As It Happens

A Globe and Mail reporter reveals that, for the first time in a century, the Canadian military has modeled a hypothetical U.S. invasion of Canada.At a tense public meeting, a group of New Brunswick residents expressed serious opposition to a planned new gas plant. A vice-president of the utility tells us public support does matter -- but so does keeping the lights on. A reporter in Chile tells us how fire overcame one coastal community in the blink of an eye -- and shocked locals are now wondering if this is the new normal.The tale of a small, strangely popular boulder in British Columbia called "Portable" -- which is finally heading back to where it belongs, months after it went missing. And.... A new scientific paper introduces the world to a brilliant cow by the name of Veronika -- who uses a broom to sweep away her itches, in an incredible example of bovine tool use. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that assumes she just started from scratch. 

Donald Trump is threatening to hit Europe with tariffs for their support of Greenland, a Swedish Member of Parliament tells us it’s time for the EU to take the gloves off, and launch what's known as the trade bazooka. The U.S. president has invited world leaders to join his new Board of Peace, overseeing the future of Gaza. A former diplomat says he's not sure there's room for all these peace-makers to say their piece. A civil liberties advocate tells us her organization is hoping Canada's Supreme Court will rule that random police stops are unconstitutional -- because they've enabled racial profiling for too long.For about 20 years, the smell from an abandoned fish sauce plant has tormented the people of a Newfoundland town. But the mayor says he's hopeful non-odour will be restored. We'll celebrate the 80th birthday of an artist who's been platinum since she started out: the endlessly quotable Dolly Parton. We'll hear from the man who set a new world record for fastest garbage can -- who says he's scared every time he drives it.As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that guesses the former fastest garbage can is now just a has-bin.

Prime Minister Carney strikes a deal on Canadian canola exports with China; I’ll speak with an Alberta farmer who’s feeling cautiously optimistic -- after losing six figures to the trade war. Canadian auto industry leaders are feeling incautiously pessimistic about a new deal with China, saying a promise to import Chinese-made EVs puts the domestic auto sector on the road to ruin.Hearing the other side from the other side. Our guest says he was talking to Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine just moments before security forces took him away -- further evidence, he says, that the presidential election was rigged from the start. A CBC journalist is heading to Italy -- not to cover the Olympics, but to cover the skis of Canadian biathlon athletes with wax; to make sure everything, and everyone, goes smoothly. A reporter in Florida is being criticized for commiserating with the local NFL coach after a huge loss, instead of questioning him. In one Swedish community, it's an annual tradition for authorities to dismantle a particular sculpture chop-chop -- because it’s a giant, distracting snow penis in the center of a roundabout.As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that guesses it doesn't always help to be a member of the inner circle.

A former U.S. Army Commander calls on American military leaders to stand up to President Trump. And says if they don't, far more than Greenland's sovereignty is at stake. An Alberta physician tells us his hospital's ER is filled with, quote, "carnage and chaos" -- and says it's past time the province declared a state of emergency. A mayor in British Columbia is relieved after the province cancels a pilot program decriminalizing small amounts of illicit drugs -- and calls for involuntary treatment instead. After Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system leave residents of Kyiv vulnerable to freezing temperatures, some decide to leave. But our guest says she's staying put in the city.The coach of Norway's ski jump team is suspended for doctoring his athletes' suits -- by making the crotches more aerodynamic. An Irish man is called to respond to an overturned truck -- and is shocked to discover that a) its contents spilled on the road, and b) those contents are 15, 000 live crabs. As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that urges you to stay right there -- don't change that crustacean! 

Quebec's premier resigned abruptly today; we'll find out what that means for the upcoming provincial election -- and the prospect of yet another Parti Quebecois-initiated referendum on independence. Several top prosecutors resign over the US Justice Department's refusal to investigate the ICE agent who killed Renee Good. We'll hear from a veteran of the department who quit last year to apply pressure from the outside. Months before Rosa Parks, and at just 15 years old, the late Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus; a close friend honours a quiet hero of the civil rights movement. Today's big White House meeting does not seem to have diminished Donald Trump's troubling yearning for Greenland -- but the government of Denmark is still very keen on dissuading the president. Health inspectors give a Michelin-starred restaurant in Wales a one-star rating for hygiene -- but the chef says the grossness is grossly exaggerated. A biologist introduces us to the sea lions in the Galapagos Islands known as "supersucklers" -- which, as you may have already figured out, are called that because they milk their mothers for all they're worth. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that takes you on an uncomfortable stroll down mammary lane. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is off to Beijing -- and a former Canadian ambassador to China tells us he'll need to balance security and human rights concerns on one side, and the need for new trade commitments on the other.Dozens of high-level economic officials in the U.S. come to the defence of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell -- who says criminal allegations are just part of Donald Trump's attempt to politicize the central bank. The executive director of Kashechewan First Nation is racing to get people out after its water treatment plant failed. He says help -- and a permanent fix -- can't come fast enough.It's still true that microplastics are pretty much everywhere -- but our guest says some high-profile assertions about their impact on the human body may have been overblown. The U.S. Postal Service recognizes Muhammad Ali with an official stamp -- and his widow tells us she's pleased as punch. Good news for the flightless parrot known as the kakapo -- a bumper crop of berries means a future bumper crop of baby kakapos.As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that's kind of a chick magnet. Radio that looks forward to a rise in helicopter parroting. 

Iran continues its crackdown on protesters, Donald Trump continues to muse about American military intervention -- and our guest is increasingly fearful about her country's future.After more than two years of war, students in Gaza have gone back to school -- in many cases, in UNICEF tents because there's no safe school building to go back to.Venezuela's interim government promises to release political prisoners arrested under the Maduro regime -- but one prisoner's son says that promise is hollow. A chimpanzee researcher tells us about her team's analysis of young chimps' behaviour -- and what their proclivity for risk-taking can teach us about how humans parent. Every Saturday morning, Texans line up around the block to buy a loaf of bread from a woman who's a real sourdough starter self-starter -- she's running a bakery business on her front lawn. A California man finally manages to drive a bear out of his crawlspace and back into the forest -- with the help of an elite, humane bear extraction team.As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that gives this story a one out of den.

An Iranian-Canadian tells us she's ready to accept all the risks associated with a U-S military intervention, if it means ousting the regime threatening her loved ones' lives.We reach a Minneapolis council member -- who tells us why she's urging her constituents to keep the pressure on the federal government as ICE agents remain in the city.Yesterday on this show, the chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation had some tough questions for Manitoba Hydro about the outage that has displaced his community. Today, Manitoba Hydro responds.Earlier this week, Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro seemed to be mending things, but we'll play you part of a recent BBC interview with the Colmbian president in which he's pulling no punches when it comes to his view of the United States.The costume designer for "Heated Rivalry" says she had no inkling show would take off like it has -- let alone spark an obsession with one piece of clothing in particular.A canine Houdini cracks two locks to make his get-away from a shelter -- and back into the arms of his owner. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that admires his escape claws.

A Minnesotan tells us she has no choice but to keep monitoring ICE operations in Minneapolis, particularly after an agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good yesterday. But she says she won't be using her car to block them.A Canadian senator says it’s time for the Government of Canada to get off Elon Musk’s social media platform – amid new allegations that its AI chatbot is creating images of child pornography. The Chief of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation says he's finally been able to show Manitoba government officials the extent of the damage after a days-long power outage -- but it hasn't lessened his anger or anguish.Botanist Martin Cheek returns to the program to reveal his Royal botanic garden's annual list of the top 10 new plants and fungi.A New Jersey cheesesteak restaurant needs you help! The bar's beloved conversation piece -- which happens to be a walrus penis bone -- was just stolen.We’ll meet the self-proclaimed ambassador for the polka-centric instrument that Germany is officially celebrating this year.As It Happens, the Thursday edition, Radio that rarely goes accordion to plan.

An activist in Minneapolis tells us about plans to honour the 37-year-old woman shot dead by an ICE agent this morning. It's a shooting government officials insist was done in self-defence. The city's mayor says video proves that assertion is quote -- garbage.A former member of Venezuela's opposition says he's losing patience with Donald Trump -- who he says is not moving fast enough to push for true change in his country. With the passing of the infamous double agent Aldrich Ames, a journalist who knew him well tells us his motivation wasn't ideological -- but a twisted love story.  We hear from a Quebec researcher who learns about how predators and prey move in the wild, through a serious game of adult tag. A marriage proposal on a ski vacation goes downhill fast when the hopeful groom-to-be drops the ring.The sound of war horns once struck fear in the hearts of Roman soldiers facing Celtic warrior tribes -- but we hear from an archeologist who was delighted to discover one of the Iron Age instruments on the site of an English housing development. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that rarely toots its own horn.

An Indigenous Greenlander and former MP says he welcomes more support from Canada as the U.S. President repeats and ramps up his annexation threats.As Donald Trump vows to "take back" Venezuelan oil, an expert in Alberta weighs in on the impact that may have on the Canadian oil industry. A Democratic Congressman marks the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol by digging up a memorial plaque that's supposed to be displayed prominently -- but he’s up against Republicans who have it hidden away in a basement.A Quebec teacher says new provincial civility rules that ask students to address teachers with more formal titles aren’t about improving education as the government says.The Grammy Awards are recognizing the best album cover for the first time in fifty years. One nominee tells us what that recognition means for his art -- and to the music it represents.Jumping to conclusions. In an effort to cut down on paperwork, a Utah police department starts using AI software to generate police reports. And then, presumably, has to do more paperwork after one report says an officer transformed into a frog. As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that keeps you on your toads.

A political analyst in Caracas tells us there's an eerie quiet and a feeling of disbelief -- as it sinks in that Nicolas Maduro is no longer in charge.The ousted Venezuelan president was brought to a Manhattan courthouse today in shackles – as questions swirl about the legalities of his capture.Ontario premier Doug Ford’s return-to-office-mandate takes full effect this week – despite backlash from public sector workers.After the second major water main break in as many years, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is asking Calgarians to conserve water -- so that the city doesn't run out.After spending nearly eleven hours reading “The Hobbit” to his patrons, a bar owner in St. John’s tells us the endeavour -- and the money it raised -- was totally worth it.New research helps uncover exactly how the throat colours of the side-blotched lizard evolved to help win over mates -- a process scientists liken to a game of rock paper scissors.As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that's dying to know what tips the scales.

On a special "Hometowns Revisited" edition, we'll take a look back at some of our favourite small town stories of the year that just ended.We'll hear from a man who spent months crossing Canada from town to town, relying on the kindness of strangers -- and listening to their stories. St. Thomas, Ontario vows to effectively end homelessness within its borders; a woman who spent years on the streets reflects on whether that's a promise kept.A decade after its release, a haunting song about the town of Vulcan, Alberta by the Rural Alberta Advantage is a fan favourite. The songwriter tells us he wrote it without even knowing about his own Vulcan roots.In Vulcan, we meet a tall drink of milk named Beef, who holds the Guinness World Record for world's tallest steer. His owner fills us in on what it takes to keep Beef full.As It Happens, the Friday edition. Radio that knows exactly where the Beef is. In Vulcan, Alberta. I literally just told you that. 

We'll look back at the heroic figures we spoke with over the past year -- and, regrettably, the dastardly villains, who were actually sometimes the same people. A Sydney snake removal expert arrives at a job to discover a truly mind-boggling number of snakes -- but he rises to the occasion while they're writhing to the occasion. Despite the pain, Lizanne Wilmot put the pedals to the medal, and blazed a new trail on the old-timey bicycle known as the "penny farthing". There's definitely a hero in the surprising story of an octopus hitching a ride on a shark -- we're just not sure whether it's the octopus or the shark, or the hybrid creature they form together known as "sharktopus". A jealous woodpecker lays siege to a Massachusetts town -- shattering reflective surfaces everywhere to destroy the enemy he sees, which is, of course, himself. As It Happens, the New Year's Day edition. Radio that knows not everyone benefits from a moment of reflection. 

Hollywood actors and writers are anxious about AI filmmaking, but one Bollywood director tells us that, as far as many Indian creators are concerned, it's democratizing the process. Many Calgarians are once again under a boil-water advisory after the second major water main break in as many years -- and this one left our guest stranded on the roof of her truck.  Our guest fills us in on his annual headline-of-the-year bracket -- where the entrants range from the sublime to the ridiculous, except for the sublime part. We revisit our conversation with the Oscar-winning filmmaker Molly O'Brien and her pioneering aunt, Orin O'Brien -- about Orin's many years as the only female member of the New York Philharmonic. We'll hear what it was like to play for Leonard Bernstein -- and why artistry and acclaim don't always go hand in hand. A California man says the 550-pound black bear living underneath his house is no longer welcome -- but for obvious reasons, the bear does not care about that. As It Happens, the New Year's Eve Edition. Radio that knows it's gross when your roommate walks around bear-foot. 

First, airstrikes on alleged drug boats from Venezuela. Then the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers. Now, after an attack on Venezuelan soil, we reach Democrat Adam Smith. Israel is suspending dozens of aid groups for failing to comply with new registration rules -- rules the Norwegian Refugee Council says would jeopardize the safety of their Palestinian staff. When a LinkedIn user saw her engagement tanking, she started using more masculine language. She says the results tell a worrying story about gender bias on social media platforms. In a brief Christmas miracle, a beloved river wave in a Munich park was restored by a surfing vigilante. But then the city stepped in -- and now, a surfer says things are about to get gnarly. The neighbours who once mocked the late Cecilia Gimenez for her botched, simian portrait of Jesus now pay tribute to a woman whose botch job saved their jobs.A Tennessee teacher tells us what kept her at the blackboard for 61 years and 43 days -- the world record for the longest serving teacher in the same school. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that reflects on a campaign of chalk and awe.

Donald Trump says a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is closer than ever -- but a Ukrainian MP tells us he's not sure where the US president is getting his information.  They're about to resume the underwater search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 -- and an independent investigator says it has the best chance yet of solving the enduring mystery of the plane's disappearance.A British researcher who's spent 15 years cataloguing the distinct scents of cities and towns around the world shares her olfactory insights -- including the smell of Montreal in the morning. The death of Annette Dionne has people around the world remembering her and the other Dionne Quints as mid-century Canadian celebrities. But our guest says that fame was often a hardship. Now that the Christmas dust has settled, we'll hear Roch Carrier's reading of the 'The Hockey Sweater', the tale of a timeless rivalry in a time before online shopping. Gävle, Sweden's famous straw ruminant has been attacked yet again -- and this time, it wasn't arsonists or birds, but Nature itself. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that reports on a serious bleatdown.

"Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." Well, tonight's show contains a lot of genius -- but we've cleaned up all the sweat and just left you with the inspiration. If you're looking for fashion inspiration, why not look to the trend-setting chimpanzees -- who are accessorizing with blades of grass placed delicately in their ears, and, even more delicately, in their butts. Anna Brynald of Denmark won the whole shebang this year at the world's most important seagull-impersonating contest -- by keeping her feet on the ground and screeching for the stars. The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra produces music from produce -- although, when you first hear it, you might feel like you've been sold a bill of gourds. At 14 years old, Pearl is now the world's oldest living chicken -- and her owner credits her longevity to her joie de vivre, and her close friendship with a mop. When Mitchell O'Brien found himself being slowly swallowed by a patch of quicksand, he and a longtime friend admitted they both admired one another romantically -- emphasis on "mire". 

Buckle your seatbelt and prepare for take-off. Here is "Fireside" Al Maitland's classic reading of "The Shepherd", by the late Frederick Forsyth.Mr. Forsyth lived many lives before becoming a best-selling author, including the life of a RAF pilot. He told us what it's like to be thousands of metres in the sky when fog sets in, and how that experience inspired his haunting Christmas story.When Tony Kent was growing up reading gripping thrillers, including "The Day of the Jackal," he never imagined that one day he would help write Mr. Forsyth's final novel -- and that he'd be on the same book cover as the man he idolized. The annual broadcast of "The Shepherd" has become a tradition for the program. And, that is in large part because of the calls and emails we've received from listeners ever since it first aired in 1979.

As Brown University tries to reassure its community about safety on campus...we reach a student who’s been here before. While Australia has vowed to crack down on hate speech, a politician there says antisemitism has become 'part of life' in his country.  The World Health Organization's chief scientist tells us why the W-H-O is taking a closer look at traditional remedies...and says it's time to marry many of those with modern medicine. As It Happens holiday readings are kicking into high gear. There's only one more sleep until our annual broadcast of 'The Shepherd.' Tonight we present Chris Howden's annual reading of a Cape Breton classic that highlights the bittersweet notes of a Christmas get-together. Heads Will Scroll. A BC highschool student heads to the finals of an international scholarship competition ... with a video that lays out the science that keeps us addicted to our phones. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that appreciates his off-screen achievement.