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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 28, 2026 • 9min
Do you call dibs on your street parking spot in the snow?
Andrew Clark, Globe and Mail columnist and Humber College comedy director, weighs in on urban parking culture and the rituals around shovelled street spots. He contrasts blunt U.S. tactics with Canada’s polite cone-and-faux-construction approach. The conversation covers why people avoid confrontation and how claims on public space raise fairness questions.
Jan 28, 2026 • 19min
Premier Wab Kinew says ‘stop listening to naysayers’ think big
Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba and former broadcaster and author, talks provincial priorities and Canada–U.S. relations. He discusses tensions among premiers and the need for unity. He makes a case for major investment in the Port of Churchill and the regional economic, environmental and logistical issues tied to that vision.
Jan 27, 2026 • 12min
What does it take to free solo climb a skyscraper?
Dan Goodwin, aka Spider Dan, former urban free solo climber who scaled the CN Tower in 1986 and wrote about high-rise climbs. He contrasts different kinds of free soloing and what drives people to test their minds. He recounts his CN Tower ascents, the ‘zone’ experience, why he stopped climbing, and warns about media-driven copycats.
19 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 20min
What will Chinese EVs mean for the Canada’s auto sector and drivers
Julian Karagessian, former trade advisor and McGill lecturer on trade and economic strategy, and Rachel Doran, executive director at Clean Energy Canada focused on EV policy, discuss Chinese EVs arriving in Canada. They talk about affordability and consumer access. They cover policy levers like mandates, tariffs and rebates. They debate impacts on domestic manufacturing and trade diversification.
Jan 27, 2026 • 24min
Is Trump’s Board of Peace a threat to the UN?
Michael O'Hanlon, a Brookings foreign policy and defense expert, weighs in on Trump's Board of Peace. He discusses how the board fits U.S. strategy and its potential to reinforce a two-state vision. He explores risks from vague mandates, the challenge of allies' responses, and how the plan reflects a maximalist, unpredictable U.S. approach.
Jan 27, 2026 • 13min
The danger of radon in Canadian homes
A Calgary man’s shock lung cancer diagnosis sparks an investigation into invisible radon in homes. The show follows high basement readings, research linking long-term exposure to cancer, and a toenail study tracking lifetime radon. It covers testing and mitigation costs, new building-code changes adding passive radon stacks, and gaps in public awareness and support.
Jan 26, 2026 • 14min
People who are always late aren't necessarily jerks (but they might be)
Dawna Ballard, a University of Texas researcher and author who studies time perception, explores why chronic lateness is not always rudeness. She explains time blindness and time personalities in short, vivid terms. Cultural differences between monochronic and polychronic schedules come up. Practical tips for coping with tardiness are shared.
Jan 26, 2026 • 13min
Another fatal shooting by ICE agents in Minneapolis
R. T. Rybak, former Minneapolis mayor and civic leader, reflects on the city's reaction to a deadly federal immigration enforcement action. He describes anger and a feeling of occupation. He outlines grassroots protection efforts like mutual aid, tracking agents and escorts for vulnerable people. He argues these federal tactics breach public-safety norms and calls for broader political accountability.
Jan 26, 2026 • 20min
Parliament is back: What’s at stake for Carney and Canada
Stephanie Levitz, Globe and Mail political reporter; Rosemary Barton, CBC chief political correspondent; and Ryan Tumilty, Toronto Star parliamentary reporter. They dissect Mark Carney’s global tour and Davos speech. They unpack Trump’s 100% tariff threat, trade negotiations with China, risks for Canadian industries, premiers’ regional pushback, and the Conservative party’s internal tensions.
Jan 26, 2026 • 12min
The push for justice in Iran
Payam Akhavan, human rights lawyer and former UN/International Criminal Tribunal prosecutor, outlines the scale of state violence in Iran. He describes mass killings and survivor accounts. He discusses paths to international accountability, what a Nuremberg-like reckoning could look like, and the stakes for Iran’s youth and the country’s political future.
