As It Happens·New

As It Happens: The Wednesday Edition

Dec. 16, 2020

Full Episode Transcript

Part One

Fishermen deaths update
"A great kid." That's how Aaron Cogswell's mother is remembering the Nova Scotia fisherman who went missing yesterday. And as the search for survivors is called off, she says she believes he died doing what he loved. 

U.S. vaccines: Black community
A Black hospital employee tells us he's hard at work convincing other African Americans to roll up theirs. And it's why he was among the first in the U.S. to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Camel plastic research
Our guest suspected it wasn't just ocean animals that were bearing the brunt of pollution. Now he says the straw that broke the camel's back was likely plastic — and was found in its stomach. 

Part Two

François-Philippe Champagne
François-Philippe Champagne says Joe Biden's presidency will begin to benefit Canada early in 2021 — but plenty of challenges remain for the Foreign Minister on the world stage. 

Encore: Prickles the Sheep
Prickles is truly the GOAT. She turned up in April after a seven-year absence — and her astonishing wool coat had fans flocking. We revisit some of our coverage of her coverage. 

Part Three

AI 2020 headlines
Swarming bears and deep-sea monster toads. We've covered some seriously strange stories in 2020 — but a list of computer-generated headlines inspired by the past year proves robots probably aren't coming for our jobs just yet.

Encore: National Lichen Contest 
We'll revisit one man's quest to find Canada's favourite lichen — and he'll explain why he developed such a fondness for the fungus.