Front Burner (CBC)
Explore every episode of Front Burner
Dive into the complete episode list for Front Burner. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 2022 | Can persuasion bridge the political divide? | 00:38:12 | |
In an era of polarization, is it still possible to change people's minds about politics?
That's the question Anand Giridharadas sought to answer in his new book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy.
The journalist noticed a crisis in the U.S. that he saw echoed around the world. In what Giridharadas describes as "the great write off," those who believe in liberal democracy are giving up on the idea that they can win people over and dismissing their political opposites as unreachable.
In his book, Giridharadas speaks with experts on reaching people — organizers, activists, politicians, cognitive scientists, and even a cult deprogrammer — and takes a critical look at his fellow American progressives. If democracy stands a chance, he concludes, pro-democracy forces need to believe in the power of persuasion at least as much as anti-democratic forces do.
Today on Front Burner, Giridharadas takes host Jayme Poisson through what he's learned about changing minds without diluting ideology, making ideas widely appealing, and why persuasion is so critical to maintain healthy democracies. | |||
| 20 Jul 2020 | 30 years later a Mohawk filmmaker reflects on the Oka crisis | 00:24:01 | |
It’s been 30 years since an explosion of violence and the death of a Quebec provincial police officer on an early July morning marked the beginning of the Oka Crisis. That summer, thousands of Canadian soldiers surrounded two Mohawk communities, just outside Montreal, who were trying to protect a forest and burial ground from the expansion of a golf course. Today on Front Burner, we speak to Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer who grew up in Kahnawake, Quebec. She shares what it was like living through a standoff that came to be a defining conflict in Canadian history. | |||
| 07 Feb 2019 | Russia, America and a new nuclear arms race | 00:24:20 | |
Nuclear weapons expert and Obama adviser Jon Wolfsthal on how the treaties that once prevented a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia, could be unravelling today. | |||
| 06 Apr 2020 | Pregnancy in a pandemic | 00:24:43 | |
Questions about the impact of coronavirus on pregnancy are running through the mind of many expectant parents. But there is scant research into how COVID-19 affects pregnancy: the disease is just so new. Today on Front Burner, we talk to the head of labour and delivery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Dr. Wendy Whittle, about what we know so far about pregnancy and coronavirus, and what hospitals are doing to operate safely. | |||
| 18 Mar 2019 | The aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings and the rise of far-right extremism | 00:29:48 | |
Mass shootings at two mosques on Friday evening in Christchurch, New Zealand, were felt around the globe. We hear from Adrienne Arsenault, who is in Christchurch. And from Stephanie Carvin, a former analyst for CSIS, on the steady rise of far-right extremism in Canada. | |||
| 08 Feb 2022 | Under the big tent: Conservative division in Canada | 00:28:36 | |
Just over a week ago, Conservative centrist Erin O’Toole was ousted after just 18 months as party leader. His sudden departure has triggered the third leadership race since Stephen Harper lost in 2015. This upheaval is in line with the party’s long-standing power struggles.
For decades, the Conservatives have fought among themselves for the soul of the party. Between populists and elites, town and country, east and west. Today on Front Burner, we’re talking to Macleans writer Paul Wells on the complicated push-pull of the modern Canadian Conservative movement and what’s next for the party. | |||
| 14 Nov 2024 | Canada’s secret list of alleged Nazi war criminals | 00:25:59 | |
In the mid 1980s, the Canadian government tasked a commission to investigate whether a considerable number of alleged Nazi war criminals settled in Canada after the Second World War. The Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals was headed by retired Quebec judge Jules Deschênes. It looked into this issue, but for decades, many of the commission’s findings were not made public.That includes a list of 900 names of alleged Nazi war criminals who lived in Canada, and the files and documents about them. Last week, Ottawa rejected the freedom of information request to get it released. Officials at Library and Archives Canada said that after a comprehensive review, they decided to withhold the list because it could cause harm to Canadian interests, and international relations. David Pugliese is the Ottawa Citizen’s defence reporter. He helps us understand who might be on that list, how so many suspected Nazis entered Canada after WWII, and why the Canadian government has not released the names. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 23 Nov 2020 | Never mind the deficit? | 00:27:33 | |
Canada is spending a tremendous amount of money to get the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, but a growing movement says we can shed our old worries about the federal deficit. Modern monetary theory argues that since we control our own currency, the country can create more money and never go broke. Today, Front Burner examines this controversial idea and how it relates to Canada. | |||
| 27 Dec 2021 | Encore: The Mighty Ducks, Inspector Gadget and the search for crypto billions | 00:24:47 | |
This episode originally aired Oct 18, 2021.
Cryptocurrency traders are relying on a stablecoin — a digital cryptocurrency backed with real-world assets — with ties to a Mighty Ducks star and the co-creator of Inspector Gadget. Today, we look at the search for the supposed billions of dollars backing its value, and what a shortfall could mean for the entire financial system. | |||
| 12 Mar 2021 | Election speculation grips Ottawa | 00:23:48 | |
Speculation in Ottawa that the Liberals are plotting the next federal election has us asking what the major parties stand to gain, and lose, from a spring or fall vote. CBC’s Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos reports. | |||
| 29 Oct 2020 | What voter suppression looks like in the U.S. election | 00:23:34 | |
Hours-long lines, polling place closures, and voter roll purges are just a few of the ways that this upcoming U.S election is challenging voting rights in the country.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also an unprecedented demand for mail-in ballots, adding many logistical challenges and complications to vote counting. Many voters are also concerned about the effectiveness of the post office.
Today on Front Burner, we explain voter suppression in this U.S election with CBC Washington correspondent Alex Panetta and CBC New York correspondent Steven D’Souza, and who is disproportionately affected by it. | |||
| 22 Jan 2019 | Women accuse former RCMP doctor of sexual assault | 00:26:05 | |
Canada's national police force is once again at the centre of disturbing allegations. Multiple women have come forward accusing a former RCMP doctor of sexually assaulting and harassing them decades ago when they were new recruits. CBC investigative reporter Dave Seglins explains what happened and why the RCMP is being accused of covering up sexual assaults from the '80s and '90s. | |||
| 04 Jan 2019 | Jagmeet Singh is fighting for his political life | 00:21:00 | |
"This is his biggest political test to date. It will decide the fate of Jagmeet Singh." With a federal election looming, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is under intense pressure to win a seat in the House of Commons in the upcoming Burnaby South byelection. Today on Front Burner, CBC National News reporter Hannah Thibedeau breaks down how things are looking for Singh and explains what's at stake for the future of the entire New Democratic Party. | |||
| 23 Sep 2020 | Is COVID-19 airborne? The CDC said yes, then no | 00:21:06 | |
This weekend, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sparked a major controversy after updating, then removing, a warning about the airborne spread of COVID-19. Today, CBC senior health writer Adam Miller joins us to explain why this has re-ignited questions about just how easily COVID-19 travels through the air and whether the CDC is being influenced by the president’s political goals. | |||
| 19 Jan 2024 | Police crackdown and a homelessness emergency | 00:24:44 | |
The prairies are just emerging from a record-breaking cold snap, with multiple days of temperatures well below -30. But that didn't stop the City of Edmonton from proceeding with its plan to dismantle eight homeless camps across the city.
CBC Edmonton's Wallis Snowdon explains why the city is so keen to remove the camps, in a city where more than 300 people died in connection to homelessness in the last year alone.
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. | |||
| 21 Sep 2023 | Did India kill a Canadian Sikh leader in B.C.? | 00:24:14 | |
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed outside his gurdwara in Surrey in June just after evening prayers. While the Sikh community has been urging investigators to get the bottom of what happened, it’s been quiet until a bombshell announcement from Prime Minister Trudeau on Monday: Canada believes there are “credible allegations” the Indian government was behind it.
Since then it’s been a diplomatic firestorm. Diplomats are being pulled from both Canada and India and Canada’s allies are weighing next moves. But who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar and why do some, particularly members of the Sikh community, believe the Indian government wanted him dead?
Jaskaran Sandhu from Baaz News and the World Sikh Organization takes us through who Nijjar was, the reasons he feared for his life and the long-standing tensions between India and the Sikh community.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 03 Mar 2023 | As Canadian soccer rises: turmoil, strikes and fights | 00:28:52 | |
Canada women's national soccer team currently ranks as one of the top ten teams worldwide.
Despite their track record of victory, the team’s future success is now at risk. As the FIFA Women’s World Cup approaches, the team’s engaged in a very visible fight with their bosses that has meant strikes, on-field protests, and the resignation of the president of Soccer Canada.
The turmoil comes because of what the players say is a shocking lack of funding and very different treatment compared to the men’s team. But the issue goes deeper than the women’s fight.
TSN senior correspondent, Rick Westhead, takes guest host Daemon Fairless through the national women’s team’s fight, the controversial business deal that may be behind the federation’s money woes, and what’s at stake for the sport in Canada.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 31 Jan 2023 | Will tanks end or escalate the war in Ukraine? | 00:26:56 | |
Last week, after months of requests, Germany agreed to send German-built tanks called Leopard 2s to Ukraine, to help in their fight against Russia. That decision opened the door for other countries to send their Leopard 2s, including Canada – which will send four. The US also jumped in, agreeing to send 31 of its M1 Abrams tanks. All in, over 300 tanks are being sent to the country.
Now, Ukraine is asking for more weapons – including long range guided missiles – faster.
But this begs the question: how will an influx of heavy weaponry change the situation on the ground? Could this mean an end to the war? Or could it mark the start of a new, increasingly violent and dangerous impasse?
Rajan Menon is the Director of The Grand Strategy program at The Defence Priorities think tank. He’s also a senior research scholar at Columbia. He gives his take on how this next phase of the war could play out. | |||
| 13 Oct 2023 | Who’s responsible for the fentanyl crisis? | 00:23:45 | |
The U.S is cracking down on fentanyl’s global supply chain by targeting Mexican and Chinese individuals with indictments and sanctions. Officials from those countries insist it’s largely an American problem.
What’s actually happening on the ground in China and Mexico? What impact will U.S. retaliation have?
Today, journalist Zachary Siegel explains.
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. | |||
| 05 Mar 2024 | As Gazans crowded for aid, Israeli troops opened fire | 00:24:25 | |
Gaza health authorities say 118 people were killed and 760 people were injured while trying to get food staples like flour from aid trucks on Thursday, after Israeli soldiers opened fire. The Israeli military claims most people were killed in a stampede of people around the trucks, but accounts from witnesses and medical workers say most of the victims were shot. So what precipitated this deadly search for aid? How close is Gaza to famine? And what would it take to get food to the people there who are starving? Yarden Michaeli explains. He’s a reporter with Haaretz based in Tel Aviv. 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. | |||
| 22 Jun 2021 | Half a million COVID-19 deaths in Brazil, no end in sight | 00:19:15 | |
COVID-19 deaths have surpassed half a million in Brazil. Over the weekend, thousands of Brazilians took to the streets to protest President Jair Bolsonaro’s pandemic response. Today on Front Burner, how will Brazil find its way out of this crisis? | |||
| 04 Apr 2025 | Election! Fallout from Trump’s trade bomb | 00:29:13 | |
Canada may have dodged the worst of Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, but it didn’t emerge unscathed. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he is going ahead with a 25 per cent tariff on "all foreign-made" automobiles – a devastating blow for the Canadian auto sector, plunging it into uncertainty. Aaron Wherry, a senior writer with the CBC’s parliamentary bureau, joins the show to discuss the fallout from Trump’s latest levies, how Canada’s political leaders are responding and what it all means for the final weeks of the campaign. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 21 Sep 2024 | Weekend Listen: World Report | 00:10:46 | |
Wake up to what's going on in Canada and the world. Each morning, World Report will give you a 10-minute dose of the biggest news stories happening now. Our CBC News colleagues will tell you about the political actors trying to make change, the movements catching fire, and the cultural moments going viral. Start your day with the very latest. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/nN5xp_ZK | |||
| 28 May 2024 | How did a Mormon town grab first dibs on Alberta water? | 00:23:15 | |
As Alberta struggles to navigate several years of dry conditions in the province, its historic water license system has come under scrutiny. In short, whoever got water rights first has first dibs on the water today. One of the small towns that really benefits from this system is Magrath, established in 1899 by Mormon settlers from Utah and Idaho. But its senior water rights are becoming more contentious as other communities are forced to buy water amid an increasingly taxed supply. We hear from CBC Calgary reporter Joel Dryden, who visited the town and tells us what the water rights debate is like today and whether any changes to those rights are on the table. Help us make Front Burner even better by filling out our audience survey. | |||
| 20 Jul 2023 | Conspiracy campaign: RFK’s presidential bid | 00:24:16 | |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., John F. Kennedy’s nephew, is running for U.S. president. Like his forefathers, he’s vying to lead the Democrats – but his political focus is noticeably different.
For decades, RFK Jr. has been spreading false information about vaccines, and has more recently been peddling conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and 5G.
Vera Bergengruen, a senior correspondent at TIME, recently interviewed RFK Jr. Today, she explains why RFK is campaigning on conspiracy theories and how he reflects a conspiratorial shift in U.S. society.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 16 Jul 2019 | Canadian teacher home after ‘nightmare in Indonesia’ | 00:24:17 | |
Neil Bantleman was teaching at a school in Jakarta, Indonesia when he and seven others were accused of sex crimes against students. He maintained his innocence despite being convicted in an Indonesian court. CBC's The Fifth Estate co-host Mark Kelley travelled to Indonesia to look into the case and found the serious flaws in the investigation and evidence presented against him. Now, Bantleman is back in Canada after being granted clemency. Today on Front Burner, Kelley talks to guest host Michelle Sheppard about what he found in the course of making The Fifth Estate's 2016 documentary Nightmare in Indonesia. | |||
| 20 Dec 2019 | Could suing over ‘smart guns’ curb Canadian gun violence? | 00:21:51 | |
In July 2018, a man went on a shooting rampage in downtown Toronto, killing two people and wounding 13 others. Now, a class-action lawsuit has been launched to sue gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, alleging the company did not follow through on an earlier U.S. agreement to equip its handguns with smart gun technology that would restrict who can use the weapon. Today on Front Burner, we hear from one of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs and get a crash course in smart guns. | |||
| 16 Dec 2019 | One year in Chinese detention: What life is like for 2 Canadians | 00:20:42 | |
It has now passed the one-year mark since two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, were arrested and detained in China. Both were accused by Chinese authorities of charges related to spying and stealing national secrets. Both were picked up mere days after Meng Wangzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese tech company Huawei, was arrested at a Vancouver airport in 2018. The ‘Two Michaels’ are still being held in detention centres where conditions are a far cry from Meng’s house arrest. Today on Front Burner, Jayme Poisson talks to the Globe and Mail’s Asia correspondent Nathan VanderKlippe about visiting the prisons where Spavor and Kovrig are being held, and what happens next with their cases. | |||
| 24 May 2024 | Inside Haiti's capital, ripped apart by gangs | 00:21:14 | |
For months, Haiti has been ravaged by out-of-control gangs, especially in the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince. But international forces are expected to arrive any day now, led by Kenya. Getting in and out of Haiti is dangerous — and for many, impossible. But CBC’s Paul Hunter managed to go inside the gang-controlled capital and tells us what life is like for Haitians struggling to escape the brutal conditions and how they feel about the looming international intervention. Help us make Front Burner even better by filling out this listener survey. | |||
| 13 Jul 2020 | Trudeau’s WE Charity controversy deepens, and deficit 101 | 00:23:02 | |
This is not your average quiet July in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is embroiled in a new ethics investigation, and now there are revelations about members of his family receiving payment for their appearances at WE Charity events.
On top of that, the Liberal government released an “economic and fiscal snapshot” showing the federal government’s deficit hitting an unprecedented $343 billion this year.
Today on Front Burner, CBC Parliamentary reporter J.P. Tasker updates us on the latest in the Trudeau WE Charity controversy, and gives a back-to-basics explainer of the deficit. | |||
| 04 Nov 2022 | The convoy protesters take the stand | 00:29:49 | |
This week the leaders of the self-described "Freedom Convoy" protest in Ottawa were brought in front of the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act.
And for some of them, those facing charges, it won't be the last time they'll be held to account.
We learned a lot. About the chaos, the infighting and the money. Plus, even more about what the police did, and didn't do to tackle the protest.
Host of CBC's Power & Politics, and our good friend, Vassy Kapelos joins us from Ottawa to get us up to speed. We will also spend a bit of time talking about the mini-budget Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released yesterday. | |||
| 13 Sep 2019 | Understanding Vladimir Putin’s grip on power | 00:24:38 | |
Today on Front Burner, CBC’s Moscow Correspondent Chris Brown takes us through Vladimir Putin’s decades-long grip on power, and whether or not a popular protest movement and falling approval numbers could signal change for Russia's political future. | |||
| 22 Feb 2023 | Russia accused of war crimes over Ukrainian children | 00:22:10 | |
Russia has put at least 6,000 Ukrainian children in camps, according to a U.S.-funded report from Yale University.
The report says the children are enduring pro-Russian re-education. Some are being adopted out to Russian families with fanfare from Russian officials, while others are allegedly receiving military training. Meanwhile, Ukrainian mothers have been making long and treacherous journeys in an attempt to retrieve their children.
Today, Yale Humanitarian Research Lab executive director Nathaniel Raymond explains the findings of the report, why Russia's actions could amount to war crimes, and why he says the report should be read as a "gigantic Amber Alert." | |||
| 18 Jul 2023 | Actors, writers shut down Hollywood | 00:31:48 | |
The union representing almost 160,000 actors, SAG-AFTRA, is striking after negotiations fell through with the group representing most major Hollywood studios. The news comes about two months after 11,000 members of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) announced their strike.
Studios say the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Crave and Disney+ has caused financial strain. Meanwhile, actors say the shift to streaming has led to decreasing residuals, meaning they aren’t being paid for repeats of films and television shows. They're also concerned about proposals from studios to use their images and likeness in combination with artificial intelligence to create new content without their involvement.
Maureen Ryan, a Vanity Fair contributing editor and author of “Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood,” explains why Hollywood actors are striking and what it could mean for the future of television, film and the labour movement as a whole.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 29 Aug 2024 | Billionaire Telegram CEO charged in criminal investigation | 00:27:52 | |
On Wednesday, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was charged in France with a wide range of crimes related to illicit activity on the app. His detainment is part of an ongoing investigation by French authorities into the social media app. Telegram, with its more than 900 million users, often offers a window into what’s happening on the ground in countries where state censorship is rampant. At the same time, it can be a haven for hate speech and criminality because of the app’s encryption and lack of content moderation. Durov’s arrest has already lit up a firestorm of debate on whether tech leaders are accountable for what happens on their platforms. Tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker looks at what Telegram has come to represent, the scrutiny of its founder, and what this case might tell us about the limits of free speech online. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 22 Oct 2021 | Kids at the centre of anti-vaxx movements | 00:24:50 | |
The anti-vaccine movement has long revolved around children. As the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine rollout approaches, what can we learn from this phenomenon to improve uptake in kids? Sociologist Jennifer Reich shares her insights. | |||
| 16 Jun 2023 | The Beatles and the future of AI music | 00:29:10 | |
Before his death, John Lennon recorded a demo of a new song, "Now and Then" on a cassette. His Beatles bandmates later tried to repurpose it for release, but abandoned the project in part because of the poor voice quality.
This week, Paul McCartney revealed that, 43 years after Lennon's death, the song will drop – thanks to AI technology.
It's just the latest example of artificial intelligence's increasing presence in the music industry. Fake Drake songs, AI-generated Kanye covers and posthumous Biggie collabs have raised alarm about copyright, and existential questions about songwriting and creativity.
Today, Saroja Coelho speaks with the host of Vulture's Switched on Pop podcast, Charlie Harding, about what the technology means for the music industry and art itself.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 23 Mar 2022 | Will the Liberal-NDP marriage end in divorce? | 00:22:25 | |
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an unstable world demands a stable Canadian Parliament.
Trudeau pointed to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and financial and trade woes yesterday, before announcing a “confidence-and-supply” deal between the Liberals and NDP. Essentially, in exchange for moving forward on NDP policy priorities, the NDP will back the Trudeau government in votes that could defeat it until June of 2025.
But the opposition Conservatives are already decrying the deal as a “power grab.” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says the deal will end if the Liberals don’t hold up their end of the bargain. Questions remain about whether the agreement can create any kind of lasting stability, and whether it safeguards — or jeopardizes — the parties’ future influence.
Today, a look at how this deal changes Canada’s political landscape with the reporter who broke the story, Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos | |||
| 18 Oct 2022 | The case for a ‘good enough' peace in Ukraine | 00:21:03 | |
Even though the Kremlin has been pummeling Ukrainian cities and towns with relentless air and missile raids over the past week, many observers say Russia is losing its war with Ukraine. Last month, Ukrainian forces retook a reported 6,000 square kilometres of territory in the south and east of the country, reversing months of Russian gains in a matter of weeks.
But given those setbacks for Russia, and given that Ukraine is still facing high civilian death tolls and displacements as the war continues — should we be hearing more right now about the possibility of peace negotiations?
Today, Gerard Toal — a political geographer and a professor of government and international affairs at Virginia Tech — makes the case for an imperfect peace deal with Russia. | |||
| 06 Mar 2025 | Is Canadian energy our tariff war trump card? | 00:24:39 | |
Two days after U.S. tariffs were imposed on Canada and Mexico, the trade war rages on. While an exemption has been made for three major automakers, President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau still appear to be at an impasse. As Ottawa imposes counter-tariffs and the provinces announce further retaliatory measures, what are levers can Canada pull on to get the Americans to walk back? Some of the biggest include our crude oil and wide range of critical minerals. Jonathon Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joins us to talk about the latest on how talks are going between the two governments and why he thinks the U.S. won’t be able to hold out without Canadian resources for long. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 09 May 2024 | Is lobbying corrupting Canadian governments? | 00:19:49 | |
On Friday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre published an op-ed criticizing Canadian businesses’ use of lobbyists. He’s also called out the Liberals for high-priced fundraisers and "undue handouts” to the business lobby. But since Poilievre became leader, dozens of federal lobbyists have also paid to attend the roughly 50 private fundraising events he’s spoken at. So despite all the critiques of big money and lobbying in politics, why do they still seem to be everywhere? How has lobbying shifted power in our democracy? And if parties are concerned, why haven’t any of them made bigger efforts to reform it? Duff Conacher has been pushing for MPs to close lobbying loopholes for almost three decades. He’s a co-founder of Democracy Watch, a non-profit advocating for government accountability. 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. | |||
| 16 Feb 2021 | The growing threat of variants in Canada | 00:21:20 | |
An unprecedented outbreak in Newfoundland of the coronavirus variant originally found in the UK holds lessons for the rest of Canada. CBC St-John’s reporter Peter Cowan on what those lessons are. | |||
| 17 Feb 2023 | The mysterious case of ‘the TikTok tics’ | 00:25:55 | |
Within the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors around the world noticed something strange. Suddenly, they were seeing a surge of young patients presenting with sudden, explosive tics.
But in many cases, these tics didn’t fit the profile of a tic disorder like Tourette Syndrome. Doctors started searching for a shared source that was causing the outbreak, and that search led them to TikTok.
Experts at the University of Calgary have been leading the research.
Azeen Ghorayshi is a reporter with the New York Times. Today, she takes us through what researchers have found about why so many teens were affected, what the pandemic had to do with it and the role social media played in the spread. | |||
| 08 Dec 2023 | Millions exposed by 23andMe breach | 00:22:03 | |
Genetic testing company 23andMe says attackers were able to gain access to the profiles of nearly 7 million of its users.
What kind of information was exposed?
How did hackers try to sell the info?
What broader and future concerns do experts have about sending DNA to services like 23andMe?
Jason Koebler is a co-founder of the independent tech website, 404Media.co.
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. | |||
| 25 Nov 2020 | 13 deadly hours | 00:27:10 | |
New details revealed by The Fifth Estate question the RCMP's timeline about the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history. It's been seven months since a gunman disguised as a Mountie went on a rampage, killing 22 people over 13 hours in Nova Scotia, travelling a distance of nearly 200 kilometres.
Gillian Findlay joins Jayme to describe the fuller picture of what happened in that time, how the RCMP was one step behind the killer, and how the public was left in the dark. | |||
| 19 Aug 2020 | Inside Canada’s race for a COVID-19 vaccine | 00:28:47 | |
A global race for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is underway. More than 160 of them are in different stages of testing around the world.
Canada is in this race too. A group of scientists at the University of Saskatchewan's VIDO-InterVac - the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon - are trying to get through a decade’s worth of testing and approvals as early as next year.
Today on Front Burner, CBC Saskatoon reporter Alicia Bridges takes us inside a lab working on a Canadian COVID vaccine, and inside the lives of the scientists trying to find it. | |||
| 23 Oct 2021 | Introducing: Carrie Low VS. | 00:27:17 | |
Carrie Low trusted police when she reported her horrific rape. But she says they failed to investigate properly, and only succeeded in traumatizing her further. Now she’s setting out on a mission to hold these institutions to account. This all-new investigation is hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Maggie Rahr. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/carrielow | |||
| 02 Mar 2020 | Biden versus Sanders II: Setting up Super Tuesday | 00:25:04 | |
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders got off to a strong start in the early primaries and caucuses, but former vice-president Joe Biden is right behind him in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. After a major victory in South Carolina, Biden has momentum heading into Super Tuesday — when 14 states vote for their preferred candidate. Today on Front Burner, Alex Panetta from CBC's Washington bureau joins us to explain what’s at stake. | |||
| 22 May 2020 | Fan culture and #ReleaseTheSnyderCut | 00:17:55 | |
After years of fervent campaigning from fans, director Zack Snyder’s cut of the 2017 Justice League movie has been greenlit for release in 2021. Culture critics John Semley and Tina Hassannia on why this campaign struck a cultural chord, and what it says about fandom today. | |||
| 04 Dec 2018 | The political cost of carbon taxes | 00:19:17 | |
As COP24 tries to set rules for how the world deals with environmental issues, we look at why the Canadian government has chosen carbon pricing as a key tool in addressing climate change. CBC reporter Nahlah Ayed gives us an overview of what's happening at COP24, and energy economist and Simon Fraser University professor Mark Jaccard explains why carbon pricing is a costly political move. | |||
| 10 Oct 2023 | Hamas attacks, Israel declares war | 00:20:20 | |
After Hamas launched thousands of rockets, broke through the Israeli border and took hostages in southern towns in a surprise attack on Saturday, Israel has retaliated with its own missile strikes and declared war.
Now, Hamas has threatened to execute an Israeli captive for every unannounced strike on civilians, and Israel says it will block food, water and fuel from entering Gaza in a “complete siege.”
As Israeli troops amass near Gaza, what could come next? Shayndi Raice is the Wall Street Journal’s deputy bureau chief for the Middle East and North Africa, and she’s based in Tel Aviv.
An earlier version of this episode stated Hamas paragliders landed at the center of an Israeli music festival before opening fire. As CBC has not independently verified the involvement of paragliders in shootings at the festival, the reference has been removed. | |||
| 11 Feb 2021 | With schools reopening, how do you keep kids safe? | 00:20:59 | |
As COVID-19 cases go down, pandemic restrictions are loosening across the country, including in Ontario, but concerns about variants remain. Today on Front Burner, what that means for the safety of kids at school. | |||
| 17 May 2024 | Can you have a 'real' relationship with an AI? | 00:28:01 | |
OpenAI is showing off the latest version of its ChatGPT software in a new set of promotional videos, sounding almost human in the way it talks to users, inviting all sorts of sci-fi comparisons. But AI chatbots are already here, using large language models to simulate human speech, emotion — and even relationships. As this technology goes increasingly mainstream, what will it mean for our "real life" relationships? Can you actually have a meaningful relationship with a computer program? And if you can… is that something you want to trust a tech company with? Philosophy instructor Jill Fellows tackles the big questions about the future of AI companions. | |||
| 11 Feb 2025 | Reality-checking the tariff fentanyl crackdown | 00:21:49 | |
Last week, Prime Minister Trudeau promised U.S. President Donald Trump a crackdown on fentanyl and tougher border measures in exchange for a pause on tariffs. But what could that fentanyl crackdown actually look like — and will it make things better, or worse? And as the cultural and political backlash against harm reduction increases in Canada, how could this factor into an upcoming election? Today, we’re joined by Manisha Krishnan, an Emmy award-winning journalist covering North American drug policy, for a look at what this crackdown could mean for Canada. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 06 Jan 2025 | Is Justin Trudeau about to resign? | 00:23:41 | |
For the last couple weeks, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apparently been thinking about his future. At the same time, he faced new calls to resign: from his colleagues, the country and political rivals. Will he make it through the day, the week or the election? Tim Powers shares his thoughts on Trudeau’s political future. He’s the chair of Summa Strategies, managing director of Abacus Data, a former Conservative adviser and a regular columnist at the Hill Times. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 08 Feb 2019 | The aftermath of the Quebec mosque shooting | 00:26:07 | |
"I can't even venture to guess how long it'll take for people to feel safe again." CBC reporter Catou MacKinnon covered the shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City on January 29, 2017. Alexandre Bissonnette pleaded guilty to six counts of first degree murder and six counts of attempted murder. Ahead of his sentencing, Catou tells host Jayme Poisson about the lasting impact the incident has had on the Muslim community in Quebec City's Sainte-Foy neighbourhood. | |||
| 28 Nov 2019 | Liberals fight payments ordered for First Nations children | 00:23:56 | |
This week, the Liberal government was in a federal court, as part of its fight against an order to compensate First Nations children affected by the on-reserve child welfare system. The order is part of a Canada Human Rights Tribunal ruling that took nearly a decade to achieve. The government says the order is an unfair over-reach, and that it plans to deliver payment through a class-action lawsuit instead. Today on Front Burner, CBC Indigenous unit's Jorge Barrera on the long backstory to this week's court hearings, and the discrimination First Nations children face on-reserve. | |||
| 07 May 2022 | Bonus | Nothing is Foreign: Why the U.K. is outsourcing its refugees | 00:29:43 | |
The U.K.'s plan to send refugees on a one-way trip to Rwanda is causing outrage.
In a controversial, multimillion-pound deal, the British government will send some asylum seekers to Rwanda instead of allowing them to stay in the U.K. This plan marks a major shift in how refugees are treated and could have a far-reaching implications for the rest of Europe — and for thousands of refugees fleeing war and persecution.
This week, Nothing is Foreign explains how the deal works, why thousands of lives could be in jeopardy, why some are calling this immigration policy "neo-colonialism" and why critics say Rwanda isn't a safe haven.
Featuring:
Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action.
Theogene Rudasingwa, former Rwandan ambassador to the U.S. | |||
| 23 Nov 2021 | Tensions swell on Wet'suwet'en territory | 00:27:26 | |
Yesterday, demonstrators and journalists appeared in a northern B.C. court after spending the weekend in jail for their presence at a resistance camp in Wet’suwet’en territory.
The RCMP arrested dozens of people and cleared the camp last week. It had been blockading a key work site for the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. Hundreds of workers had been stranded after the blockade was erected. The police were enforcing an injunction from a civil court that said Coastal GasLink should be able to continue its work.
Today, attorney Kris Statnyk explains that the legal battle happening over the land is incredibly complex, because even the Canadian legal system holds contradictory positions on this issue. And the Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter Amanda Follett Hosgood explains what’s been happening on the front lines. | |||
| 01 Feb 2022 | A patent-free vaccine for the world | 00:23:11 | |
Texas-based scientists Maria Elena Bottazzi and Peter Hotez won't make a cent off the vaccine they developed — and they don't want to.
Dubbed "the world's COVID-19 vaccine," Corbevax is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture, and there's no patent on it. After multiple hurdles in the team's efforts to fund and develop the jab, Corbevax was recently approved for emergency use in India.
Today, we're speaking to Bottazzi and Hotez about the story behind Corbevax, what the skeptics have to say, and why they believe their shot can be a powerful tool in the fight for vaccine equity. | |||
| 23 Mar 2023 | New to Frontburner? Start here. | 00:01:25 | |
Front Burner is a daily news podcast from CBC that explores the big stories of the day with curiosity and an open mind. Hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Jayme Poisson who takes you deep into the narratives shaping Canada and the world. | |||
| 12 Jan 2024 | The downfall of the NRA's Wayne LaPierre | 00:28:17 | |
For more than three decades, Wayne LaPierre has led the National Rifle Association — turning gun policy into a deeply partisan political issue. But now, facing a civil trial on corruption allegations, he's announced his resignation. With membership and revenue dropping, could this be the end of the NRA?
New York Times investigative reporter Danny Hakim explains the rise of one of America's most influential lobby groups — and how, even if this is the end, the NRA's biggest battles may have already been won.
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. | |||
| 26 Jun 2020 | The NBA to restart in a COVID-19 hotspot | 00:22:06 | |
This week, the Toronto Raptors touched down in Florida. Soon, 21 other NBA teams will join them in the state, as the NBA gears up to restart the 2019-20 season in Disney World. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are surging in Florida. More than a hundred pages of health and safety protocols have been established, covering everything from prohibitions on doubles ping-pong, to intensive testing procedures. Today on Front Burner, freelance NBA reporter Alex Wong walks us through how this is all going to work, and whether it's worth it. | |||
| 23 Dec 2022 | Hope for democracy in 2022 | 00:37:13 | |
Just over a month into 2022, Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine, and set the tone for what looked like an ominous year for global democracy.
High-stakes elections in Hungary, Brazil, the U.S., Israel, and the Philippines put core issues of democracy on the ballot, and it was anyone’s guess how things would turn out.
In some cases, authoritarianism made gains. But some regimes best positioned to challenge democracy for its global influence also saw policy failures, and signs of public resistance.
Today, Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp on why 2022 was a surprisingly good year for democracy, and how it exposed the fundamental weaknesses of authoritarian political models. | |||
| 07 Jan 2025 | Trudeau resigns. What’s next for the Liberals? | 00:24:49 | |
After months of non-confidence votes and growing pressure, Justin Trudeau has stepped down as the leader of the Liberal Party. He’s still the Prime Minister, for now, after proroguing Parliament until March 24th so that the Liberals can hold a leadership race and find his successor. Wayne Long, a backbencher from New Brunswick, was among the first voices from within Trudeau’s own party to call for him to step down. Now that it’s finally happened, he talks to us about what the “internal battles” in the party actually looked like and what he thinks needs to happen next for the Liberals to have a fighting chance in the next election. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 06 Oct 2022 | The long fight for women’s rights in Iran | 00:27:25 | |
Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police on September 16th, protests have erupted throughout Iran and in some 160 cities around the globe — with some of the biggest protests happening here in Canada.
Despite violent crackdowns on the demonstrations in Iran, protesters are still coming out to the streets. And women have remained at the forefront, at times burning their headscarves, or chopping off their hair.
But this is far from the first time that women have led protest movements in the country. So today we’re taking a look at how the Mahsa Amini demonstrations fit into a long history of women’s activism in Iran — and whether or not this time feels different.
Our guest is Mona Tajali, an associate professor of International Relations, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Agnes Scott College. She’s also the author of the recent book Women’s Political Representation in Iran and Turkey: Demanding a Seat at the Table. | |||
| 07 Apr 2020 | Overdoses and COVID-19 on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside | 00:22:18 | |
Self-isolation and physical distancing are straightforward public health orders for most Canadians, but it's a near-impossible challenge for people without adequate housing. That's clear in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a dense neighbourhood with a large population of homeless people, who are now at risk of COVID-19. But the challenges don't stop there — the community has been battling another public health crisis for years: drug poisoning and overdoses. Today on Front Burner, Garth Mullins, host of the podcast Crackdown, tells us what that means for drug users. | |||
| 23 Jul 2020 | The race for a COVID-19 vaccine, explained | 00:19:48 | |
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. | |||
| 09 Nov 2018 | Bridging the climate change divide | 00:15:02 | |
British author and carbon pricing expert, George Marshall, explains the psychology of climate change communication and describes the work he's done in Canada on this front - to bridge the political divides. | |||
| 30 May 2024 | Is Canada's economy working hard, or hardly working? | 00:22:05 | |
You might be hearing some positive-sounding headlines about Canada's economy recently. Inflation is coming down, and we've (so far) managed to avoid the recession many were predicting following the pandemic. So why do so many Canadians still feel like they're struggling to get by? In a word: productivity. The Bank of Canada has called the country's economic productivity situation an "emergency," and economists say there's a direct link between productivity and standard of living. BMO chief economist Doug Porter explains. Help us make Front Burner even better by filling out this audience survey. | |||
| 19 Nov 2020 | Pro-labour, pro-union Conservatives? | 00:23:44 | |
In recent public and media appearances, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has talked up the need to fight inequality through labour rights, and lamented the decline of unionization in the private sector. He's also blamed the Liberals for favouring elites over workers, and trade deals over jobs in Canada.
These issues have become recurring themes as he introduces himself to Canadians after being elected leader of the Conservatives back in August.
Today on Front Burner, CBC senior parliamentary reporter Catherine Cullen on the reaction to this political shift, and what might be behind it. | |||
| 10 Feb 2025 | Canada-U.S. tension, a history | 00:31:03 | |
In the latest whiplash from the White House, U.S. President Trump told reporters on Sunday that he would announce 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imported to the U.S. – including from Canada – on Monday. This, of course, comes a week after he decided to give Canada a 30-day reprieve from blanket and crippling tariffs on all exports to the U.S. This is an incredibly tense and chilling time for two countries that have been allies and trade partners for a long time. But the current fear and anger over the tariffs, and annexation talk aren’t new. Asa McKercher has been studying the Canada-U.S. relationship for years. He is the Hudson Chair in Canada-U.S. relations at the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, and teaches at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 25 Mar 2025 | Pierre Poilievre’s Donald Trump problem | 00:29:06 | |
With the federal election underway, Pierre Poilievre’s political opponents have intensified their accusations that the Conservative leader is like U.S. President Trump. On Sunday, Liberal leader Mark Carney said that Poilievre mirrors Trump in language and intention, and that he followed the administration’s lead in proposing foreign aid cuts. For weeks now, the party has been putting out ads focusing on the similarities between Poilievre and Trump. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said, also on Sunday, that Poilievre is endorsed by Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. In a country where the majority of people have negative views of Trump, this start to the campaign likely wasn’t an ideal one for Poilievre and his team. CBC parliamentary bureau reporter J.P. Tasker, who’s currently on the campaign trail with the Conservatives, outlines Pierre Poilievre’s Trump problem, and what it might mean for the campaign moving forward. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 11 Feb 2022 | U.S. right-wing media adopts the ‘Freedom Convoy’ | 00:26:39 | |
Canada’s trucker’s and the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests have inspired similar protests around the world, from France to New Zealand to Australia. But it’s especially drawing the adoration of Conservative commentators in the United States -- like Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. The ‘anti-mandate’ and ‘anti-lockdown’ movement has also become the obsession of the darker, more alt-right corners of the internet.
Today on Front Burner, a conversation with CBC’s Washington correspondent Alex Panetta on how the trucker protest is playing out in the U.S. media, and Jared Holt, a domestic extremism researcher at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, on how it’s manifesting in right-wing online spaces. | |||
| 28 Mar 2025 | Elon and the Tesla backlash | 00:23:31 | |
Across the world an anti-Tesla campaign has been growing since Elon Musk began his work dismantling U.S. government institutions, and meddling in other country’s democracies. The protests, dubbed “Trash Tesla,” are seeing regular folks and former customers selling their cars, dumping stock and picketing dealerships. Others are torching Tesla vehicles. As a result the U.S. attorney general says they’re looking into the incidents as potential domestic terrorism. Today on the show, Wired writer Carlton Reid is joining us to talk about his reporting on the Tesla backlash. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 14 Apr 2020 | Documents: government played catchup as COVID-19 threat mounted | 00:26:44 | |
As Canada’s fight against COVID-19 continues, questions are being raised about whether the federal government acted fast enough to prevent the spread of the virus. Now, documents show Canada two steps behind as the pandemic spread across the country.
JP Tasker, a senior writer for CBC’s parliamentary bureau, joins us to talk about what he found in those documents — and what they reveal about the situation Canada finds itself in now. | |||
| 02 Sep 2021 | Election watch: Anger on the campaign trail | 00:20:37 | |
In the third week of the federal election campaign, Althia Raj describes the vitriolic protests seen at campaign events and the newly released Liberal platform. | |||
| 15 Dec 2022 | Elon Musk’s Twitter culture war | 00:22:33 | |
On Sunday, Twitter owner Elon Musk joined comedian Dave Chappelle on stage and was roundly booed. Musk responded on Twitter saying, “Technically, it was 90% cheers,” and that “It’s almost as if I’ve offended SF’s unhinged leftists … but nahhh.”
Musk has said that he’s politically a centrist, but the tweet is just one recent example of how he’s adopted partisan language in a social media culture war. Musk has distributed Twitter records that are supposed to reveal biased censorship, indulged in far-right talking points about COVID-19 and unbanned white nationalist accounts.
Today, a discussion with the Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel about how and why Musk is aligning himself with different factions of the right. Warzel writes the Galaxy Brain newsletter about tech, media and politics. | |||
| 07 Feb 2024 | Are trans youth a 'political football' in Alberta? | 00:23:24 | |
Alberta premier Danielle Smith has frequently said that she doesn't want to politicize issues around the rights and personal decisions of transgender youth. But then, last week, she unveiled the toughest set of policies affecting trans teens in the country.
The proposed rules would have wide-ranging impacts for gender-affirming medical care, sports, sex education and the use of preferred pronouns in schools.
Today, CBC Calgary's Jason Markusoff joins us for a look at the reaction in Alberta to the proposed policies, and why Smith may have so dramatically changed her position on this issue now.
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. | |||
| 26 May 2020 | Joe Rogan’s appeal and $100-million deal | 00:23:22 | |
Love him or hate him, Joe Rogan is one of the biggest names in podcasting. Now, he’s inked a $100-million deal with Spotify that could turn the podcasting industry on its head.
Nick Quah, writer of the newsletter Hot Pod, and Devin Gordon, a journalist who’s written about Rogan for The Atlantic, join us to speak about Rogan’s appeal, and why this Spotify deal could be such a game-changer. | |||
| 03 Mar 2021 | Inside the bloody fight for Myanmar’s democracy | 00:21:15 | |
“Now we have no choice. We have to fight back.” Today we hear from a young pro-democracy activist in Myanmar who is risking her life on the streets of Yangon to fight back against the military coup. | |||
| 12 Dec 2019 | Former hockey pros describe the sport's dark side | 00:26:43 | |
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has responded to a string of allegations about racism, bullying and physical abuse in the league, declaring "we will not tolerate abusive behaviour of any kind." The fallout began when player Akim Aliu described being called the n-word by his then-coach Bill Peters, who has since resigned as head coach of the Calgary Flames. So, is this a moment of reckoning for hockey?
Today on Front Burner, former NHLer Daniel Carcillo and former OHLer Brock McGillis talk about their experiences with the dark side of hockey culture, and how they think it can change. | |||
| 28 Oct 2019 | The rise and fall of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi | 00:23:46 | |
On Sunday President Donald Trump announced that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in Syria. Today on Front Burner, Joby Warrick explains the significance of Baghdadi’s death and what this means for the future of ISIS. Warrick is a national security reporter for the Washington Post and Pulitzer-prize winning author of Black Flags: The Rise Of ISIS. | |||
| 18 Nov 2019 | Don Cherry, hockey and Canadian identity | 00:21:58 | |
Hockey Night in Canada aired Saturday night without Don Cherry, while his firing stoked a national debate about hockey’s place in this country. Today on Front Burner, we talk to hockey fan Noha Beshir and retired sportswriter David Shoalts, who wrote Hockey Fight in Canada: The Big Media Faceoff Over the NHL. | |||
| 01 Jun 2022 | Why Quebec's new language law is stirring controversy | 00:26:19 | |
Bill 96, Quebec's newly adopted language law, is meant to protect the use of French in areas such as education, government services, courts and the workplace.
But there has been a fierce backlash against it from some Indigenous communities, advocates for immigrants and refugees, business owners, and experts who say it infringes on an array of human and legal rights.
Some analysts have criticized the Quebec government for invoking the notwithstanding clause, which allows provinces to override Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to pass the bill. That could help set the stage for a broader fight between Quebec and the federal government, they say.
Today, Emilie Nicolas, a columnist with Le Devoir and the Montreal Gazette and host of Canadaland's French-language podcast Detours, walks us through some elements of the new law that critics find contentious. | |||
| 25 Oct 2018 | PREVIEW: Carbon tax or shell game? | 00:15:39 | |
How exactly does Canada's new carbon tax work? CBC Parliamentary reporter J.P. Tasker breaks it down. | |||
| 14 Dec 2020 | Inside China’s secretive Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park | 00:23:42 | |
The Chinese government says the Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park in the country's northwest is a place where people make wigs and other hair products that get shipped across the globe.
Others say what’s happening at the park is forced labour, and that it’s just the latest in a pattern of grave human rights abuses committed in recent years against the country’s Uighur Muslim population — including the use of detention camps, mass surveillance and even forced sterilization.
The Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park in Xinjiang province is an incredibly secretive, highly guarded place, yet Globe and Mail journalist Nathan VanderKlippe managed to travel there. Today on Front Burner, VanderKlippe discusses what he saw. | |||
| 29 Jul 2021 | Why Simone Biles said ‘no’ | 00:22:15 | |
The 24-year-old champion Simone Biles surprised the world this week by pulling out of the Olympics, saying she needed to look after her mental health. As historian Amira Rose Davis explains, that decision is a momentous shift in the culture of sport. | |||
| 13 Nov 2019 | Judges toss cases over police credibility concerns | 00:22:08 | |
Over the last five years, more than 50 criminal cases have fallen apart after a judge found a police officer gave false or misleading testimony, according to a CBC News investigation. Today on Front Burner, we talk to reporters Chris Glover and Stephen Davis about what they found when digging into judges' rulings in these cases, and what the possible consequences are. | |||
| 01 Feb 2024 | Is $10 daycare in trouble? | 00:22:23 | |
The Trudeau government’s announcement in 2021 that they would bring daycare fees down to $10 a day within five years was a massive relief to many parents across the country. But two years after all the provinces signed on, this extremely popular program is clearly facing some bumps in the road: staffing shortages, massive wait lists, and daycares that can’t cover their costs.
Today, Martha Friendly, executive director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, speaks to us about the growing pains confronting affordable daycare. | |||
| 02 Aug 2023 | What’s driving polarization in Canadian politics? | 00:25:17 | |
Were the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests in Ottawa a “peaceful protest against a tyrannical ruler,” or a bunch of people driven by “lies and misinformation, disturbing the peace of everyone, and being bigoted”?
These two conflicting perspectives help illustrate Canadian polarization in a new report from the Public Policy Forum, authored by journalist Justin Ling, titled ‘Far and Wider: The Rise of Polarization in Canada.’ Ling joins guest host Tamara Khandaker to discuss political polarization in Canada, what’s driving it, and how it’s impacting young Canadians.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts | |||
| 01 Nov 2019 | California’s fiery future | 00:22:44 | |
There are multiple wildfires burning in California right now as they did last year, and the year before. Six of the state’s ten most destructive wildfires have taken place in the last two years. And as the state gets hotter, and dryer, the fires are expected to get even more destructive. Today on Front Burner, the west coast bureau chief with the Atlantic’s CityLab, Laura Bliss, on her home state’s increasingly fiery future. | |||
| 09 Oct 2023 | Front Burner Introduces: Someone Knows Something | Season 8 | 00:48:01 | |
Host David Ridgen joins victims' family members as they investigate cold cases, tracking down leads, speaking to suspects and searching for answers. In the highly-anticipated 8th season of Someone Knows Something, award-winning investigator David Ridgen delves into a cold case that has haunted Whitehorse for more than 15 years. Angel Carlick was a vibrant youth worker, nicknamed ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ by her loved ones. She had plans after graduation to become legal guardian of her brother and work to support struggling youth at her local resource centre. But just days before she was set to graduate in 2007, at age 18, Angel disappeared. Months later, her remains were found in a remote area in the Canadian north. As David works alongside Angel's family, friends, and community, he uncovers details surrounding her death and strives to bring her justice, while honouring the legacy of her late mother, Wendy. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/6PZExn6H | |||
| 18 Apr 2020 | Introducing Unlocking Bryson's Brain | 00:53:47 | |
Bryson seems like a perfectly healthy baby. But soon doctors confirm his parents’ worst fears: something is wrong with Bryson’s brain. Despite dozens of tests over nearly a decade, doctors come up empty in their efforts to find a diagnosis.Then one day, everything changes. Scientists working at the cutting edge of genetics believe they know what's causing Bryson's disease — and think it could be reversed. Here’s the first episode of the new CBC podcast, Unlocking Bryson’s Brain. More episodes are available at hyperurl.co/unlocking | |||
| 21 May 2021 | The divestment from Alberta’s oilsands | 00:22:16 | |
As pressure mounts to address global warming, some financial institutions are grappling with whether or not to divest from the Canadian oilsands. CBC’s Kyle Bakx explains. | |||
| 22 Feb 2019 | Why residential school survivors want an apology from the Pope | 00:25:04 | |
An unprecedented summit on the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church is taking place at the Vatican. For many victims, it's a chance to seek justice. That includes Evelyn Korkmaz, a residential school survivor calling on the Pope to apologize for the Church's involvement in residential schools. She tells host Jayme Poisson why and CBC reporter Jorge Barrera helps us understand the historical relationship between the Catholic Church and Canada's residential schools. | |||
| 12 Feb 2019 | Who is Venezuela's rival president? | 00:24:17 | |
Juan Guaidó is touring Venezuela this week, meeting with journalists and citizens. But while Canada acknowledges Guaidó as the official president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro says the job is still rightfully his. The CBC's Adrienne Arsenault and Evan Dyer on the latest from Caracas. | |||
| 05 Nov 2018 | Vancouver's complicated relationship with Chinese money | 00:16:53 | |
Bloomberg's Vancouver bureau chief Natalie Obiko Pearson helps us navigate the city's complicated relationship with Chinese money. That relationship has ties to the city's housing affordability crisis. Tackling affordability is job number one for Kennedy Stewart, who begins his work as Vancouver's mayor today. | |||
| 07 Jan 2022 | The 15 year fight to treat Indigenous children as equals | 00:22:11 | |
For decades, First Nations children on reserves had to live with less child welfare funding than other kids in Canada.
And that led to kids being taken from their communities at higher rates, often for problems that could have been solved with better supports.
This week, after years of court battles, the federal government made a $40 billion promise to First Nations leaders. $20 billion of that will go to compensate kids who were unnecessarily removed from their homes on reserve or in the Yukon. The other $20 billion will go to long-term reform of the on-reserve child welfare system.
Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and a professor at McGill University's School of Social Work, has made it her mission to make sure First Nations kids get care that matches up with care received by other kids in Canada.
Today, she talks about the long fight for this agreement, and why she’s still waiting to celebrate. | |||
| 24 Mar 2020 | COVID-19’s other frontline workers: grocery store staff | 00:23:27 | |
Even as most businesses in Canada have shut their doors, grocery stores remain open. And workers in those stores – who are often in low-wage positions – are worried about their own safety as COVID-19 continues to spread. Today on Front Burner, CBC reporter Haydn Watters talks to guest host Michelle Shephard about how grocery store staff are coping with the crisis, and what their companies are aiming to do about it | |||
Enhance your understanding of Front Burner with My Podcast Data
At My Podcast Data, we strive to provide in-depth, data-driven insights into the world of podcasts. Whether you're an avid listener, a podcast creator, or a researcher, the detailed statistics and analyses we offer can help you better understand the performance and trends of Front Burner. From episode frequency and shared links to RSS feed health, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need to stay informed and make the most of your podcasting experience. Explore more shows and discover the data that drives the podcast industry.
© My Podcast Data