
Global News What Happened To...?
You've heard the stories. You’ve felt for the people involved. But what happens after the cameras shut off and the reporters walk away? Just because a story disappears from the news doesn’t mean it’s gone. So what happened to the nuclear disaster at Fukushima? or the trapped Chilean Miners? And did anything actually come out of the Ice Bucket Challenge? Join Global News reporter, Erica Vella on this unique history podcast as she takes you inside these stories and talks to the people at the heart of each one to find out exactly what’s happened since.
Latest episodes

Apr 11, 2025 • 23min
Listen Next - Global National with Dawna Friesen | Arctic sovereignty and security under threat; Like a good neighbour, Yukon is there
The Canadian territories have long been aware of the importance of Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security. Now the rest of the country is starting to pay attention, too. Dawna Friesen reports from Whitehorse on how Russia and China's increased Arctic presence, as well as the unreliability of the U.S., has thrust Canada's North into the geopolitical spotlight. She also speaks with Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai about what he wants Ottawa to do. And Dawna drives across the border to Skagway, Alaska, where she speaks with residents about the importance of a strong Canada-U.S. relationship, and hears what Alaskans are afraid of losing with their neighbours in Yukon. On the campaign trail: how the Liberals' pledge to crack down on crime is drawing comparisons to the Conservatives' plan. Plus, how Pierre Poilievre is promising to slash housing development costs, and how he's responding to sliding poll numbers. And why U.S. President Donald Trump is being accused of insider training.Listen to more Global National here: https://link.chtbl.com/gndf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 4, 2025 • 22min
Listen Next: Global National with Dawna Friesen | Canada exempt from U.S. ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs; Remembering Val Kilmer
U.S. President Donald Trump unveils his new, wide-ranging, reciprocal tariffs. Which countries are getting hit the hardest; why Canada is not on the list, and what that might mean; how Canada is reacting; and what the auto sector and beef producers are afraid of losing in this trade war. Plus, from portraying Jim Morrison to Batman and Iceman, we'll reflect on the extraordinary legacy of Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood's greatest leading men.Listen to more Global National with Dawna Friesen: https://link.chtbl.com/gndf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 2025 • 22min
Listen Next: Global National with Dawna Friesen | Canada's 45th federal election kicks off
Canada’s 45th general election is officially underway. In five weeks voters will head to the polls to decide who will be the next prime minister. Liberal Leader Mark Carney is calling for a “strong, positive mandate” to take on U.S. President Donald Trump. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says a Tory government will be “respectful and firm” when standing up to Trump. The NDP, meanwhile, kicked off a campaign that is likely to be critical for Jagmeet Singh’s party and the Bloc Quebecois are also facing unexpected headwinds.Find and follow Global National with Dawna Friesen here: https://link.chtbl.com/gndf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 5, 2025 • 23min
Listen Next: Global National with Dawna Friesen | Trudeau says Trump's tariffs are 'very dumb' as trade war begins
The frustration of both Canadians and Americans as U.S. President Donald Trump officially launches his trade war; and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tough words for Trump. The fears among auto, steel, and aluminum companies. How Canadians are uniting as they fight the tariffs. Plus, how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to salvage his relationship with Trump after that infamous Oval Office shouting match.Listen to more episodes of Global National with Dawna Friesen here: https://link.chtbl.com/gndf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 2025 • 42min
Listen Next: A Most Audacious Heist - Shoot For The Moon | 01
It’s a summer night in 1998. Vienna, Austria. And petty thief Daniel Blanchard is about to carry out the heist of a lifetime. Stealing a crown jewel. The last remaining diamond Sisi Star.His plan? A daring night-time parachute jump.Daniel is no ordinary thief. His heists are ingenious, meticulously planned; his escapes from the law defy belief. And Daniel knows that if he can get his hands on the star, it will launch him into the criminal big-leagues.Daniel’s exploits unleash a relentless game of cat-and-mouse, as police track him across continents yet vanishes from their grasp. What he doesn’t know is that the Sisi Star has a history. A dark history. Its original owner, the legendary Empress Elisabeth of Austria, used it to carve her own legacy of absolute beauty and power. That pursuit drove her to her very limits. And now Daniel’s fate is fixed to that same star. But how long can Sisi’s star stay lucky for Daniel? This is A Most Audacious Heist – it’s the story of a master thief, an intercontinental manhunt, and the jewel that changes everything.Contact:Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStoriesInstagram: @BlanchardHouseStoriesX (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweetsBlanchard House website: blanchard-house.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 21, 2023 • 39min
The Vancouver Riots | 8
On June 15, 2011, riots broke out in Vancouver following Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final downtown after The Canucks were defeated by the Boston Bruins in a stunning 4-0 win.A report found that total damage caused by the riot was just over $3.7 million. There were 112 businesses and 122 vehicles damaged, and 52 assaults were reported against civilians, police and emergency personnel.On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with those who were in the ground experienced the riot first hand and learns more about the push for change and accountability following the riots.Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899622/what-happened-to-2011-vancouver-riots/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 7, 2023 • 42min
Toronto Bathhouse Raids | 7
On February 5, 1981, Toronto Police launched Operation Soap. Officers ambushed four Toronto bathhouses in a series of coordinated raids following a six-month investigation, which led to almost 300 patrons being arrested on the street.The raids were a watershed moment for Toronto's Queer community because, thousands of activists protested along the streets of Toronto and decided to fight the attacks in court.On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with members of the Queer community about the 1981 Toronto bathhouse raids. She learns about the public’s response, and ultimately, how communities came together to create lasting change.Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9888886/what-happened-to-the-1981-toronto-bathhouse-raids/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 23, 2023 • 20min
TikTok security concerns | 6
TikTok is one of the most popular apps around the world, with more than one billion users, but in February of 2023, Canada's federal government announced a ban of the app on government devices.It's a move several countries have made in recent months.TikTok has maintained the app isn’t unique in the amount of information it collects and all social media companies should be looked at with the same scrutiny.On this episode of What happened to…?, Erica Vella speaks with experts about whether these concerns are legitimate and if similar measures will be taken against other social media apps.Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899774/what-happened-to-tiktok-security-concerns/Contact:Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 11, 2023 • 31min
Introducing... Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry | The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash | 1
The old days of air travel were quite risky…compared to today, the chances of your flight going down were far greater …every airport had kiosks and coin-operating vending machines where you could buy life insurance before you headed to the gate—you know, just in case you thought you weren’t going to make it to your final destination…1977 was one of the worst years for accidents in aviation history…in addition to several violent hijackings every month—sometimes with fatal results—There were also passenger plane crashes with great loss of life…including the worst aviation disaster of all time when two 747s planes collided on a runway in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people.Frank Sinatra’s mother, the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, and all but one member of the University of Evansville basketball team died in crashes…But then there were the events of October 20, 1977, when a rickety chartered plane went down in a swamp in Mississippi…on board were members of Lynyrd Skynyrd…six of the 24 passengers died, including singer Ronnie Van Zandt, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick…both pilots also died…What happened?Have I got a story for you...Like what you hear? You can find and follow Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry on your favourite podcast app or by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/uncharted-rssdrop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 9, 2023 • 26min
TikTok text-to-speech voice | 5
Host Erica Vella speaks to Bev Standing and Kat Callaghan about TikTok's text-to-speech feature. They discuss the adoption and evolution of the feature, its impact on TikTok videos, and the success it brought to the guests in terms of voice work and interviews. The chapter also touches upon privacy concerns and the importance of contracts in protecting voices on TikTok.
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