What is Canadian content? And why does it matter? The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission has been hearing very different answers to that question — as they try to come up with new CanCon rules. Commotion's Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with storyteller Jesse Wente, policy expert Vass Bednar and showrunner Anthony Q Farrell about why getting CanCon right has never been more important.

Big laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts and entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.

More episodes of Commotion are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/L1GJWq

On Sunday, Ukraine launched Operation Spider’s Web, a surprise drone attack that went deep inside Russia, reaching as far as Siberia for the first time.

Ukraine says 117 drones were smuggled into Russia, hidden in the roofs of wooden sheds and later loaded onto the backs of trucks then launched remotely. The result was an enormous blow to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.

Cheaper than traditional weapons and commercially available, drones have become increasingly important to both sides of the Ukraine-Russia war and in conflicts around the world.

Josh Schwartz, an assistant professor of international relations at Carnegie Mellon University, joins the show to explain how they are transforming modern warfare.

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

The Liberals have tabled new legislation that would significantly expand law enforcement powers and tighten immigration of all kinds, including refugee claims, in a move to appease the Trump White House — but critics say it raises major concerns for Canadians' civil liberties.

Meanwhile, Mark Carney met with Canada's provincial and territorial premiers this week in his first ever first ministers' meeting, and the post-meeting vibes have been extremely positive. There seems to be a general agreement on the idea of building a new east-west pipeline — but almost nothing else about it is clear, including who would actually build it. How long will the honeymoon last?

The Toronto Star's Althia Raj and CBC Ottawa's Aaron Wherry are on the show to tackle this political doubleheader.

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

A little over five months ago, few outside of the New York City real estate scene knew who Steve Witkoff was. Now, as the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, he’s not only been tasked with trying to end the war in Gaza but he’s also at the centre of negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine and with Iran to secure a new nuclear deal.

To understand how one of President Donald Trump’s closest friends came to spearhead negotiations in some of the most complex foreign policy files of the last few years we talk to Isaac Stanley-Becker, staff writer at The Atlantic who recently wrote a profile on Steve Witkoff.

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

Since October 7, access to food in Gaza – and its systematic restriction by Israel – has been the subject of international condemnation.

The most recent incident is the killing of dozens of Palestinians attempting to obtain food from an aid distribution centre.

Israeli settlers have blocked roads, and aid delivery. Aid convoys and workers have also been targeted with violence. And as of March, Israel established a full scale blockade on aid into the Gaza strip. Today a trickle has been allowed into the territory.

International organizations have been warning of famine in Gaza for more than a year.

Alex de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, and author of ‘Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.’ He joins the show for a discussion about starvation crimes, why the weaponization of food during wartime continues, and how famine has proven difficult to prosecute in court.

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

Alex Shephard, senior editor at The New Republic, is on Front Burner to break down a few of the big developing news stories coming out of the Trump administration in recent weeks.

He talks to host Jayme Poisson about Elon Musk’s exit from the White House, U.S. President Trump’s war with Harvard, and where we are right now with the on again, off again tariffs as they get kicked around the courts.

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

The use of generative AI has become rampant on college and university campuses across North America. KPMG - who surveyed over 400 Canadian students about this in the fall — found that around 60 per cent use AI models like ChatGPT in their assignments.

James Walsh recently wrote a piece in New York Magazine called Everyone is Cheating Their Way Through College, where he spoke to dozens of students, professors, and administrators about the AI cheating surge, and how it’s ratcheting up a debate about the future of the higher education system in North America.

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

The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act – also known as Bill 5 – aims to fast track mining projects in Ontario and gives the government the power to create 'special economic zones' that would grant the government the power to exempt companies from still-unspecified laws.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has framed these measures as necessary to protect the province against the threat of Donald Trump's trade war. But the sweeping power it affords the government has Indigenous groups, the Civil Liberties Association and more sounding the alarm.

Mike Crawley is a senior reporter with CBC News covering Ontario and he's here to break down the bill, the controversy around it and whether 'cutting red tape' is really the answer to the economic threat posed by Donald Trump.

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