As It Happens

As It Happens, Wednesday Edition

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016

Part One

Utah Jeffs charges
The Utah polygamist community may be finished, after its remaining leaders are charged with money laundering and food stamp fraud. 

Marijuana ruling
The previous government banned medical marijuana users from growing their own pot — but today, a federal court struck that ban down. 

Bust field
The presidential field. On his farm, a Virginia man communes with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan — and forty other giant busts of American presidents. 

Part Two

Syria ceasefire
The truce may not set anyone free. But despite widespread doubt about the deal, a negotiator with the Syrian opposition is giving her OK to a temporary cease-fire — and she'll tell us why. 

"Fighting Sioux" logo
The University of North Dakota drops its "Fighting Sioux" nickname — but because of a weird twist in trademark law, it has to keep selling items featuring the old, offensive logo. 

Part Three

Ramon Castro obit
He chose farming over politics. But the late Ramon Castro — older brother of Fidel and Raul — was a towering figure nonetheless to our guest. 

Heroin reporter
In an acknowledgement that abuse of the drug has reached "epidemic" levels, the Cincinnati Enquirer now has a reporter with a very specific beat: heroin. 

Arviat polar bears
Good news for Arviat, Nunavut and good news for their polar bear neighbours: It's all in the form of a polar bear monitoring program.