

As It Happens
CBC
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 3, 2026 • 45min
Is this the next escalation in the war in Iran?
After a U.S. fighter jet goes down in Iran, American forces launch a search-and-rescue mission. A defence expert and retired colonel tells us about that mission -- and what today’s developments mean for the prospect of peace.Researchers in Denmark are painstakingly excavating the wreck of a ship that exploded in battle more than 200 years ago. Our guest tells us what it’s like to get a close-up look.A Radio-Canada investigation spurred by a reporter’s breakfast finds a major Quebec producer selling altered maple syrup. We get to the bottom of the sticky situation.We bring you Fireside Al’s reading of the Oscar Wilde classic “The Selfish Giant” – a reminder that community makes a garden grow.Researchers discover a new way to cook french fries that makes them less greasy -- but just as crispy. Despite the use of a microwave.We reach an engineer who explains the technical features of the Orion spacecraft –- including a piece of infrastructure essential to the Artemis II mission: the toilet. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that boldly goes where no man has gone before.

Apr 2, 2026 • 59min
A former U.S. ambassador to NATO on American going it alone
As the UK hosts an emergency meeting on the Strait of Hormuz, one country is notably absent. A former ambassador says the U.S. is snubbing international allies at a time when it needs them the most. A new report says that if Ottawa's ambitious military spending promises are met, Canadians will need to be prepared for big tax hikes -- and, possibly, deep cuts to other government services.When Syracuse International airport told a sexual harassment lawyer the ad she wanted to run there was a "bit harsh", she sued. And now she's got herself an even bigger billboard. Two, actually.A New Zealand helicopter crew rescues Molly the border collie -- who went missing after her owner accidentally fell 50 metres down a remote waterfall.Scientists discover that male octopuses have a favorite arm -- and, maybe unsurprisingly, it's the one that plays a crucial role in octopus sex. A tour guide in Iceland says even rising costs won’t keep locals from lining up for their unofficial national dish: the hot dog. As It Happens, the Thursday edition, Radio that never shies away from a frank conversation.

Apr 1, 2026 • 56min
His great-grandfather’s legacy at the U.S. Supreme Court
A century ago, Wong Kim Ark took his fight for birthright citizenship in the U.S. all the way to the Supreme Court; today, his great-grandson was at the court as the government argued to overturn it. An American journalist is kidnapped in Baghdad by a militia allied with Iran; a former colleague tells us Shelly Kittleson is a "gutsy" reporter who believes in the importance of the work, despite the risks.A petition in support of Alberta separatism now has more than 170,000 signatures; one of the organizers tells us why he's so keen to extricate his province from the country. We'll meet a Columbia Business School professor who decided the best way to deal with his students' use of AI was to create his own chatbot to help them learn. The detailed designs for hundreds of thousands of ships are being made available to the public for the first time -- including the plans for the Titanic.A once-wild mustang sets a new world record by performing dozens of complex tasks in under 3 minutes; his trainer explains how she taught an old horse new tricks.As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that supposes the doubters were saddle-ly mistaken.

Mar 31, 2026 • 1h 13min
What Stephen Lewis meant to activism in Africa
Stephen Lewis tackled global issues such as poverty, AIDS and children in armed conflict. An African activist remembers her friend’s "fiery" passion for justice -- and his ability to connect with anyone to bring about change. A member of the Knesset shares her objection to a new law that allows for the hanging of Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis -- legislation that doesn't apply to Israelis who commit similar crimes. As NASA prepares to send the first Canadian to the moon, fellow astronaut Joshua Kutryk shares his excitement about that journey -- and what could come next.Derek Sheely died after suffering a head injury during a college football practice. Now his mom is raising awareness by modifying a popular NFL video game to replicate what it’s like to play after a big hit. A fourteen-year-old hockey player and a former NHLer pay tribute to the Dawson City Nuggets' attempt at a Stanley Cup victory, by transporting the trophy to a local tournament by dogsled. A Wisconsin petting zoo owner describes the three-day rescue effort after her adolescent kangaroo escaped, despite a 2-and-a-half-metre-high fence.As It Happens, the Tuesday edition. Radio that senses it was a roo'd awakening.

Mar 30, 2026 • 1h 3min
Two takes on the NDP’s new leader
Avi Lewis marks his first full day at the helm of the NDP. A longtime strategist tells us why he thinks this puts the party back on a path to power...but not everyone is convinced. We reach Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi who says the new leader has a lot of work to do...especially in western Canada. Donald Trump says the US is making "great progress" in negotiations with Iran. But with talk of a looming ground invasion, a professor in Qatar tells us what's likely happening behind the scenes. We'll reach a food bank in Moose Jaw that says steadily rising visits have forced it to take a step it never wanted to. As gas prices hit new highs around the world, two Australian states respond by giving transit users a free ride. Nestle wants consumers to be on the lookout after some sticky-fingered thieves make off with over four hundred thousand Kit Kats in a brazen candy heist. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that thinks, one way or another, we'll see the perpetrators behind bars.

Mar 27, 2026 • 51min
Which path will the NDP choose?
After a crushing defeat in last year's elections, the NDP are about to choose a new leader; a party strategist tells us each of the apparent front-runners offers New Democrats a different path forward. Because of a partial government shutdown, American airport security workers haven't been paid since mid-February. Now politicians say paycheques are on the way. Our guest says she'll believe it when she sees it. A new bill threatens to roll back transgender rights in India. The founder of an LGBTQ+ organization there tells us her community isn't about to let that happen without a fight. Scientists capture rare video footage of a sperm whale giving birth -- and discover that the whale's family and friends were there to help out. A resident of Annapolis, Maryland, tells us her community's unusual way of celebrating spring will really knock your socks off -- and then set them on fire. The mayor of Ottawa posted a photo of a city park on the brink of spring -- but critics, of whom there are many, think it looks more like a hellscape on the brink of the apocalypse.As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that guesses he thought "Ottawa" -- but they thought he ought not-awa.

Mar 26, 2026 • 59min
Is the tide turning against social media giants in court?
A U.S. jury finds Meta and YouTube designed their products to be addictive. I'll speak with a woman whose daughter died by suicide -- in part, she says, because of what she saw when she scrolled. For the first time in decades, Canada has met its defence spending target. Former army commander Andrew Leslie tells us this kind of support is past due -- and the work is far from over. We've got an all-dressed, two-for-one, double-decker feast of tales about the sandwich-obsessed city of Philadelphia. First: roll reversal. We hear from a bestselling romance author who's in trouble because one of her characters commits the cardinal sin of calling a sandwich from a Philadelphia chain a "sub" rather than a "hoagie." And...high steaks. The only way to rescue the words "world's longest airport line" is to follow them immediately with "made entirely of cheese steaks"; we'll hear from the folks in Philly who made that dream a reality.As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that gives you plenty to chew on.

Mar 25, 2026 • 59min
A former Lebanese politician on his country’s predicament
Israel announces plans to occupy part of Southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah vows to continue fighting “without limits.” A former Lebanese minister tells us his people are caught in the middle -- and paying a heavy price.Ontario's education minister tells schools to make sure that graduation ceremonies contain no "political views." A Toronto school board trustee says the minister is tackling an imaginary problem. A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter are still in ICE custody after more than ten days. Her mother tells us she wouldn't wish this on anybody. A former student remembers a groundbreaking Canadian primatologist who changed the way we see and understand orangutans ... and ourselves. The people of a very small Texas town would appreciate it if people would stop stealing all their signs -- no matter how much the thieves are delighted by the fact that the town is called Bug Tussle.A German handball team is filled with angst after someone steals the silver plate they were awarded for winning the championship -- but then they find it in the weirdest place, and crack the trophy case themselves.As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that hopes they appreciated those stolen moments.

Mar 24, 2026 • 59min
The system she knew was “unsafe” all along
A new report issues dozens of recommendations to repair Canada’s sports system after concluding abuse is rampant; our guest says this is just official recognition of what many athletes know all too well.Both sides are talking about how the U.S. and Iran are talking, or not talking -- but a pro-regime analyst in Tehran tells us that Donald Trump's claims about negotiations are more about calming the markets than ending the war.A years-long CBC investigation confirms that, in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, the RCMP infiltrated and spied on Indigenous organizations -- as part of what they called a “Native extremism program”. A new study reveals that Neanderthals may have figured out how to stave off infections with the help of birch bark -- much farther back than we knew.A pitbull went missing from her family’s yard more than a decade ago -- and tonight, a Pennsylvania pet-owner tells us what it was like to be reunited with the long-lost pooch she never fur-got.An Austrian man sets out to break a record for inserting uninflated, oiled balloons into his nostril and pulling them out of his mouth -- an astonishing...where are you going? I'm not done explaining.As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that reflects on the dangers of rampant inflation.

Mar 23, 2026 • 59min
What an air traffic controller sees in the LaGuardia crash
After two pilots are killed at LaGuardia, a longtime air traffic controller tries to answer the question we're all asking: how was a fire truck cleared to cross a runway at the exact moment an Air Canada plane was landing?A doctor in Edmonton says she doesn't know what the Alberta government's new legislation restricting access to MAID is supposed to do, but she knows what it will do: make difficult conversations even harder. Turns out Nigel Farage isn't just making a political comeback in the U.K., he's also making personalized videos on Cameo -- including some for right-wing extremists, and a Canadian neo-Nazi group. Andrew Scott is being honoured by the Halifax art school he dropped out of to perform with a band that seemed promising -- and 35 years later, he says he still can't believe he gets to make music with Sloan. A herpetologist stumbles across a newly discovered species of spider that pretends to be covered in zombie-like fungus to avoid being eaten -- and to eat others.What’s dung is dung. But in one Ontario city, people are demanding to know whose dung is making a huge mess -- and a pigeon expert insists her clients have a built-in alibi. As It Happens, the Monday edition. Radio that guess they may be dirty -- but they're not stool pigeons.


