The Current

As Joe Biden takes the helm as president of the United States on Wednesday, some Americans are hopeful the new administration will steer the country's COVID-19 response in a new and more unified direction.

Today on The Current: Joe Biden is sworn in as president of a divided United States, and a divided party; Michael Eric Dyson on the country’s reckoning with race; and can a new team in the White House get the COVID-19 pandemic under control?

A Russian opposition politician and pro-democracy advocate is urging Canada and other Western nations to impose sanctions on Russia after an outspoken Kremlin critic was detained upon his return to Moscow over the weekend.

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: Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny returns to a Moscow jail cell; coping with loneliness in the pandemic; and Nalo Hopkinson on the "joyful" responsibility of being a leading Black voice in sci-fi writing.

Calls are mounting for the B.C. government to impose an inter-provincial travel ban, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Cara Zwibel, a lawyer and director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, says the courts must weigh whether such a restriction is “reasonable and justified.”

It's perhaps one of the more unusual trends to emerge from TikTok, the video-sharing app popular largely among teenagers and young adults, but a sudden interest in sea shanties has taken the internet by storm.

Today on The Current: Triage protocols outline who gets care if COVID-19 overwhelms hospitals; a coal mine proposal divides Alberta communities; the B.C. government is considering restricting non-essential travel from other provinces; and sea shanties have a moment on TikTok.

Former FBI director James Comey says U.S. president-elect Joe Biden should consider carefully the "collateral consequences" of pursuing criminal investigations against U.S. President Donald Trump once he leaves office or risk having Trump dominate his own presidency.

Today on The Current: Biden should consider pardoning Trump once he leaves office, says ex-FBI director James Comey; Finding ways to cope in pandemic winter; Canadians building backyard ice rinks.

Today on The Current: Can COVID-19 stay-at-home orders work without paid sick days?; Restaurants pivot during pandemic and look to the future; Journalist Lesley Stahl on covering the Trump era; Terrorism expert on U.S. Capitol attack

Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin has offered a state apology to the survivors of mother and baby homes, where unwed women were forcefully separated from their children. We discussed the trauma of these institutions with survivor Anne Harris and Colm O'Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International in Ireland.

Longtime Conservative strategist Ken Boessenkool says he's often tolerated "casual Trumpism" in his political and personal life, but no more. He wants his party to address populism and voter anger with policy that solves the problems motivating it.

Today on The Current: Historian Jill Lepore on whether the U.S. needs a post-Trump truth and reconciliation commission; Conservative strategist Ken Boessenkool on rooting ‘casual Trumpism’ out of Canadian politics; Survivors of Irish mother and baby homes receive state apology; Pandemic gives Toronto woman push to launch her dream business

The federal government is considering a terrorist designation for the far-right Proud Boys group. Matt Galloway discusses what the designation would mean and the work of deradicalization with two experts in extremism.

New NHL season kicks off Wednesday, but teams have already faced problems and delays related to coronavirus concerns.

Today on The Current: Proud Boys, terrorist designations, and the work of deradicalization; Gavi CEO Seth Berkley on getting vaccines to poorer countries; Are we moving fast enough to protect residents in Canada’s long-term care homes; NHL season kicks off tomorrow as pandemic rages on

In his podcast 99% Invisible, Roman Mars tells the fascinating backstories of everyday things that we may not give a second thought, from barbed wire to a plaque on a bench. He's spun that out into his book The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design.

A researcher who is archiving images and video from the attack on the U.S. Capitol says the work of identifying those involved must be "conducted very thoroughly, very slowly."

Today on The Current: Doctors weigh in on how to get COVID-19 under control in Canada; Identifying U.S. Capitol rioters, and whether Trump could be removed from office in his final days; 99% Invisible’s Roman Mars on the benefits of slowing down and looking around