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
8 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 19min
Do you have a “hassler” in your life?
Bria Perry, sociologist and associate director at the Irsay Institute studying social ties and aging. She talks about who counts as a "hassler" and how researchers map networks and use epigenetic clocks. Short explanations cover how hasslers can speed biological aging, where hasslers are most often found, and practical approaches for setting boundaries and reflecting on one’s own behavior.
Mar 10, 2026 • 22min
Prescription surge of ADHD meds across Canada
Mina Tadros, associate professor and lead researcher on rising stimulant prescriptions in Ontario. Isabella Hay, a young adult who found diagnosis and treatment through social media. They discuss social media’s role in recognition, the post-pandemic jump in virtual prescribing, gendered diagnosis patterns, and concerns about rapid assessments and commercial incentives driving prescriptions.
Mar 10, 2026 • 9min
Did you know there were pelicans in Saskatchewan?
Brian Strong, mayor of Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, a small-town leader with a fondness for local tradition. He talks about the town naming the American white pelican its official bird. Short segments cover the pelicans as a spring signal, community traditions like the Pelican Watch and rubber-duck race, and pelican-themed tourism and merchandise.
Mar 9, 2026 • 9min
Fear and hope: how some in Iran are feeling about the war
Farzad Fathlazadeh, CBC senior producer who reports from inside Iran, shares on-the-ground reporting amid internet blackouts. He describes scarce connectivity solutions and the personal toll of being unable to reach family. He talks about mixed public reactions from celebration to fear, shifting moods after strikes on infrastructure, and the risks people face when speaking out.
Mar 9, 2026 • 15min
How a gene edit gave a B.C teen his life back
Dr. Stuart Turvey, a pediatric immunologist who studies immune disorders, explains the science behind prime editing. Ty Sperley, a Kelowna teen born with chronic granulomatous disease, shares how a gene edit changed his life. They discuss the trial offer, how cells were edited and returned, the moment doctors confirmed the cure, and Ty’s life after treatment.
Mar 9, 2026 • 19min
Mark Carney’s first year as the Prime Minister. What’s next?
Ryan Tumulty, Toronto Star federal politics reporter; Stephanie Levitz, Globe and Mail Ottawa bureau senior reporter; Rosemary Barton, CBC chief political correspondent. They discuss Mark Carney’s ten-day trade mission to India, Australia and Japan. They debate shifting messaging on the Middle East and possible Canadian involvement. They preview three pivotal April 13 by-elections that could change parliamentary math.
Mar 9, 2026 • 27min
Why Pokemon fans still try to catch 'em all
Daniel Dockery, a Pokémon cultural historian and author, joins Danny Levine, an Ottawa cards-and-games shop owner active in local events, and Blake Ouellette, a long-time collector and trading-card shop owner in BC. They trace Pokémon's 1996 origins, childhood collecting rituals, local store communities, nostalgia-fueled revivals like Pokémon Go, and how collecting became big business.
Mar 6, 2026 • 15min
Calls to fix a deadly stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway
People in Northern Ontario are calling on the provincial and federal governments to invest in fixing a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway. Over a 10 day period from late January into February this year, police say eight people were killed on that stretch of road. We speak with Dave Plourde, the Mayor of Kapuskasing, and the President of the Federation of the Northern Ontario Municipalities..
Mar 6, 2026 • 19min
Why is Mahjong having a moment?
It seems like everywhere you look, someone you know is playing mahjong. Played with tiles, the traditional Chinese game has been a staple among the Asian diaspora in the West for centuries. But recently, its reach has expanded — mahjong clubs are popping up around the world in cities like LA, London, and New York, and celebrities like Meghan Markle and Julia Roberts are promoting the game. We speak with Sandy Gunn, the co-founder of Lucky Tile, a mahjong events group based in Vancouver, and Connor Wan, the co-founder of Allflower mahjong in Toronto, about the game and why it's so popular right now.
Mar 6, 2026 • 19min
What do Israel and the U.S. want from the war with Iran?
It's been almost a week since the U.S. and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran, and Iran is continuing to hit back with attacks on Israel, on U.S. bases and on countries in the region. More than 1000 people are dead and tens of thousands more have been displaced. We talk to Rober Malley, a lecturer and senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, and the U.S. Special Envoy to Iran from 2021 to 2023, and Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a professor of political science at the Missouri University of Science and Technology about what the United States and Israel hope to achieve in Iran.
