As It Happens

An Australian politician tells us two alleged attacks against women in politics just this week have sent a chill through the country -- especially for her and her colleagues. And since she's spoken out, she says she's received even more threats.

The woman behind a petition to have U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra expelled from Canada says his latest accusation of foreign interference isn't surprising -- and even more reason to give him the boot.

As Prime Minister Mark Carney promotes a strategic partnership with Turkey, our guest says there's a laundry list of human rights abuses that also need to be on the agenda.

A Brooklyn bar owner walks onto a subway car -- and into a hugely popular online show...and then starts cracking wise Conan O'Brien.

A bird researcher warns some Canadian loon populations are in steep decline -– and it’s likely climate change is to blame.

Serbia's student movement puts forward a long list of candidates for this weekend's elections -- and gains more traction than established opposition parties.

Activists in the tiny country of Liechtenstein are fuming after a quarter of its population endorsed more liberal abortion laws –- only to see the initiative vetoed by the country’s ruling monarch.

And...Employees at Madison Square Garden discover an offer of Knicks championship rings is actually a test -- that rewarded staff with cybersecurity classes instead of the coveted jewelry.

As It Happens, the Friday edition, radio that's always a bit suspicious of a cold phish. 

Premier Danielle Smith wants to move forward after Alberta's referendum -- but it's not clear whether everyone in the United Conservative Party wants to move forward with her.

A US polling firm that supplied data to a lot of respected news outlets reveals its fake. Our guest explains how her company figured that out -- and why she doesn't buy their excuse that it was all a social experiment.

The Edmonton-based video game studio BioWare is closing down; one of its co-founders tells us that's a devastating loss for the industry in Canada -- and for him personally.

A museum in Switzerland is putting on an exhibit featuring artifacts that were up until recently frozen in glacier ice -- which he says is revealing the impact global warming is having on the country's landscape. 

A Minnesota man heroically leaps aboard a runaway school bus, saving the kids aboard -- and attributes his courage and calm to perhaps one of the most stressful shows in history, "Grey's Anatomy".

And, a researcher -- who also happens to be the only Master of Wine in Denmark -- tells us how certain music can enhance the flavour of food.

As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that offers more than just tasteful sound bites. 

An Israeli rabbi is among the dozens of people detained after trying to help a Palestinian farmer bring in their olive crop -- and tells us she'd do it again without hesitation.

With mid-term elections fast approaching, Donald Trump promises billions to American farmers; we'll ask an Iowa corn and soybean producer whether the President's party still has his vote.

Gisèle Pelicot's daughter describes their campaign to help survivors of sexual violence come forward -- even when they have no memory of what they endured.

A researcher at the University of Kent says he's solved a centuries-old mystery by proving the anonymously published play "Edward the Third" was actually written by both Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

The Hallowe'en horror-naments in your neighbourhood may be scary, but the kelp-o-lanterns our guest makes from seaweed that washes up near his Alaska home cannot be ig-nori.

The UK is about to ban the sale of tobacco to future generations. I'll talk to a woman who's just back from Ottawa, where she was pushing Canadian politicians to go a step further -- by expanding the lifetime ban to include vapes as well.

And… a couple of British men are preparing to spend 20 years playing a board game so fiendishly complex that no one has ever completed it.

As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that has tried playing complicated games, but...no dice.

Andrew Knack tells us he's proud Albertans voted to stay in Canada -- and says the five referendum questions on immigration are a distraction from the real issues people in the province are dealing with.

Shelley Quist's child survived the deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge; now, she's won a spot on city council, and says she hopes to help her community move on from the trauma.

An Israeli professor teaching in the U.S. tells us she can't imagine not casting a ballot in Israel's upcoming election -- so she's cancelled her classes and is flying over to vote.

Once bitten. A toddler in Ontario is unlucky enough to be chomped by a rattlesnake -- but lucky enough to be treated by a doctor with extensive experience helping snakebite victims in India.

A member of Team Canada tells us about the dizzying nightmare of the World Backyard Ultra Championships -- an endurance race that's just loop after loop for day after day.

Yet another expedition sets off in search of Amelia Earhart's long-missing airplane -- but instead discovers...some trees.

As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that believes this project is a real tour de forest.

After flames engulfed an Alberta military base on Saturday, our guest waited anxiously for news of her son, Private Aidan Goulding. Hours later, she learned he was among the young soldiers killed.

Fresh from his weekend victory, we ask Pete Fry -- Vancouver's first Green Party mayor-elect -- how he plans to get a handle on the desperation in the beautiful city.

After months of anticipation and apprehension, it's referendum day in Alberta -- and a ballot counter-slash-poli-sci student tells us the moment is as exciting as it is historic.

A man buys the childhood home of astronaut Neil Armstrong -- to preserve it for future space-travellers-to-be.

A First Nation isn't ruling out taking Bell to court over its plans to build a massive AI data centre just outside of Regina.

After four decades, the owner of Humpty Doo Hotel & Pub in Australia's Northern Territory is ready to sell the beloved property. And he has a tall order for the next owner.

And… by examining the eyes of the central figure in Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", scientists determine that the artist's model had a pituitary tumour -- just as you always suspected.

As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that thinks she could have benefited from some intra-Venus medication.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.