As It Happens

As the world wonders what role the United States will play in global politics, the leaders of China, Russia and India gather to present a united front -- and a potential photo-op of the future. Late last night, an earthquake hit Afghanistan, killing hundreds and injuring thousands. An aid worker tells us about the moment the quake struck -- and about the devastation it's caused to families in the mountains, near the epicentre. A rare, lefty snail found in New Zealand needs another rare, lefty snail to reproduce. Ned's owner tells us about the nation-wide campaign to find one...before it's too late. Facing abominable approval ratings, Peru's Congress takes drastic action to turn things around -- by creating an adorable mascot named "Congresito". As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that doesn't usually support a puppet government.

The federal government has made it clear it wants to make Canada a natural-resources superpower -- and who better to explain how they plan to do that -- than Canada's Minister of Natural Resources. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis just quit his job as the CDC's vaccine chief -- but he says his work fighting misinformation in the US is only getting started. 20 years ago, a Mississippi woman lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Two weeks ago she met a stranger who found a small piece of her former life -- and it was a life-changing moment for both of them. After thousands of performances, Broadway legend Tshidi Manye is leaving the role of Rafiki -- the mandrill in question -- in "The Lion King". She tells us how she felt the love every night. After nearly 40 years, the Family Channel is going dark -- breaking the hearts of the Canadian former kids who grew up watching it. Ashley Leggat -- who played Casey on "Life with Derek" -- tells us what life without the channel means. Here comes Peter Quantum-tail. To defeat an invasive army of pythons, Florida has deployed a high-tech squad of solar-powered robot rabbits -- which look and smell like the real thing. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that's worried they're breeding like robots.

Overnight, Russian missiles battered the city -- and all our guest could do was cower in a hallway and hope that none of them would hit her apartment building. The director of the American Public Health Association tells us chaos at the Centres for Disease Control spells trouble for health professionals – and for the well-being of everyone in the country. The late Joe Hickerson was a folk singer/songwriter but his greatest contributions to the genre happened behind the signs, in the archives of the Library of Congress. The back-to-school season will look different for some students in Manitoba – as wildfire evacuees prepare to start the year in classrooms far from home. Felix Perry was on everyone's nice list -- for bringing a big beard and a bigger heart to his role as a mall Santa to kids in Nova Scotia. A Winnipeg hill built on a garbage dump has become a beloved local landmark -- and thanks to a newly-repaired sign, it’s been forever immortalized as “Garbage Hill.” As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that welcomes a little trash talk.

While the Israeli military prepares to conquer famine-stricken Gaza City, Donald Trump and friends prepare for a post-war Gaza. But a former Middle East negotiator tells us he has no confidence their plans will come to fruition. A survivor of the 2016 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida says the state's move to erase rainbow crosswalks really highlights the governor's true colours. After dramatic cuts to their funding, the future of public radio in the U.S. is precarious -- and in some communities, the loss of a station would be devastating. Canadian small business owners face the end of duty-free shipping to the U.S. -- which means they're facing some tough decisions. The port authority in London is finally tackling what might be its most daunting, disgusting task yet: removing a giant agglomeration of stuff that wound up in the River Thames after people flushed it -- known as "wet wipe island." As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that hates to end things on a sewer note.

Prime Minister Mark Carney wraps up his visit to Berlin and a former German politician tells us that, now more than ever, it's crucial for Canada and Germany to be bosom diplomatic buddies. Tens of thousands of anguished fans sign a petition to save the uniquely Québecois version of "The Simpsons". The actor who voices the lead character says this hits close to Homer. As wildfire threats grow across Canada, so do calls for a new national agency and aerial firefighting service. We hear from an NDP MP who's pushing for both. A longtime friend remembers Ron Turcotte, the Canadian jockey who expertly rode to fame on one of the greatest horses in racing history: Secretariat. You can’t spell “pool” without the first three letters. But no one wants that stuff in an actual pool -- which is why a Finnish city is so troubled by the emergence of a serial pool pooper. Tired of fish being viewed as lesser vertebrates, a scientist explores their hidden emotional depths -- and finds they don't only feel fear or stress, but pleasure, as well. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that knows gills just want to have fun.

Several journalists are among the dead after Israeli air strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis; that means nearly 200 media workers have now been killed since the war in Gaza began. A Canadian-Ukrainian dual citizen living in Kyiv shares his reaction after Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a surprise trip to Ukraine. DC students went back to school today, as armed National Guard troops patrol the city. One parent tells us what she's doing to keep her kids safe in the newly militarized environment. A California Democratic state senator tells us why her party is responding to Republican re-districting tactics first by decrying them -- and then by matching them. It's been a year since the satirical publication The Onion returned to print -- and it's been a lot easier, and a lot more successful, than anyone imagined. A South Korean fraudster might still be ripping people off, if he hadn't attracted police attention by throwing a cigarette butt away in the wrong place. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that warns: you can bust your butt, only for your butt to get you busted.

If you’re looking for a deep dive on what’s happening in Canadian politics, As It Happens is recommending The House. Catherine Cullen and CBC’s best political journalists cut through the noise and make politics make sense. In this episode: Pierre Poilievre is returning to the House of Commons after winning an Alberta byelection this week — and he’s already laid out his priorities for the fall, including tackling crime, increasing affordability and making Canada self-reliant. But despite these goals, the Conservative Party of Canada has lost the last four federal elections — and some party insiders worry it may be difficult to ever win again. Political reporter Kate McKenna covers the Conservative Party for CBC News, and in this special episode of The House, she hears from party insiders who offer their frank analysis of how to move forward if they want to return to government. Featuring the voices of: · Melissa Lantsman, deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada · Jason Kenney, former Alberta premier and former Conservative cabinet minister · Sean Speer, editor-at-large for The Hub and former adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper · Ben Woodfinden, former director of communications for Pierre Poilievre · Rob Batherson, former president of the Conservative Party of Canada · Dimitri Soudas, former director of communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper · Daniel Allain, former New Brunswick Progressive Conservative MLA · Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute · Rob Russo, Canada correspondent for The Economist · Shannon Proudfoot, feature writer for the Globe and Mail Listen to episodes of The House wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.mgln.ai/j94G1k

Prime Minister Mark Carney drops a lot of Canada's counter-tariffs on American products -- leading to questions about what direction, exactly, his elbows are pointing. A Toronto psychologist has developed an app he says can help people experiencing hallucinations determine whether what they're hearing is real, or imaginary. Remembering activist Richard Lee, who died last month after a life spent taking huge risks to make a point most people now take for granted: that cannabis should be legal. A rapper in Philadelphia looked in the mirror, saw a receding hairline and reacted in the usual way: he organized what he hopes will be an annual Bald Fest at a local skate park. A retired British physician dove into dinosaur fossil research for fun -- and ended up discovering a whole new species that had a giant sail coming out of its back. And...on the lookout -- or lack thereof. Former passengers sue United and Delta airlines for boldly stretching the definition of "window seat" to mean "a seat without a window". As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that guesses their travel experience was relatively pane-less.

We reach a reporter in one of the refugee camps that's preparing to receive thousands of people who no longer have anywhere else to go. An advisor to embattled New York City mayor Eric Adams pressed an open bag of sour cream and onion chips on a reporter -- who tells us that, inside that bag, she was stunned to find something a lot spicier than she expected. Entire continents are in bad shape. But the African Union wants to change that -- by replacing the distorted Mercator projection maps with ones that provide a better perspective on our planet. A bus crash kills dozens of Afghan nationals who were expelled from Iran -- just a few of the thousands forced to face an uncertain future in a country they may not recognize. When a hike in B.C.'s beautiful Bugaboo Provincial Park goes sideways, our guest ends up on a helicopter, plucking some sixty cornered climbers out of harm's way. A psychiatrist describes the independent-minded people he has named "otroverts" -- a group that simply refuses to belong to a group. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that's heard -- but not part of the herd.

As part of a peace deal, Vladimir Putin wants the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. But that would mean ceding a key line of defence -- and making Ukraine vulnerable to another Russian invasion. A Canadian Labour Congress leader says it's time to throw out the labour-code rule that the Liberals have leaned on to end strikes -- at the expense of workers' rights. Canadian soldiers are allegedly caught on video at a party giving Nazi salutes -- which suggests the military still has an extremely concerning problem with extremism. Archaeologists unearth new artifacts at the homestead of John Ware -- a formerly enslaved man who became Canada's most famous cowboy. Chocolate scientists continue their life-changing work, uncovering what gives the confection its flavour -- and unlocking the stunning possibility of chocolate that could taste even better. A history-making discovery in oral hygiene could see a new product on shelves in just a few years: toothpaste made out of hair. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that hopes they've performed a thorough tress rehearsal.

We'll hear about the dramatic rescue of a climber who was rappelling in a California canyon, but wound up trapped behind a powerful waterfall. A Newfoundland man is waiting for a call, to find out if his family home has been destroyed by wildfire -- and supporting his neighbours, who've already received bad news. She's back home after fleeing to delay a Republican redistricting move -- but now a Texas Democrat is living under police surveillance, and has been compelled to promise not to leave the state. MSNBC is becoming MS NOW, but the team responsible for the re-brand is getting reprimanded -- because they didn't dot their i's, cross their t's, or reserve their URLs. Putting the "diver" in "biodiversity". Australia holds a vote to determine the country's most underrated animal -- and the tale of the swimming rodent that won is a real underdog story. Well, under-rat story. And...mobile apse. A historic church in Sweden is being relocated -- very very slowly -- from its original location to a new home. A local official tells us the journey is challenging -- both technically and emotionally.

Damien Kurek won big in April, but stepped aside to clear the way for his party leader, who didn't. Now, as residents of Battle River-Crowfoot vote again, he tells us how it looks for Pierre Poilievre from where he's no longer sitting. An eight-year-old Toronto boy was at home in bed when he was killed by a stray bullet. A family friend tells us it's a wake-up call about gun violence in the city. Zelenskyy was met with a warmer reception on his return trip to the White House today. The head of the Ukrainian Canadian Council weighs in on whether peace seems any closer. We'll talk to one of the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who took to the streets yesterday to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war in Gaza, and bring Israeli hostages home. The late stuntman Ronnie Rondell didn't just make a paycheck when he posed for the cover of a Pink Floyd album engulfed in flames -- he made rock history. A hiker who's fed up with a proliferation of stone stacks known as "cairns" in Britain's national parks takes matters in his own feet -- kicking over as many as he can. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio without a cairn in the world.

We reach former Canadian Ambassador to Russia Jeremy Kinsman for a breakdown of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s meeting. Tariffs are keeping Bick's pickles off the shelves of some Canadian retailers … and the company's CEO says that's putting him in a real pickle. A negotiator from Palau tells us what the collapse of plastics treaty talks in Geneva mean for vulnerable Pacific island nations like hers. A would-be-bride explains what inspired her to go prospecting for her own engagement ring diamond. And why the whole experience really rocked. School is back in LA. And on top of making sure students stay on top of their classwork, a high school teacher is also trying to ease their fears about ICE raids. The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games kick off in Beijing, showcasing the athletic prowess of robots. And their limitations too -- after one runner's head -- falls off, mid-race. As It Happens, the Friday edition, radio that declares the results of the race null and droid

The journalist who wrote the book on the Satan’s Choice motorcycle gang tells us what’s in store now that the club has decided to make a break with the Hell’s Angels. A Canadian canola farmer says China’s massive tariff on his harvest is more than many western growers can bear. Canada isn’t the only country that’s embraced a full-on mobilization against U.S. tariffs. India is also joining the fray. The Pueblo Nation in New Mexico has had some success in recovering artifacts stolen from them 40 years ago – but say they won’t rest until all their sacred objects are returned. Historians reveal that a Bavarian restaurant may NOT have invented bratwurst sausages. In fact, GASP!, a city farther North was frying up greasy meat-cylinders some 100 years earlier. As It Happens, the Thursday edition, radio that never reveals how the sausage is made.

According to a former American Ambassador to Ukraine, Trump’s one-on-one meeting with Putin in Alaska is a bad look for the President - and very unlikely to produce a deal. As hot, dry weather persists on Prince Edward Island, a farmer says this season, his mind is on fire precautions as much as the harvest. A new study of an English burial site finds that some remains dating back to the seventh-century had West African ancestry - and one archeologist tells us the discovery is a reminder not to assume too much about the early Middle Ages. We hear from a Canadian organizer behind a human chain joining citizens on both sides of the border in protest of Trump administration policies who says some of her American neighbours are fearful, but determined to take part. She’s no spring chicken - in fact, she’s the oldest hen in the world. And the owner of the distinguished bird named Pearl -- tells us the hen has a lot in common with her predecessor, plus a few peccadillos all her own. We hear from an planetary geologist who has studied an extraordinary meteorite, that crashed through a roof and landed mere feet from the homeowner. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that always keeps things down to earth.

Canada's Minister for Emergency Management and Community Resilience responds to calls for a national forest fire secretariat -- and speaks to a wildfire season that's already the country's second-worst on record. A business owner in Paddy's Pond, Newfoundland and Labrador tells us -- folks there have had their fill of fire ... but community spirit has been a saving grace in the face of flames. In the wake of Donald Trump's takeover of D.C. law enforcement, Washington's unhoused residents are fearful about what the president's order that they "move out" will mean for them. Driving force. A cancer survivor in Ontario tells us what inspired her to celebrate her 63rd birthday by paying patients' parking fees ... and about the change she's hoping that gift will inspire. Digital age part one. A recent event saw dozens of newlyweds tie the knot at a ceremony for virtual pets known as Tamagotchis. And their human keepers are hoping the joining of hand...held devices will be record-setting. Digital age, part two. We'll hear from a diver whose recent encounter with an octopus ended in the picture-perfect selfie...taken by none other than the 8-limbed mollusc, it-self-ie. As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that imagines it was an armed struggle.

A shadow senator in DC says Donald Trump’s plan to take over policing in the city will not, as the President claims, make residents more safe. After his colleagues are killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike, an Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza says it’s another reminder that there's no guarantee he’ll make it to tomorrow. A Newfoundland resident tells us people are frightened and angry in her community after, once again, being forced from their homes by fire. Out of the woods. Stranded deep in the B.C. interior, a man survives for 9 days alone by building a makeshift shelter, drinking pond water, and writing out a message that's visible from the sky. In an announcement that no one was expecting, because who uses dial-up anymore, AOL announces a plan to discontinue its dial-up Internet service. After failing to break the record last year, an Indiana man says he’s done it now and grown the world’s tallest sunflower. As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that’s more than a one-trick peony.

A coach who worked with eight-year-old tennis hopeful Vicky Mboko tells us the now-eighteen year old's victory at the National Bank Open last night left her energized and inspired. As wildfires continue to burn in Newfoundland and Labrador, the president of the provincial fire services association weighs in on the push for a national forest fire coordination agency. Transgender people serving in the U.S. Armed Forces were already being forced out of service. Now, those in the Air Force who were relying on early retirement have been told they aren't eligible. The invasive Asian hornet is bad news for honeybees in Europe -- thanks to their tendency to consume them. But new research into the sounds their hives make -- is giving researchers hope. A new study of cockatoos finds they've got even more dance moves than we knew, but their taste in music is somewhat less impressive... given researchers found they were just as likely to bust a move to a finance podcast as they were to a dance anthem. A Chicago artist is causing a stir -- and attracting 100s of customers -- after offering what he calls “terrible portraits” ... including one of Rebecca. As It Happens, the Friday edition. Radio that kinda hopes he doesn't go back to the drawing board.

As multiple US states consider redrawing congressional maps -- Rep. Kevin Kiley tells us why he wants to put a stop to the upheaval -- and ban mid-decade gerrymandering. Frustrated by the city's response, a group of pedestrians marched into action -- then used their own hands to paint D-I-Y crosswalks on L.A. streets. One tells us it's taken hundreds of dollars in fines... but they've finally managed to pressure the City into action. We hear from the caregiver of a rare, 400-year-old bonsai that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima -- about the tree's remarkable history and why its preservation is more important now than ever Italians are outraged when a UK food website suggests including butter in cacio e pepe. That prompts us to revisit our interview about another controversial cacio e pepe ingredient - cornstarch. A rare book specialist tells us about discovering a first edition print of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit -- something she calls one of the holy grails of book collecting -- and which just sold for 79-thousand dollars. A Toronto man is racing every streetcar route in the city on foot. He says his undefeated record proves the notoriously slow method of transit isn't worth anyone's time. As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that presumes he’s all over the map.

We reach ex-Israeli intelligence and military head Ami Ayalon who’s calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to end the country's war in Gaza, and for Donald Trump to help. As Air Canada flight attendants vote in favour of a strike mandate -- one tells us how they're fighting to be paid for hours of unpaid work each month -- and they're not afraid to ground flights if they need to. A planned wind farm project in Scotland has been touted as an important part of the climate solution. But a conservationist tells us the rewards aren't worth the devastating risks for local seabirds. Left in the lurch. Forced from home by wildfires, we hear from evacuees in Saskatchewan who say they aren't getting the help they need. Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa remembers his friend, the late cult hero Terry Reid -- known for his powerful pipes and sublime songwriting. An eleven-year-old entrepreneur from PEI gives us the scoop on her ice cream business. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that offers cold comfort.