The back-to-school season is in full swing this week across Canada. But this year, especially in a province like Ontario where in-class learning is completely optional, returning to school looks very different depending on your income and background.

While on one end of the income spectrum, some parents are investing in “learning pods,” on the other, many are keeping their kids home to study online because high COVID-19 rates in their neighbourhoods leave them with few other options.

Today on Front Burner, Globe and Mail reporters Dakshana Bascaramurty and Caroline Alphonso on those disparities, and what they might mean for the public education system more widely.

Race, income inequality, and back-to-school in Canada

Your essential daily news podcast. We take you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Hosted by Jayme Poisson. Every morning, Monday to Friday. 
 Visit https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner for show descriptions, links, and transcripts. 
 Subscribe&nbsp;to Sounds Good: CBC's Podcasts newsletter&nbsp;for the&nbsp;finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives.&nbsp;

News

When Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre visited a convoy camp on the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia last week, he was filmed in front of a “F--k Trudeau” flag. 
 It was another moment of visibility for a slogan that’s encroached on the mainstream, appearing on bumper stickers and flags scattered across the country. 
 So when did this visible hate for the Prime Minister start? What’s the relationship between extremist groups and mainstream anger? And is there any way for Justin Trudeau – or his opposition – to heal the divisions? 
 Journalist Justin Ling has spent many hours listening to groups who profess hatred for Trudeau. He’s the author of Bug-Eyed and Shameless on Substack, and he recently spoke to the Prime Minister about these divisions.

‘F--k Trudeau,’ from fringe to mainstream

 On April 17th, pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment on the lawn of Columbia University in New York, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and for their administration to divest from ties to Israel. The next day, their university’s president called on the NYPD to clear the encampment. They arrested more than 100 students. That event caused an eruption of solidarity encampments, protests, and faculty walk-outs at colleges and universities across the U.S.  
 Now, the encampments and solidarity protests have spread even further — including at McGill University in Montreal, and universities in Europe and Australia. 
 Today, we’re going to talk about why students in multiple countries feel compelled to face arrest or suspension for this movement — and why others feel the protests are creating a dangerous climate that is fueling antisemitism. 
 Our guest is Arielle Angel, editor-in-chief of the magazine Jewish Currents.

The growing wave of campus protests

The controversial reality TV show known as ‘Kid Nation’, which borrowed its premise from Lord of the Flies, was cancelled shortly after its 2007 debut. Producers took 40 kids into a makeshift desert town to fend for themselves and create their own society. Was the series an opportunity to discover what kids are capable of? Or simply a ploy for ratings? With access to former ‘Kid Nation’ contestants, their families, and the show’s creators, culture journalist Josh Gwynn uncovers how this cult TV show became a lightning rod for an ongoing debate about the ethics of reality TV. Welcome to Split Screen, an examination of the utterly captivating, sometimes unsettling world of entertainment and pop culture. From reality TV gone awry, to the cult of celebrity, each season of Split Screen takes listeners on an evocative journey inside the world of showbiz. Ex-contestants, producers, and cultural critics uncover complicated truths behind TV’s carefully curated facades, and question what our entertainment reveals about us. Split Screen: sometimes reality is twisted. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/-vGm-quA

Weekend Listen: Split Screen: Kid Nation

Earlier this month, the Ontario legislature banned the keffiyeh, a checkered black and white scarf long worn by Palestinians and often seen at pro-Palestinian protests. 
 The ban was brought in because of a longstanding policy against clothing items that make overt political statements. But that decision has ignited a massive debate. 
 So, is the keffiyeh a political statement? Is it traditional regalia? Is it both?  
 Today, we unpack those questions with Vox correspondent Abdallah Fayyad. 
 He recently wrote a piece called "How the keffiyeh became a symbol of the Palestinian cause."

The keffiyeh’s history of culture and conflict

Donald Trump's first of four criminal trials is underway in New York, where he is accused of improperly disclosing money supposedly paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to cover up an alleged affair. It's the first time a former U.S. president has been tried criminally. 
 Washington Post court reporter Shayna Jacobs has been covering the trial. She walks us through what the court has heard in the opening week, what to expect as the prosecution builds its case, and how the defense plans to counter it.

Race, income inequality, and back-to-school in Canada

Download our free app to listen on your phone