Front Burner

Even before a game has been played, this year’s World Cup has been the source of controversy. Officials and staff from countries like Iraq, Iran and Somalia have been refused entry or face lengthy interrogation by immigration officials at American airports.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been widely criticized for his proximity to U.S. President Donald Trump after presenting Trump with a ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ award and sitting in the front row at Trump’s inauguration.

For nearly 100 years, leaders across the world have used soccer, and the World Cup specifically, as a tool of power and politics.

David Goldblatt is a journalist, sociologist, professor, and the author of bestselling books such as ‘The Ball is round: A Global History of Soccer.’ He joins the program to discuss the World Cup’s political history, the failed promise of this year's tournament, and how soccer became “our great public and political theatre.”

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

As Alberta hurtles towards a referendum on whether or not to hold a separation referendum, we wanted to take a look at how the campaigns on both sides are shaping up.

Who are the players? Are they cohesive? Organized? Charismatic?

Jason Markusoff, who covers Alberta politics for CBC, is here to walk us through it.

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

For decades, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known as AIPAC, has been one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in Washington.

It has helped shape U.S. policy toward Israel, cultivated relationships with lawmakers from both parties, and more recently spent millions of dollars helping elect candidates it supports and defeat those it doesn't.

But after the war in Gaza, Israel's conflicts with Iran and Lebanon, and a dramatic shift in public opinion among many Democrats, AIPAC's influence is facing new scrutiny. Candidates are increasingly being asked whether they'll accept its support, some are actively distancing themselves from the organization.

Today on Front Burner, Alex Shephard of The New Republic explains how AIPAC became one of the most powerful forces in American politics, and why, for the first time, its political influence is facing meaningful resistance.

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

Following the critically acclaimed series Hunting Warhead, Season 2: Hunting the Suicide Salesman follows host Daemon Fairless as he takes us inside another dark corner of the internet: the online world helping people take their own lives. When people around the world started killing themselves with an obscure substance a few years ago, police were unaware that something – someone – was tying many of these deaths together.

It took grieving families and investigative journalists to piece together what was actually happening and to trace the source of the substance – first, to an online suicide forum and then, to a salesman in Canada: Kenneth Law. Police believe he sent more than 1200 shipments to 41 countries… and may be connected to more than 145 deaths around the world.

More episodes of Hunting the Suicide Salesman are available wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/HTSSxFB

Canada has released its long-awaited national artificial intelligence strategy. It comes as a significant portion of the country feels uneasy about what impact the technology will have.

Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, speaks with Jayme Poisson about AI safety and the potential for job losses.