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
Mar 26, 2026 • 20min
Are baby boomers addicted to their phones?
Nicole Dalmer, McMaster professor who studies aging and tech; Matthew Cira, son sharing family perspective; Sherry Bagnato, retired communications worker describing her phone habits. They discuss daily phone routines, family friction over doomscrolling, phones as safety tools, stereotypes about older adults and technology, and risks like scams alongside benefits for connection and cognition.
Mar 26, 2026 • 8min
A "generational” deal for WNBA players
Savanna Hamilton, sports journalist and host of Cinderella Stories Podcast, breaks down the WNBA's landmark collective bargaining agreement. She discusses the life-changing salary boosts, how negotiations unfolded, the rise of million-dollar players, and the impact of big media and revenue-share deals. She also highlights how this deal could reshape women's sports globally and the excitement around a new Toronto team.
Mar 25, 2026 • 24min
Lesley Chesterman on how to cook like a Montrealer
Lesley Chesterman, cookbook author and former Montreal restaurant critic, celebrates her city’s food culture. She explores what makes Montreal a culinary capital. Conversations cover multicultural influences, iconic staples like bagels and smoked meat, home-hosting tips and learning to cook by senses.
Mar 25, 2026 • 20min
The Future of Sport in Canada
Adam van Koeverden, former Olympic canoeist and federal Secretary of State for Sport, talks government action to make sport safer and more accessible. Justice Lise Mezunov, former judge who led the commission into sport, outlines systemic failures and proposals for independent oversight. They discuss culture change, centralized standards, funding ideas, and concrete safety measures.
Mar 25, 2026 • 25min
How the Mounties spied on Indigenous activists
A deep dive into newly released RCMP files that reveal decades of surveillance, infiltration and wiretapping of Indigenous political groups. Short descriptions of paid informants, covert operations and how documents were obtained. Reflections on lasting trauma, mistrust and how surveillance reshaped political organizing.
Mar 24, 2026 • 19min
Women are being secretly filmed with Meta glasses
Kassy Zanjani, a Vancouver woman who discovered she was secretly filmed on Meta smart glasses, shares the personal impact. Mike Isaac, NYT tech reporter who covers Meta, explains how the glasses enable covert viral videos and possible facial recognition plans. Teresa Scassa, law professor specializing in privacy and AI, outlines legal gaps and the need for stronger data protection.
Mar 24, 2026 • 11min
A conversation with Canada's Auditor General
Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada responsible for federal audit reports, outlines findings on immigration and policing. She discusses sharp drops in approved study permits after reforms and hundreds of flagged integrity and fraud cases left without follow-up. She also covers tens of thousands of students with unknown status and chronic RCMP recruitment shortfalls causing operational strain.
Mar 24, 2026 • 14min
What may have caused the Air Canada crash at La Guardia
Michael McCormick, a former New York air traffic controller who now teaches aviation safety, breaks down a runway collision. He walks through the sequence of events, tower communication and alarm systems. He flags staffing and radio-configuration questions and considers whether pilots or crews could have seen or heard warnings. The conversation stays focused on what investigators will examine.
Mar 24, 2026 • 25min
What we can learn from the resilience of trees
Nalini Nadkarni, a canopy biologist and National Geographic explorer who pioneered treetop research, shares daring field methods and vivid sensory stories from rainforest crowns. She recounts a near-fatal 60-foot fall and why she returned to the canopy. Conversations touch on climate threats to canopy plants, innovative outreach bringing diverse people into treetops, and urgent conservation needs.
10 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 26min
Why are more young Canadians self-harming?
Caroline Bozanko, a Calgary psychologist who works with teens, Dr. Natasha Saunders, a pediatric researcher at SickKids, and Alex Anna, a Montreal filmmaker who made a film about their self-harm journey, discuss rising youth self-harm rates. They cover how self-injury starts and functions, recent research showing sharp increases, social media and contagion, recovery paths, and practical steps for parents and schools.
