The Current from CBC Radio (Highlights)

From critics questioning Canada's commitment to refugees, to Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau on his draw to Donald Trump, to a loneliness epidemic for seniors... This is The Current.

New research suggests that the experience of loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking or obesity. With as many as 1.4 elderly Canadians reporting feeling lonely some are calling this a public health crisis that needs to be addressed.

Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau began including Donald Trump in his comic strip 30 years ago. His early portrayals turned out to be prophetic on the political front. After sketching Trump for decades, Trudeau shares some of his YUGE! opinions.

As Canada announces an increase in aid for the resettlement of Syrian refugees, millions in charitable donations from Canadian sponsorship groups remains frozen — leaving families stuck in refugee camps and caught in the system.

From obtained torture documents involving RCMP and CSIS working with Syrian and Egyptian interrogators, to how an orca changed the world view of whales in captivity, to the Trudeau family's unique relationship with China... This is The Current.

Canada may have a unique relationship with the Trudeau family. But the Trudeaus have a unique relationship with China. In Chairman Mao's day, China was a special place for the former prime minister. In the 21st century, Alexandre Trudeau feels its pull.Al

Under great political and public pressure to identify potential terrorist suspects, RCMP emails newly obtained by CBC News indicate Canada's national police force knew what was in store for three Canadians who were tortured in Syria.

At one time the orca — or killer whale — was seen as a terrifying monster. But then a wounded orca named Moby Doll ended up in Vancouver and in no time at all once —frightened Vancouverites fell in love. Meet the disruptor who paved the way for Shamu.

This week Monsanto agreed to be taken over by the pharmaceutical company, Bayer at a price of $66 billion. There's a chance genetically altered seeds may still be sold but without the brand name, could this move change the conversation on all things GMO?

From the Monsanto-Bayer take over potentially changing the discussions on GMOs, to the disappearance of Deborah Campbell's fixer in Damascus, to the legal challenges people in polyamorous relationships face... This is The Current with Piya Chattopadhyay.

As unconventional, multi-person partnerships become more mainstream in Canadian society, The Current gets a first-hand look into legal challenges polyamorous families face such as getting benefits, doing taxes and filling out government forms.

Journalist Deborah Campbell tells remarkable stories in her book, A Disappearance in Damascus. It's the story of her fixer, the trusted emissary relied on by foreign correspondents to get the story. But in the case of Ahlam, she became the story herself.

Advocates are calling for a mandatory public registry for sperm donors and offspring. They say there are important legal and public health benefits to tracking sperm donation. Currently, the only privately-run registry relies on voluntary information.

This month, HMS Terror — one of the ships from the Franklin expedition — was found in an Arctic Bay. While many history buffs are excited by the news, it raises questions of sovereignty for Inuit people who want input over the division of the artifacts.

From whether Canada should use airships to transport food to the North, to the discovery of HMS Terror — one of the ships from the Franklin expedition, to the Liberals' aim to balance expanding pipelines while reducing emissions... This is The Current.