- The repo man of the seas
Tuesday, July 1st 2025
The Outlaw Ocean is an anthology podcast that plunges you into the vast and often lawless world of the open seas. Today we're featuring an investigation from S2 called The repo man of the seas.
In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina joins Max Hardberger. Depending on who you ask, Max is either a seagoing James Bond or a swashbuckling pirate. Hardberger runs a rare kind of repo service, extracting huge ships from foreign ports. His company is a last resort for ship owners whose vessels have been seized, often by bad actors, and over the years he’s built a reputation for taking the kinds of jobs others turn down. Hardberger’s specialty is infiltrating hostile territory and taking control of ships in whatever way he can – usually through subterfuge and stealth. Whatever part of the world his missions take him, Hardberger thrives in its grey areas.
More episodes of The Outlaw Ocean are available here: https://link.mgln.ai/oo-FB
- Encore: ex-Raptors President Masai Ujiri
Monday, June 30th 2025
After a transformative 13 years, it was announced that the Toronto Raptors and longtime President Masai Ujiri would be parting ways. Across his time with the Raptors Ujiri became a figure central to Canadian and international sport — capping his time with the Raptors’ lone NBA championship in 2019.
The years since then have been slower and gave way to a team in purgatory, as well as executive level disagreements about Ujiri’s place in the Raptors hierarchy.
We sat down with Masai Ujiri in 2021 for a conversation about his career to that point. About revolutionizing basketball in Toronto, life after a history-making NBA title, his African roots, and his bid to internationalize the game of basketball.
- Canada’s energy minister on pipelines, Bill C-5 controversy
Friday, June 27th 2025
Canada’s energy and natural resources minister Tim Hodgson is in charge of an extremely important file for the federal government.
That’s because Prime Minister Carney campaigned on getting big energy and resources projects done, boosting Canada’s economy and extracting us from our close relationship with the U.S.
The stakes are pretty high for Minister Hodgson, who is new to politics but has extensive experience in the private sector, including time as CEO of Goldman Sachs Canada. He was also an adviser to Mark Carney during his time as governor of Bank of Canada.
He talks to host Jayme Poisson about the controversial piece of legislation, Bill C-5, that would allow the government to fast track projects, but also exempt them from environmental laws and with some exceptions, acts of Parliament.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
- The unanswered questions of the Iran strike
Thursday, June 26th 2025
On Tuesday, Donald Trump angrily swore about his frustrations with Israel and Iran after both countries exchanged missile fire just before the ceasefire Trump helped negotiate.
So far, the fragile ceasefire has held. However as more information comes out about the extent of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear facilities and their plans to continue their nuclear program, will it last? Will the U.S. be able to engage in diplomacy with Iran after joining Israel’s bombing campaign? And after Trump publicly chastised Israel, what does it tell us about the U.S.’s relationship with Israel right now?
Our returning guest is Gregg Carlstrom, longtime Middle East correspondent with The Economist and author of the book “How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat From Within”.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
- Bubble trouble: Do protest bylaws silence dissent?
Wednesday, June 25th 2025
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has just launched a constitutional challenge against legislation in the city of Vaughan known as a “bubble zone” bylaw. It restricts protest within 100 metres of a place of worship, school, daycare, hospital or care facility. Advocates say that in a time of rising extremism and hate crimes, the bylaws are necessary to protect vulnerable groups’ access to these spaces.
Toronto and the nearby town of Oakville also passed bubble zone bylaws last month, and several other Ontario municipalities, including Ottawa, are considering similar legislation of their own.
But the CCLA argues the bylaws are unnecessary and infringe on free expression rights, while other critics have argued they’re being used to silence dissent — in particular pro-Palestinian protest.
Today, producer Allie Jaynes looks at the surprising history of bubble zones, the cases for and against them, and whether they’re being used to chill peaceful protest.
This episode references another Front Burner episode, from May 2024, on protests outside a synagogue in Vaughan, Ontario. You can find that episode here: Apple / Spotify
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
