Front Burner

Since the start of the pandemic, homeless encampments have multiplied in parks across Canada. City officials are worried about safety and sanitation, and as a result, many have tried to dismantle such camps, with varying degrees of success. That's because some residents are fighting for their right to stay. Today on Front Burner, you'll meet residents of one encampment in Toronto. And, Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and global director of the housing advocacy organization The Shift, talks to host Josh Bloch about the complexities of dealing with encampments, and why she thinks there's an opportunity now to make lasting change to Canada's housing crisis.

In September, schools across the country will reopen — many for the first time since the pandemic shut them down months ago. And while provinces have released their plans to keep students and teachers safe, parents are still struggling with whether to send their children to class. Today on Front Burner, Emily Oster, an economics professor at Brown University and author of parenting books like Cribsheet and Expecting Better breaks down what the data says about the risks of opening up schools.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief of staff Katie Telford appeared before the House finance committee to answer questions about the government's decision to select WE Charity to run the federal government's $900-million student volunteer program. Earlier this week, WE co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger also appeared before the same committee. The choice to select WE Charity for the program is also being investigated by the federal ethics watchdog because of Trudeau's ties to the organization. Today on Front Burner, CBC Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos breaks down the prime minister's testimony, and brings us up to speed on the WE Charity controversy.

On April 18-19, a gunman went on a shooting rampage across central Nova Scotia, killing 22 people. Since then, families of the victims have been pushing for a public inquiry. That's because there are still questions about the RCMP's response to the shooting. After initially opting for a review into the tragedy, which drew much criticism, provincial and federal governments have now committed to a joint public inquiry. This comes in the same week as the release of some previously redacted court documents that could reveal more about the case. Today on Front Burner, CBC Nova Scotia's Brett Ruskin on these recent developments.

There are daily COVID-19 tests, no fans and no going home. For the 24 NHL teams in Toronto and Edmonton, however, the prize for spending two months in a “bubble” could be the Stanley Cup. Last night, the NHL played its first exhibition games since pausing the season in March. It also showed fans how the sport will be different in the league’s hub cities. Today on Front Burner, The Athletic senior writer Dan Robson tells us about what’s changed, what life is like in these hub cities, and whether the playoffs are actually safe from COVID-19.

For more than 60 nights, protesters have gone out on the streets of Portland, Ore. to fight anti-Black racism and police violence. It seemed like things were calming down, but then U.S. President Donald Trump sent federal agents into the city. Today on Front Burner, we're joined by Tuck Woodstock, an independent journalist who has spent the majority of the last two months out at the protests. They tell us what it looks like on the ground, and how the violence has escalated since federal agents arrived.

D'Andre Campbell. Ejaz Choudry. Chantel Moore. Those are just some of the names of people killed by police in Canada this year. Until now, there hasn't been a national database to keep track of these deaths. The CBC recently made one called "Deadly Force." It goes back 20 years, and it found what many people have been saying: Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately killed by police. Today on Front Burner, the CBC's Mark Kelley on what those numbers tell us and why 2020 is on track to be a particularly deadly year.

Film buffs were still holding out hope that Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Tenet” could salvage what is left of the summer movie season. But when it was indefinitely postponed this week, it raised questions about how the pandemic will shape the future of Hollywood blockbusters. Today, CBC Entertainment reporter Eli Glasner breaks down how COVID-19 is changing the industry, and what he misses most about going to the movies.

There's new hope this week in the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine. Trials for two vaccines, one at Oxford University and another being worked on here in Canada, are showing some promising results. And they're just two possible frontrunners from scores of vaccines being tested around the globe. Today, Emily Chung, the creator of CBC's vaccine tracker, tells us where we are on the path to approving vaccines, and what bumps may lie in the road ahead.

While Robert Riley Saunders worked as a social worker in British Columbia, he was supposed to provide care and guardianship to some of the province’s most vulnerable foster children. Instead, he is alleged to have stolen from them, leaving many to fend for themselves. Now, the B.C. government has reached a proposed multimillion dollar settlement for more than 100 of his former clients, admitting harm done by their ex-employee. Today, CBC reporter Jason Proctor walks us through the extraordinary case, and how it reveals cracks in a system that is supposed to keep young people safe.