The Current

The Current for Sept. 21, 2020

Today on The Current: The legacies of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Canada's 17th prime minister, John Turner; the UN calls for aid as the pandemic worsens conditions in conflict zones; and Yaa Gyasi on her new book Transcendent Kingdom.
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Today on The Current:

We discuss the legacies of two towering political figures: Canada's 17th prime minister, John Turner, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, both of whom died over the weekend. Canada's first female chief justice, Beverley McLachlin, discusses Ginsburg's influence, and we hear from her colleague, lawyer and legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks about what her passing means politically. Then, veteran broadcasters Peter Mansbridge and Don Newman reflect on Turner's life, legacy, and what it was like to cover his political career.

Plus, with the pandemic in its seventh month, conditions in the world's worst conflict zones are getting worse. UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock discusses the need for wealthy countries to step up and help with foreign aid.

And Yaa Gyasi — author of Homegoing — talks about her new, and very different, book Transcendent Kingdom, a story about faith, science, addiction, depression, and family.

Full Episode Transcript