This year's International AIDS conference has a very optimistic theme, Turning the Tide Together. Many people who have devoted their careers to this issue believe it is at least medically possible to end the epidemic -- the question is whether or not it is socially and politically possible?

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Today's guest host was Jim Brown.

Part One of The Current

Satire

It's Friday, July 27th.

U.S. politicians remain skeptical of tougher gun laws, even after the prime suspect in the Colorado shooting acquired combat gear, thousands of rounds of ammunition, two Glocks, a shotgun and an assault rifle ... all without raising suspicions.

Currently, in unrelated news, Al Qaeda is opening a Colorado office.

This is The Current.

Ending HIV/AIDS: Julio Montaner

We started this segment with a clip from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressing the opening session of the 19th International AIDS Conference on Monday. This year there's real hope there may soon be a final AIDS conference. Many who've devoted their careers to the disease believe it's now medically possible to end the epidemic. Some even mention the word -- cure.

Eliminating a disease that's killed around 30 million people seemed impossible even a few years ago. But AIDS deaths are down 24 per cent from their peak in 2005 and the number of newly infected people has reached its lowest point in more than eleven years.

For his thoughts on the possibility of an "AIDS-free generation", we were joined by Doctor Julio Montaner. He is the Director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. He is also the Chair in AIDS Research at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and the Past-President of the International AIDS Society. Julio Montaner was in Washington DC.

This segment was produced by The Current's Kristin Nelson and Andrea Cardillo.

Other segment from today's show:

Jason Dorland: Losing in Sport