As It Happens

CBC News & Politics
CBC News & Politics
  • 4.5 (375)
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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. 3d ago

    Cornell prof says school’s reckoning is a long time coming

    A Cornell professor is leading a no-confidence vote against the university administration over what she says is a culture of inaction around sexual assault and harassment on campus, which she's experienced first hand. Months ago, anti-government protests in Albania started out peacefully, but lately, they’ve turned violent. One demonstrator tells us he still believes taking to the streets is the only way forward. With the vote on the Alberta separation question rapidly approaching, we hear from a volunteer who’s making a final push for Canadian unity — and encouraging federalists to get out and vote. Scientists discover that healthy corals possess the astounding power to heal their sick relatives, which could offer hope in the face of widespread bleaching events. After the publication of his first novel in 1940, Texan writer James Young Phillips was compared to F. Scott Fitzgerald. But before long, it became nearly impossible to track down a copy of his book. Until our guest got on the case. A family of barn owls has taken up residence in Manhattan’s Upper West Side — feeding on rats, and delighting local birders like our guest.  We'll remember the late elk known as Bruiser, who swam from the mainland in Seattle to a nearby island years ago, and never left. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that puts itself in someone elks's shoes.

  2. 3d ago

    A separatist’s view of Alberta’s referendum

    Ahead of Monday's vote, an Alberta separatist tells us part of him would be sad to leave Canada, but he still believes the province will be better off going it alone.  A reporter describes the horrific scene at a school in Peshawar, where dozens of children and a teacher were killed after the roof collapsed during the school day. Indigenous communities in Minnesota are bringing back cultural burning practices — and the man leading the project says it will help restore the landscape and fight wildfires. From post-Orban Hungary, a children's book author whose work had to be covered in foil to comply with anti-LGBTQ+ laws says she's feeling hopeful now that the country's new government has amended its so-called "child protection" act. Lansing, Michigan is on edge after a string of murders near a local river trail that police say could be the work of a serial killer. And the father of one victim tells us what he wants to see happen next.  Toronto's Citizen Lab says an Israeli company is hacking Al Jazeera journalists and others with online ads that don't even have to be clicked on to deploy spyware.   We speak to a photographer who's won big by snapping shots of something very small that plays a mighty role in the ecosystem ... slime.  A man in Finland has shattered the world record for drinking soda extremely fast. And his preparation methods will not shock you one bit. As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that's soda-lighted to see you.

  3. 4d ago

    Why an alleged pipeline saboteur is being accused of war crimes

    A Ukrainian national is on trial in Germany for blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which risks creating tension between the two normally-cozy allies.  New dress code rules in Azerbaijan effectively ban students and teachers from wearing the hijab at school in the name of secularism. The co-founder of the long-defunct "Spy" magazine celebrates 40 years since it was founded, by republishing old articles about one of its most frequent targets: the man who is now the President of the United States.  An Irish man loses his wedding band in an Italian river, then gets a text from three guys in Italy who haven't just found it; they want to go on a "Lord of the Rings"-inspired journey to deliver it to his home in Ireland.  Ottawa has quietly suspended a deal to buy 16 US-made Black Hawk helicopters, raising concerns that avoiding buying from America could mean sacrificing military strength.  A photographer describes how he managed to snap a rare shot of a newt laying its eggs – and why he believes the little salamander is the most charismatic creature in California.  The “Wiener Dog Capital of Texas” erects a 6-metre-long, 3-metre-tall wiener dog statue, to commemorate its cherished tradition of wiener dog racing.  As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that has a flair for the unortho-dachsund.

  4. 5d ago

    Witness to Six Flags death wants to set the record straight

    Rollercoasters are closed across the U.S. and Canada after a man is thrown to his death from a ride at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia. Our guest had just been on that coaster — and tells us what he saw from the ground.  Saudi Arabia strikes an oil facility in the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen in retaliation for multiple attacks on Riyadh's international airport. And an analyst tells us the tit-for-tat risks fuelling a wider conflict.  A linguistics professor has reviewed the questions Albertans will answer in next week's referendum and she says they're substantially above the average person's reading level.  Charges laid against the man accused of Prince Edward Island's only unsolved murder are dropped just weeks before the trial was set to begin — after police reveal key evidence has gone missing.  Hundreds of scientists sign onto a letter calling for an international authority that would set standards for the safe development of artificial intelligence. One of the authors tells us he thinks it's our best shot at keeping the machines at bay.  Researchers find that elephant carcasses boost the ecosystem in the area where they died for years afterwards.   NASA’s Perseverance rover breaks the record for the longest drive on another planet; a rover scientist shares the highlights of the trip so far.  New research suggests extreme monotony can make people extremely aggressive — a conclusion that's been a yawn time coming. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that keeps a close eye on the interest rates.

  5. 6d ago

    U.S. plan to buy Russian diesel, “a deal with the devil”

    U.S. president Donald Trump announces a plan to buy diesel from Russia and an "energy ceasefire," but it doesn’t take long for Ukraine’s president to accuse Russia of attacking six energy facilities across the country. We speak to an Alaskan woman who is reburying her aunt today, over a hundred years after she died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. As women across Canada face shortages of estrogen patches, the founder of a menopause support group says she is frustrated that more isn’t being done. Alan Turing fought the Nazis, and foresaw both the computer and the rise of artificial intelligence. But he probably didn't anticipate that he'd be the subject of an album from Pet Shop Boys. Our guest helped the band put two and two together. A gardener hauls his 1,700 pound pumpkin to an Ontario competition, but is disqualified after organisers discover the pumpkin has a soft spot. As it Happens, the Monday edition… Radio that is never afraid to get a little mushy.

  6. Oct 9

    A Fort Hood survivor reacts to livestreamed execution plans

    A retired U.S. Army Sergeant who was shot seven times in the Fort Hood Massacre says he has no problem with his shooter being executed, but he balks at the Pentagon's plans to livestream his death by firing squad.  Geely wants to become the first Chinese mass-market electric car brand to gain a foothold in Canada, which is creating anxiety for boosters of the domestic auto industry. A human rights lawyer says there's no one more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than her former mentor Navi Pillay — who has fearlessly sought accountability for war crimes from Rwanda to Gaza. A witness describes a horrific scene as U.S. immigration agents shoot and injure a driver in a car in New York City, in front of his five-year-old son who was in the back seat.  We'll hear about one of Dolly Parton's last recording sessions, which resulted in a new version of "Jolene" performed in the Welsh language.  We’ll talk to the hero waste-water worker who found a long-lost class ring while clearing a sewer clog and returned it to the finger of its grateful owner.  A new study suggests humans sleep soundly when sharing a bed with dogs, but that we may actually be disrupting their rest. As It Happens, the Friday Edition, Radio thought we were letting sleeping dogs lie.

  7. Oct 8

    Alleged torture victim applauds new charges against Maduro

    An American who says he was electrocuted and threatened with execution in a Venezuelan prison welcomes new torture charges against the country's deposed president, Nicolas Maduro.  The eviction of an 87-year-old woman drove people in Spain into the streets in protest, and our guest says the woman's death has only made them angrier.  Steelworkers in Hamilton, Ontario are starting to get their layoff notices from Stelco. A father of two tells us his future is somewhere between uncertain and disastrous.  One of his campaign slogans is "I Barely Want to Do This," but a reluctant city council candidate in Kelowna tells us just because he's using humour doesn't mean he's not a serious contender. Dozens are killed in Eastern Ukraine, when Russian bombs hit two city buses. Our guest says he didn't leave when the war started, and he's not leaving now.  The late computer programmer Margaret Hamilton was critical in getting a man on the moon — and her four-year-old daughter helped her foresee a pretty major design flaw.  Scientists have sequenced the genome of Jonathan, a 194-year-old tortoise, and hope to unlock the key to his longevity.  The University of Nebraska is selling off parts of its football stadium — including the vintage urinal troughs so many thousands have used over the decades.   As It Happens, the Thursday Edition, Radio that assures potential urinal buyers: everyone will gush over it.

  8. Oct 7

    The son of an Oct. 7 victim delivers a plea for peace

    On the anniversary of her murder, the son of Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver reflects on the lessons she left behind and tells us her memory should not be used to justify violence.  A psychiatrist reflects on the Carney government's decision to allow medical assistance in dying to people with conditions that will eventually leave them unable to ask for it, but to deny it to patients suffering solely from mental illness.  Stand-up comics are calling out a famous colleague for taking over a satellite radio channel — and then dropping hundreds of lesser-known acts from its airwaves.  There was a time when scientists seeking the world's heaviest insect heard nothing but crickets, but now our guest says New Zealand's giant Wētāpunga have rebounded in spectacular fashion. A McGill University researcher says he's found evidence of a pain gap between women and men. We find out who's hurting the most, and the answer may not surprise you.  A self-styled movie nerd says film historians are all wrong about the first talking picture. He blames a filing error for leaving an obscure Scottish feature to gather dust.  We hear from one of the rescuers of a B.C. teen who went on a hike with the assistance of Anthropic's AI chatbot — only to find himself clinging to a cliff called The Widowmaker. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that won't Claude your judgement.

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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.

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