Front Burner

The city of Melbourne, Australia, is currently under some of the world's strictest pandemic lockdown measures. Residents have to be home by 8 p.m., and anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 can expect frequent, unannounced visits by police to ensure they're staying home.

Today, on Front Burner, we speak to Melissa Davey, Australian bureau chief for The Guardian, to find out how a country — one that had so quickly flattened the curve early on in the pandemic — is now in the grips of a second wave of COVID-19.

As provinces loosen COVID-19 restrictions, more restaurants are opening back up, in some capacity, all across Canada. Today, we hear from two restaurateurs about what the shutdown meant for their own businesses and how they think the pandemic will change the way we dine-out for years to come.

Robert Belcham is the chef and owner of Vancouver’s Campagnolo, Monarch Burger and Popina Canteen. He’s also the president of The Chefs’ Table Society of B.C. and host of the ‘Mise-En-Place’ podcast.

Samira Mohyeddin is the co-owner of Banu, an Iranian eatery and commissary in Toronto. She’s also an associate producer at the CBC Radio show The Current.

The explosion near Beirut’s port on Tuesday killed 135 people and injured thousands more, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Officials say 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was the cause. According to public records, the chemicals were held at the port for six years, despite warnings about the danger they posed.

Today on Front Burner, we get a first-hand account of the explosion and aftermath from Hanna Anbar of Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper, and discuss the challenge of rebuilding in a country already deep in economic crisis.

U.S. President Donald Trump put TikTok on the clock this week.

On Monday, Trump said that if Microsoft, or another U.S. company doesn’t take control of the Chinese-owned TikTok by Sept. 15 - he’ll shut down the hugely popular social media app in the U.S.

Trump’s administration has expressed concerns about China’s influence and potential to demand data collected from the app - concerns that have also weighed on the diverse communities who use it. Today on Front Burner, MIT Technology Review senior editor Abby Ohlheiser tells us how TikTok users are grappling with the newest threats to their platform, and what’s at stake for them.

Since the start of the pandemic, homeless encampments have multiplied in parks across Canada. City officials are worried about safety and sanitation, and as a result, many have tried to dismantle such camps, with varying degrees of success. That's because some residents are fighting for their right to stay.

Today on Front Burner, you'll meet residents of one encampment in Toronto. And, Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and global director of the housing advocacy organization The Shift, talks to host Josh Bloch about the complexities of dealing with encampments, and why she thinks there's an opportunity now to make lasting change to Canada's housing crisis.

In September, schools across the country will reopen — many for the first time since the pandemic shut them down months ago. And while provinces have released their plans to keep students and teachers safe, parents are still struggling with whether to send their children to class.

Today on Front Burner, Emily Oster, an economics professor at Brown University and author of parenting books like Cribsheet and Expecting Better breaks down what the data says about the risks of opening up schools.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief of staff Katie Telford appeared before the House finance committee to answer questions about the government's decision to select WE Charity to run the federal government's $900-million student volunteer program. Earlier this week, WE co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger also appeared before the same committee.

The choice to select WE Charity for the program is also being investigated by the federal ethics watchdog because of Trudeau's ties to the organization.

Today on Front Burner, CBC Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos breaks down the prime minister's testimony, and brings us up to speed on the WE Charity controversy.

On April 18-19, a gunman went on a shooting rampage across central Nova Scotia, killing 22 people. Since then, families of the victims have been pushing for a public inquiry. That's because there are still questions about the RCMP's response to the shooting.

After initially opting for a review into the tragedy, which drew much criticism, provincial and federal governments have now committed to a joint public inquiry. This comes in the same week as the release of some previously redacted court documents that could reveal more about the case.

Today on Front Burner, CBC Nova Scotia's Brett Ruskin on these recent developments.

There are daily COVID-19 tests, no fans and no going home.

For the 24 NHL teams in Toronto and Edmonton, however, the prize for spending two months in a “bubble” could be the Stanley Cup.

Last night, the NHL played its first exhibition games since pausing the season in March. It also showed fans how the sport will be different in the league’s hub cities. Today on Front Burner, The Athletic senior writer Dan Robson tells us about what’s changed, what life is like in these hub cities, and whether the playoffs are actually safe from COVID-19.

For more than 60 nights, protesters have gone out on the streets of Portland, Ore. to fight anti-Black racism and police violence. It seemed like things were calming down, but then U.S. President Donald Trump sent federal agents into the city.

Today on Front Burner, we're joined by Tuck Woodstock, an independent journalist who has spent the majority of the last two months out at the protests. They tell us what it looks like on the ground, and how the violence has escalated since federal agents arrived.