The Current

Amid public debate about whether athletes should be allowed to make political statements at Tokyo 2020, one Mohawk former Olympian says she would "100 per cent be protesting on the podium" were she competing at this year's Games.

Today on The Current: Indigenous leaders discuss accountability and healing amid discoveries of unmarked graves at former residential schools; protest and the podium at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; and Episode 4 of A Death in Cryptoland.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino says a plan is being finalized to bring Afghan interpreters and their families to Canada, however, he did not specify a time frame or the process for the evacuations.

All summer long, The Current is bringing you the best of CBC podcasts. Here's what we're playing on air, and where to find episodes online.

A primatologist who studied long-tailed macaque monkeys living in the wild says his latest study suggests the primates have developed "rudimentary economic decision-making" skills, such as bartering. 

Today on The Current: Canada facing pressure to help Afghan interpreters threatened by Taliban; Rachel Johnson on the personal and political dynamics of Brexit; the tricky monkeys that steal to barter for food; and Episode 3 of A Death in Cryptoland.

As the Taliban retakes swaths of Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of NATO troops, the father of a fallen Nova Scotia soldier says he fears the country’s security situation could become so bad that Canadian forces may have to return there one day.

A new map of the garbage humans have left in space shows the extent of the space junk problem, says Moriba Jah, an aerospace professor from The University of Texas at Austin — one that will take a dramatic shift in thinking about space to keep from getting worse.

Today on The Current: U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldens resurgent Taliban; why space junk could have damaging consequences; swim cap ban points to history of racism and discrimination in swimming; and Episode 2 of A Death in Cryptoland.

Cubans marched in the streets on the weekend over food shortages, high prices and their government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

While some people’s alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic, nearly as many Canadians said they’ve reduced their drinking. We speak with people who are practicing more mindful drinking, and examine what it means to be “sober curious.”

Today on The Current: Cubans take to the streets over food shortages and high prices; dispelling myths about fertility and COVID-19 vaccines; the long history of cheating in baseball; and Episode 1 of A Death in Cryptoland.

Today on The Current: Mitigating the spread of COVID-19 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; and how sober curious people are questioning their relationship with alcohol.

Hugging is making a comeback as vaccination rates rise across Canada and people reconnect with loved ones.

When science fiction writer Nalo Hopkinson was named Damon Knight Grand Master, she became both the first Black woman and the youngest recipient to win the award. She hopes the honour will encourage more marginalized voices in the science fiction and fantasy communities to be respected.

Today on The Current: Efforts to reach unvaccinated communities ramping up; weaning kids away from screens; and Nalo Hopkinson on the "joyful" responsibility of being a leading Black voice in sci-fi writing.

Grabbing a mask on the way out the door has become a daily routine for many Canadians, but it's no longer mandatory in some provinces. While experts agree things are looking up, the delta variant has some worried that now isn't the time to de-mask.

Often referred to as Newfoundland’s favourite son, Harry Hibbs was a star musician known for bringing the province’s traditional music to the mainland. More than 30 years after his death, a St. John’s woman and Harry’s family are working to bring the musician’s accordion home to Bell Island, N.L.

Today on The Current: Mysterious firing at high-security lab points to larger issues, say former colleagues; fully vaccinated Canadians embrace the chance to hug again; assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse; and bringing Harry Hibbs’s accordion home to Newfoundland.

While Mary Simon's appointment as the first Indigenous governor general of Canada is "a mark of hope," it also raises questions about the Liberals' motivation for the decision, says an Anishinaabe writer and academic.

Today on The Current: Concern as some provinces start to relax mask mandates; Mary Simon will be Canada's first Indigenous governor general; how to prevent deaths in future heat waves; and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard on how to tackle gender bias and sexism in leadership.