Front Burner

Twenty-two years ago, an aspiring actor named Johnny Knoxville teamed up with a group of filmmakers, misfits and daredevils from the underground skateboarding scene — including Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, and many more.

They dared each other to do a series of wild pranks and captured the whole thing on camera and the Jackass universe was born. Their meteoric rise to superstardom is the stuff of legend — and controversy. Now, two decades and many injuries later, they’re still at it. Even as the rest of the world has changed around it, Jackass has managed to stay relevant. Last week, the fourth and potentially final instalment hit theatres and quickly became the number one movie in North America.

Today on Front Burner, we talk to senior editor at Rolling Stone, David Fear, to bring you the story of Jackass — a tale of everlasting friendship and chaos.

After multiple delays, public hearings finally begin next week as part of the inquiry into the largest mass shooting in Canadian history. From 10 p.m. on April 18, 2020, well into the next day, a man disguised as a Mountie stalked across nearly 200 kilometres of rural Nova Scotia shooting neighbours, strangers, acquaintances and torching houses. He ultimately killed 22 people.

One survivor of the rampage was Lisa Banfield, the killer’s common-law spouse, who — along with her brother and brother-in-law — has since been criminally charged with supplying the shooter with ammunition. Now, the brother-in-law’s lawyer says the charge against his client is “an effort to distract attention away from the incompetence of the RCMP.”

Today, CBC Nova Scotia reporter Elizabeth McMillan is here to discuss those charges, which will soon be going to trial, and the looming inquiry, which some families are worried will continue to keep them in the dark.

Nearly two full years have passed since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Now, from the Coutts border-crossing blockade in Alberta, to the streets around Parliament Hill, it’s obvious that there are some people with very strong opinions out there about how the disease is being handled.

But beyond the noise of these chaotic protests, how exactly do Canadians feel about how we’ve weathered COVID-19? And how do they feel about the protests?

David Coletto is the CEO of the polling firm Abacus Data, which has been asking people across the country for their thoughts. He breaks down what the numbers tell us so far.

The margin of error for the data discussed in today’s episode is about 2.5 to 2.6 per cent.

Russian prodigy Kamila Valieva made figure skating history last week, becoming the first woman to land a solo quadruple jump at the Olympics.

In fact, Valieva landed two quadruple jumps as she led Russia to the women’s team gold.

But just two days later, the medal ceremony for the event was suddenly delayed — and we’ve since learned that Valieva tested positive for a banned heart medication in December.

The Court for Arbitration in Sport has now ruled Valieva can still compete in the women's individual event, but there will be no medal ceremony if she lands on the podium. Shortly before the ruling, we spoke to freelance journalist Gabby Paluch about how this case fits into a history of Russian doping, and about the story behind the notoriously tough coach that’s both making and breaking young stars like Valieva.

World news, local voices. Nothing is Foreign is a weekly trip to where the story is unfolding. Hosted by Tamara Khandaker. This episode takes you inside El Salvador to hear from locals to see how the promise of a cryptocurrency paradise by a self-professed 'world's coolest dictator' is running up against the reality of regular people just trying to survive. More episodes are available at: http://hyperurl.co/nothingisforeign

Canada’s trucker’s and the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests have inspired similar protests around the world, from France to New Zealand to Australia. But it’s especially drawing the adoration of Conservative commentators in the United States -- like Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. The ‘anti-mandate’ and ‘anti-lockdown’ movement has also become the obsession of the darker, more alt-right corners of the internet.

Today on Front Burner, a conversation with CBC’s Washington correspondent Alex Panetta on how the trucker protest is playing out in the U.S. media, and Jared Holt, a domestic extremism researcher at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, on how it’s manifesting in right-wing online spaces.

Minneapolis streets are once again filled with protesters demanding justice after the Feb. 2 police killing of a 22-year-old Black man. Amir Locke was fatally shot by police who were executing a no-knock search warrant unrelated to Locke.

Since the death of George Floyd in May 2020, Minneapolis has been at the forefront of the movement to radically reimagine policing and community safety. But after Locke’s death, many in the city are asking how much has really changed.

Today, Solomon Gustavo, a reporter for the MinnPost and a contributor to The Daily Beast, explains what we know about the killing of Amir Locke and where efforts to reform or disband the Minneapolis Police Department stand now.

For nearly two weeks, a core group of protesters has refused to leave Ottawa’s downtown core. Police estimate more than 400 trucks remain parked in the so-called “red zone.” Some businesses in the area have had to close their doors and some residents describe feeling intimidated. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly has called the situation “unprecedented.” The mayor, Jim Watson, has called the situation “out of control,” and said the protesters are “calling the shots.”

Today on Front Burner, CBC Ottawa reporter Judy Trinh talks about how police initially responded to the protest in the capital, how the response has changed and where things could go from here.

Just over a week ago, Conservative centrist Erin O’Toole was ousted after just 18 months as party leader. His sudden departure has triggered the third leadership race since Stephen Harper lost in 2015. This upheaval is in line with the party’s long-standing power struggles.

For decades, the Conservatives have fought among themselves for the soul of the party. Between populists and elites, town and country, east and west. Today on Front Burner, we’re talking to Macleans writer Paul Wells on the complicated push-pull of the modern Canadian Conservative movement and what’s next for the party.

Since Neil Young stepped away from Spotify over allegations that the platform was peddling COVID-19 misinformation, other artists have begun to speak up about their problems with the platform — problems that go right to the heart of the digital gig economy. Artists on the platform are paid fractions of a penny per stream. And during the pandemic, when touring is near impossible, many are fed up. We hear from Belly’s Gail Greenwood and Polaris Prize-winning artist Cadence Weapon about why there’s so much frustration with Spotify. Then Ben Sisario, music industry reporter for the New York Times, breaks down why artists are speaking up now — and what the alternatives are.