As It Happens

As It Happens: Monday Edition

Monday, February 18, 2019

Transcript

Part One

Gerald Butts: Nathan Cullen and Paul Wells
Prime Minister Trudeau's longtime pal and trusted advisor, Gerald Butts, resigns from his principal secretary post — but denies any wrongdoing in his dealings with SNC Lavalin and the former Attorney General.

Dance Your PhD
It don't prove a thing if it ain't got that swing. It won't prove a winner,  that is, at the annual Dance Your PhD competition — but the current champ is a Canadian grad student who clearly knows how to put the tech in technique.

Part Two

Labour MP Revolt
Today, seven British MPs staged a dramatic exit from the Labour Party — citing a failure by its leader to address anti-Semitism within the ranks and a weak opposition to Theresa May's Brexit plans.

Betty Ballantine Obit
Her name may not be as instantly recognizable as Ray Bradbury, or J.R.R. Tolkien — but the late Betty Ballantine gave notoriety to their names and others, by ushering in the era of the paperback.

Nunavut Hockey Team
The Nunavut men's hockey team turned their first match into their first win at the Canada Winter Games yesterday, with a victory over their Yukon rivals — proving to themselves they can achieve their goals.

Part Three

ISIS Canadians
Alexandra Bain is advocating on behalf of Canadians who went to Syria to join ISIS — and their young children — and now want to return home. She says it's time for Ottawa to repatriate them, deradicalize them, and investigate those who may have committed crimes.

Kashmir Violence
Last week: a suicide bomber executed the worst terror attack in decades in Kashmir — killing more than 40 people. And now, nine more are dead. We speak with a local reporter, who predicts the situation in the disputed region along the border between India and Pakistan will only worsen in the days to come.

Sharon Bottoms Mattes Obit 
In the early 90s, Virginia courts ruled that Sharon Bottoms Mattes — who has died at 48 — was ruled an "unfit parent" because she was in a lesbian relationship. We'll hear from the lawyer who defended her in that historic custody battle.