The Current

The Current for April 7, 2021

Today on The Current: Hunter Biden explores tragedy and addiction in his memoir Beautiful Things; rethinking vaccine rollout to reach the people who need it most; what goes into decisions around school closures; and sugar shack meals-to-go initiative aims to stave off bankruptcy for struggling Quebec businesses.
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Full Episode Transcript

Today on The Current:

Matt Galloway talks to Hunter Biden about his new book, Beautiful Things, about his experience of tragedy and trauma from a young age, the addiction issues that followed — and how it all played into his father's fight to become president of the United States.

Plus, as the third wave rises in Canada, are vaccines reaching the people who need them most, now? We talk to Nadia Theodore, senior vice-president of global government and industry relations for Maple Leaf Foods, about calls to vaccinate essential factory workers on site. And we discuss ways to improve the overall vaccine rollout with Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease physician at  St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, Ont., and Dr. Srinivas Murthy, a critical care specialist and the Health Research Foundation of Innovative Medicines Canada's chair in pandemic preparedness research.

Then, schools in some cities in Quebec and Ontario won't have in-person classes until at least mid-April. What goes into deciding if schools are open during a third wave? We ask Ashleigh Tuite, an infectious disease epidemiologist and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. 

And the pandemic has put a stop to trips to the sugar shack in Quebec this spring. But one initiative, Ma cabane à la maison, is allowing customers to order ready-made meals and enjoy them in the comfort — and safety — of their own homes.