Front Burner

Peter Armstrong, CBC senior business correspondent who covers budgets and fiscal policy, joins to unpack Canada’s spring economic update. He outlines where the numbers come from and how global uncertainty shapes forecasts. Short segments cover trades training funding, modest affordability moves, the proposed sovereign wealth fund, pitching Canada to investors and privatization concerns.

Jim Balsillie, former BlackBerry co-CEO and founder of the Canadian Shield Institute, is a fierce advocate for data governance and digital sovereignty. He unpacks surveillance pricing and how personal data drives price variation. He warns about retailers’ data aggregation, gaps in AI governance, and what true data sovereignty would require.

Paul Hunter, CBC senior Washington correspondent and co-host of Two Blocks from the White House, was on the scene at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. He describes hearing the shots, the chaotic evacuation and lockdown, what is known about the suspect and manifesto, and how the incident reshaped security debates and political narratives.

Seth Harp, journalist, author of The Fort Bragg Cartel and Iraq veteran, brings frontline experience and legal insight. He critiques U.S. military decline, links Fort Bragg’s crises to broader demoralization, and examines why post‑1945 wars failed. He debates what modern victory requires, how casualty avoidance shapes strategy, and how foreign wars feed domestic militarization.

Marc Fisher, former Washington Post senior editor and investigative reporter, breaks down Kash Patel’s rapid rise and influence in Washington. He explores Patel’s media tactics, shifts inside the FBI, personnel shakeups, internal backlash, high‑profile missteps, and his legal strategy against critics. Short, sharp scenes that map controversy and institutional risk.

Rob Shaw, a political reporter covering B.C. for CHEK News and Glacier Media, breaks down a legal clash testing reconciliation. He walks through DRIPA’s origins, court rulings affecting private property and mining law, and the political fallout as leaders scramble to respond. Short, clear takes on how law, land and politics are colliding in the province.

Daron Acemoglu, Nobel-winning economist and MIT professor known for work on political economy and institutions. He discusses the decline of western liberal democracy, how center-left politics drifted from working people, the risks from tech concentration and AI, and policies to rebuild shared prosperity and democratic accountability.

Marcia Brown, a Politico journalist covering food and agriculture, breaks down how fertilizer supply shocks from the Strait of Hormuz threaten planting seasons. She discusses soaring fertilizer and fuel prices, which crops and countries will feel it first, policy responses like export controls and bailouts, and how weather risks like El Niño could make things worse.

Evan Dyer, Canadian journalist and CBC correspondent who analyzes foreign policy, explains shifts in Canada’s approach to Israel, Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He discusses the US-mediated 10-day ceasefire, Israel’s military aims in southern Lebanon, and why Canada’s rhetoric and policies have changed under Mark Carney.

Ian Ralby, an international maritime law and security expert, explains the legal rules and real-world dangers shaping the Strait of Hormuz standoff. He breaks down what counts as a lawful blockade. He describes mine threats, countermining risks, and how simultaneous restrictions choke global trade. He outlines who faces the hardest pressures and what could make the crisis spiral.