As It Happens

As It Happens, Friday Edition

Friday, April 15th, 2016

Part One

Supreme Court of Canada "tough on crime" ruling
The former government's omnibus crime bill gets a little less "omni", when the Supreme Court declares two of its measures to be unconstitutional. 

Against Me! lead singer Laura Jane Grace on North Carolina
Other musicians are cancelling their shows in North Carolina over the state's discriminatory "bathroom bill" -- but Laura Jane Grace's band Against Me! will protest by playing.  

Apocalypse perfume
British artists painstakingly create a perfume they say smells like the end of the world -- and we'll find out what distinguishes it from Axe Body Spray. 

Part Two

The Putin show
Once a year, during his annual TV Q & A, Russian President Vladimir Putin's iron fist is replaced by a helping hand -- but our guest believes the show is little more than shadow puppetry. 

Spirit of the West's final show
Two years after singer John Mann was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, the great Spirit of the West prepares for its final concert in Vancouver. 

Part Three

Steve Ladurantaye
Steve Ladurantaye gets more than a hundred-and-forty characters to tell us why he left his job at Twitter to join CBC. 

Priest abuse: journalist
It was a story he was told not to pursue -- about a 10-year-old boy whose mother said he was sexually assaulted by a priest. The memory has haunted former journalist Bruce DeSilva for decades, as stories about abuse in the church have surfaced.

Creepy study
We don't want to puncture your balloon animal, but if you're a children's entertainer in garish makeup, researchers say you're among those who creep us out the most. But you insect collectors shouldn't get too smug.

As it Happens was produced this week by: 

Laurie Allan
Jeanne Armstrong
Imogen Birchard
Dawna Dingwall
Katie Geleff
Chris Harbord
Sean Laughlin
Kevin Robertson
Kate Swoger

and Pedro Sanchez

Earvin Solitario is our intern.

Our technicians this week are Reynold Gonsalves and Jennifer Rowley. The show director is Kevin Ball. Chris Howden is our writer.  

John Perry is the Senior Producer. And the Executive Producer of As It Happens is Robin Smythe.

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

Mary Lynk in Halifax
Matthew Kupfer in Ottawa
Davorin Cikovic and Rob Heydari in Toronto
Suzanne Dufresne in Winnipeg
Michael O'Halloran in Calgary
and Anne Penman in Vancouver.
    
As It Happens will be back again on Monday. Good night, and good weekend.