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The Current for August 3, 2020
High school grads prepare for higher education amid pandemic, Unlocking Bryson's Brain - "The Mystery Disease"
Migrant worker says he was fired from Ontario farm, faced deportation after voicing COVID-19 fears
A migrant worker says he was unfairly fired from Scotlynn Farms in southwestern Ontario and threatened with deportation after speaking out about the conditions on the farm following the death of his bunkmate from COVID-19.
Q&A
Australia's wildfires killed or displaced more than 3 billion animals, report says
Nearly three billion koalas, kangaroos and other native species are estimated to have been killed or displaced during Australia's devastating wildfires. The University of Sydney's Chris Dickman explains the findings of a new study on the loss of biodiversity.
Polio vaccine set off wave of relief, and a wave of resistance. COVID-19 era may be similar, says Jill Lepore
The New Yorker's Jill Lepore takes a look back at how the polio vaccine saved lives and changed the course of history, and how resistance to it may be repeated in the era of COVID-19.
The Current for July 31, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau grilled over WE Charity scandal, Migrant worker fired, facing deportation after voicing COVID-19 fears, Migrant workers need more protections, lawyer says, 3 billion animals killed, displaced during Australian wildfires
Q&A
Face mask or shield? It's all down to personal preference, health expert says
As provinces and municipalities continue to re-open and enforce mandatory face coverings, questions are being over which type is the best at curbing the spread of COVID-19 — a face mask or shield.
How music pulled Richard Antoine White out of homelessness to tuba stardom
Richard Antoine White, the first African American to earn a doctorate in music for tuba performance, recounts what it was like to grow up black and homeless in Baltimore as the son of an alcoholic mother — and how, through music, that childhood did not come to define the rest of his life.
The Current for July 30, 2020
U.S. lawmakers grill the Big Tech CEOs, Local spikes of COVID-19 more likely than “second wave,” Are face shields an alternative to masks?, From homelessness to elite classical tuba player
Education experts call for outdoor classes to increase student safety amid COVID-19 pandemic
As politicians and school boards grapple with the challenge of how to safely reopen schools in the fall, some education experts are suggesting a simple solution — hold class outside.
Let kids' car seats into secondhand market to help poorer families, urges author
What happens to all your stuff after you drop it off to a Goodwill store? In his new book, journalist Adam Minter takes a deep dive into the global secondhand economy, and argues prolonging the useful life of our products will help the environment.
The Current for July 29, 2020
WE co-founders testify before House finance committee, How WE controversy will affect entire charity sector, Holding class outdoors amid pandemic, A journey through the secondhand economy
WE Charity worker says organization sacrificed ethical integrity to serve as vessel for 'corporate interests'
A WE Charity worker says he and his team were encouraged to prioritize the interests of corporations whose operations did not fit into the organization’s ethical structure over that of its charitable work.
The Current for July 28, 2020
WE Charity prioritised "corporate interests" over ethical integrity, worker says, Zero-waste movement should not take a back seat during the COVID-19 pandemic, Card games and socialising could be key in ageing gracefully
Q&A
COVID-19 pandemic should not interrupt efforts to curb plastic waste, advocacy group says
The zero-waste movement should not take a back seat during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Environmental Defence. Ashley Wallis, plastics program manager for the environmental advocacy group, says the pandemic has increased people's reliance on single-use plastics, but it doesn't have to be that way.
The Current for July 27, 2020
How Donald Trump's upbringing shaped his "dangerous leadership" style, Vancouver starts to lift care-home restrictions, MLB players take a knee with Black Live Matter protests, making a difference for Downtown Eastside's Indigenous people
'Unstable and easily manipulated:' U.S. president's upbringing shaped his leadership, says niece Mary Trump
The niece of U.S. President Donald Trump describes her uncle as being “incompetent and in a position he is incapable of holding” and that inability to perform his job properly is endangering the country’s political stability.
After four months, visit with 92-year-old dad in B.C. care home leaves son 'overjoyed'
For four months, since the beginning of the pandemic, Wayne Moriarty could only visit his father from a distance. His father, Paul, is 92 and lives in a long-term care home in Vancouver. Visits have been restricted to Moriarty yelling from the sidewalk at his father's upstairs window.
Gen X women are facing a mid-life crisis. This author says we're not taking it seriously
A few years ago, worries about her career and the future kept Ada Calhoun awake at night, and she wondered if other women were sleepless too. Her new book looks at the mid-life crisis facing Gen X women, and asks why it isn’t taken seriously.
The Current for July 24, 2020
Today on The Current: Independent review into Nova Scotia shootings, COVID-19 spikes in Canada, Mural celebrates boxing champion George Dixon, Ada Calhoun on the mid-life crisis facing Gen X women
Can Germany regain its reputation as a climate change leader?
Climate change activists and policy makers are keeping a close eye on Germany to see if the country that once led the way on the transition to renewable energy can regain its reputation as a climate change leader.
German coal mine expansion threatens to displace villagers, even as country charts green energy future
A dozen or so historic villages in Germany are about to be swallowed up by open-pit coal mines in the coming years. Meanwhile, a neighbourhood in the city of Freiburg has forged its own reputation as a leader in energy conservation, solar power and green building standards.
After her son died of an overdose, this woman wants to fight opioid crisis with urgency of COVID-19
Kathleen Radu, who lost her son Morgan Goodridge to an overdose last month, wants officials to apply the urgency of the COVID-19 response to tackling the opioid crisis, which claimed 728 lives in first half of 2020.
The Current for July 23, 2020
Today on The Current: COVID-19 spikes and fresh lockdowns around the world, The revolutionary work of Sesame Street, The Power Struggle: How one German town tackled climate change
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