The Current

Joe MacInnis has spent his life going where very few people ever have — beneath the ice at the North Pole, down to the wreck of the Titanic, and into the deep waters of Lake Superior to visit the Edmund Fitzgerald. Now 88, the Canadian physician and deep-sea explorer looks back on a lifetime of high-risk exploration. He talks about the moment he caught “sea fever” as a teenager, what those extreme environments taught him about fear and teamwork, and why leadership — not technology is what really matters when survival is on the line.

It's been one month since Iran was rocked by what’s being called the country's deadliest crackdown in modern history. On January 8th and 9th, security forces brutally attacked protesters who had taken to the streets calling for regime change. It’s still unclear how many people were killed. A shut down of communications has made it tough for people living outside of the country to get information on exactly what happened. CBC's Liz Hoath brings us this story about Canadians who are slowly learning what’s happened to friends and family back in Iran.

 An 'unimaginable tragedy' in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Yesterday afternoon, a shooter entered the local secondary school and opened fire. At least 10 people in the tight-knit rural community are dead, including the suspected shooter. It's the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. We check in with the community to hear what happened, and how they are leaning on each other in the wake of this tragedy. We also speak with Dr. Shimi Kang, a child psychiatrist about how to talk to your kids about school violence.

The Gaza-Egypt border crossing partially opened last week, after the return of the body of the last Israeli hostage. However very few people have been able to leave Gaza for medical care or return to reunite with their families. A pediatrician describes the young patients he saw dying or suffering in Gaza, unable to get outside help. A 29-year-old woman says she fears her dream to study abroad is in jeopardy.

President of the Angus Reid Institute, Shachi Kurl breaks down new polling data that shows the number of Albertans committed to leaving Canada remains low, despite a number of events held by separatist around the province. Plus veteran strategists talk about how the separatist movement could play out politically across Alberta and the rest of the country.

Recently Vancouver city council passed a unanimous motion calling on Transport Canada to do something about LED headlight glare. Saskatoon optometrist Rachael Berger welcomes the motion because she's seeing more and younger patients who are finding it difficult to drive at night. Vehicle lighting expert Daniel Stern says Canada needs to change its current regulations because they had halogen bulbs in mind, not modern LED lights.

Food prices have climbed for years and for families on fixed incomes, every increase means another trade-off. As the federal government rolls out a new grocery rebate, we hear from a single mother of four on the Ontario Disability Support Program about what it could change for her family, and from food economist Michael von Massow on what the rebate can and can't do to ease food insecurity.

Turkey has become a top destination for the booming business of hair transplants. But why are so many men opting for the procedure? We talk to John Paul Brammer, a writer and artist based in Brooklyn about his own experience with hair transplants. Plus, Glen Jankowski, an adjunct lecturer and researcher in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin, and the author of a forthcoming book, Branding Baldness, about how our perception of baldness changed over the years. 

Zadie Smith wonders if she's weird. She pays attention to a lot in an age when our attention has been captured and her phone-free life can be lonely. It's been twenty-five years since Zadie Smith published her widely acclaimed novel 'White Teeth.’ We talk to her about aging, attention, clubbing, why she loves Billie Eilish, and her most recent book of essays 'Dead and Alive.’

We've got a special episode today of Cross Country Checkup. It is Canada's only national phone-in show, broadcasting live from coast to coast to coast. Checkup is Canada's weekly town hall — a place for raw, honest perspectives on the most pressing issues of the week. For over 55 years, it's where Canadians gather to listen to each other every Sunday afternoon. This week, the host Ian Hanomansing is joined by Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney for a special Ask Me Anything.

Coming off his Album of the Year win at the Grammys, where he made a statement denouncing ICE, Bad Bunny will take the stage at the Super Bowl half time show. What message will his performance send, and why the NFL has gone against the White House to support him.

A young bar-tailed godwit code-named B6 flew for more than 13,000 kilometres from Alaska to Tasmania in 2022. That's the longest known sustained flight by a bird. Avian expert and author Bruce Beehler says we don't entirely understand how it did it — and that should humble us.

Clara Hughes. Hayley Wickenheiser. Beckie Scott. Legends of Team Canada with 13 Olympic medals between them. So what do they watch for when Team Canada competes — and what goes through their minds when they see more Canadian athletes climb onto the podium? Olympians on why we should lean into the Olympics.

Scrap chocolate and vanilla: mango, coconut, and pistachio are the hot new Canadian ice cream flavours… in Mexico, that is. Ice cream is one of many Canadian products making its way to Mexican shelves right now. We talk with Pierre Morin, the owner of Quebec ice cream manufacturing company Top Glacier, about why Mexico is hungry for Canadian products right now, how Canadian businesses are thinking about Mexico and the U.S. as trading partners, and what you should do if you want to get your product into the Mexican market.

Toronto Star Crime Reporter, Jennifer Pagliaro on an investigation by York Regional Police connecting several Toronto police officers to organized crime, including a conspiracy to commit murder, shootings, extortion, robbery, drug trafficking and firearms offences.

We know that companies are gathering data on us as we go about our lives online, but that information might also be used to create a personalized price for something you’re looking at buying. We hear from Jim Balsellie, the co-founder of the Council of Canadian Innovators and the Digital Governance Council, on how algorithmic pricing works and what guardrails need to be put in place.

There’s no getting around it - life is more expensive as a single person than it is when you’re in a couple. With singles in Canada now making up almost 40% of the population, The Current producer Cece Armstrong looked into the so-called singles 'tax' and how it’s hitting people’s wallets and life choices.

Canadian hockey legend PK Subban is one of the executive producers of a new CBC special, Rivals: the Four-Nations Face-Off -- chronicling that epic hockey tournament, last year. He talks about the fights, the booing, and why Canadian fans criticized people like Wayne Gretzky, and Subban himself, during that heated political and cultural moment.

The last remaining US-Russia nuclear treaty that put limits on nuclear arsenals, the New START, expires today. Experts warn that without a new treaty, it raises the risk of a nuclear arms race in an increasingly volatile world, We speak with Thomas Countryman, Board Chair of the Arms Control Association, and a former U.S. diplomat who served as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and Matt Korda, the Associate Director for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, who's tracking nuclear arsenals and trends.

Many of us participate in Dry January — and go right back to drinking during the other eleven months of the year. Sure, Dry January can be a great jumping off point, but long-term health benefits aren't going to come with quitting the booze for one month. We speak to Catharine Fairbairn, a psychologist who runs an alcohol research lab, about what people should be doing if they really want to change their drinking habits. And we ask Dan Malleck, a medical historian specializing in alcohol and prohibition: Why do people drink, anyways? And is it really that bad for you?

The number of homeless people in smaller cities, towns and in rural communities is climbing. We hear from two mayors who are grappling with the surge in people experiencing homelessness. We'll also hear from Tim Richter, the founder of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, and the co-chair of the National Housing Council that's advising the federal Housing Minister, on what the solutions he's pushing for.

Lily and Jack Sullivan have been missing for nine months. For the first time their maternal grandmother is speaking in a CBC exclusive interview.

New research from the Canadian Medical Association Journal has found that more people aged 14-20 are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, than previous generations. We talk to study co-author Dr. Marco Solmi about his findings, and some of the possible reasons behind it. Plus, psychiatrist Dr. Oyedeji Ayonrinde on why early intervention matters, and why cannabis use can't be ignored as a potential factor in this rise.

“The future is fungal,” says Toby Kiers. She has won the "green Nobel" for her work studying mycorrhizal fungi — the vast underground network that acts as the soil's circulatory system. In fact, she may be the fungi's greatest champion. She explains why she loves these fungi — and why you should too.

From Ne Zha 2, to the video game Black Myth, Labubu, Chinese culture is becoming more aspirational. We hear from Tianyu Fang, a PhD student at Harvard who focuses on Chinese history, technology and culture about the shifting perceptions of China, the rise of soft power and what that could mean for future international relations.

Files released by The U.S. Department of Justice show that many high-profile figures who've tried to distance themselves from Jeffrey Epstein were chummy with the convicted sex offender. Journalist Molly Jong-Fast says there should be some kind of accountability for those who enabled him.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is about to send a crew farther from Earth than any human has ever gone. The mission marks the first crewed lunar flight since 1972. We speak with Gordon Osinski, a planetary geologist at Western University who has helped train astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, about why this mission is such a critical milestone for Canada’s role in deep-space exploration. Plus, Michelle Hanlon, a space law professor, on what the return to the Moon raises about ownership, cooperation, and the law that will govern this new era of space exploration

Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff sees potential in the disruption that's come along with AI. He says it's an opportunity for us to reclaim our humanity and our connection to each other — and even build a better world.

Everywhere you turn, there's a distraction, and the evidence suggests we're all reading fewer books. Some have described it as a "crisis". We speak to one young Canadian who's turning that around, BookTok and podcast host, Morgann Book. We'll also speak with Gregor Campbell, a long-time English professor at the University of Guelph on what he has observed in the classroom, and Jonathan Jarry, a science communicator with McGill University's Office for Society and Science who puts the "reading crisis" in perspective.

The Conservative Party convention is underway in Calgary, and Pierre Poilievre will face a leadership review tonight. Jason Kenney, the former premier of Alberta, along with Monte Solberg, former cabinet minister under Stephen Harper, tell us what to expect to come out of this convention, and can Pierre Poilievre stay as the leader of the Conservative Party?

According to the UN, the world is entering an era of “water bankruptcy,” a term scientists are using to describe what happens when water use outpaces nature’s ability to recover. In this conversation, we unpack what that actually means, and why many water systems are no longer bouncing back even after rains return. We hear from Kaveh Madani, the author of a new UN report, and the Director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health at United Nations University. 

The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day trip around the moon and back. It’s the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years, testing what it really takes for humans and their spacecraft to survive deep space, and setting the stage for the next big leap.

Sport is for many a part of their national identity. So what if your nation doesn’t fall within one country’s specific borders? That’s the genesis of the roller derby team Indigenous Rising, which is the focus of the new documentary Rising Through The Fray. Filmmaker Courtney Montour and player Sour Cherry tell us about the roller derby community and how it's changed lives.

New research from Mexico and the UK is shining a light on how spider monkeys work together to let each other know where the best food in their habitat is and when it’ll ripen. We hear from Gabriel Ramos Fernandez at the National Autonomous University of Mexico about what humans can learn from this behaviour.

Australia has banned social media for young people under 16. The UK is looking to do the same, and France announced its plans to ban the platforms for kids under 15. But as Canada considers a ban, experts question if a ban is the right approach.

At 97 years of age, Elly Gotz still speaks about his experience as a survivor of the Holocaust.  While he wants people to understand the cruelty he lived through at the hands of the Nazis, he also wants to spread the word that hatred is pointless. He is hoping that with each speech he gives, someone will be affected and will learn not to hate.

The price of gold hit another record high this week. People see the precious metal as a safe haven during unstable times. But there are other reasons we have coveted gold since the dawn of civilization, not all of them rational. We'll hear from Douglas Porter, Chief Economist at BMO Financial Group and Globe and Mail columnist, John Rapley, about the allure of gold and what's drawn people to it over centuries.

As the 13 premiers meet in Ottawa today, Manitoba's Premier, Wab Kinew, weighs in on tensions between the leaders and on why Churchill deserves truckloads of money to beef up its port.

As much of Canada is still digging itself out after record snowfall, we take a look at how drivers are trying to stake their claim on dug out street parking spots.  We hear from The Globe and Mail Columnist and Humber College Comedy Program director Andrew Clark about whether Canadians should be more ruthless about calling dibs.

The fear in Minneapolis is palpable. While President Donald Trump seems to be signalling a change in the violent immigration crackdown that has left two people dead and a city on edge, those caught up in the chaos are not breathing any easier. In our documentary, Turmoil in the Twin Cities, we hear from residents who say they’re still on high alert.

Nardwuar The Human Serviette has been behind the mic for four decades, from campus radio to Much Music to his YouTube channel and Instagram, millions of devoted followers are drawn to his celebrity interviews. We speak with Nardwuar about the power of independent media, the value of research and why stars like Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish andTimothée Chalamet want to be interviewed by him.

Chinese EVs are about to hit the Canadian market. Some experts say this is a step in the right direction to diversify our economy and make EVs more affordable for Canadians, but others are worried this will hurt our already struggling auto manufacturing industry. We speak with two experts about what this agreement means for consumers, our auto sector, and how this fits into Carney's larger trade policy.

When Steve Blake was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, he was shocked. The Calgary man was active and was a non-smoker. Eventually, his search for a cause focused on radon. We talk to CBC’s Lauren Pelley about how an odourless gas found in many homes became the second-highest cause of lung cancer.

 Alex Honnold captivated audiences around the world when he free solo climbed a 1,667 foot skyscraper in Taiwan named Taipei 101. Few people understand what Alex might have been feeling like Dan Goodwin. Forty years ago Dan free solo climbed the CN tower. Now he is talking about what it takes to achieve such a feat.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ambitious plans for his Board of Peace. He says countries that join him will fix Gaza and then do "pretty much whatever we want to do." Others aren't so sure it's the answer.

Ryan Wedding, Canadian Olympian turned FBI’s most wanted has been caught in Mexico after years on the run, and faces charges for his alleged role in a murderous international drug crime network. We speak with CBC's Jorge Barrera, based in Mexico City, about how Wedding managed to evade authorities for so long, and what led to his capture. 

It’s been a dramatic few weeks including Prime Minister Mark Carney's whirlwind trip from Beijing to Doha to Davos. Followed by President Donald Trump’s threats of 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. To help make sense of it all, our national affairs panel, Stephanie Levitz, a senior reporter with the Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau, Ryan Tumilty, a parliamentary reporter with the Toronto Star, and Rosemary Barton, CBC's chief political correspondent join us to talk about what we can expect from the political season ahead.

We all know people who are always late. Maybe you're one of them. The tardy gets a bad rap. But they aren't all self-centred, says University of Texas time expert Dawna Ballard. Some of them may be time blind. Others simply can't pull themselves away from people they value. Understanding what's behind our time personalities might help us get along better -- and rethink when and why we obey the dictates of the clock.

On Saturday morning, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. This is the second fatal shooting by a federal agent in that city this month. We speak with the former mayor of Minneapolis R. T. Rybak about what is happening in his city and how the community is coming together to try and protect each other.

In a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Friday, former UN prosecutor Payam Akhavan said he has no doubt Iran "will have its Nuremberg moment." This comes as there are major discrepancies between the official death toll of people killed and the death toll from NGOs tracking the situation. We speak with Payam Akhavan about the human rights situation in Iran right now and what's at stake for the Iranian people.