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Jagmeet Singh is fighting for his political life
"This is his biggest political test to date. It will decide the fate of Jagmeet Singh." With a federal election looming, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is under intense pressure to win a seat in the House of Commons in the upcoming Burnaby South byelection. Today on Front Burner, CBC National News reporter Hannah Thibedeau breaks down how things are looking for Singh and explains what's at stake for the future of the entire New Democratic Party.
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Why the US Government is Still Shut Down
The United States government is entering the thirteenth day of a government shutdown that some predict will last for weeks. So how does this end? CBC correspondent Paul Hunter warns we are in uncharted territory. "There's no path out, and that's the problem right now."
Download Why the US Government is Still Shut Down
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Can you trust your home smart speaker?
"I have a love-hate relationship with it." CBC senior technology reporter, Matthew Braga, explains how smart speakers work, why companies like Google and Amazon want you to have one in your home, and what privacy issues you should consider before setting up a Google Home or an Amazon Echo on your kitchen counter.
Download Can you trust your home smart speaker?
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What's Canada's place in a chaotic world?
"The power that we have comes from influence, it comes from trying to convince countries to do things," says co-host of The National, Rosemary Barton. She joins Jayme to reexamine a series of events that challenged Canada's position in 2018 - from the chaos of the Trump presidency, to the diplomatic rift with China caused by Canada's arrest of Huawei's chief operating officer.
Download What's Canada's place in a chaotic world?
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The year in opinion
"We must engage with people who don't agree with us," says Simi Sara host of The Simi Sara Show. She joins Buzzfeed's Elamin Abdelmahmoud and The Globe's Adrian Lee for a chat about the stories that generated the most discussion and opinion in 2018.
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How Fortnite blew up in 2018
"What Fortnite has done is break all the rules around what makes a successful video game," says Tom Power, host of CBC Radio's q. Fortnite has over 200 million registered users, and is reported to have brought in two billion dollars in profits for Epic Games this year. Since its launch in 2017, it's also become a pop culture phenomenon. So how did a free-to-play game become such a cultural and economic powerhouse? Tom Power helps us understand the game, and even teaches host Jayme Poisson how to play.
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The terrible, no good year for Quebec sovereignty
"For 40 years, sovereignty has been in elections by default because either the party in power or the party in opposition was a sovereigntist party ? that is no longer the case," says long-time Quebec journalist Martin Patriquin. While the question of sovereignty remains front of mind for many Quebecers, this year it wasn't an issue in a Quebec election for the first time in decades. Today on Front Burner, Patriquin sheds light on why the province's separatist movement is struggling, but why it will endure.
Download The terrible, no good year for Quebec sovereignty
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Asylum in Canada explained
"Canada doesn't have a refugee crisis. Canada has a crisis of will in terms of what we want to do," says refugee and immigration lawyer Zool Suleman about the influx of people crossing the American border to seek asylum in Canada. The country's budget watchdog has now confirmed the federal cost of asylum seekers making irregular crossings and warned of a growing refugee claimant case backlog. But what does that really mean? Today on Front Burner, we shed light on a confusing system and an issue that's often clouded by rhetoric.
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B.C. alleged terrorism case called a 'travesty of justice'
"From the justice system's point of view, you also have these bigger questions about how to conduct terrorism investigations, and investigations into these elaborate societal issues where we have fears about the crimes that people might commit." Today on Front Burner, senior reporter for CBC Vancouver, Jason Proctor, explains why a B.C. couple accused of planning a bomb plot had their convictions stayed due to entrapment and abuse of process by the RCMP.
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How and why the "yellow vest" protests spread
Economist correspondent Sophie Pedder says the 'yellow vest' protests in Canadian cities are different in some ways from the movement that inspired them in Paris.
Download How and why the "yellow vest" protests spread
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What does $1.6B in federal cash mean for the oil and gas sector?
"People are frustrated and they're upset and frankly, they're scared," says CBC business correspondent Peter Armstrong about workers in the oil and gas industry following months of record-low oil prices. On Tuesday the Canadian government announced a $1.6 billion support package for the struggling energy sector. Today on Front Burner, Armstrong explains what's at stake for Canada's oil patch and breaks down how far the funds will really go.
Download What does $1.6B in federal cash mean for the oil and gas sector?
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Who decides if you're dead?
"In the vast majority of circumstances, families and care providers in the intensive care unit are on the same page," says Dr. Brian Goldman on Taquisha McKitty's case. The 27-year old woman has been declared brain dead by five doctors, but is breathing with the assistance of a ventilator at the request of her family. Their fight to keep her alive is now before the Ontario Court of Appeal. Dr. Goldman, emergency physician and host of CBC Radio's White Coat Black Art, explains how the case sheds light on the complications of defining death.
Download Who decides if you're dead?
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Will Doug Ford's friend become Ontario's top cop?
CBC Queen's Park reporter Mike Crawley says there's been pushback against the recent appointment of Ron Taverner, a friend of Ontario premier Doug Ford, to take over the provincial police force. Many worry Taverner's appointment could hurt the OPP's independence from political influence.
Download Will Doug Ford's friend become Ontario's top cop?
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How Thunder Bay police fail Indigenous people
"When the agency that's supposed to protect you is also an agency that you fear, there is really little place for you to find shelter," says Jorge Barrera, a reporter with CBC's Indigenous Unit, in relation to a disturbing new report about the Thunder Bay Police Service. Ontario's police watchdog Gerry McNeilly says "systemic racism" exists at an institutional level inside the police force. And the consequences of this racism are so severe that he's recommending nine cases involving the deaths of Indigenous people be re-opened and re-investigated. Today on Front Burner, we look at how Thunder Bay Police failed Indigenous people.
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Will controversial "Border Security" show get a government reboot?
CBC reporter Catharine Tunney says the now-cancelled reality TV show starring Canada's Border Services Agency was controversial from the start. The show included footage of drug busts and interviews with undocumented immigrants. It was shut down in 2015, but is looking to come back.
Correction: No additional lights were used during airport scenes of Border Security and the program aired for three seasons, not four. This episode has been changed to reflect that.
Download Will controversial "Border Security" show get a government reboot?
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How the Huawei arrest is playing out in China
"The tone here is that this is an an innocent woman. So why would you treat her like a criminal? And the idea is, if you have handcuffed someone you have presumed their guilt," says Nathan VanderKlippe, the Globe and Mail's Asia correspondent. Tensions between Canada and China are high after the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and the subsequent detention of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig. Today on Front Burner, Nathan explains China's side of the diplomatic dispute and breaks down how this story is playing out in Beijing.
Download How the Huawei arrest is playing out in China
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Race, policing and a 'disturbing' pattern
"If a few white people were being killed at the rate that we are being killed...we wouldn't be having this conversation today," says Desmond Cole, in response to an Ontario Human Rights commission report on policing and race in Toronto. The report's findings include that a black person in Toronto is nearly 20 times more likely than a white person to be shot and killed by police. Cole is a writer and activist who focuses on race and policing.
Download Race, policing and a 'disturbing' pattern
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Taking the pulse of weed legalization
"This really is the beginning of a cultural shift," says Solomon Israel, cannabis reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Nearly two months into cannabis legalization he breaks down the complaints - from low quality to short supplies - and the positives - including the benefits that legal weed provides for medical research.
Download Taking the pulse of weed legalization
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Spying, industrial espionage and the arrest of Huawei's CFO
"It's incredibly hard to overstate the significance of this arrest." CBC's economics reporter Peter Armstrong breaks down why Canada's arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou for extradition to the U.S. is such a big deal.
Download Spying, industrial espionage and the arrest of Huawei's CFO
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Was banning 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' the right call?
"In the context of this song it seems weird to not engage a little bit with the words and the lyrics," says writer Stacy Lee Kong after broadcasters, including the CBC, pull the song 'Baby It's Cold Outside'. The song is being criticized for what some believe to be problematic lyrics, in the wake of the #MeToo movement. But is taking the holiday tune off the radio the right call? Alan Cross, a longtime music journalist also joins the discussion.
Download Was banning 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' the right call?
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Stopping the flow of Chinese fentanyl into Canada
"If we were doing something killing thousands of Chinese, we would hear from them loud and clear," says former Canadian ambassador to China, David Mulroney. He argues that Canada needs to pressure China to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl, and questions why PM Justin Trudeau didn't apply more diplomatic pressure at the G20 this week.
Download Stopping the flow of Chinese fentanyl into Canada
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The political cost of carbon taxes
As COP24 tries to set rules for how the world deals with environmental issues, we look at why the Canadian government has chosen carbon pricing as a key tool in addressing climate change. CBC reporter Nahlah Ayed gives us an overview of what's happening at COP24, and energy economist and Simon Fraser University professor Mark Jaccard explains why carbon pricing is a costly political move.
Download The political cost of carbon taxes
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After millions in gambling debts, questions remain for MP
On Nov. 22, Raj Grewal said he would resign from his seat as the Liberal MP for Brampton East for 'personal and medical reasons'. Since then, new information has come to light...including a gambling problem, and a RCMP investigation into Grewal's finances. On Friday, Raj Grewal posted a video that addressed many of these allegations, and how he may not be resigning after all. Toronto Star parliamentary reporter Alex Ballingall explains what we actually know about the case.
Download After millions in gambling debts, questions remain for MP
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Should we break up Facebook?
This week, lawmakers all over the world sat down to grill Facebook about privacy and fake news. Canada's reps were especially harsh on the tech giant and one MP posed a tough question: Is Facebook just way too big? Breaking up a major American company isn't common. But in the past - banks, telecom companies, and even an oil giant were broken up by the U.S. government. Could that happen with tech giants today? Tim Wu, professor at Columbia Law School and author of The Curse of Bigness, breaks it down.
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After seven months trapped inside an airport, a refugee calls Canada home
Hassan Al Kontar is now safe in Canada. But for seven long months, the Syrian refugee was stuck inside the transit area of Kuala Lumpur Airport, terrified of being deported back to Syria. Today, Hassan shares how he survived being stranded, the psychological toll of two months in detention in Malaysia, and how a group of Canadians changed this life by raising money to bring him to Whistler, B.C., as a privately-sponsored refugee.
Download After seven months trapped inside an airport, a refugee calls Canada home
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Is Canada ready for Russian election meddling?
There's a lot of evidence to suggest that social media accounts tied to the Kremlin tried to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, the Brexit vote, the last French election, and several elections across Europe. Turns out, they've been active in Canada too. Journalist Justin Ling tells us how Russian accounts have tried to spread misinformation and propaganda here, and how the Canadian government is responding, with the election one year away.
Download Is Canada ready for Russian election meddling?
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GM Oshawa closure casts new light on bailout
On Monday, General Motors announced it is pulling out of Oshawa, Ontario, where it employs more than 2,500 people. This comes years after a major Canadian bailout pulled GM back from the brink. The National's Jonathon Gatehouse breaks down corporate bailouts the Canadian auto sector has received and explains how that fits into Canada's broader relationship with buoying big business.
Download GM Oshawa closure casts new light on bailout
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What will it take to build Trans Mountain? What will it take to stop it?
Reconsideration hearings for the proposed expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline continue this week in B.C. This is the same pipeline that the federal government bought for $4.5-billion, only to have a Federal Court of Appeal delay construction because the review didn't consider oil tanker traffic, or consult enough with Indigenous groups. UBC professor Kathryn Harrison lays out what it might take to get the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion through, and what it could take to stop it.
Download What will it take to build Trans Mountain? What will it take to stop it?
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Will Canada act after Jamal Khashoggi's murder?
As the political fallout of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder becomes clearer, we look into Canada's response to Saudi Arabia with help from Canadian Press reporter Andy Blatchford.
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Explaining Drake and Pusha T's beef
On Tuesday, rapper Pusha T had a concert in Toronto interrupted by a brawl in the audience. Fans threw beer at him and tried to jump on stage. And now, a man is in life-threatening condition after being stabbed. Pusha T and Canadian rapper Drake have been in a public feud since last spring, and Pusha has accused Drake of paying members of the rowdy audience. Author and Drake biographer Dalton Higgins on how this beef developed.
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Why Did Canadian Diplomats Get 'Phantom Concussions' in Cuba?
Nausea, debilitating headaches, loss of balance. Those are just a few of the symptoms that a group of Canadian and American diplomats became ill with last year in Cuba, even though none of them were physically hurt. Now, Canadian diplomats afflicted by the "Havana Syndrome" are calling on the federal government to get to the bottom of the mystery. Globe and Mail columnist Doug Saunders explains.
Download Why Did Canadian Diplomats Get 'Phantom Concussions' in Cuba?
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Viola Desmond's unfinished work
The $10 Canadian bill honouring civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond goes into circulation this week. The bill is being celebrated by many across the country. But for some, including El Jones, this is also an opportunity to reflect on the racism that remains today in Viola Desmond's home province of Nova Scotia. El Jones is an advocate for black communities in Nova Scotia, and Halifax's former poet-laureate.
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McGill 'hazing' survivor reflects on St. Michael's sexual assault allegations
Police are investigating alleged assaults and sexual assaults at St. Michael's College School, including one reportedly involving members of the football team holding down another student and sexually assaulting him with a broom handle. D'Arcy McKeown was the victim of a similar 'hazing' incident at McGill University. He speaks out about his experience.
Download McGill 'hazing' survivor reflects on St. Michael's sexual assault allegations
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Brexit is a mess
Theresa May's Brexit plan is one step closer to reality. But members of the British Prime Minister's party are resigning and she could be removed from power. CBC London correspondent Nahlah Ayed explains how we got here and what it means for the future of the United Kingdom and the EU.
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Inside the hunt for alleged Mexican drug lord El Chapo
U.S. prosecutors say Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is a brutal cartel kingpin that ran the largest drug trafficking organization in the world. As his criminal trial begins in Brooklyn, former DEA agent Andrew Hogan explains how El Chapo managed to evade the law for so many years.
Download Inside the hunt for alleged Mexican drug lord El Chapo
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Will the NHL concussion settlement change anything?
In 2013 a group of hockey players launched a lawsuit against the NHL alleging that the league failed to protect players from head injuries or warn them of the risk of playing. A tentative settlement between the NHL and more than 300 players has now been reached. Will this make players safer? And will it help the future of the league? TSN senior correspondent Rick Westhead explains.
Download Will the NHL concussion settlement change anything?
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Stan Lee's legacy is as complicated as the Marvel Universe
The day after Stan Lee's death, we look at the comic book legend's impact on popular culture. And New York Magazine and Vulture staff writer Abraham Riesman explains why Stan Lee's legacy is just a complicated as the superhero stories he helped create.
Download Stan Lee's legacy is as complicated as the Marvel Universe
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Google, Alphabet and the fight over a controversial 'smart city' in Toronto
CBC technology reporter Matthew Braga explains Sidewalk Toronto's plan to create a futuristic neighbourhood on waterfront property in downtown Toronto and breaks down why some say the high-tech smart city is the solution to our urban woes... while others are concerned about the intentions of the Google-affiliated company.
Download Google, Alphabet and the fight over a controversial 'smart city' in Toronto
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Bridging the climate change divide
British author and carbon pricing expert, George Marshall, explains the psychology of climate change communication and describes the work he's done in Canada on this front - to bridge the political divides.
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MP Tony Clement's sexting and extortion scandal
Longtime MP Tony Clement has resigned as justice critic for the official opposition and is leaving the Conservative caucus after admitting that sharing sexually explicit images and video led to an extortion attempt. Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos delves into how a seasoned politician known for being an early social media adopter ended up at the centre of a sexting scandal.
Download MP Tony Clement's sexting and extortion scandal
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The U.S. midterm election explained
CBC Washington correspondent Keith Boag walks us through the United States midterm election results and what they mean.
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'We were unwanted cargo' How Canada turned away refugees during the Holocaust
Eva Wiener describes her voyage across the Atlantic and how she feels about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's upcoming apology for Canada having turned her ship back. Also, CBC Ottawa Senior Reporter Catherine Cullen describes the politics of the apology.
Download 'We were unwanted cargo' How Canada turned away refugees during the Holocaust
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Vancouver's complicated relationship with Chinese money
Bloomberg's Vancouver bureau chief Natalie Obiko Pearson helps us navigate the city's complicated relationship with Chinese money. That relationship has ties to the city's housing affordability crisis. Tackling affordability is job number one for Kennedy Stewart, who begins his work as Vancouver's mayor today.
Download Vancouver's complicated relationship with Chinese money
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Travelling with the migrant caravan
A caravan of about 4,000 migrants is heading north through Mexico. Their journey has become heavily politicized. CBC's senior correspondent Susan Ormiston describes what she's seen during her travels with the migrants.
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Who, in the world, wants to host the Winter Olympics?
Calgary city council nearly killed a bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. If a city wide vote cancels the bid, just two possible locations remain, Italy and Sweden. Those campaigns face opposition as well. Toronto Star sports columnist Bruce Arthur explains why.
Download Who, in the world, wants to host the Winter Olympics?
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How a B.C. man's healing journey ended in two murders
Sebastian Woodroffe's life unraveled after multiple trips to Peru to take the drug ayahuasca. What prompted his killing, and that of a Peruvian shaman? Mark Kelley from CBC's The Fifth Estate went to Peru to investigate.
Download How a B.C. man's healing journey ended in two murders
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'Alt-right' social network Gab's connection to an anti-Semitic massacre
Just minutes before one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in America's history, the alleged shooter posted a message to Gab, a social media network known for attracting white nationalists and the alt-right. So, what is Gab, and where does it fit in the big picture of online hate? Slate's tech reporter April Glaser explains.
Download 'Alt-right' social network Gab's connection to an anti-Semitic massacre
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How Canada helped save the White Helmets
After a harrowing escape, more than a hundred Syrian war zone first responders and their families are being resettled in Canada, as refugees.
Hear the CBC's Murray Brewster describe their journey and why they could still be in danger.
Download How Canada helped save the White Helmets
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PREVIEW: Carbon tax or shell game?
How exactly does Canada's new carbon tax work? CBC Parliamentary reporter J.P. Tasker breaks it down.
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Trailer
Coming October 29, Front Burner is a daily news podcast from CBC that explores the big stories of the day with curiosity and an open mind. Hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Jayme Poisson who takes you deep into the narratives shaping Canada and the world.
Download Trailer
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