As It Happens

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.

The families of the victims of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge are suing OpenAI for not alerting authorities to the shooter's troubling use of its chatbot. Their lawyer tells us, unlike CEO Sam Altman, he's met with the families -- and they're prepared for a fight. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is vowing to ban AI chatbots and social media for anyone under the age of sixteen. He'll tell us how he's planning to make his proposal work IRL. A Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist is finally free after being held in a labour camp in Belarus. A colleague tells us what it was like to lay eyes on his friend for the first time in years. After discovering a touching letter to a grand-daughter left in a book, a Washington D.C. woman goes to great lengths to track down the recipient she knew only as "Jackie." A farmer tells us she definitely knew her ewe Teemu was pregnant -- but she had no idea just how pregnant... A surprising study reveals that urban birds react differently to different genders -- and, for some reason, are noticeably more frightened of women. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that serves up the surly bird special.

The Liberal government is painting a rosy picture of Canada's financial situation — but we'll ask the Conservative finance critic for his assessment of the spring economic statement. There's a lot of talk about petitions and referendums on the subject of Alberta separating from Canada — but a new poll of Albertans suggests that actual support for the idea remains tepid. A winner in this year’s World Press Photo Contest tells us about her work documenting labour abuses in Saudi Arabia — including a mother and her daughter who was forced to live for years without legally existing. A colleague remembers American diplomat Lionel Rosenblatt — who led an unsanctioned trip to Vietnam in the last days of the war, to get hundreds of Vietnamese civilians safely out. A Winnipeg woman was mid-chat with friends not far from her house when she suddenly found herself armpit-deep underground. She'll share the hole story. A group of customers sue Trader Joe's after a discovery that made them angry and sleepy: they learned the store had sold them half-caf coffee without divulging that it was half-caf. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that figures you can stir that coffee — but it won't stir you.

An economist casts a skeptical eye on the federal government's new sovereign wealth fund — and critics who are calling it a "debt fund" may have a point. The King has made the first official royal visit to the U.S. in 20 years and our guest tells us the monarch has his work cut out for him as a guest of the unpredictable American president. A Washington Post reporter who was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when a gunman entered the building says she's been processing what happened by digging into how it happened. Classical music fans around the world are heartbroken at the death of American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. A fellow at the training orchestra he founded describes his profound impact. Researchers witness a peaceful transfer of power from one naked mole rat queen to another, upending the assumption that such successions are always violent affairs. A group of Alberta researchers determine that the sensation that makes you feel your house is haunted may be caused by groaning pipes rather than vengeful phantoms. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that's glad they finished their séance project.

Nil Köksal speaks with Rick Westhead about the documentary "Code of Misconduct" which follows his reporting that led to the trial — and eventual acquittal — of members of Canada's National Junior hockey team, as well as his attempt to figure out what has gone wrong in Canada's national sport.

Vancouver’s mayor makes the pitch for a Major League Baseball team in his city -- and responds to critics who say the idea will remain in the Field of Dreams. On Wednesday, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday. A colleague tells us she never stopped doing work she believed in, even in the face of threats. The family of a 19-year-old Nova Scotian was shocked to learn hospital staff sent him to a homeless shelter less than a day after he attempted suicide. A Nigerian scientist tells us about her shock and delight at receiving the prize known as the "Green Nobel" for her work protecting a species of endangered bats. Comedian Tim Heidecker has played any number of bloviating buffoons over the years -- and if The Onion manages to take over the conspiracy site InfoWars, he could have one of his juiciest roles yet. When you're using Tinder, it helps to be a real people person -- by which I mean Tinder will now allow you to scan your eyeball to prove you're a person who's people -- and not AI. As It Happens, the Friday edition. Radio that's glad they're giving power to the pupil.

The former climate change minister says the impending energy deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will either bolster Canada’s climate commitments -- or ignore them, at our peril. The Bloc Québécois used to hold considerable sway in House of Commons committees, but the party's house leader Christine Normandin says the Liberals are using their new majority to an unfortunate advantage. Canada was the first country to designate the extremist network 764 as a terrorist group -- and now a 26-year-old Quebec man is facing terrorism charges. We remember the late Iris Long, who became a vocal advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS -- and helped speed up approvals for life-saving treatments. A court in Japan sentences a man to 18 months in prison -- because he posted ridiculously thorough spoilers for a movie about a certain giant mutant lizard. And...it's like "The Pitt", except nothing happens and the doctors are moose. Millions of viewers are glued to the round-the-clock livestream of the epically slow, undramatic Swedish moose migration. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that suggests you just absorb it through os-moose-iss.

Hundreds of Afghans risked their lives to help U.S. Forces fight the Taliban. Now, they're being told the U.S. may send them back to Afghanistan...or to Congo. An American vet tells us that's a grave injustice. In the face of a crackdown on protest, young activists in Madagascar worry that the new regime they fought for is as bad as the old one ... or worse. It's not the first time flooding has forced the people of Peguis First Nation out of their homes -- but one resident tells us that this year, the community is newly prepared. A Nunavut man got stranded in a blizzard on the way to a volleyball tournament, walked through the snow for days -- and still managed to go home with the trophy. We unpack the culinary mystery that is the 'Steak Canadian' sandwich -- a British delicacy that one Yorkshire restaurant owner tells us is the absolute best thing few Canadians have ever tasted. An investigation of a collision between two South Korean fighter jets reveals the likely cause: each fortunately uninjured pilot was taking a picture of the other pilot's aircraft. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that knows what it's like to regret a snap decision.

Researchers have identified YouTube accounts starring people purporting to be Albertans, making the case for separation. But it turns out those content creators have never set foot in Wild Rose Country. Former Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole tells us what he's bringing to the table, as the Prime Minister convenes a new council on Canada-U.S. economic relations. Donald Trump will attend the White House Correspondents’ dinner this week, with a room full of journalists he's maligned for years. One of whom hopes her colleagues aren't mealy-mouthed at the meal. In 1907, Tom Longboat made history as the first Indigenous winner of the Boston marathon. Now his great-great grandson is trying to match his winning time. Bruce the parrot has gained the upper hand in his flock despite having lost his upper beak -- and because of what he's learned to do with his lower one. An "endless shrimp" promotion nearly sunk Red Lobster -- but now, a similar deal is back, and restaurant staff could not be more seasick about it. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that's always skeptical of grand prawn-ouncements.

The seizure of an Iranian ship by the U.S. military throws the next round of peace talks into question. And Rob Malley, lead negotiator for the 2015 nuclear deal, tells us if JD Vance should even bother packing his bags. The owner of a gas station in Newfoundland and Labrador tells us customers are thrilled to see prices drop -- now that Ottawa has suspended the excise fuel tax until Labour Day. The U.S. government opens its online portal for tariff refunds; one business owner says the process was smooth -- but he won't relax until he actually gets the enormous sum he believes he's owed. A new study on anglerfish reveals a dual purpose for the lures that protrude from their foreheads -- and suggests at least some of those appendages are for attracting mates. Our guest knitted a Blue Jays sweater during last year's playoff run, and now it's headed to the Canadian Museum of History. She'll tells us how it went from a ball of yarn -- to a heritage moment. After an airborne bandit is photographed with stolen treasure in the UK, someone comes forward to say he doesn't know the thieving bird -- but he does recognize the sausage rolls it's holding. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that's always ready to drop a banger or two.

With long-term care workers in Nova Scotia on strike, a woman whose father is in one of those facilities says the province needs to understand how crucial those workers are to families like hers. Anthropic says its new AI model is so good it poses a grave cybersecurity risk. Our guest says its hard to separate the truth from the hype when most of the information is coming from the company itself. A conservationist shares his concern after the US Senate votes to end a moratorium on new mining projects in an enormous watershed near the Minnesota-Ontario border. We'll hear from a Quebec man who made the decision to follow some smoke to its source -- and ended up saving five people from a house fire. A Houston ice-cream shop owner tells us customers are raving about a seasonal favourite: crawfish-flavoured ice cream, which comes with a full-sized crustacean on top. Air New Zealand introduces bunk beds on economy flights, with a couple of caveats -- one of which is: no couples. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that warns romantic pairs: you'll be separated at berth.

A frustrated ticket-buyer who testified at the Live Nation antitrust trial says she was genuinely shocked that a jury found the company does have a harmful monopoly on concert venues, but it's music to her ears. There's tension between the Vatican and the White House after Pope Leo comes out as pro-peace and anti-tyrant — and U.S. President Donald Trump says the Pope "should get his act together". The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations says her members need more than contrition from the RCMP for surveilling Indigenous people. Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak tells us the police, and CSIS, need to hand over all of the unredacted files. A 91-year-old peace activist walks across Ireland to protest the American military's use of an airport in Shannon — which she says is a direct violation of Irish neutrality. A church in a small British village that rivals the leaning tower of Pisa for its slanted spire also has crooked floors — and the congregation is inclined to do something about it. Millions of years ago, the state of Maryland was teeming with megalodons — and now, lawmakers there have just designated that gigantic, terrifying, fortunately extinct creature the official state shark. As It Happens, the Thursday Edition. Radio that hopes it doesn’t come back to bite them.

As Sudan enters its fourth year of civil war, a Sudanese Canadian tells us what her family had to endure to escape and what the world is losing by ignoring the humanitarian crisis there. The war in Iran has left thousands of civilian sailors trapped on vessels in the Persian — with no idea of when they'll be free. A lawmaker in Maine tells us about the new bill that could make her state the first in the U.S. to pause the development of large AI data centres. Marionettist Ronnie Burkett remembers a children's television legend, puppeteer Sid Krofft — and the hilarious, hallucinatory programming he and his brother Marty created. Adam Wilkie isn't an elite athlete, but he is training to match an Olympic swimming champion's winning time from 50 years ago — because the champion was his late father. A Japanese fire official is suspended for standard workplace infraction that doesn't appear in the employee handbook: designing his own board games and forcing his colleagues in the fire station to play them. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that thinks they were living with a fool's pair of dice.

Mark Carney secures his majority government. And Liberal Party caucus chair James Maloney tells anyone concerned about floor-crossers that growing diversity of opinions in the party is a good thing. The new NDP leader Avi Lewis explains how his party's half-dozen MPs will face off against the new Liberal majority — and how he'll lead them, without a seat of his own in Parliament. Nigeria says an airstrike targeted militants, but an NGO worker investigating the attack says it actually killed as many as 200 civilians shopping at a local market. It's been more than fifty years since anyone screened Inuit films made in the 1970s using sand stop-motion animation — and the ethereal images are enchanting audiences. To lure real sage grouse back to Grand Teton National Park, conservationists are deploying sage grouse robots that mimic the male birds' sensual mating rituals. NASA is taking a victory lap for Artemis's victory loop around the moon, but a backyard astronomer in Australia proves you don't have to work for a big space agency to reach for the stars. A U.S. man wanted to make his own bourbon at home so badly that he challenged a 158-year-old law prohibiting home distilling — and won. Ten years on, a British artist is still seeing red and complaining until he's blue in the face about another British artist, who has exclusive rights to the world's blackest black. As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that wishes they'd make love, not noir.