Front Burner

Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers in a blockbuster deal last week that, for many, marked the end of the team’s 2019 championship era.

So, what direction are the Raptors headed in? And how are fans feeling about saying goodbye to one of the most beloved players in franchise history?

Freelance NBA writer and author of “Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors”, Alex Wong, explains.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Less than a year and a half after a mass stabbing devastated James Smith Cree Nation and surrounding communities in Saskatchewan, a coroner’s inquest began last week into how Myles Sanderson killed 11 people and hurt 17 others.

What happened in the days prior to the attacks?

What do police analysts say the motive could have been?

What supports do community members need now?

Jason Warick is a reporter with CBC Saskatoon.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The prairies are just emerging from a record-breaking cold snap, with multiple days of temperatures well below -30. But that didn't stop the City of Edmonton from proceeding with its plan to dismantle eight homeless camps across the city.

CBC Edmonton's Wallis Snowdon explains why the city is so keen to remove the camps, in a city where more than 300 people died in connection to homelessness in the last year alone.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The trial of Richard Mantha, 59, is set to begin this week in Calgary. Mantha is charged with more than two dozen counts related to seven women, including drugging, kidnapping, and sexually assaulting his alleged victims.

In this episode, CBC Calgary reporter Meghan Grant walks us through the troubling case, and the allegations levelled against Mantha by women working in the sex trade.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

After mounting political pressure, last weekend Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged that the number of non-permanent residents in Canada is putting a strain on housing. As Canada brings in a historic number of temporary residents and population growth sets records, some of the country’s top bank economists and even the Bank of Canada say that the federal government’s immigration policy is significantly affecting housing affordability.

So how did we get here? What is Canada’s immigration policy? Would a cap on non-permanent residents help alleviate the housing crisis – or could it hurt the economy as some critics say? 

Canadian Press economics reporter Nojoud Al Mallees explains. 

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

For over a week, Ecuador has been in a state of emergency. Armed gang members have set cars on fire, taken people hostage, and attacked staff at a major TV station during a live broadcast.

These acts of violence came after the disappearance of a notorious gang leader with ties to the illegal drug trade.

Today, freelance journalist Carolina Loza León, based in Manta, Ecuador, on what’s been happening on the ground, the gangs at the heart of escalating violence, and whether the government’s approach is likely to quell the chaos.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

In hearings at the International Court of Justice last week, South Africa accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.

A potential final ruling at the court could take years, but within weeks, judges could order Israel to stop its military operations

So what's behind South Africa’s argument? Why is Israel saying the case should be dismissed? And in a court without a mechanism to enforce orders, why would a ruling really matter?

Canadian academic William Schabas, a professor of international law at Middlesex University recognized with the Order of Canada as a foremost authority on genocide, explains.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

For more than three decades, Wayne LaPierre has led the National Rifle Association — turning gun policy into a deeply partisan political issue. But now, facing a civil trial on corruption allegations, he's announced his resignation. With membership and revenue dropping, could this be the end of the NRA?

New York Times investigative reporter Danny Hakim explains the rise of one of America's most influential lobby groups — and how, even if this is the end, the NRA's biggest battles may have already been won.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Thirty-three churches have burned to the ground across Canada, since the discovery of possible unmarked children's graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in May, 2021. In most cases, officials have blamed arsonists.

CBC’s Terry Reith details his investigation into the pattern of arson, and how it’s tied to Canada’s dark residential school history.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

While Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has been campaigning across the country, gaining momentum in the polls, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s message of positivity and progress is failing to connect.

After eight years in power, is the long-time Liberal leader in dire need of a new story? What political narrative could captivate Canadians in 2024? And what story is Poilievre betting on?

CBC’s Aaron Wherry explains.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.