Front Burner

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A portrait of the mysterious Kim Jong-un Jul 22, 2019

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“He’s such a puzzle...and we don’t have all the answers.” As the world continues to try and figure out the puzzle that is North Korea, guest host Chris Berube talks to Anna Fifield, the Washington Post reporter who’s put together the most complete portrait leader Kim Jong-un yet. Her new book is “The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un”.

Donald Trump, and the debate over the term “racist” Jul 19, 2019

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At a rally on Wednesday night, supporters of Donald Trump broke out in a chorus of "send her back!" chants, targeted toward Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born congresswoman from Minnesota. The chant came just days after the U.S. president took to Twitter, to attack four congresswomen of colour, suggesting they "go back and help fix the broken and crime-infested places from which they came." All of this has set off a debate in the media, on how to cover Trump and racism. On today's Front Burner, we talk to Adam Serwer, staff writer with The Atlantic, about journalistic objectivity, Trump, the media and the term "racist."

FaceApp: Fact, fiction and fears Jul 18, 2019

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It's the AI-assisted photo editing app that has entertained millions of users around the world. Open FaceApp on your smartphone, upload of a photo of yourself, and you — like Drake, the Jonas Brothers and Steph Curry — can see what you might look like in your golden years. But just like everything we do online, when you take a closer look, it's more complicated than it seems. On Front Burner, we speak to Kaleigh Rogers, CBC's senior reporter covering disinformation online, about the facts and fears about FaceApp.

The battle for green voters begins Jul 17, 2019

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With three months to go before the federal election, two parties on the left are trying to plant their flag as the party of environmentalists. The NDP recently introduced its "Canadian New Deal" which promises aggressive carbon targets and investments in energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the Green Party is surging in the polls, with its promise to double Canada's emission reduction targets. With the two parties battling for green voters on the left, analysts are beginning to wonder if there's room for both parties to thrive. Althia Raj is the Ottawa bureau chief for the Huffington Post. She's been speaking to voters in British Columbia about which party should get the environmentalist vote this fall.

Canadian teacher home after ‘nightmare in Indonesia’ Jul 16, 2019

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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.

What did Canadian peacekeepers accomplish in Mali? Jul 15, 2019

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“Organized crime, smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism - you can sort of name it, and Mali is afflicted by it.” Swept up in part by Islamist extremism, the U.N’s peacekeeping mission in Mali is one of the deadliest in recent history. Canada has been part of this larger effort since last year. As it draws to a close, journalist Richard Poplak talks to guest host Michelle Shephard if it made good on Canada's promise to return to peacekeeping.

The World Cup champions tackle equal pay Jul 12, 2019

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After their record-setting fourth World Cup win, the U.S. women's soccer team has found themselves at the centre of an ongoing debate about pay equity in sport. The team has been followed by a chorus of "equal pay" from the pitch to their celebration parade in New York City. These calls for equal pay have been heightened by the fact that the team generates more revenue than their male counterparts — selling more jerseys, tickets and signing more sponsorship deals. So how does a pay difference of as much as $730,000 persist? On today's Front Burner, we talk to writer and podcast host Shireen Ahmed for answers.

‘Conversion therapy’ survivor shares his story Jul 11, 2019

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In 2014, Belleville, Ont. native Matt Ashcroft decided to attend a conversion therapy camp in the U.S. He says his father was homphobic and he wanted to mend their relationship. Now he’s a fierce advocate for a nationwide ban on the practice in Canada. Matt Ashcroft speaks to host Jayme Poisson about his experience and why he thinks conversion therapy should be scrapped.

A conversation with Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jul 10, 2019

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Democracy versus dictatorship” in Venezuela. Why Canada should not release Meng Wanzhou. These are just some of the topics we cover in a feature interview with Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. She tells us about how she formed her political worldview, and how that worldview shapes Canada’s foreign policy: “Small-l liberalism … does also require that we stand up for the rules-based international order and multilateral institutions because only in a world where those rules exist … can our own liberal Canada thrive.”

From memes to TV ads, how political third parties get their message out Jul 09, 2019

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You may not have heard of political third parties like Engage Canada or Canada Proud, but you’ve likely already encountered their messaging through a traditional television ad, a Facebook meme, or maybe even a person in a banana costume. Today on Front Burner, we talk to iPolitics reporter Marieke Walsh about who’s behind these groups, what kind of influence they may have, and the new rules governing their spending in the leadup to the federal election.

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