As It Happens: Friday edition
Part One
Brexit: Irish MP
As Brexit officially goes into effect tonight, a politician from Northern Ireland calls the withdrawal an "unmitigated disaster" — but explains why she thinks it could make Ireland stronger than ever.
China: Canadians update
A Montreal family's relief at hearing they may finally be able to return home from lockdown in China is tempered by news that one of them will have to stay behind.
Wilson football makers
Behind every great play at Sunday's Super Bowl is the team behind the ball itself — the workers at Wilson Football Factory in Ohio, who've been hand-sewing the game balls for 50 years.
Part Two
Iowa chalking
It's tradition at Iowa State University to bring attention to your cause using chalk. But this year — as the state's big political moment approaches — they'll be crossing a line if they do.
Yellowknife taxi drivers
The killing of a Yellowknife cab driver sparked a conversation about safety among his family and friends — and led to a determined effort to forgive his attacker.
Part Three
Encore: This Is Not Propaganda
Author Peter Pomerantsev went to the frontlines of what he calls "the war on truth". He travelled to the Philippines, a Russian troll farm, to Brexit Britain. And he saw first hand how online harassment and smear campaigns are being used in the age of disinformation — to manipulate people, governments and elections. He wrote a book about what he discovered there. It's called This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality.
As It Happens was produced this week by:
Jeanne Armstrong
Kate Cornick
Katie Geleff
Sheena Goodyear
Chris Harbord
Sarah Jackson
Samantha Lui
John McGill
Morgan Passi
Kevin Robertson
and Chloe Shantz-Hilkes.
Our technician is Reynold Gonsalves. The show director is Kevin Ball. The writer this week is Kate Swoger. Our intern is Yasmin Gandham.
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 some other people who helped us out this week:
Mary-Catherine MacIntosh in Halifax
Susan McKenzie in Montreal
Max Paris in Ottawa
Gary Francis, Keith Hart, Billy Heaton, Varad Mehta, Jonathan Ore, and Luke Williams — all in Toronto
Carmen Groleau in Kitchener, Ontario
Jan Lakes in Sudbury, Ontario
Suzanne Dufresne in Winnipeg
Dan Zakreski in Saskatoon
Jennifer Keene in Calgary
and Anne Penman in Vancouver.
As It Happens will be back again on Monday. Good night, and good weekend.