Front Burner

The Kremlin says Alexei Navalny died Friday in an Arctic prison. After surviving a poisoning and still making the decision to return to Russia, President Vladimir Putin's most significant opposition figure was serving 19 years on extremism charges.What do we know about how Navalny died?Amid accusations that he was murdered, what motivations would Navalny's enemies have for acting against him now? Not long after a number of Western commentators predicted Putin's demise over the Ukraine war, what does Navalny's death mean for Putin's tightening grip on Russia?CBC's Briar Stewart explains.

Jon Stewart returns as host of The Daily Show after 9 years. The podcast discusses the relevance of his comedic approach in today's divisive political climate, including his take on the age of Biden and Trump. It also explores the impact of The Daily Show on media criticism, politics, and the media landscape.

Last week, paramedics in Belleville, Ontario responded to 13 drug overdoses in a single hour. By the time the city declared a state of emergency two days later, the total had reached almost two dozen.So how did these near-simultaneous overdoses unfold? What caused them? And how can we stop the spikes of drug poisonings that have been happening in cities across Ontario?Dan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering eastern Ontario communities from Belleville, to Kingston, and beyond.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcriptsTranscripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Rafah, a tiny city at Gaza’s border with Egypt, is currently sheltering more than half of the territory’s population. Many, crammed together in tent cities, have already relocated multiple times, as Israel’s war with Hamas has pushed them further and further south. Now, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to move ahead with a major assault on Rafah, the civilians sheltering in the city say there’s nowhere else to go. Today our guest is Haaretz reporter Yarden Michaeli. He and his colleague Avi Scharf recently investigated the vast devastation that the Israel Defense Forces’ operations have left in Gaza. He talks to us about the path of destruction that kettled 1.4 million people into Rafah, and what it could mean if a full-scale invasion goes ahead. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Catherine Cullen, The host of “The House” joins Front Burner to talk about how an app that was supposed to make pandemic travel easier has ended up costing millions. The discussion covers the challenges faced by users of the ArriveCan app, confusion surrounding its cost, and the investigations and potential consequences for the government.

Crime reporter Peter Edwards discusses the spiking auto thefts in Canadian cities, the connection to organized crime, and the challenges of finding lasting solutions. The podcast explores the ease of stealing cars, the systems used by organized crime, the transportation of stolen cars overseas, and potential measures to prevent theft. The Canadian government's plans to combat car theft and the impact of car theft on violence, police resources, and international reputation are also discussed.

Explore the bizarre conspiracy theories surrounding Taylor Swift and her relationship with Travis Kelce, which have evolved into a Super Bowl conspiracy involving vaccines, light beer, George Soros, and President Joe Biden. Discover the connections between different entities like Shamrock Holdings, Disney, Bud Light, and Aaron Rodgers, as well as the attention given to betting, the halftime show, and drinking at a Super Bowl party.

The podcast explores the failure of a national defense bill vote in the US Senate, including immigration reforms and military support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. It discusses the impact of partisan arguments on the border crisis, potential constitutional crisis in Texas, factors driving migration and tensions at the US-Mexico border, challenges with deportations, provisions of the border bill, and the collapse of months of work on the bill.

This podcast explores the controversy surrounding Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's proposed policies affecting trans youth, including bans on surgery and restrictions on hormone treatment. It looks at the impact on trans youth, ongoing debate on gender affirming treatment, fears and concerns of trans teens, and the politics behind these policies.

Investigative journalist Marisa Taylor joins to discuss Elon Musk's brain implant company, Neuralink. Topics include the goals of Neuralink, the brain implant procedure and associated risks, animal trials and controversy, and the pressure and perceptions of Neuralink.