As It Happens

Winner of ‘Nobel Prize for math’ on the threat posed by AI

We hear from the first Canadian-based winner of the prestigious Fields Medal about why he's leaving academia to work for the safety department of OpenAI. With their new blockade, Houthi rebels add the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the list of conflict-clogged waterways in the Middle East — and our guest warns that's increasing pressure on the region. Cuts to USAID left millions of people around the world without vital support — and an advocate in Nepal says that's forced many of her colleagues to turn to sex work just to survive. Five years after it was shut down, a beloved Los Angeles landmark will welcome moviegoers once again — thanks in part to our guest's campaign to save L.A.'s Cinerama Dome. Two of Spain's World Cup heroes make a triumphant return to their hometown to receive the traditional reward: their own weight in local tomatoes. As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that has words of praise for any champ with a lot of tomatoes: arrabi-attaboy!

This four-foot-six woman is Matt Damon’s Odyssey stunt double

Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson tells us how he and his colleagues are reacting to the Prime Minister's plan to deal with Donald Trump's 50% tariff threat.Despite her diminutive size, Canadian Devyn Dalton was the perfect stunt double for Matt Damon in The Odyssey. She shares her perspective on the epic — and on the now-viral clip of him praising her muscular arms. For the first time in almost a decade, Indigenous Arctic leaders are gathering in person for the Inuit Circumpolar Council's General Assembly, and the Council’s outgoing chair tells us how they're handling new challenges from the south.We hear from a Newfoundland singer who rolled with it when the pop star Kesha jumped on stage at her pub gig. A primatologist says we could learn a thing or two about keeping the peace from chimps and bonobos — who reduce conflict before stressful events by kissing and cuddling.As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that believes it ain't bonobody's business if they do.

Is Windsor-Detroit bridge deal compromise or capitulation?

The deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge at last may not be as good for Canada as the Prime Minister has suggested — and tensions are rising on both sides. A new study finds construction and trade workers make up a disproportionate amount of opioid deaths in Ontario. A former labourer and opioid user tells us what led him and his colleagues to use drugs on and off the job. Donald Trump's new tariff threats target a puzzling range of products from hockey sticks to honey; the founder of an Indigenous-owned cosmetics brand says she was shocked to find lipstick on the list. An archaeologist tells us about rediscovering the remains of five Egyptian princesses — and says she now believes they were talented fighters who wielded the weapons they were buried with. When Luverne, Minnesota needed a tourism boost, a local nonagenarian’s nutcracker collection helped inspire them to build what they believe to be the world’s largest nutcracker. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that takes you back to where it all pecan.

Was Ontario ready for this year’s wildfires?

After more than a week of catastrophic wildfires across Northwestern Ontario, the province’s minister of emergency preparedness responds to criticism that her government was not prepared for this emergency. A former Alberta representative to Washington says Canada shouldn't meekly give in to Donald Trump's tariffs, or angrily retaliate — but do a third thing, which she'll explain. It took 48 hours before Alberta issued an amber alert in the disappearance of an autistic boy; our guest says that's clear evidence that it's time for new rules about emergency alerts. A political opponent who was once jailed by Daniel Ortega responds to the Nicaraguan President's pledge to end elections in his country, once and for all. Anita LeBrun was shocked to learned her nursing home couldn't serve her alcohol. So she campaigned to get a state law changed — and now the drinks are on her.You can buy a piece of the New Jersey field where the FIFA World Cup final was played — but a local lawmaker thinks the whole deal is a sod state of affairs. "As It Happens," the Tuesday edition. Radio that's a turf act to follow.

Her unique connection with the UK’s new leader

Andy Burnham is sworn in as the latest British Prime Minister, and our guest says the way he helped bring her abducted daughter home — is proof that he's the right person to lead her country.A group representing Iranians in the US has filed a new lawsuit alleging the American government worked with the Iranian regime to fast-track the deportation of asylum seekers.Two First Nations in Ontario have been destroyed by wildfires in less than a week. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler describes the scale of the loss.Ontario Premier Doug Ford responds to new tariff threats by US President Donald Trump over lousy air quality south of the border, because of Canadian wildfires. A nurse in Michigan describes the experience of contracting cyclospora — the parasite that has caused thousands of nasty cases of diarrhea in the US. She tells us it’s unlike anything she’s ever treated — or lived through herself. Researchers ask birdwatchers to stop using technology to "enhance" pictures of their avian discoveries —because it's messing with science. As It Happens, the Monday Edition. Radio that has no time for cheep tricks.