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.
At a time when the overall economy is sluggish, the Canadian tourism sector is bucking the trend and projected to grow by 6% in 2026. We hear from some innovative Canadian travel businesses that are cashing in and from tourism and hospitality professor Wayne Smith about what is driving the growth — and what it would take to build on it.
Why do men need friends?
24 min
Actor and writer Andrew McCarthy talked to former police officers, oil rig workers, cowboys and record store owners. And he found a common thread: men who weren't great at their friendships with other men. He chronicles his road trip to explore male friendship in his new book "Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America."
Basking in the "Small Stuff" can make a big difference
24 min
While we focus on success or fulfillment as the path to happiness, author Ian Bogost thinks we are overlooking a whole category of life experiences — delightful, small moments of sensory gratification — that can make our lives better. In his new book, The Small Stuff, Bogost says modern life, including our work life, has disconnected us from the physical world, but we'd all feel better if we found a way to rediscover that connection.
When no one wants your grandmother's best china
19 min
Across the country, families are dealing with households full of stuff that no one wants to inherit. This is causing stress between generations as young people often don’t have room for that full dining room set, the silverware, or antique hutch, to the chagrin of older generations. We dig into how to cope with all that inherited stuff and make a plan.
Trump and Zelensky strike a friendlier tone
19 min
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky struck a positive tone after his meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump. Francis Farrell, a senior reporter at the Kyiv Independent, talks about why Ukraine's gains on the battlefield could be behind the shift in the leaders' relationship, and Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University, discusses what Zelensky's request to reinvigorate the diplomatic process could look like.
Kids need to read for fun. Here's why
21 min
Fewer adults and kids are reading for pleasure, prompting some experts to say we’re in the midst of a literacy crisis. But what do we lose if we’re not reading? And what you can do to get kids to pick up a book.
Cracks in the U.S.-Israel relationship?
11 min
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House on Tuesday for the first time in five months. We'll talk to Politico's diplomatic correspondent, Felicia Schwartz, about the recent signs of strain in what has always been a close relationship between the two countries — and how U.S. public opinion on support for Israel and its policies has shifted recently.
Will turning on Canada help Republicans at midterms?
19 min
More Republicans in the US have joined President Donald Trump in criticizing and threatening Canada, with a barrage of insults after wildfire smoke moved south of the border. Robert C. Rowland, professor of rhetoric and political communication at the University of Kansas, tells us what's behind it, and Maryscott Greenwood, founder of Ottawa Street Strategy, on how Canada can fight back.
Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage across B.C
11 min
.Out of control wildfires in southeastern B.C. have forced hundreds of people to evacuate, with some losing everything they have in the blaze. We hear from Lori Daniels, the co-director of the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at the University of British Columbia, on how this summer's wildfires compare to fires in the past, and how now more than ever, more investment is needed from the province to make communities, homes, and eco-systems more fire-resilient.
Can we stop the harm of “aging out” of disability support?
21 min
When children with disabilities become adults, they often lose the services they've come to rely on. A decade ago, two young people in Manitoba decided to try to change the system. Now the province has completed a pilot project that improved access. But will it create lasting results?
Why people are betting on wildfires and climate change
19 min
In Canada, France, Spain and elsewhere, people are fleeing from wildfires. As climate emergencies increase, prediction markets are taking wagers on fires, smoke, hurricanes and heatwaves. Is it desensitizing people? Or could it help raise engagement with the climate crisis?
Wildfires in B.C. merge, threatening more communities
7 min
The Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires were already roaring out of control near Clinton, British Columbia. But over the weekend, they merged, threatening communities northwest of Kamloops.We speak with Bernice Weihs-Anderson, a longtime resident of Clinton, B.C., and a former member of the village's volunteer fire department about her evacuation on Friday, and what her community needs right now.
ER doctors are burnt out and leaving the job
18 min
While being in an ER is tough for patients and their families, it's no easier for doctors. A new study reveals that Canadian ER doctors are at their limits with burn out, stress, and fatigue. Many are leaving the profession altogether. We speak with three doctors who have worked in ER, including the lead author of the study, to hear what they're experiencing and what needs to change.
Will the Gordie Howe bridge deliver on its promise?
19 min
A multi-billion dollar bridge between Canada and the U.S. was supposed to strengthen North American supply chains and ease bottlenecks on the nearby Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel. We hear from mayors on both sides of the Detroit River about whether tariffs are putting that investment at risk.
Are swimmable cities possible in Canada?
19 min
Natural bodies of water are embedded in many Canadian cities, but are we taking full advantage of them? We speak with Neil Egsgard, President of the Alberta Surfing Association, about a proposed redevelopment at Calgary's Bow River, and Larissa Holman, Director of Science and Policy with Ottawa Riverkeepers, about the importance of swimmable waters in our cities. And Ian Young, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, about what municipalities have been getting right when it comes to urban beaches.
Gen Z protests India explained
14 min
Tens of thousands of young people in India are on the streets protesting as part of the country’s “cockroach” movement. They’re calling for education reform, and a bigger system change after recent university entrance exam leaks forced millions of students into rewrites — and led to several suicides. We talk to Shourya Kumar, who’s been at the protests every day this week in Delhi, and Amrit Dhillon, a freelance journalist based in New Delhi, explains what this moment means for the country.
Why are so many people going to adult summer camp?
10 min
More and more adults are heading back to summer camp, hoping to disconnect from their phones and responsibilities and recreate childhood summer magic. These camps come in all shapes and sizes, from a retreat in a chateau in the south of France to a book club camp in Maine. Shelby Sanford, the co-founder of Camp Rewind in the East Kootenays, B.C, talks about why she thinks people are increasingly searching for this kind of childhood fun.
What you need to know about ticks
19 min
Longer, warmer summers mean those tiny, blood-sucking arachnids are spreading throughout southern Canada, hitting Ontario and Nova Scotia especially hard. We hear about emerging illnesses, and speak with emergency physician Dr. Raghu Venugopal about the symptoms to look out for and how to protect yourself.
Red Sea attacks threaten to escalate the US- Iran War
21 min
Iran-aligned Houthis have threatened to blockade the Red Sea, raising concerns about global oil supply and a broadening of the Iran War. Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist's Middle East Correspondent, talks about how we got to this point. Thomas Juneau, an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, discusses why the Houthis are engaging in this maritime blockade.
Premiers focus on US tariff threat at annual meeting
19 min
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt joins us from PEI where provincial and territorial leaders have put aside their annual meeting agenda to focus on the threat of new 50 per cent tariffs from the US. She tells us how this could impact her province and what leaders will ask of the Prime Minister as they set to meet with him later today.
