As It Happens

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.