As It Happens

In a papal first, Pope Leo formally presents his view on artificial intelligence -- and the man behind a Catholic AI tool tells us he's listening. At this point, the cases of Ebola are outpacing efforts to contain it -- but an aid worker in Congo tells us he's determined to help close the gap. A giant overheating chemical tank in southern California is no longer at risk of exploding, but the crisis isn't over. We'll reach a resident who is housing twenty of her evacuated relatives. We remember one of the earliest pioneers of climate activism -- a lobbyist who read a report on the catastrophic effects of burning coal in 1979, and spent the rest of his life pushing for change. The NHL says a Canadiens watch party in Gatineau, Quebec is a no go -- but the party organizer tells us he's holding out hope the league will reverse that call. Someone in Kansas bought themselves a brand-new pick-up, but they can't drive it off the lot yet -- because a family of protected robins is living on top of one of the tires. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that cautions against putting all your eggs near one gasket.

Alberta announces a vote on whether to hold a vote on whether to separate -- and a former Conservative cabinet minister tells us about his plan to convince as many people as possible that Canada's union is worth preserving. He was restrained without restraint. And now, people in Ireland are demanding answers after the death of a Black man who was suspected of shoplifting -- and set upon by security guards. A Jamaican politician tells us what it was like to be interrupted in parliament for speaking Patois -- or Jamaican -- and why she's speaking out about speaking it. When Victor Bal got his university degree today, he was accompanied by his service dog Kopek -- who joined him for every class he took. And ultimately should also have been given a degree. Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" has come to an end; a long-time writer for the show tells us the host's finely tuned moral compass guided the writer's room, even on the toughest days. Everybody wants their photo taken with one Parisian celebrity -- so the Louvre is moving the Mona Lisa to her very own space, where people can stop fighting over self-portraits with the portrait. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that hates to get in the middle of a Louvre's quarrel.

A former U.S. health official tells us international cuts, and the shutdown of USAID, is hampering the response to the growing Ebola outbreak in Congo -- and recovery won't be easy. The tiny island country of Vanuatu convinces a majority of the world's countries to back a UN motion our guest says could make it a legal duty to fight climate change. The Department of Justice is creating a fund for people who say they were mistreated by the federal government. Police who defended the Capitol on January 6th are horrified that rioters are among those looking for a payout. We remember Frank Hayden -- who helped found the Special Olympics. Canadian Olympian Mark Tewksbury says his late friend changed millions of lives for the better. Scientists are finally able to classify an exciting fish with a long nose and what appears to be orange hair -- and name it after the long-nosed orange hairy elephant-like Sesame Street character it most resembles. For years, a souvenir Roman calendar has appeared to offer 12 months of photos of handsome priests -- but now an Italian newspaper has revealed they're not men of the cloth at all, just...men. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that has to admit they're all pretty hot under the collar.

The United States indicts former Cuban President Raul Castro on criminal charges -- to the delight of a former Miami prosecutor who worked on the case more than 20 years ago. Canada’s Foreign Affairs minister has summoned Israel’s ambassador over the treatment of Canadian citizens aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla -- which our guest has been watching with growing alarm. A man living in the city that is the epicentre of Congo's deadly Ebola outbreak says people there are experiencing both fear and shame -- and he's asking the world to treat them with a bit more empathy. A Saskatchewan couple get up for an early morning shift to discover their neighbour’s house is on fire -- and scramble to rescue the eight people sleeping inside. Last year, someone stole a statue of Amelia Earhart from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador. But today’s news really sticks the landing. We know T. rex had ridiculous little forelimbs -- and new research suggests that's because its noggin expanded enough to do all the killing. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that guesses it was heads you win -- arms you lose.

San Diego is mourning after a shooting at its largest mosque -- and we speak to a community leader who, like so many other Muslims, is processing the depth of the loss. Undone deal. A Newfoundland and Labrador review panel finds a proposed energy deal with Hydro Quebec is not in the province’s best interest. And the Premier tells us why he thinks his government can make good on Churchill Falls. We hear from the mayor of a PEI town where one-in-three work in the oyster business -- the mayor included. He explains the struggles they're facing as the trade is devastated by disease. The organizer of an event called "Ratapalooza" tells us former lab rats make great pets -- and she would know, she has 20 of them. The iconic Snowbirds will be grounded after the 2026 season due to their aging aircraft. A former Snowbirds pilot and commander says this could have been avoided. A man in Australia set out to make a dinner of steak and salad for his housemates ... but almost ended up serving them ribs ... sorry I mean rib-bits -- thanks to the tiny frog in his greens. As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that's pleased he didn't end up with a frog in his throat.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is battling a rare and deadly strain of the Ebola virus. An aid worker in Kinshasa who lived through the last outbreak shares her frustration and sadness that more wasn’t done to prevent this latest outbreak. Dawson City, Yukon is mourning the loss of the goldrush-era Westminster Hotel -- a watering hole our guest says acted as a community hub that won't be easily replaced. A Montreal-based sex worker tells us she and her colleagues deserve better working conditions...as they prepare to walk off the job. Renowned Two spirit Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen died in a car crash on Friday at just 45 years old. A friend and fellow musician tells us Cris Derksen was just coming off a career high -- and likely would have had many more to come. An Irish city councillor explains why he wants Cork to honour the mosquito that's credited with killing an English invader...by erecting a very tiny statue. Nil and Chris take us on a tour through the archives, with a special edition of As It Happened, full of stories of the great outdoors. And... He definitely knew batter. A young Dodgers fan is going viral for vigorously cheering on his team from the stands. So vigorously, that the live broadcasts kept being interrupted by his personalized cries to players as they stepped up to the plate. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that's open to a chants encounter.

Ottawa has reached a new carbon-pricing agreement with Alberta; we'll ask Julie Dabrusin whether the feds are setting the bar for big polluters too low. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Canada opens the door to a new way for survivors of intimate partner violence to sue their abusers in civil court. A new study suggests at least one Neanderthal did something surprising to deal with a toothache: they submitted to some prehistoric dentistry. It's all hands on deck for the Emerald Coast Open this weekend in Florida -- a tournament where divers compete to see who can kill the most invasive lionfish. I'll speak with a woman who is obsessed with the Montreal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge, who are playing each other in the PWHL Walter Cup Finals -- an experience she compares to being in a polyamorous relationship. A new study of train passengers reaches an alarming conclusion: we have a tendency to follow the person in front of us, regardless of whether we know them or where they're going. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that warns the following may be upsetting for some listeners.

An Alberta court sides with First Nations and quashes a pro-separation petition -- which means the idea for a province-wide referendum on leaving Canada could be dead on arrival. The Nova Scotia government hits back at the union representing long-term care home workers -- suggesting their striking members might accept the offer on the table, if only they were given a chance to vote on it. There's now a better chance an uncontacted tribe in Brazil will remain that way -- after a move to preserve and protect a million acres of Amazonian land. A new video game puts players in the shoes of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the First World War. The creative director tells us the true stories are as exciting as the gameplay. After carefully observing how crickets respond to mild injury, researchers discover that they're just like you and me -- except for the multiple legs. An Omaha tavern is forced to change its name from "The Barber Shop", when it is met with the righteous wrath of the Nebraska Board of Barber Examiners. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that shouldn't be surprised a bunch of barbers got snippy.

Gunfire erupts inside the Philippine Senate, where a senator is hiding out, trying to avoid a warrant from the International Criminal Court -- a strategy that, so far, seems to be working. Nil talks to a long-term care worker in Nova Scotia who's fresh off the picket line -- as a divisive labour dispute approaches the one-month mark. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome does not involve cysts and isn't limited to the ovaries. A doctor tells us how patients led the charge to get the condition renamed -- and why it will lead to better care. A teenager in Gaza tells us about her award-winning idea to create useable bricks out of the all-too-plentiful debris of bombed buildings. Ahead of his one-hundredth birthday, comedy legend Mel Brooks donates his archives -- a treasure trove that sheds light on the long career of one of the funniest people in the world. A self-driving taxi company issues a massive recall after its cars start driving into severely flooded roadways -- and one gets swept into a creek. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that would rather drive itself to despair.

The British Prime Minister is facing calls to step down, including from within his own cabinet. But a Labour MP explains why he believes the party leader should keep calm and carry on. As Donald Trump heads to China, we'll talk to the brother of an ailing American who's been jailed there for 12 years -- who's hoping the president will manage to secure her release. Cycling Canada cancels the women's team pursuit program, but continues to support the men’s team. One cyclist tells us the reasons she's been given just don't track. The price of train ride to a New Jersey stadium will be jacked way up for the FIFA World Cup -- so a journalist risks life and limb attempting to get there by foot. A longtime friend and collaborator of Keith Haring tells us why he’s parting with the projects the late artist and activist made for and with him -- including a crib painted for his son. You thought it had gone the way of the scrunchie, the shoulder pad, and Tickle-Me Elmo -- but the hacky sack is back, and Gen Z is voting with its feet. As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that kicked that habit long ago.

An infectious disease specialist weighs in, as more Canadians who were on the cruise ship that suffered a hantavirus outbreak return home. It's no secret Canadians have reduced their travel to the U.S. -- but a researcher tells us the boycott is hitting much harder than we can see from border crossings alone. Athletes ran the Palestine Marathon for the first time since 2023 -- and one Palestinian medalist tells us it's not easy to separate sports from politics in the occupied West Bank. A proposed ban on "bromated flour" in New York State would have a major effect on two of the Big Apple's most famous products -- because it's a key ingredient in bagels and pizzas. Amanda Suzuki is a busy hockey fan right now -- because one of her sons is playing in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, and the other is the captain of the Montreal Canadiens. The black Trans Am from the '80s show "Knight Rider" gets a speeding ticket in New York -- which is strange because it hasn't left an Illinois museum in years. As far as anyone knows... As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that appreciates a self-starter.

A Mississippi woman hunkered down in her bathtub. She tells us that just those few minutes rendered her community unrecognizable. B.C. Premier David Eby announces Tumbler Ridge Secondary School will be demolished. The chair of the local school district tells us that's the best way to move on from the horror of February's mass shooting. Tennessee Republicans take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act, and cut up the state's only majority-Black congressional district. A Memphis state senator tells us the result is devastating. A coyote that turned up on the former prison island turns out to have swum twice as far as scientists initially believed -- and maybe farther than any coyote ever. A longtime fan of Sir David Attenborough pays tribute to his hero's one-hundredth birthday by naming a parasitic wasp after him -- which he swears is a compliment. Residents of a condo building in Denver give the weightlifters who use the gym the floor below them an F for effort -- and file a lawsuit to make them stop grunting so loudly. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that guesses the suit came as a real punch in the guttural.

The former Alberta premier tells us he's lawyering up — after a separatist group allegedly shared the personal information of millions of Albertans, including him. A rise in HIV infections prompts Manitoba to declare a public health emergency. The province’s top doctor says solving that crisis will mean tackling its root causes. It's not completely clear whether Jeffrey Epstein wrote the suicide note media outlets are publishing today — but a New York Times reporter explains why the public deserves to see it. To celebrate the 2026 Census, Statistics Canada shares curated playlists with titles like "FrancoFunky" and "Ketchup Chips and Road Trips." A French academic is on trial for fraud, after winning a prestigious award in his field — an award he apparently made up, and gave to himself. A German YouTuber breaks the world record for solving a Rubik cube while in free-fall; he says his main strategy was not focusing on the fact that he could die. As it Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that follows the adage "parachute first — ask questions later".

In the latest controversy for OpenAI, Canada's privacy commissioner says the company broke the law by training ChatGPT on "vast amounts" of users' personal data. A former colleague remembers Ted Turner, the irascible billionaire who changed the world — and the world of news — by founding CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel in the U.S. A new study reveals the troubling treatment suffered by South Asian women working on farms in B.C. and one researcher tells us the exploitation they face is often built into the system. A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter explains how her reporting prompted real change for Californians who survived wildfires, only to battle for payouts from insurance companies that systematically under-estimated rebuilding costs. For the first time since the classic sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" hit the airwaves, an actual radio station in that city has now acquired those call letters. Airbus and the federal government celebrate a huge new order for Quebec-built planes. But an aviation expert says the company has its work cut out for it — given that it's already struggling to fill existing orders. At NYU, some students are putting their phones away, to see what happens when you actually have to talk to the person in front of you. One sophomore tells us about the exhilaration and the challenges involved. Two people are suing a New Jersey company for "tomato fraud" — claiming it sold them canned San Marzanos that turned out to really be some tasteless, commonplace substitute. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that supposes the tomatoes were whole, but the customers were crushed.

Canada's next Governor General will be former Supreme Court justice and war crimes prosecutor Louise Arbour. One of her former clerks tells us this appointment is the perfect choice for Canada. The City of Amsterdam bans ads for fossil fuel products and meat in city-owned public spaces — and our guest says it's necessary in the fight for a better future. The Montreal Canadiens have made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — and the owner of a local pub tells us his customers are hoping the Habs can buffalo the Buffalo Sabres. An animal disease expert tells us what's next for passengers on a nightmare cruise in which three people have died after an outbreak of hantavirus — a disease typically contracted from rodents. The winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing tells us why he felt compelled to share the traumatic story of surviving last year's flash flooding in Texas that killed dozens — including his young nephew. Running for coverage. A new private member's bill is hoping to secure better cell coverage for rural communities. The Quebec MP behind it says it’s not just a matter of convenience, but of public safety. Coming unglued. Elmer the kitten falls into a bucket of paste, but is spared a gluesome end. An abrupt change of heart. A CPR instructor was demonstrating the symptoms of a heart attack for his students when he began having the symptoms of an actual heart attack. Luckily, he survived to tell us what happened next. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that makes a good first compression.

Ottawa's new law restoring citizenship to so called "Lost Canadians" — is prompting a flood of calls from Americans looking to get proof of their Canadian citizenship. Canada announces new military funding for Ukraine — and one analyst tells us the cash infusion is timely, given Russia's faltering campaign. Researchers say that, by the turn of the next century, New Orleans will be a vulnerable island in the Gulf of Mexico — so now is the time to relocate the entire city. Palestinian-Canadian artist Samar Hejazi is the designer behind the two hundred very shiny mannequin heads on display at tonight's Met Gala exhibit. She'll reflect on what they'll reflect. The competitors were trembling with excitement before Saturday's thrilling Chihuahua races in Calgary. And most of them trembled afterwards too, for whatever reason. At last, scientists believe they've figured out why male mayflies consistently perform a bizarre dance in the air —which sometimes lands them inside your mouth. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that knows sometimes a bug puts itself in your ear.

When Jihan Kikhia was six, her father went to Cairo for a human rights conference. He never came back. Jihan and her mother sit down with Nil Köksa in the "As It Happens" studio for a conversation about her new documentary: "My Father and Qaddafi." It follows her search for answers about how her father became an official in Muammar Qaddafi's government, then a leader of the democratic opposition movement and, ultimately, a target.

Nil Köksal speaks with director Kim Nguyen about his new documentary "Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom." In it, he pulls back the curtain on one of the most famous images from the Vietnam War: Saigon Execution. The film explores how the act of violence captured in that picture, and its aftermath, have rippled through generations, and tells the stories of those who've had to live with its impact.

In the midst of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, France's envoy for climate explains how his country's timely plan to ditch oil, coal and gas completely is going to work. Researchers at McGill University have no problem with the federal government protecting young people against online harms -- they just want young people to have a say in writing those laws. Our guest shares his anxiety about an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could lead to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitians, including him and his family. A shelter in Fredericton, New Brunswick once welcomed everyone. Now it's shut down. We'll find out where the people who relied on it will be sleeping tonight. We'll pay tribute to the late Mattel toy designer Roger Sweet -- who created a toy that muscled its way into the hearts and rec rooms of millions: the super-buff superhero He-Man. A filmmaker is forced to check his Oscar, after airport security claims it could be used as a weapon. And then the airline promptly loses it. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that supposes they were worried it could become a mile-high club.

Three million Albertans discover the personal info they entrusted to provincial elections officials has wound up in the hands of a separatist group and Calgary professor Tom Keenan says that’s a betrayal. In honour of his late brother, Toronto Blue Jays star Davis Schneider partners with the makers of Narcan — the nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. The head of the UN’s humanitarian agency Tom Fletcher says governments would rather spend on war than aid — even when there’s more than enough money to help millions of people in need. Canada's Public Sector Integrity Commissioner tells us her office is worn down by a flood of complaints — and it needs more than a trickle of new funding. Jonathan Wilkinson will go from being a North Vancouver MP to Canada’s new Ambassador to the EU. He gives us the diplomatic answer to a big question: should Canada join? A veteran war correspondent tells us that, nowadays, a press flak jacket puts a target on a journalist's back — and she's calling for independent investigations into the killings of reporters in war zones. Visitors flock to a San Francisco pier to see a local celebrity who's really throwing his weight around: the stout, unflappable, one-tonne sea lion known as "Chonkers." As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that hopes the docks don't succumb to his pier pressure.