Tonight:

Slapping back a power grab. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians continue protesting against President Morsi's assumption of near-absolute power.

A master takes five. Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck -- whose signature was off-kilter time signatures -- dies one day short of his ninety-second birthday.

The stories of her life. Carol sits down with Liberian journalist Mae Azango -- whose courageous reporting on female genital mutilation has earned her tonight's International Press Freedom Award.

Law and Order: Anti-Criminal Intent. How the city of Abbotsford, B.C. went from having one of the highest murder rates in the country to having one of the lowest, in just a few short years.

Deck the halls with boughs of owlies. Dozens of snowy owls are showing up throughout British Columbia -- which is great if you like looking at them, but not so great if you know why they're there.

And...Armageddon the steak frites -- what are you a-gettin'? A Quebec restaurant prepares to host an end-of-the-world dinner on December twenty-first -- and the menu will feature hot comfort food that's also cold-comfort food.

As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that's not sure how to tip for apoca-lip service.

There seems to be no end to the crisis in Egypt.

Today the protesters were out again in Cairo and across the country, in the hundreds of thousands. The day was marked by violent clashes, in front of the presidential palace in the capital, between those who came out to support President Mohamed Morsi and those who came out to oppose him. Hundreds are reported to have been injured as a result.

It has been almost two weeks now since President Morsi's announcement giving himself sweeping powers, enabling him to rule by decree.

Meanwhile, the government insists people should prepare to vote in a referendum on a new constitution on December fifteenth.

Karim Ennarah is an activist with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. We reached him in Cairo a few hours ago, while he was on a break from the protests.

The Conservative carbon tax plan has reached a new high.

Now, to be clear, I'm not talking about a government plan to impose a levy on greenhouse gas emissions. There's no such thing -- not that we know of.

What I am talking about the Conservative policy of using the words "carbon" and "tax" and "NDP" together again and again, and again and again, and...again. The idea seems to be to hypnotize voters into believing that the NDP is proposing a tax on greenhouse gas emissions -- which it isn't.

We'll be on the look-out for that zombie-electorate. Meantime, we have turned up evidence that the excessive use of the words "NDP carbon tax", or, in French, "la taxe carbone du NPD", may be having unforeseen effects on the brains of government MPs.

For the record, here's Jacques Gourde, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, in the House of Commons, earlier today.

Spotting a snowy owl on Vancouver Island is no doubt a thrill for bird watchers.

The owls generally make their home in the high Arctic, and are seldom seen south of the treeline. But over the past month, more than thirty snowy owls have been spotted across British Columbia.

But while birders may be delighted, the snowy owl's southern move is ruffling a few feathers among wildlife officials.

Doug Wilson is a Wildlife Biologist with BC's Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. We reached him in Prince George.

A millionaire, a fugitive from the law and -- apparently -- a man of many disguises.

Last month, the former software executive John McAfee went on the lam from authorities in Belize after his neighbour was found shot to death. Mr. McAfee, who was called a "person of interest", said he was being persecuted.

The Prime Minister of Belize ventured that he may be "bonkers."

After much speculation about his whereabouts, Mr. McAfee appeared publicly today for the first time since going on the run with a pair of journalists from Vice magazine.

For the record, here is what he told reporters in Guatemala.

Every day now, Francis Vallée has to go outside, and change the number on the countdown sign. Today, we're down to fifteen days. Fifteen days before the end of the world, according to some interpretations of Mayan calendar, and, well, according to Francis Vallée.

That means fifteen days before what he calls "The Last Supper" -- an event he's holding in his restaurant, Le Tout-à-Vallée, to celebrate the end of the world on December twenty-first.

Customers obviously like the idea --- it's already sold out. But the city of Roberval, not so much.

We reached Francis Vallée in Roberval.

And now, one of the most delightful carols of the season: "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas".What...what's happening? This isn't delightful. It's like jolly old Saint Nicholas is accompanied by some kind of goat-headed demon.

Well, that makes sense because tonight, in some European countries, its Krampusnacht. If you surmise that Krampusnacht does not involve people putting on comical reindeer antlers, or playfully dangling mistletoe over each other's heads, you're right. If you guess, instead, that people drink a lot, put on demon costumes, drink some more, and charge around threatening each other, and children, with sticks -- well, you've hit the kid on the head. I mean the nail. On the head.

And it all started, apparently, with the fact that Santa Claus is kind of a passive-aggressive jerk. At least, if you believe the folklore. Rather than sully his own mittens with coal dust, a couple of millennia ago he outsourced the punishment of bad children to a hideous, putrid goat-beast with a sadistic streak and a stick, or some rusty chains.

So, children of Europe: you'd better watch out. You'd better not cry. You'd better not pout -- I'm telling you why.

Krampus...is coming...to town.

He was a composer. A pianist. A band leader. An innovator. And an all-around good guy.

Dave Brubeck, the world-reknowned jazz musician, died earlier today in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was just one day short of his ninety-second birthday.

Mr. Brubeck is best remembered for being an innovator who -- despite his love of unorthodox time signatures -- became one of the most popular jazz musicians of the 'fifties and 'sixties. The Dave Brubeck Quartet's recording of "Take Five" -- in five-four time -- was the first jazz single to sell one million copies.

Last March, Carol Off spoke with Dave Brubeck about the passing of his former drummer Joe Morello. Here's part of that conversation, from our archives.

Bobby Militello is a saxophonist with the current edition of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. He's played with Mr. Brubeck since 1982. We reached Mr. Militello in Buffalo, New York.

We tried to settle Canada's position on settlements.

Following last week's UN resolution to accord observer-state status to the Palestinians in the General Assembly -- which only Canada and eight other countries voted against -- the Israeli government announced it was going to build three thousand new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, within the Occupied Territories. Most of Israel's allies -- including the United States and Great Britain -- explicitly denounced the move. But Canada's response has been muted.

Last night we had Deepak Ohbrai on the program. He's the Parliamentary Secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. And Carol asked him to try to explain Canada's position. And after he spoke, Talkback lit up.

Four years ago, it was Canada's murder capital. Now, it's one of the five safest cities in Canada.

Police in the city of Abbotsford, B-C., have run a long campaign to reduce crime. And demonstrating to residents that crime doesn't pay is clearly paying off.

Constable Ian MacDonald is the public affairs officer for the Abbotsford Police Department. We reached him at his office.

When Liberian journalist Mae Azango went to the bush to investigate what was happening to girls, she knew she'd be facing potential threats.

This week, for her determined reporting on the ritual of female genital mutilation -- as well as issues of child rape and teenage pregnancy -- Ms. Azango will receive the International Press Freedom Award. That's a prize awarded by the group Canadian Journalists for Free Expression to courageous journalists from around the world whose perseverance has effected real change.

Now, as you may have noticed, Carol is away today. That's because she's at the gala tonight --- she's also the chair of the CJFE Gala Steering committee.

Yesterday, Carol spoke to Mae Azango in our studio. Here's that conversation.