As It Happens

A Syrian court sentences former dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes committed during the country's lengthy civil war. Our guest describes the significance of the moment and the reaction at the courthouse today. 

The mayor of Summerland, B.C., warns residents who’ve fled wildfires to brace for what they might find when the smoke finally clears. We reach an evacuee who says she's grateful her home is still standing—at least for now. 

As Ebola continues to devastate rural villages in Congo, a community leader there tells us many still aren't aware of basic precautions that could help protect them from the deadly virus. 

The Chicago White Sox pay homage to a very famous fan who hails from their city: Pope Leo. 

Almost a century after its discovery, scientists have identified the fossil of a long-extinct toad in Los Angeles. One researcher tells us why small amphibians are largely overlooked. 

Fans of the Harry Potter series successfully campaigned to reroute an underwater cable project after learning it would run through a makeshift memorial to a beloved character: Dobby the House Elf.

As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that warns against elf-destructive behaviour. 

Summerland, B.C. is the latest community under threat from out-of-control wildfires. We’ll talk to one resident who had to flee with no idea when or if she’ll ever be able to go home. 

After a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly kills 13 people in Russia, including civilians, a Ukrainian lawmaker says the oil refinery was a valid military target – and won’t deter Kyiv from more attacks inside the country.

A three-year-old girl is recovering after a rare black bear attack in her own backyard. Her mother tells us about the frantic fight to get her to safety. 

A group of B.C. First Nations says there’s a direct link between the expansion of the fossil-fuel industry and the wildfires the country is experiencing — and that’s more reason to scrap plans for a new pipeline. 

A new study reveals that snails can change the composition of their slime on the fly — to be slippery fast — or stick like glue. 

Beneath the dust and lacquer lay the work of a baroque master, but the precious painting would never have been discovered if not for the keen eye of an Oslo curator with a passion for forgotten female artists.

Suck-er punch. After nearly 50 years of faithfully cleaning the Iowa farmhouse of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley -- and becoming an unlikely viral sensation -- the Hoover vacuum he named 'Beth', has finally given up the ghost. 

As It Happens, the Monday edition, radio that’s truly a master of its own dust-tany.

Kalshi plans to let people place bets on the outcomes of some late-stage clinical trials. A father whose young son is undergoing cancer treatment calls that ‘unconscionable’ — and potentially dangerous. 

As UN experts condemn new US sanctions on Cuba, we reach a woman in the countryside who tells us the ongoing blockade has made an already unreliable power system unbearable for many.  

People in Spokane, Washington had already been grappling with devastating wildfires. And, now police say a man has admitted to lighting one of those fires intentionally.

We reach a woman in Yellowknife who’s attempting to solve an unusual mystery: where the time capsule her high school class stashed away decades ago has gone. 

150 years ago, Charles Darwin had a hunch that one particularly sticky plant he’d studied was actually carnivorous. For years, that theory went unconfirmed...until now. 

Look before you sleep. A television anchor in Memphis, Tennessee was so exhausted from mom duties that she had a nap, live on air. But viewers don't appear to mind her sleeping on the job. 

As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that brings you all the latest snooze.

Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler accused of killing Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the occupied West Bank. His cousin says that's a relief, but the violence is far from over. 

A Quebec psychiatrist explains why he's joining the push for the appointment of a dedicated mental health minister before the province's upcoming fall election. 

The on-the-job death of an Alberta firefighter leads to workplace safety violation charges against the province — and a union leader welcomes the message that sends. 

The lead paddler for Carcross/Tagish First Nation describes the healing power of canoeing through the Yukon wilderness for nine days, to arrive at a momentous cultural celebration. 

Eyewear's the beef. While their competitors hawk AI sunglasses, a web browser company has developed its own brand of shades. Ones that harness cutting-edge technology to make it easier to see when it's sunny.

We'll hear from a scientist who figured out how to track the distance his hamster runs on its wheel every night, so he can upload the shockingly impressive distances to a runners' app.

As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that's glad he didn't take the rodent less travelled.

Veteran Canadian broadcaster Lloyd Robertson has died at 92. Fellow CTV anchor and friend Sandie Rinaldo says he was a comfort to Canada in its darkest moments. 

Five UN special rapporteurs urge the Canadian government to do more to protect Sikh activist Moninder Singh and his family amid credible threats to his life. But he tells us that so far, nothing has changed.  

The mayor of St. Catharines, Ontario says flooding has devastated his city, and his own home — and cleaning up the mess will require a lot of help. 

Canada's brand-new "foreign influence" office isn't designed to put an end to interference from outside. So we'll ask its new commissioner what it is designed to do. 

A Tennis Canada organizer tells us he expects the Filipino community to show up for star Alexandra Eala at the Canadian Open tonight. He says he hasn’t seen hype like this for a Filipino athlete since Manny Pacquiao. 

A new study suggests that sitting up straight could make your mood and your decision-making better, establishing — once and for all — that you're no slouch. 

As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that helps you move on to greener postures. 

Early Wednesday morning, part of an abandoned SpaceX rocket will slam into the moon. That collision is making a huge impression on astronomers, one of whom tells us it could also have an impact on future lunar missions. 

The U.S. has resumed deporting people to Venezuela for the first time since the devastating earthquakes in June. But Washington Post reporter María Luisa Paúl says it's still unclear what happened to the people on board the last deportation flight, which landed hours before the quakes hit. 

We remember the late Monty Roberts, a celebrated equine trainer and friend of Queen Elizabeth who championed gentler training methods and was known as the man who listens to horses. 

A four-inch tall kitten named Gelato is getting around just fine despite an injury, thanks to a new custom wheelchair made out of toy cars. 

A restaurant in South Florida makes news for its strip steak — as in, its once-a-month nude-dining event at which customers strip to eat steak. 

As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that assumes they all want the dressing on the side. 

Wildfires have forced more than five thousand British Columbians out of their homes. We hear from an evacuee who fled the flames in the Okanagan region. 

A former Olympic canoeist was in deep trouble over damage done to the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, but now prosecutors say the case against him doesn't hold water. 

We talk to a surgeon who recently put a fetus's intestines back inside its body while it was still in utero. He tells all about the tiny trial that's making big waves.

In a special edition of As It Happened, we'll serve up some of our all-time favourite stories about mayhem, mixups, and mistakes — including the tale of a dog named Mouse who was accidentally identified as a lion thanks to his flashy haircut. 

Inflation may be a problem at this year's women's Tour de France: some cyclists could be making themselves more aerodynamic by buying oversized bras, and stuffing them. 

As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that gets down to bras tacks.

Wildfires have forced more than five thousand British Columbians out of their homes. We hear from an evacuee who fled the flames in the Okanagan region. 

A former Olympic canoeist was in deep trouble over damage done to the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, but now prosecutors say the case against him doesn't hold water. 

We talk to a surgeon who recently put a fetus's intestines back inside its body while it was still in utero. He tells all about the tiny trial that's making big waves.

In a special edition of As It Happened, we'll serve up some of our all-time favourite stories about mayhem, mixups, and mistakes — including the tale of a dog named Mouse who was accidentally identified as a lion thanks to his flashy haircut. 

Inflation may be a problem at this year's women's Tour de France: some cyclists could be making themselves more aerodynamic by buying oversized bras, and stuffing them. 

As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that gets down to bras tacks.

Despite near-universal condemnation from the rest of the soccer world, the head of FIFA has yet to back down from a controversial plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup. 

With all eyes on cross-border trade, U.S. officials reject the automated inspections used on some Canadian rail lines. And Canada's human inspectors are applauding that rejection. 

Scientists in China conclude that extremely spicy food might act as a temporary pain reliever. But at least one guest from our archives would likely disagree.  

Alberta borrows the zero-tolerance approach its used for rats and hogs — and sends some furry new recruits in to keep invasive bivalves out of the province. 

A northern B.C. lacrosse team was all set to compete in the provincial championships this week — only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the last minute. 

At an international conference, the U.S. State Department displays a map of Africa that has the countries in the wrong place — putting the "nation" in "indignation".

As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that serves up a continental dog's breakfast. 

A CBC investigative reporter identifies the Canadian accused of using an internship at NATO headquarters to get some hands-on experience in the field of espionage. 

Wildfires on the island of Crete have killed two firefighters, and reduced homes to ashes. I'll talk to a hotelier who helped evacuate his community over the course of a very tense night. 

Health Canada drops certain questions for sperm donors that critics have long found invasive and discriminatory — not to mention unscientific. 

Archaeologists celebrate the discovery of the last missing piece of a cannon that exploded during the American Revolution — which took careful planning and plenty of patience.

A Toronto live music institution survived a brush with a wrecking ball. Now, our guest is part of a group that wants to make sure Sneaky Dee's is permanently protected. Just...don't call it a dive bar.  

Over the course of his recent stay in an Australian town, a colossal, destructive elephant seal named Neil was an agent of pure chaos — and now we know how much that chaos cost. 

As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that warns every outdoor object in that town: your fate is seal.