The Current

The CBC has learned that the federal government has quietly put a pause on buying more American-made Black Hawk helicopters. That decision is getting mixed reviews as some analysts say it's the right call while others believe the Black Hawk is best suited for Canada's air force. We speak with the CBC's Murray Brewster and with University of Ottawa professor Peter Jones.

Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for the second time, he's been criticized for eroding democracy and the rule of law. Now, political scientist Lucan Way, argues that the United States has definitively crossed the line into a system of what he calls competitive authoritarianism. Lucan Way, a Distinguished Professor of Democracy in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, explains what that looks like, and whether it can be reversed.

While we focus on success or fulfillment as the path to happiness, author Ian Bogost thinks we are overlooking a whole category of life experiences — delightful, small moments of sensory gratification — that can make our lives better. In his new book, The Small Stuff, Bogost says modern life, including our work life, has disconnected us from the physical world, but we'd all feel better if we found a way to rediscover that connection.

Times and time zones in Canada are changing. November 1st much of the country will remain in daylight savings for the first time not turning their clocks back for the winter months. Joseph De Koninck is Emeritus Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa on what that means for our health and why the optimal calculation of time is impossible to achieve in Canada.

U.S. President Donald Trump says a deal with Russia will see 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel released to the global markets this month, in an effort to lower prices for Americans. Simon Shuster, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of “The Showman,” describes how the deal is shaping the dynamics of the conflict.