As It Happens: The Friday Edition
Part One
COVID: business relief
The federal government announces a huge program to help businesses pay their workers during the pandemic. A Vancouver restaurant owner tells us it'll help keep him afloat, for now.
Sydney Loney surgery cancelled
First, she learned her double mastectomy had been cancelled. Then, she discovered she's not the only one having vital surgery put off as hospitals prepare for a surge of COVID-19 cases.
From our archives: sharing pants guy
Sharing is caring, but sharing your pants is ... just on a whole other level. We reached into the archives and pulled out two men. One of whom was in need of pants.
Part Two
NYC hospitals
It's going to get worse before it gets any better. A Brooklyn doctor says he and his colleagues are already facing war-zone-like conditions -- and the peak is still to come.
Ancient donkey polo
Researchers discover some very, very old donkey bones that prove aristocrats used the humble animal to play polo in China about a thousand years ago. Now that's braying power.
Part Three
Encore: One Day
Gene Weingarten believes every day contains amazing stories. To prove it, the Washington Post journalist picked a random date out of a hat. And it wasn't a propitious one. It was a quiet Sunday in the news doldrums between Christmas and New Year's Day.
As It Happens was produced this week by:
Jeanne Armstrong
Kate Cornick
Katie Geleff
Sheena Goodyear
Chris Harbord
Sarah Jackson
Morgan Passi
Kevin Robertson
Chloe Shantz-Hilkes
Kate Swoger
and Lindsay Tsuji.
Our technicians this week are Reynold Gonsalves, Billy Heaton and AnnMarie Karugonjo. The show directors this week are Kevin Ball and John McGill.
The writer this week is Lisa Bryn Rundle. Austin Webb is our senior producer this week. And the Executive Producer of As It Happens is Robin Smythe.
We'd also like to thank a whole bunch of other people who helped us out this week:
Ruth Davenport and Mary-Catherine MacIntosh in Halifax
Amanda Klang in Montreal
Paul MacInnis in Ottawa
Justin Chandler, Steven D'Souza, Kirsten Fenn, Sylvene Gilchrist, Adam Jacobson, Althea Manasan, Varad Mehta, Chad Mounteny, Lakshine Sathiyanathan, Eric Van, Luke Williams and Samwareet Yohannes — all in Toronto
Suzanne Dufresne in Winnipeg
Jennifer Keene in Calgary
and Anne Penman in Vancouver.
And finally, a very special thank you to everyone in Production Services and Operations who are helping us to do our jobs and deliver the show in new ways, while physically distancing.
As It Happens will be back again on Monday. Good night, and good weekend.