Stay ConnectedYour essential daily news podcast. We take you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Hosted by Jayme Poisson. Every morning, Monday to Friday.
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From the aggressive tactics of police at demonstrations in the United States, to the increasing demand to recognize systemic racism against Black communities and deal with police violence, to the ongoing threat of COVID-19 — it has been a chaotic and politically charged week. Today on Front Burner, we take a step back to listen to individuals who are deeply affected by the week’s events. Five Black Canadians share their reflections on worldwide protests following the death of George Floyd, who was killed by police, and the current attention towards issues of racial injustice and police brutality at home and abroad.
While scientists worldwide are trying to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, reports show an uptick in state-sponsored medical hacking. Countries like China and Iran appear to be actively hacking vaccine research. Today on Front Burner: We talk to cybersecurity expert Priscilla Moriuchi about the fears that are driving these hacking efforts, and how they could derail vaccine research.
Demonstrations across the US protesting the death of George Floyd are coinciding with a global pandemic and an economic crisis. And it’s a moment when many Americans are calling on the president for leadership. Keith Boag, a longtime political correspondent and a contributor to the CBC on US politics, joins us to talk about how Donald Trump is responding to this critical moment — and what lies ahead as the November election date looms.
Despite making up only 13 per cent of the population, black Americans represent about a quarter of all people killed by police. Today on Front Burner, we speak to civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson about the concrete steps he thinks could be taken to deal with the problem of race-based police violence.
This weekend, in at least 75 U.S. cities, demonstrators marched against racism and police violence in the wake of the video showing the last moments of George Floyd's life, with a Minneapolis police officer's knee on his neck. North of the border, thousands of people rallied in Toronto, some holding signs demanding "Justice for Regis." Regis Korchinski-Paquet is a black woman from Toronto whose death last week is now being investigated by Ontario's police watchdog. Today on Front Burner, we have three guests: journalist Ebyan Abdigir on the Toronto demonstration, CBC senior correspondent Susan Ormiston on the ground in Minneapolis and writer Joel Anderson on the American police response.
For the first time, police are treating an alleged incel-inspired killing as an act of terror. In February, a 17-year-old male was charged with murder and attempted murder in the broad daylight slaying of a woman at a North Toronto massage parlour. Last week, those charges were updated to terror charges. Today on Front Burner, former CSIS analyst Jessica Davis and University of Calgary law professor Michael Nesbitt on the significance of these new charges, what message they send, and what the potential consequences may be.
China’s ceremonial parliament, the National People’s Congress, endorsed a national security law for Hong Kong on Thursday. Many residents are concerned that the law will undermine civil liberties and might be used to suppress political activity. Today on Front Burner, journalist and lawyer Antony Dapiran on what this might mean for Hong Kong’s future, and whether this could signal the end of “one country, two systems” in the former British colony.
York Regional Police announced an enormous bust taking down alleged organized crime rings in Southern Ontario’s tow truck industry this week. Police say that for the last three years, rival companies have used violence and intimidation to carve out turf, alleging they caused and staged collisions, worked with auto repair shops and rental companies to carry out fraud, set fires, and even killed in cold blood. Four people are dead and the investigation is ongoing. And police say that's just scratching the surface. CBC senior reporter John Lancaster has been covering this story. Today, we sort through the violent wreckage of the ‘Tow Truck Turf Wars’.
Cockroaches, rotten food, improper feeding of patients. These are just a few of the disturbing details emerging from a military report into five long-term care facilities in Ontario that were hit hard by coronavirus outbreaks. Today on Front Burner, CBC News correspondent David Common, who has investigated long-term care facilities since before the pandemic hit, walks us through the report.
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.
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