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As It Happens

CBC Podcasts & Radio On-Demand

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.

Location:

Canada, ON

Description:

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.

Language:

English

Contact:

CBC Audience Relations P.O. Box 500, Station A Toronto, ON Canada M5W 1E6 866-481-5718


Episodes
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The business interests behind Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension

9/19/2025
If you're wondering why ABC agreed to silence "Jimmy Kimmel Live", a look at some potentially lucrative pending business deals may provide an answer. It's taken decades for an Anishinaabe man's remains to make the journey from the place he died to to Long Lake 58 First Nation where he was born. An advocacy group in Alberta will keep fighting controversial laws affecting transgender youth -- though a leaked memo suggests the province is planning to use the notwithstanding clause to keep them in effect. A Toronto man completes his quest to run on every single street in the city -- even after being diagnosed with brain cancer. A doctor wins a posthumous Ig Nobel Prize for literature, after spending years analyzing the growth of his fingernails. An Ontario man explains why he decided to get himself a giant inflatable wiener-dog suit and wear it while he's out walking his regular-size, uninflated wiener dog. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio with a strong interest in the unorthodox-sund.

Duration:00:57:04

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Is Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension the beginning of a new era?

9/18/2025
After Jimmy Kimmel is yanked off the air, an Obama-era chairman of the Federal Communications Commission says it's clear that his former agency -- and the White House -- have gone too far. And W. Kamau Bell tells us why he thinks it's so important that his fellow comics and late-night hosts stand up for what's right in this pivotal moment for the United States. Cutting out the middle man. Donald Trump's tariffs are bringing Canada and Mexico closer together -- as evidenced by this week's meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Claudia Sheinbaum. A longtime friend remembers the sourdough-loving, trailblazing Yukon politician Ione Christensen. A football fan didn't know his emotional responses to a game were being shown on the Jumbotron, charming the crowd -- but not his boss, who thought he was home sick. Our annual look at the winners of the Ig Nobel Awards -- where previous recipients have been recognized for their research on the shape of narcissists' eyebrows, and constipated scorpions. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that makes sure its science is always backed up.

Duration:00:59:26

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Trump’s return to the UK brings out protesters and police

9/17/2025
Members of a UK protest group were shocked to be arrested for projecting a pointed short film about Donald Trump on the walls of Windsor Castle -- and even more so when police told them why. In Nova Scotia, a former swim instructor at a provincially-run youth detention centre is arrested and charged for the alleged sexual abuse of young people over nearly three decades. Ottawa's mayor says the key to solving homelessness in the capital is solving it for the young -- and he's promising to do that in the next five years. We'll remember the North Dakota newspaper columnist Marilyn Hagerty, whose generous review of an Olive Garden restaurant divided the Internet -- and made a fan of Anthony Bourdain. The local historical society in a Maryland town wants two statues removed for being distracting -- but two store owners explain why they're making an emoji-nal appeal to keep the giant peach and the giant eggplant where they are. If you want to know what's contaminating hot springs all over Yellowstone National Park, hold on to your hat: it's hats visitors didn't hang on to. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that blows the lid off people having their lids blown off.

Duration:00:59:34

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Directing Robert Redford in one of his last great roles

9/16/2025
J.C. Chandor describes how he convinced the late actor to star in All Is Lost — a movie with a small budget and no dialogue, about a lone sailor struggling to survive a storm at sea. An aid worker tells us some people are fleeing Gaza City without shoes on their feet -- because it's better than risking death in Israel's ground invasion. A longtime advocate for a stronger sanctions law tells us why Canada's legislation is falling short -- and why a new bill named for his friend Sergei Magnitsky may be the solution. We'll remember Inuk Elder Jean Crane -- who opened her own home to women fleeing abuse, before helping create an emergency shelter in Labrador. An international golf tournament will be held in New York -- so in preparation for American fans, Team Europe is practicing playing with loud insults blasting through their headphones. A new study suggests cats eat grass for good reason. And our guest was so devoted to her research that she saved her own cats' hairballs in Tupperware. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that recognizes a get-retch-quick scheme.

Duration:00:50:40

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Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre square off in Parliament

9/15/2025
With the return of Parliament, we found out how the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition handle each other -- and now we'll ask the House Leader how the government plans to handle Canadians' money. The exchanges between MPs today revolved around familiar themes on familiar issues; the CBC's Catherine Cullen tells us what's different this time around. Get this party re-started. The NDP returned to the House of Commons with a mere seven seats; we'll hear how that baker's half-dozen plans to avoid getting sidelined. Trump administration cuts shut down a consortium of doctors who specialize in childhood brain tumours -- which, in turn, means young cancer patients will be shut out of clinical trials in Canada. It's a marathon, not a sprint. But then it's a sprint. At the World Athletics Championships, the men's marathon ends with a top-speed race to the photo-finish -- a staggering achievement when most of us would have been staggering. An annual competition in San Francisco puts the "wha" in "guacamole" -- as contestants come through with some of the weirdest recipes imaginable when the chips are down. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that knows all guacamole champs have the same motto: "Mashin' accomplished".

Duration:00:48:49

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How an arrest in the Charlie Kirk murder looks from campus

9/12/2025
A former FBI agent who teaches at the university where Charlie Kirk was killed talks about the arrest of a suspect today -- and what he'll say to his students when they return to campus next week. All five former world junior players who were acquitted of sexual assault are cleared to return to the NHL. A sports lawyer -- and sexual assault survivor -- says the league is walking a very fine line. When a South African man discovers he can not take his wife's last name, the couple go to court -- and force their country to get a handle on their preferred handle. It warmed the cockles of his heart. More than that, it kick-started the cockles of his heart -- and for that, a BC man who suffered a cardiac arrest will always be grateful to the friend who saved his life with CPR. A beloved octopus at a California aquarium named Ghost is in the final days of her life cycle and dedicating those to eggs that will never hatch. Food writer Mark Bittman says he's never felt more fulfilled than he is by his latest project, which offers fine dining at different prices for different customers -- and cheaper for those who leave nearby. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that figures: there escargots the neighbourhood.

Duration:01:00:14

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Debating Charlie Kirk and worrying about America’s future

9/11/2025
A college student who debated Charlie Kirk on his campus tour says a lot of the popular right wing activist's beliefs crossed a line -- but his death is inarguably wrong. Detractors have said the privately-financed "Enhanced Games" are a "clown show". But a British swimmer says he's eager to see how far sanctioned doping can take athletes like him. As Prime Minister Mark Carney unveils the first of his "nation-building" projects, mining industry leaders are hopeful the first initiatives will pave the way for all-weather road infrastructure in the north. Scientists are amazed at the remarkable diversity of dancing peacock spiders -- and turn to an analysis of what's known as dark DNA to help untangle things. A mechanic in Texas tells us about the moment his pet pigeon went missing -- and how local police helped him track down the beloved, blind bird named Kevin. Rick Astley shares the story of hearing his 1987 hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" in a Tokyo toilet that, oddly, was entirely dedicated to him and his music. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that hopes the song is a Number One and Number Two hit.

Duration:01:03:32

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What’s at stake when Mark Carney meets with Danielle Smith

9/10/2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney spends his last days before heading back to Parliament talking about "nation-building" projects with his caucus -- and with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony isn't at the International Criminal Court to hear evidence of his war crimes. Our guest was born into his militia -- and says there's no justice until he's made to face his crimes. Hong Kong lawmakers reject limited rights for some same-sex couples. An advocate tells us he's disappointed -- but still certain progress will be made...eventually. A pastor in Rochester, New York explains how her community sent ICE agents packing, when they tried to arrest a group of roofers working on a house. The creatures who live near the ocean floor aren't typically known for being cute -- but a new species of bumpy snailfish is the sweetest thing in salt water. Remembering the Japanese racehorse Haru Urara, who became a national inspiration because of her remarkable consistency on the track -- where she lost 113 consecutive races. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that knows some heroes are larger-than-life -- and some are mare mortals.

Duration:00:50:34

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We reach a student caught in Nepal’s crackdown on protests

9/9/2025
Tens of thousands of young people in Nepal push back hard when the government threatens to ban social media -- but our guest says what they're really fighting for -- is fundamental change. Israel's surprise attack on Hamas officials in Qatar surprises and outrages world leaders -- and terrifies a journalist, who was sheltering with his family a few hundred meters away. With more unhoused people living in encampments in Barrie, Ontario, the mayor declares a state of emergency -- and explains why he thinks that's the right call. Some people from Annapolis County, Nova Scotia were given the green light to return home today, after weeks of uncertainty caused by wildfires -- but one woman tells us the decision isn't that simple. He was in "Jaws: The Revenge", and he's also won 2 Oscars. Michael Caine is unpredictable -- as he's just proven yet again, by refusing to stay retired at 92. A Kentucky woman tells us about giving emergency CPR to a patient she discovered in a dumpster: a dangerously drunk baby raccoon. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that's glad she seized a wasted opportunity.

Duration:01:00:56

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Is the world ready for a wearable, AI “friend”?

9/8/2025
A new wearable A-I pendant called Friend -- which is meant to be your friend -- has turned out to be more of a frenemy at best. A tech writer tells us about his toxic relationship with it. Russia unleashes its largest-ever drone attack on Ukraine. A shaken teacher in Kyiv tells me about how he escaped from his apartment building, when it became a target. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate in eastern Pakistan; a reporter there describes the apocalyptic extent of this year's monsoon-season flooding. The '80s rock group Foreigner makes things awkward, by RSVP-ing as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding band, even though they weren't invited in the first place. Toronto is in a cat-and-mouse game with vandals who have cut down a speed camera seven times now. A local tells us a second camera pointed at that first camera hasn't made a bit of difference. Growth opportunity. Scientists uncover a clue to the evolutionary origins of the thing protruding from the forehead of a ratfish -- a fleshy, bulbous appendage equipped with teeth and used, disturbingly, during mating. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that warns you not to click on this attachment.

Duration:00:55:53

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Mark Carney gives the industry an offramp from electric cars

9/5/2025
The Prime Minister pauses a plan that would have forced automakers to hit minimum sales levels for electric vehicles. An insider says that's great for the industry -- despite being bad for the environment. After yesterday's deadly knife attack, Manitoba MLA and Hollow Water First Nation band member Ian Bushie tells us how his community is bearing up against the unbearable. A bipartisan group of politicians calls for change, after Florida’s wildlife agency allowed a giant manta ray to be yanked out of its habitat and sent to a marine park on the other side of the world. A newly discovered portrait of the enigmatic Earl of Southampton has a heart on the back that's been covered over with a black spear -- suggesting a certain playwright might have been played wrong. We'll introduce you to a 50-year-old Edmonton woman who just set a world land-speed record -- travelling at well over 200 kilometers an hour on a motorcycle. A man named Mark Zuckerberg is suing another man named Mark Zuckerberg for repeatedly booting him off Facebook for "impersonating a celebrity". As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that fears this is just the tip of the Zuckerberg.

Duration:00:58:33

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“Queen of Canada” and members of her cult arrested

9/4/2025
RCMP raid the Saskatchewan compound of the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada and arrest 16 people including the queen herself. An investigative journalist tells us about the impact the cult has had on its neighbours. Herd immunity. Facing chaos at the CDC, a group of US states forms its own coalition to make vaccine recommendations, saying the federal agency has become a, quote, “political tool.” The late Giorgio Armani revolutionized fashion by emphasizing simplicity and elegance. A longtime fashion journalist pays tribute to the influential Italian designer and his unique sense of classic style. Members of the “Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage” club happily brave the depths of ponds to remove trash. The 85-year-old founder tells us it may be gross -- but it's an exhilarating adventure. A wildlife vet in New Zealand wants to vaccinate the critically endangered, flightless, waddling parrot called the kākāpō against bird flu. But that despite their earthbound girth, the problem is catching them. In a late-night interview, an Academy Award-winning actor casually tells the world that his name isn't actually pronounced "Denzel" at all. As it Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that knows your stress falls when you know where the stress falls.

Duration:01:00:25

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Maple leaves on US goods: Hamilton shopper sounds the alarm

9/3/2025
A steely-eyed Ontario grocery shopper has been ID'ing products that are labeled Canadian -- but are actually American. And she wants Ottawa to do more to deter so-called "maplewashing". "No class" action. Students at Dalhousie University in limbo as lockout continues. A lockout means classes are suspended. A professor tells us instructors and students are equally eager to get the semester started. Running on empty. The mayor of Conception Bay South in Newfoundland and Labrador says it came as a huge shock to hear his town had mere hours until it was completely out of water -- mere weeks after facing the threat of fire. A pigment of their imaginations. Researchers in Costa Rica could hardly believe the images of an entirely orange shark -- and are discussing it in some pretty colourful language. Beauty and the beasts. An Indigenous weaver in Alaska is making the ultra-popular Labubu a lot less monsterous -- by crafting custom regalia for them. And...I'd like to propose an avocado toast. And a British supermarket chain wants to help with that; it's deploying new high-tech scanners that will tell me whether an avocado is ripe enough to mash. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that tried to make guacamole with an unripe avocado, but it was too hard.

Duration:01:03:33

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A desperate search through difficult terrain

9/2/2025
Rescuers are still searching for survivors after the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan -- which an aid worker says was only the first of several potential disasters to come. We'll speak to one of the growing number of Israeli army reservists who are refusing to take part in further military action in Gaza -- risking jail time in the process. We knew Anna Wintour would be stepping aside after nearly 4 decades -- and now we know who Vogue Magazine has named as it's head of editorial content. A friend and fellow actor remembers Graham Greene -- who helped transform the roles Indigenous actors play on the stage and screen. As students return to school, one long-serving veteran of education is leaving. We'll bid a fond farewell to the humming, humble and illuminating overhead projector. One candidate for mayor of New York thinks he can win by promoting his literal pet project: colonies of feral cats to wage war on the city's rodent underworld. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that guesses his heart is in the rat place.

Duration:01:00:35

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Special Episode: Linden MacIntyre on An Accidental Villain

9/2/2025
The award-winning author and investigative journalist sits down with Nil Köksal in the As It Happens studio to discuss his new book, An Accidental Villain: A Soldier’s Tale of War, Deceit and Exile.

Duration:00:22:40

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Three leaders present an alternative world order

9/1/2025
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.

Duration:00:54:50

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Can Canada’s “major projects” exist alongside climate goals?

8/29/2025
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.

Duration:00:46:21

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Using the “two walls rule” to survive a strike on Kyiv

8/28/2025
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.

Duration:00:47:16

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Can a meeting in Washington plan for post-war Gaza?

8/27/2025
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.

Duration:00:41:07

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The U.S. relationship is in question. Is Germany the answer?

8/26/2025
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.

Duration:00:46:05