The Current

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What do Israel and the U.S. want from the war with Iran? Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

It's been almost a week since the U.S. and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran, and Iran is continuing to hit back with attacks on Israel, on U.S. bases and on countries in the region. More than 1000 people are dead and tens of thousands more have been displaced. We talk to Rober Malley, a lecturer and senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, and the U.S. Special Envoy to Iran from 2021 to 2023, and Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a professor of political science at the Missouri University of Science and Technology about what the United States and Israel hope to achieve in Iran.

Squeak of Origin: Quebec says cheese curds must be protected Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

The Conseil des Industriels laitiers du Québec is seeking a protected geographical indication for poutine cheese. We talk to Gilles Jourdenais, the owner of La Fromagerie Atwater in Montreal about what makes cheese curds part of Quebecois culture and what it would mean if the squeaky cheese got a geographical designation.

How much will the war in Iran spike oil prices? Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

The world's most crucial oil corridor, the Strait of Hormuz, has been shut. The closure prevents the movement of roughly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil. How much will gas prices and inflation leap? And is it Canada's moment to pitch itself as a global oil superpower?

Canada's daily radio show The Broadcast turns 75 Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

For 75 years, the CBC Radio program The Broadcast has told the stories of Newfoundlanders and their connection with the ocean. We’ll talk to the host Paula Gale about how the show has kept the island's culture alive through ordinary people and in the face of those from away who wanted to hear fewer accents and accordions on the air, as the show celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Do you have a friend group? Mar 05, 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.

Ticketmaster has ‘broken’ the concert industry Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an antitrust case against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster this week. Canadians are paying attention because there could be implications in Canada, both for how the company operates and a similar case that is trying to move forward — why are concert tickets so expensive, and can this make them more affordable?

Why a global memory chip shortage is a problem for Canada Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

These tiny silicon squares are the unsung heroes of our society — they run everything from your microwave to cellphone to larger systems like health care and defense. But the global increase in AI is driving up the demand for memory chips, leading to a global supply and demand problem. We speak with Namir Anani, the president and chief executive of the Information and Communications Technology Council, about why these chips are foundational to Canada's sovereignty and why he thinks Canada needs to work quickly to position itself as a player in the global memory chip market.

Why you won't see meat ads in some European cities Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Amsterdam has become the latest city to ban adverts that promote fossil fuels — things like flights, cruises or the latest gas-powered car. Freelance climate journalist Isabella Kaminski breaks down how these bans work and what we know about how effective they are.

B.C. is all in on daylight saving time Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

British Columbians will move their clocks forward this weekend and leave them there. The province says that's what people want. UBC sleep researcher Elizabeth Keys says permanent standard time is better for our health — but the BC government didn't ask people whether they'd prefer it.

Fear and hope in the Iranian diaspora as the war continues Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

The internet blackout in Iran continues, making it hard to capture what is happening inside the country. It's also making it hard for Iranians in Canada to reach family there. We'll hear from some Canadian-Iranians across this country, and we’ll also talk to Gregg Carlstrom, the Middle East Correspondent at The Economist about the latest on this war.

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