As It Happens

As It Happens: The Friday Edition

May 27, 2022

Episode Transcript

Part One

Texas shooting: Columbine principal
The former principal of Columbine High School tells us he's doing what he can to help teachers and staff in Uvalde cope with a kind of devastation that's all too familiar. 

Texas police response
An FBI agent-turned-Texas teacher tells us it wasn't just wrong for police to wait 45 minutes to engage the gunman who killed 19 students and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School. It might have been criminal. 

Cockroach pesticide mating
An entomologist says human activity has influenced how cockroaches mate, by reducing their taste for sugar. And he's been busy figuring out how they get busy. 

Part Two 

NRA convention
In the aftermath of Uvalde, thousands are protesting the NRA's annual convention in Texas. And our guest says it's time Americans turned their anger into action. 

Chile oldest tree
A researcher in Chile tells us a local cypress is likely the world's oldest tree, possibly by 600 years -- and that his family's own history with the tree has deep roots. 

Part Three

Australia remains buried
Plans to rebury ancient remains in Australia were put on hold after objections from Indigenous Elders. But without warning, that changed -- and our guest says that's left local people angry. 

Spiders online trade 
A team of researchers dove deep into the internet and discovered a massive, unregulated spider trade. One our guest fears has legs. Stay tuned. 



As It Happens was produced this week by:

Katie Geleff 
Sheena Goodyear
Chris Harbord
Sarah Jackson
Kate McGillivray
Paul MacInnis
Morgan Passi
Cameron Perrier
Kevin Robertson
Kate Swoger
Chris Trowbridge

and Aloysius Wong.  

Our technician is Reynold Gonsalves. The show directors this week were John McGill and Susan McReynolds

The writers this week are Chloe Shantz-Hilkes and Chris Howden.

Austin Webb is the senior producer of As It Happens. And the Executive Producer of As It Happens is Robin Smythe. Leslie Amminson is our intern.

We'd also like to thank some other people who helped out this week:

Mary-Catherine MacIntosh in Halifax
Susan McKenzie in Montreal
Philip DrostJonathan Ore, Alex Redekopp, and Luke Williams  -- all in Toronto
Suzanne Dufresne in Winnipeg
Donna McElligott in Calgary
and Anne Penman in Vancouver. 

As It Happens will be back again on Monday. Good night, and good weekend.