Front Burner CBC News & Politics

Tent encampments have been around in Canada for a long time. But since the pandemic, the number of camps have grown drastically as Canadians struggle with soaring housing prices and homeless shelters often operating at full capacity.

Meanwhile, cities have gotten more aggressive in removing these camps — claiming they’re lawless, unhealthy environments. So how did the city of Vancouver end up with a fully legal tent community in CRAB Park? 

Sarah Berman, an investigative journalist based in Vancouver, explains what the story of CRAB Park reveals about Canada’s war over encampments and the effects of cutting off these makeshift communities.

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It’s no secret the Liberal Party is Canada is unpopular. Poll after poll shows the Liberals between 15 to 20 points behind the Conservatives, led by a surging Pierre Poilievre.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t faring any better, hitting record low approval ratings after nearly ten years in power. Is it time to replace him? And if so, who can take over the sinking ship?

David Herle, a partner at Rubicon Strategy and chief campaign strategist for the Liberals under Paul Martin, joins us to answer those questions and gives us his thoughts on the politicians whose names are floating around to take over the party.

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Four years ago, George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death sparked a massive movement in the U.S. and around the world as protestors passionately rallied against police violence and systemic racism. Not only that, but companies and politicians promised to enact change.

But since that reckoning, has progress really been made? Or is there now a cultural backlash that’s cutting down progress? Washington Post journalist Tolu Olurunnipa, who wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning book on Floyd’s life, joins us to talk about Floyd’s legacy.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced the province will pay at least $225 million to get beer and wine into corner stores over a year ahead of schedule. But why does the province need to pay at all, and why has Ford spent so much time and energy on this issue over his six years in power?

Our Ontario provincial affairs reporter Mike Crawley joins us to explain the massive payment, Ford’s political history with alcohol sales and how the new announcement may tie into rumours that an early election is on the horizon.

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A New York jury has found former U.S. president Donald Trump guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to conceal payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

This makes Trump the first American president to be found guilty of a felony.

Just six months out from election day, voters are left with an unprecedented scenario in which a convicted felon could become the next President of the United States.

Perry Stein is a justice reporter for the Washington Post, where she is also the co-author of the Trump Trials newsletter. She's here to talk about the conviction and what comes next for Trump and America. 

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Earlier this week, an Israeli airstrike that set off a huge blaze in a tent camp in Rafah killed dozens of Palestinians and prompted outrage around the world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a “tragic mistake,” and promised a thorough investigation.

His words echoed previous pledges of investigations and accountability, after past incidents involving the Israel Defense Forces that caused similar global outrage. 

But when Israel investigates itself, what happens? Who is held to account, and what kinds of changes are implemented?

Today we’re speaking to Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, about the results of previous Israeli investigations, and whether he believes they are sufficient.

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