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, for a look at where we are with COVID-19 in Canada, and how to weigh the risk factors for yourself. (And we promise — there’s plenty of good news!)

In a flash, a view of Ukrainian civilians fleeing down a street in Irpin becomes only concrete dust. The scene captured in a video Sunday shows a mortar shell falling in the street, killing three family members and a family friend — including two children. This is the kind of danger looming over the people of Ukraine. Some have decided to leave their homes and loved ones behind to risk an escape. Others who must stay are helping to ready a resistance to the overwhelming Russian military power. CBC senior correspondent Susan Ormiston is in the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine, where she’s been talking to Ukrainians, both those who are fleeing and those getting ready to fight. Today, she brings us to a train station, a border crossing, a bomb shelter and a barricade, and explains how Ukrainians have made these impossible choices — if they had any choice at all.