The Current

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Why this Ebola is different May 20, 2026

Show notes

On Sunday, the World Health Organization declared the ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda "a public health emergency of international concern". We speak with infectious disease correspondent, Helen Branswell with Stat News, and Dr. Joanne Liu, a physician and professor at McGIll University's School of Population and Global Health, and former International President Médecins Sans Frontières, who led the international response to the West African Ebola epidemic from 2014-2016.

Do you still have a friend group? May 19, 2026

Show notes

Turns out, Canadians are spending less and less time with their friends and many don’t have a friend group. What does it mean if we don't have a close friend group — and how can we approach making new friends? We’ll explore that with Philip Howlett, a friendship researcher and lecturer at the University of Bath.

Dawson City grieves the loss of historic bar May 19, 2026

Show notes

Dawson City, Yukon’s iconic tavern, the Westminster Hotel, aka “The Pit,” was destroyed in a fire. The building dates back to 1898 and was a beloved community hub. One of the bar's longtime managers Heidi Bliedung, on what The Pit meant to Dawson City and how they will move forward following the fire.

Do we still need zoos? May 19, 2026

Show notes

The London Zoo will open a hospital where people can watch vets treat animals — from checkups to post-mortems. Zoo consultant Sarah Spooner says that kind of public engagement helps boost conservation and helps zoos stay relevant. But environmental author Emma Marris says zoos can't justify the harm they do to animals and we've outgrown them, even if we don't realize it yet.

Tick season is here: what to know May 19, 2026

Show notes

Scientists are warning Canadians to get ready for a U.S. tick invasion this year. We hear from Patty O'Brien-Carrier from Maine who developed a severe meat allergy after being bitten by a lone star tick and Nicoletta Faraone, the director of the Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre, about the ticks to watch out for and how to protect yourself.

Are you reading? May 18, 2026

Show notes

Everywhere you turn, there's a distraction, and the evidence suggests we're all reading fewer books. Some have described it as a "crisis". We speak to one young Canadian who's turning that around, BookTok and podcast host, Morgann Book. We'll also speak with Gregor Campbell, a long-time English professor at the University of Guelph on what he has observed in the classroom, and Jonathan Jarry, a science communicator with McGill University's Office for Society and Science who puts the "reading crisis" in perspective.

What early wildfires mean for the summer months ahead May 18, 2026

Show notes

Wildfire season has started in some parts of the country. We speak with David Noyes, the mayor of Sandy Beach, Alberta, where a wildfire destroyed three homes earlier this month; Chief Ken McMullen, the President of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and Mike Flannigan, a wildfire researcher, about what to expect from this year’s wildfire season

Risks and rewards: What the Alberta MOU may bring May 15, 2026

Show notes

Three energy watchers dig into what's expected out of today's anticipated carbon policy agreement between Ottawa and Alberta: Martha Hall Findlay, director of the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and former climate officer at Suncor Energy; Sonya Savage, former energy minister under Jason Kenney and former environment minister under Danielle Smith; and Rachel Doran, executive director of Clean Energy Canada.

Superagers reveal the key to aging well May 15, 2026

Show notes

Scientists with the SuperAging Research Initiative are studying a group of superagers - people 80 and up who have the memory of people half their age - to understand what helps them stay sharp. We speak with Morry Kernerman, a lifelong violinist who’s 101 years old, and still hiking, travelling and teaching music, and with Angela Roberts at Western University in London, Ont., who’s leading the study in Canada, about how biology and lifestyle contribute to aging well.

Will the U.K. Prime Minister resign? May 15, 2026

Show notes

The U.K. has shuffled through several Prime Ministers in the last ten years before finally landing on Keir Starmer in 2024, but after his Labour Party suffered a major local election loss last week, some in his own party are trying to push him out. Piya Chattodpadhyay speaks to the host of the BBC podcast, Newscast, about where this leaves the island nation.

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