Front Burner

How did Israel and Hamas reach a deal that led to a brief pause in fighting and the release of dozens of captives on both sides of the conflict? Julian Borger, a Washington-based world affairs editor with the Guardian takes us through the tense negotiations.

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.

On Tuesday, the federal government’s fall economic statement was overshadowed by this year’s deficit and Ottawa’s skyrocketing debt.

How did it get so bad? What does it mean for Canadians? And what’s the economic outlook in a climate of uncertainty?

Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and the Atkinson Fellow On The Future Of Workers, breaks it all down.

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.

Known as “Chainsaw Man”, “El Loco” and “The Wig”, Argentina’s new far-right president is a controversial economist that’s often compared to Donald Trump. And he’s promised to slash government, kill the central bank and ditch the national currency.

So, who is Javier Milei? How did the self-described libertarian manage to win? And what does his presidency mean for Argentina’s devastating economic crisis?

Buenos Aires-based freelance journalist Natalie Alcoba 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.

When ChatGPT was released last year, artificial intelligence was suddenly a reality in our everyday lives.

The company, OpenAI, and its CEO, Sam Altman, seemed to be on a meteoric rise.

So why was Sam Altman just fired by a board tasked with keeping AI in check?

Steven Levy, Editor at Large for Wired, joins us to talk about the chaos at OpenAI, and who controls the artificial intelligence that could change our world.

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.

Nearly 50 years ago Nur Chowdhury was at the centre of an assassination and coup that killed Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was convicted by a court in Bangladesh, but now he lives in a Toronto suburb. Mark Kelley, co-host of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, shares his investigation into why the Canadian government still hasn’t deported Chowdhury to face justice.

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.

Nathaniel Veltman has been found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, after violently hitting a Muslim family in London, Ontario, with a pick-up truck in 2021.

What is the reaction to the verdict from the family and community? And how has this trial tested Canada’s terrorism laws?

First we hear from Hina Islam, a member of the Afzaal family and a registered psychotherapist who has provided trauma support for members of London’s Muslim community. Later in the episode, CBC’s Kate Dubinski explains what led up to the verdict.

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.

Of all the young revolutionaries in Syria during the Arab Spring, Amina is different. An out lesbian in a country where homosexuality is illegal, she bravely documents her life on the blog Gay Girl in Damascus. Her candid posts attract readers from around the world, and soon she has a wide, ardent following. But then a post appears saying Amina has been abducted. Her fans mobilize, desperate to track down and save their fearless heroine. What they find shocks them. Journalist Samira Mohyeddin investigates what actually happened to the infamous Gay Girl in Damascus in this 6-part series. The result is a twisted yarn that spans the globe and challenges our thinking on love, politics and identity in cyberspace. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/Bm2uZHLZ

Snus in Sweden, Zyn all over TikTok and now, Zonnic in Canada. Nicotine pouches have been gaining profile, from Major League baseball dugouts to Joe Rogan’s podcast.

What are they? How are they different from vapes, dip and cigarettes? Are they a helpful tool for people looking to quit, or just hooking a new generation?

First, freelance journalist Ashwin Rodrigues takes us through the product’s rise in the U.S. and then CBC’s Marina von Stackelberg tells us why Zonnic, the brand being sold in Canada, is already controversial.

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.

Protests that began over a mining contract with a Canadian company have seized Panama for weeks, with key highways blocked, schools shut down, and a port choked with boats.

Why has the situation reignited a century of anger over North American interests? 

Freelance journalist Michael Fox has been covering the protests from Panama. The first season of his upcoming podcast, Under the Shadow, looks at the lingering impact of U.S. intervention in Central America.

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.