The Current

Today on The Current: Conflicting recommendations around AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and over-65s; Dr. Alika Lafontaine becomes first Indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association; and Ontario is proposing a redesign of how young people age out of the care system.

Loss of smell and taste have become well-known symptoms of COVID-19. But for chefs and other people working in the food industry, losing those senses can be especially devastating — both personally, and professionally.

There is growing interest in the use of psychedelics to assist treatments for mental health conditions, but one expert warns that more robust research is needed.

Today on The Current: André Picard on why we need a philosophical change in elder care; chefs and food writers dealing with loss of taste and smell from COVID-19; what a report into journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder means for other Saudi dissidents; and the housing crisis in Eabametoong First Nation.

British author Kazuo Ishiguro says the world may be on the brink of a new era similar to the industrial revolution, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence. He explores that theme, and what it means to be human, in his newest book, Klara and the Sun.

Today on The Current: Canada moves into next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations; author Kazuo Ishiguro on artificial intelligence and facing a new age; Siri Agrell on reconnecting post-COVID, without our screens; and lawyer says Biden reopening Trump facility to house migrant children a "huge betrayal."

In 2018, around 3,000 people in Sudbury experienced some form of homelessness, or were at risk of becoming homeless. As the pandemic amplifies the challenges that people without shelter face, advocates say the solution lies in bolstering the city’s stock of affordable housing.

Today on The Current: UN special rapporteur Agnès Callamard on Iran’s shooting down of Flight PS752; listeners embracing letter-writing and slow correspondence in the pandemic; and protests swell in Myanmar despite threat of force.

Today on The Current: Canada’s Road Ahead: Helping the homeless in Sudbury, Ont.; using psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, to treat anxiety; and The Fifth Estate's investigation into missing millions in one of the largest frauds in Canadian history.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says no firm details or commitment to secure freedom for two Canadians detained in China were discussed at Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden.

An Ontario woman who survived human sex trafficking, and now helps others who have been affected, says new provincial legislation aimed at tackling the issue shows promise.

Today on The Current: Marc Garneau on China and Trudeau’s first bilateral meeting with Biden; we look at a ketamine-assisted therapy study; and British author Eley Williams explores the power of fake words.

When the pandemic struck last March and stopped Brian Barnes from visiting his wife Joanne in her locked-down care home, he turned to paper and pen to stay in touch.

When a shipping company from the United Arab Emirates hit financial trouble in 2017 and abandoned its oil tanker off the coast of Dubai, it left a small crew still aboard, stranded at sea without pay or a way home.

Today on The Current: Ontario pushes to curb human sex trafficking; letter-writing offers connection in the pandemic; MPs vote to label China's persecution of Uighurs a genocide; and psychedelic therapy: a breakthrough tool in treating mental illness?

Canadian nursing schools are seeing a surge in interest amid the pandemic, but experts warn it may not be enough to alleviate the shortage of people working in the profession.

A Labrador woman who lost both of her parents in a murder-suicide when she was a child says more must be done to tackle the root causes of domestic violence in northern and Inuit communities. Warning: this story contains information about domestic violence that readers may find upsetting.

Today on The Current: The pandemic is inspiring more people to become nurses; concerns over human challenge trial that infects volunteers with COVID-19; a spike in ships abandoned at sea during the pandemic; and why a 60-year-old high school grad says you're "never too old to learn."

On a former industrial site in Kitchener, Ont., there are approximately two dozen brightly coloured cabins. At less than 100 square feet each, they are so small they don’t require a building permit. But for people facing homelessness, the small homes offer crucial features: privacy, a door to lock and a safe place to keep their belongings.

Facebook is drawing condemnation around the world for restricting news content in Australia, after the country announced plans to force tech giants to pay media companies for their work. Terry Flew, a communications professor in Sydney, Australia, and Dwayne Winseck, a journalism professor at Carleton University, explain why the case is a cautionary lesson for Canada.

Today on The Current: What Facebook’s spat with Australia means for Canada; advocates applaud funding for Inuit women impacted by violence; our national affairs panel on China, guns, and the pandemic; and health columnist Andre Picard gives a COVID-19 update.

The COVID-19 crisis has kept many of us away from family and friends. But in Stanstead, Que., that divide is even more acute, because the U.S-Canada border — closed tight during this pandemic — runs right through the town. On the latest stop in our Canada’s Road Ahead series, we hear how that border closure is impacting the community, and how residents came together for a rare long-term care success story.