As It Happens

CBC News & Politics
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News that’s not afraid of fun. Meet people at the centre of the day’s most hard-hitting, hilarious and heartbreaking stories — powerful leaders, proud eccentrics and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. And plenty of puns too. Hosted by Nil Köksal and Chris Howden, find out why As It Happens is one of Canada’s longest-running and most beloved shows. (Ahem, we literally helped make the beaver a national symbol.) New episodes Monday to Friday by 7:30 pm E.T.

  1. 9 HR AGO

    New Governor General a ‘hero’ to her former law clerk

    Canada's next Governor General will be former Supreme Court justice and war crimes prosecutor Louise Arbour. One of her former clerks tells us this appointment is the perfect choice for Canada.  The City of Amsterdam bans ads for fossil fuel products and meat in city-owned public spaces — and our guest says it's necessary in the fight for a better future.  The Montreal Canadiens have made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — and the owner of a local pub tells us his customers are hoping the Habs can buffalo the Buffalo Sabres. An animal disease expert tells us what's next for passengers on a nightmare cruise in which three people have died after an outbreak of hantavirus — a disease typically contracted from rodents. The winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing tells us why he felt compelled to share the traumatic story of surviving last year's flash flooding in Texas that killed dozens — including his young nephew.  Running for coverage. A new private member's bill is hoping to secure better cell coverage for rural communities. The Quebec MP behind it says it’s not just a matter of convenience, but of public safety.  Coming unglued. Elmer the kitten falls into a bucket of paste, but is spared a gluesome end.  An abrupt change of heart. A CPR instructor was demonstrating the symptoms of a heart attack for his students when he began having the symptoms of an actual heart attack. Luckily, he survived to tell us what happened next. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that makes a good first compression.

    1hr 6min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Why so many Americans are calling New Brunswick’s archivist

    Ottawa's new law restoring citizenship to so called "Lost Canadians" — is prompting a flood of calls from Americans looking to get proof of their Canadian citizenship.  Canada announces new military funding for Ukraine — and one analyst tells us the cash infusion is timely, given Russia's faltering campaign.  Researchers say that, by the turn of the next century, New Orleans will be a vulnerable island in the Gulf of Mexico — so now is the time to relocate the entire city.  Palestinian-Canadian artist Samar Hejazi is the designer behind the two hundred very shiny mannequin heads on display at tonight's Met Gala exhibit. She'll reflect on what they'll reflect.  The competitors were trembling with excitement before Saturday's thrilling Chihuahua races in Calgary. And most of them trembled afterwards too, for whatever reason.  At last, scientists believe they've figured out why male mayflies consistently perform a bizarre dance in the air —which sometimes lands them inside your mouth.  As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that knows sometimes a bug puts itself in your ear.

    1hr 3min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    Special Episode: "My Father and Qaddafi"

    When Jihan Kikhia was six, her father went to Cairo for a human rights conference. He never came back. Jihan and her mother sit down with Nil Köksal in the "As It Happens" studio for a conversation about her new documentary: "My Father and Qaddafi." It follows her search for answers about how her father became an official in Muammar Qaddafi's government, then a leader of the democratic opposition movement and, ultimately, a target.

    28 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Special Episode: "Saigon Story"

    Nil Köksal speaks with director Kim Nguyen about his new documentary "Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom." In it, he pulls back the curtain on one of the most famous images from the Vietnam War: Saigon Execution. The film explores how the act of violence captured in that picture, and its aftermath, have rippled through generations, and tells the stories of those who've had to live with its impact.

    24 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    Is this a new vision for climate action?

    In the midst of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, France's envoy for climate explains how his country's timely plan to ditch oil, coal and gas completely is going to work. Researchers at McGill University have no problem with the federal government protecting young people against online harms -- they just want young people to have a say in writing those laws.  Our guest shares his anxiety about an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could lead to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitians, including him and his family. A shelter in Fredericton, New Brunswick once welcomed everyone. Now it's shut down. We'll find out where the people who relied on it will be sleeping tonight.  We'll pay tribute to the late Mattel toy designer Roger Sweet -- who created a toy that muscled its way into the hearts and rec rooms of millions: the super-buff superhero He-Man. A filmmaker is forced to check his Oscar, after airport security claims it could be used as a weapon. And then the airline promptly loses it.  As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that supposes they were worried it could become a mile-high club.

    43 min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider on mission to stop opioid deaths

    Three million Albertans discover the personal info they entrusted to provincial elections officials has wound up in the hands of a separatist group and Calgary professor Tom Keenan says that’s a betrayal.  In honour of his late brother, Toronto Blue Jays star Davis Schneider partners with the makers of Narcan — the nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. The head of the UN’s humanitarian agency Tom Fletcher says governments would rather spend on war than aid — even when there’s more than enough money to help millions of people in need.    Canada's Public Sector Integrity Commissioner tells us her office is worn down by a flood of complaints — and it needs more than a trickle of new funding.  Jonathan Wilkinson will go from being a North Vancouver MP to Canada’s new Ambassador to the EU. He gives us the diplomatic answer to a big question: should Canada join?  A veteran war correspondent tells us that, nowadays, a press flak jacket puts a target on a journalist's back — and she's calling for independent investigations into the killings of reporters in war zones. Visitors flock to a San Francisco pier to see a local celebrity who's really throwing his weight around: the stout, unflappable, one-tonne sea lion known as "Chonkers."  As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that hopes the docks don't succumb to his pier pressure.

    1hr 5min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    He’s taking on OpenAI for the Tumbler Ridge families

    The families of the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge are suing OpenAI for not alerting authorities to the shooter's troubling use of its chatbot. Their lawyer tells us, unlike CEO Sam Altman, he's met with the families -- and they're prepared for a fight.  Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is vowing to ban AI chatbots and social media for anyone under the age of sixteen. He'll tell us how he's planning to make his proposal work IRL.  A Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist is finally free after being held in a labour camp in Belarus. A colleague tells us what it was like to lay eyes on his friend for the first time in years.  After discovering a touching letter to a grand-daughter left in a book, a Washington D.C. woman goes to great lengths to track down the recipient she knew only as "Jackie." A farmer tells us she definitely knew her ewe Teemu was pregnant -- but she had no idea just how pregnant... A surprising study reveals that urban birds react differently to different genders -- and, for some reason, are noticeably more frightened of women. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that serves up the surly bird special.

    43 min

  8. 28 APR

    Conservative Finance Critic Jasraj Hallan

    The Liberal government is painting a rosy picture of Canada's financial situation — but we'll ask the Conservative finance critic for his assessment of the spring economic statement.  There's a lot of talk about petitions and referendums on the subject of Alberta separating from Canada — but a new poll of Albertans suggests that actual support for the idea remains tepid.  A winner in this year’s World Press Photo Contest tells us about her work documenting labour abuses in Saudi Arabia — including a mother and her daughter who was forced to live for years without legally existing. A colleague remembers American diplomat Lionel Rosenblatt — who led an unsanctioned trip to Vietnam in the last days of the war, to get hundreds of Vietnamese civilians safely out.  A Winnipeg woman was mid-chat with friends not far from her house when she suddenly found herself armpit-deep underground. She'll share the hole story. A group of customers sue Trader Joe's after a discovery that made them angry and sleepy: they learned the store had sold them half-caf coffee without divulging that it was half-caf. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that figures you can stir that coffee — but it won't stir you.

    1hr 5min
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Hosts & Guests

About

News that’s not afraid of fun. Meet people at the centre of the day’s most hard-hitting, hilarious and heartbreaking stories — powerful leaders, proud eccentrics and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. And plenty of puns too. Hosted by Nil Köksal and Chris Howden, find out why As It Happens is one of Canada’s longest-running and most beloved shows. (Ahem, we literally helped make the beaver a national symbol.) New episodes Monday to Friday by 7:30 pm E.T.

Information

  • Channel
    CBC News & Politics
  • Creator
    CBC
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © CBC 2026
  • Show Website
    As It Happens
  • Provider

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