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The AIH Transcript for April 2, 2019

Hosts: Carol Off and Jeff Douglas

Prologue

CAROL OFF: Hello I'm Carol Off.

JEFF DOUGLAS: Good evening. I'm Jeff Douglas. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

JD: Tonight...

CO: Booted. MPs Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott are kicked out of the Liberal caucus.

JD: New standard operating procedure. Nova Scotia wants to become the first place in North America where everyone is an automatic organ donor -- and our guest says that could be great news for people in need of transplants.

CO: Degrees of difficulty. After a report showing Canada's climate is warming at twice the global rate -- the Environment Minister tells us what the government is doing to deal with possible impact.

JD: Blood bank. Saudi Arabia denies the Crown Prince played any role in the death of Jamal Khashoggi -- but The Washington Post reports that the kingdom has provided his children with houses and money.

CO: His performance was always a little wooden. But that wasn't his fault: on this show "Thunderbirds" the late Shane Rimmer gave a puppet a voice as impressive as his eyebrows.

JD: And the sweat smell of success. An off-duty Swedish cop proves himself a real steam player when he arrest a fugitive next to him in the sauna while both are naked. As it Happens. The Tuesday Edition. Radio that respects the long arm of the spa.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: MPs Jody Wilson Raybould and Jane Philpott are kicked out of the Liberal caucus

Jody Wilson-Raybould/Jane Philphott out

Guest: Rob Russo

JD: Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott are out of the Liberal caucus. The decision came swiftly after MPs met for an emergency meeting of the caucus late this afternoon. The question of whether the former cabinet ministers should remain Liberal members had been swirling for weeks as the SNC-Lavalin affair dragged on. Then last week Ms. Wilson-Raybould released details of a phone conversation with Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick -- recorded without his knowledge which left many Liberal MPs angry. Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about the decision to boot Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from caucus. Here's part of what he said.

SOUNDCLIP

PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU: Civil wars within parties are incredibly damaging because they signal to Canadians that we care more about ourselves than we do about them. That's why I made the difficult decision to remove Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Philpott from the Liberal caucus. We've taken every effort to address their concerns. But ultimately if they can't honestly say that they have confidence in this team despite weeks of testimony, face to face conversations, and phone calls with myself and other members of caucus -- then they cannot be part of this team. If a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, it's wrong. When that politician is a cabinet minister secretly recording a public servant, it's wrong. And when that cabinet minister is the Attorney General of Canada secretly recording the Clerk of the Privy Council, it's unconscionable. Since the beginning, I've approached this situation with patience and understanding. My rationale has been that real change is hard. But being a member of caucus comes with both rights and responsibilities. A team has to trust each other. And with Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, that trust has been broken.

JD: That was the prime minister speaking about his decision to kick Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jean Philpott out of the Liberal caucus. Rob Russo is CBC's Parliamentary Bureau Chief. We reached him in Ottawa.

CO: Rob we just heard Justin Trudeau say the Liberals can't afford another civil war. He says the removal of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott is the answer to that. But is it really going to bring him any peace?

ROB RUSSO: To be determined Carol. He's absolutely right. The Liberal Party -- really -- for the last 50 years has been plagued by some ferocious civil wars. We all know that civil wars are replete with ferocity that seems to be missing even from the most depraved wars. And I think political civil wars are no different. They seem to keep a special kind of hatred when it's inside the same family. Now does that mean, he's avoided this? We'll see. We will now see whether or not Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Ms. Philpott have a significant constituency and whether or not they will do significant damage. I think they already have done significant damage to a certain extent -- if polls are to be believed. Certainly the Liberals believe that they've been damaged by this. Their own internal polls show that they've been damaged. Now they're hoping that they can turn some of that around in the six months before Canadians actually cast the ballot.

CO: After everything that's happened since this story first broke in The Globe and Mail --why now? I mean it seems to be -- what he says in this address to caucus -- that it's this phone call. Why is this phone call -- after everything -- the straw that breaks this back?

RR: Well I think the phone call is one thing. But before we get to that there is another element that I think we have to talk about. And that's that keenly felt sentiment that all democratically elected politicians feel -- and that's naked self-interest. I think Liberals were told last week that their own internal polls have them down significantly in areas of the country where they need to win. If they're going to cobble together --not a majority mandate, nobody's talking about that -- now they're talking about cobbling together a minority mandate hanging onto power. That's in areas like British Columbia where there was a noticeable collapse in support. In Atlantic Canada where they could lose up to half their seats. So that naked self-interest was a factor as well. Yes, the telephone call between Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Michael Wernick -- the clerk of the Privy Council -- that had an undeniable impact. Member of Parliament after Member of Parliament said that they had no idea whether or not they could ever again trust Ms. Wilson-Raybould to keep a confidence -- to actually follow through on that confidence. That was -- to quote the Prime Minister -- that trust was irrevocably broken. And there were people up until last week who were defending her and some of them stoutly. Inside some of these regional caucus meetings, a lot of that defence evaporated over the weekend.

CO: A lot of the comments already on social media are that: okay, maybe I can understand why Jody Wilson-Raybould had to go... but why Jane Philpott?

RR: You know that's a really interesting question. And the prime minister dropped some broad avenues of inquiry that we're going to go down. And one of those broad avenues of inquiry was that he acknowledged that neither one of them expressed confidence in him after numerous phone calls between them and their colleagues, and between him and them. That suggests to me Carol that there was a fervent effort made even by the prime minister to try to win them over right up until the last minute, and that effort failed. He could not convince them that he should remain as head of the Liberal Party. And if you read Ms. Wilson-Raybould's letter to her caucus colleagues in which she made an argument to try and stay in caucus -- she went on and on about how she continues to be a Liberal, believes in the values of the Liberal Party as espoused by their platform in 2015, believes that the prime minister believes in those values but stopped noticeably short of expressing confidence in the prime minister's ability to actually put those values into action.

CO: We saw a standing ovation at the end of his address to caucus. Is that genuine? Does that indicate that he has support? That there aren't other dissidents within the party?

RR: We'll find out. But again that naked self-interest that I spoke of earlier is really clicking in. I can tell you that in some of those regional caucus meetings, Jane Philpott in particular was told by her caucus mates in the Ontario caucus -- you are now costing me my job, I am going to lose my seat because of you. And that power is a powerful adhesive. That will I think bind a lot of these caucus people together unless of course it looks like they're going to continue to lose power and that adhesive at that point may come loose.

CO: Mr. Trudeau with his brand, with his sunny ways, he brought the Liberals from the very back of the third place before the last election and gave them the power of government. So what's happened to that brand? Can that still survive another election?

RR: You know this is an argument that's raging within the power circle around the prime minister. He has been told by some people, look you can no longer be the unicorn that belches bubbles of Chanel Number 5. It doesn't ring true anymore. You should go back to being the person who wheeled on Stephen Harper in that very first debate after the very first question -- planted him in the nose. Be the guy that took on the bully Senator Patrick Brazeau in the ring and let them have it and won with a technical knockout in a boxing match. That should be his brand, he's fighting for power, he's fighting to hang on to power. People want to see some strength for the prime minister because there is I think an erosion of confidence in him as a strong leader. And if he's going to go that way then he's going to have to cast aside this notion of the "Unicorn Prime Minister."

CO: [Chuckles] Unicorn belching Chanel Number 5 -- that image is stuck in my mind. Rob, I appreciate so much speaking with you. Thank you.

RR: My pleasure Carol.

JD: Rob Russo is CBC's Parliamentary Bureau Chief. For the latest on this story, stay tuned to CBC Radio -- or go to cbc.ca/news.

[Music]

Nova Scotia organ donation

Guest: Stephen Beed

JD: Nova Scotia wants to make becoming an organ donor as simple as doing nothing. Under legislation tabled today, that province would become the first in Canada with automatic consent for organ donations. That is something that transplant advocates have been asking for, to boost the number of donors. Dr. Stephen Beed is the medical director of Nova Scotia's organ donation program. We reached Dr. Beed in Halifax.

CO: Dr. Beed first of all what is or was wrong with the current system which we're all used to where you have to specifically consent to become an organ donor?

STEPHEN BEED: We are not trying to frame it as it being wrong as much as perhaps less than ideal. Changing from a system that is sort of opt in if you will to opt out is an opportunity to perhaps increase donation in a population that we know in general overwhelmingly supports donation. But we have to be sensitive to the notion that this is a change and we have to do it the right way.

CO: Okay we'll get to that. But explain first of all please how this new law would work?

SB: In this new model, everybody is presumed to be a donor. If you've not indicated that you want to opt out -- if you will -- then the system is going to assume that donation can occur. It's sort of slipping the approach if you will.

CO: And so this would be quite a change for Canadians. It would be the first time anyone -- any place in Canada has done this. Other jurisdictions around the world have made a similar kind of law. What makes you think Nova Scotians are ready for this?

SB: Well there's several things. One of them is that we know from survey data that Atlantic Canadians support this at rates that are higher than the rest of the country. And historically Nova Scotia is a small province that has had I think higher support for donation than most of our other provincial colleagues. And we know that for example because we have the highest per cent of our population as registered donors. We think we're in a community that supports donation. And we've developed a team within the province to support donation that we think can get us to the next level.

CO: So what are the assumptions here? Do you assume that people just don't get around to signing the card or making the consent? Like many people -- you think about it, do you think 'I got to get around. I got to do that. That's important.' And then it just doesn't happen. So is that the assumption you make that a lot of people just forget?

SB: Well there's certainly an element of that. But the other real problem I think is an awful lot of people just assume they cannot be a donor because they have some other health problem. And so even if they're inclined to want to donate they just exclude themselves and not register for example because they think well I have diabetes I wouldn't be a donor -- or I'm a little bit older -- or I have high blood pressure or whatever. And the other thing we know is that the events around the death of somebody who might be a donor are extraordinarily difficult. I mean any death is difficult but these are people who were basically pretty healthy until some terrible event happened -- and the family are obviously stressed and exhausted. And sometimes it's hard to think clearly in that environment. And I've never had a family be upset because we asked about donation but I've certainly had families come back and say we wanted this to happen, why did nobody approach us? So this is one way of kind of bringing this important topic to the family sort of by default in a very difficult time. Now we're still going to absolutely discuss this with the family and incorporate their wishes before final decisions are made. But the default becomes let's make this happen, everybody's a donor unless they've told us they don't want to be.

CO: You say you would consult with the families but do they have a veto? I mean do they -- especially in the case of sudden death -- is the family able to say, no we don't want this?

SB: Well what we're going to say is that everybody is a donor unless they've opted out. And we'll have a process that people can identify themselves as opt out. And then what we'll do is we'll approach the families to confirm that the decision we have for this individual is still a valid one. Meaning if they did not opt out and we think they're a donor, but the family can say well you know what -- we actually had a conversation and they changed their mind. Then we would respect the family. But it goes the other way as well. If they did not want to be a donor and they indicated that but the family can say you know I know I talked to my dad and you know our neighbour got a kidney transplant and he's changed his mind or whatever. We respect that as well. So that final consultation with the family is to try and confirm what the wishes of this individual would be.

CO: And if there's no one around -- if you're not able to consult a family member in a timely fashion -- the assumption will be that the organs are available for transplant.

SB: That is correct. Unless somebody has indicated in advance that they don't wish to be a donor. And we'll develop a process so that those opinions can be registered. We want to respect the population to say I don't want this. But most people do. And overall we think that providing this opportunity and the education and support and so on that goes with this legislation, should increase donation rates. And that's good for the people of this province. And it's good for donor families who often find a lot of comfort in the notion that something good came out of the death of a loved one.

CO: Dr. Beed it's very interesting. I'm sure there will be controversy and discussion about this, but I appreciate you explaining it to us today. Thank you.

SB: Thank you very much.

JD: Dr. Stephen Beed is the medical director of Nova Scotia's organ donation program. We reached him in Halifax.

[Music]

Climate report: environment minister

Guest: Catherine McKenna

JD: When you know disaster is coming, you prepare. So it is only fair to ask -- particularly today -- what exactly our political leaders are doing about climate change. Last night on the program we told you about a new report that concluded that Canada's climate is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. It's even worse in the northern parts of this country. Scientists warned that the effects are already here and they are not going away anytime soon. Well today Canada's environment watchdog, Julie Gelfand, said that the country's slow action on global warming was quote, "disturbing" to her. Here's part of what she had to say.

SOUNDCLIP

JULIE GELFAND: In my overview chapter, I talk about how Canada needs to get ready to adapt to a changing climate and must do more to achieve our goals of reducing greenhouse gases. There was a report released just yesterday about how Canada is warming faster than the rest of the world. Our audit on adaptation indicated that Canada -- the federal government -- was not ready to adapt. Our audits on whether or not we would reduce to achieve our goals on reducing greenhouse gases -- we haven't achieved those reductions. So from my perspective it's a really important issue. Canada must get ready and it must meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

JD: Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand speaking to the media this morning. Catherine McKenna is the Federal Minister of the Environment. We reached her in Ottawa.

CO: Minister McKenna we just heard the environment commissioner -- and I want to focus on what she says about adapting -- she says Canada is not ready to adapt to our rapidly and dramatically changing climate. Why not?

CATHERINE MCKENNA: Well I mean first of all it was great to have the report yesterday from other scientists. Our scientists are showing in this report that our climate is warming twice as quickly as the rest of the world's -- and that we have choices to make: that if we don't take action right now to reduce emissions -- that's both in Canada and internationally -- the impacts are going to be devastating. And so when you look at adapting we're already taking action to adapt to climate change. Whether it's looking at what measures we need to address flooding that we're seeing. Or even when you see extreme heat -- the people that are most impacted are the most vulnerable often you know seniors or people living in you know low income housing where they don't have air conditioning. We need to be taking action. But first of all you need to know the science as well.

CO: Yes. And I appreciate that and I know we can do a conversation -- an important one -- about what you need to do in order to reach those goals which of course the commissioner says that the country is not on track to hit. But she talks about the audit on adaptation. And because no matter what we do, no matter what efforts we make now -- we are faced with everything from problems with drinking water to evacuation plans. And her audit -- the assessment -- is that the federal government has not prepared Canada, and provincial governments are not preparing their provinces for what is going to happen. So what do you say to that?

CM: Well we certainly have made investments with the Minister of Public Safety. And as I say, I mean these are a whole range of actions we need to do as you say addressing flooding, addressing forest fires. And I think the report is just showing how dramatic it is. But it's going to vary from place to place. So we're working with cities, we're working with towns, we're working with businesses, and we're working with individuals to look at different scenarios. But of course it's challenging because right now we're seeing storms that were once in one hundred years that are now happening you know once every five years. And we haven't built the infrastructure that's sufficient for that. That includes waste water. We don't want to be dumping our sewage, but if the waste water tunnels aren't big enough you've got a problem there. So clearly understanding the science, understanding different projections, and making sure as we build that we understand you know we're not building in a place where it's going to flood -- that we're building in a way that will make sure that you can withstand extreme heat or more extreme weather. Talks about more precipitation. This is going to require a lot of effort not just by the federal government but it's also quite frankly it's often the cities and towns that are on the front lines of climate change so working with them -- working with provinces. And I mean we all need to be working together. And unfortunately, I mean climate action as we've seen has become a partisan issue where progressive conservative politicians want to be doing less and less and don't seem to be accepting the science.

CO: Okay but we know that Canada's contribution to CO2 emissions are less than 2 percent. I mean per capita it's quite high but our contribution isn't that large. So even if we are able to reduce our emissions -- what we're still faced with is the same situation unless other countries do meet their commitments which we are not seeing a lot of action on. So again we're going back to this idea of what are we doing to prepare for what we fear which is that we are going to have more devastating forest fires, we're going to see coastal communities at risk, and disappearing ports for fishing, villages that are going to disappear. What investment -- not just what your plan is -- but how much of the economy, how much of the GDP, are you going to put in to preparing us for these kinds of things?

CM: Well I mean so this is both a short term and long term. So you have to make the investments right now for flooding that's happening already. We've been making those investments in Manitoba and Saskatchewan -- in different places that are experiencing the flooding often on an emergency basis. We saw the flooding that happened along the Ottawa River in Quebec -- we had to have the military there. So that is going to be the short term. And then of course there's a long term. But let's be clear this is going to depend on different projections. That's why the Paris agreement is so important that the whole world is working to say well below 2 degrees -- everyone you know has to make their own commitments, take their own action. So we have to mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change because we don't -- I mean the scenarios are extremely dire and so you don't have a choice, you need to do both. We also just have launched a Climate Services Centre so that we can provide modeling to communities because you need their hard data -- that as cities and towns decide how they're going to build and often expand, you know they need to be understanding extremely well where there is going to be flooding because unfortunately -- and I've had conversations with the Insurance Bureau of Canada about this -- unfortunately there's still a lot of building that's going on floodplains. And we're the first government to have an ambitious climate plan as we are actually taking action under our climate plan. Do we need to do more on mitigation and adaptation? Of course. But first of all you need to land key pieces. So you need to land a price on pollution. Yesterday, we announced that it is no longer free to pollute anywhere in the country. But we still have provincial premiers who are fighting against this.

CO: All right we will be watching and following. Minister McKenna thank you.

CM: Thanks very much Carol.

JD: Environment Minister Catherine McKenna. We reached her in Ottawa.

[Music]

Arrested in a sauna

[Music]

JD: When the officer recognized the fugitive sitting next to him, a trickle of sweat ran down his back. Then a rivulet of sweat ran down his forehead. Then sweat cascaded down his whole body. Maybe partly due to stress. Mostly though because he was in a sauna. When you're a cop and you see a wanted criminal in a public space, your main concern is taking him down without injuring anyone. When you're a cop and you see a wanted criminal in a sauna with you, your main concern is taking him down without injuring yourself. After all you have no badge, you have no weapon -- most crucially -- you have no clothes on. And so it is no wonder the Swedish officer is receiving a lot of praise today for the peaceful arrest of a guy wanted for among other things, attempted violence against civil servants. Things could have gone very badly because the cop was hardly undercover. As the local deputy chief said quote, "By coincidence and rather amusingly, they recognized each other in the sauna." But fortunately, the fugitive didn't put up a fight. And in a Facebook post the police took the opportunity to say quote, "We are everywhere. Even when you don't see us, we are there." So get it outlaws? May as well just throw in the towel -- if you're even wearing one. Because even in the least likely location you will be apprehended --barely.

[Music]

Part 2: Saudi Arabia provides Jamal Khashoggi’s children with money and houses, reports Washington Post

Khashoggi latest

Guest: Greg Miller

JD: "I can't breathe." Those are among Jamal Khashoggi's final words. Six months ago today, the Washington Post columnist was murdered in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul by Saudi operatives. The Saudi government has denied that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved. But now the Washington Post is reporting that Mr. Khashoggi's children have received million-dollar homes, and thousands of dollars each month from the kingdom since their father's death. Greg Miller is the reporter who broke this story. We reached him in Washington.

CO: Greg why is the Saudi government giving all this money to the children of Jamal Khashoggi?

GREG MILLER: Well I mean I think that a part of it is that as the Saudis said in the story for us today this is customary in Saudi culture -- victims of attacks or even natural disasters are often compensated by the state. But of course these are victims of far different circumstances. Their father was brutally murdered by agents of the Saudi government. And according to U.S. intelligence officials in an operation that was directed by the Saudi Crown Prince. So there's a great deal more guilt on the Saudi government's hands here than in normal circumstances. And I think it's a combination of those things.

CO: What exactly are the children -- who are they first of all, they're not children as in kids -- so who are they and what are they getting?

GM: That's right. They're grown children. They're in their 30s at least. So already they have been given homes worth millions of dollars in Saudi Arabia. And they have been receiving monthly payments of about 10,000 to 15,000 dollars per month. Now they stand to get a great deal more. There are trials and investigations underway -- when those conclude, I'm told, these four siblings would stand to gain perhaps tens of millions of dollars in settlement money from Saudi Arabia.

CO: Is that blood money?

GM: It is what they would call blood money which means it could require them to if not absolved their father's killers of guilt -- at least waive the most severe punishment. If they are willing to waive the death penalty -- if that's implemented in these cases -- then that would entitle them to compensation.

CO: There is a lot of pressure on the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to accept responsibility or to admit -- what U.S. investigators have said that he was the one who ordered or at least knew it had been ordered. But there are those who have been arrested. Tell us about them.

GM: It's hard to know everything because this is a very opaque process. They're not revealing even the names officially of those who they have brought charges against. But we do know some of those names. These are low level operatives. These are the ones who carried out this mission and the investigations have yet to really touch anybody in the Royal court or Royal family.

CO: There are three children -- one man and two women who live in the United States, if I understand from your reporting. Have they said anything? Do you have any sense of what they think of what happened to their father?

GM: I mean I think that they're all devastated by what happened to their father. There has been a little bit of tension within the family. I think the two daughters have been more inclined to be outspoken -- to speak up on behalf of their father and his legacy, and in criticism of the Saudi government. But they have largely deferred to their two brothers including one who remains in Saudi Arabia and wants to continue living there. For him to remain in Saudi Arabia, it's hard to imagine that he could do that while his siblings were publicly criticizing the Saudi government -- that would make things very uncomfortable, if not dangerous for him.

CO: But they have not been very outspoken about what happened to their father. Is that right?

GM: That's right. I mean they've been very very restrained. The two daughters published an op ed piece in The Washington Post a couple of months ago that praised their father, that talked about him but didn't level any blame or lash out in any way at the Saudi government. You know they've shown a great deal of constraint.

CO: The one son -- you report that Abdullah Khashoggi told the advisors working with the family that he wanted to punish the royal court by going after one of the Crown Prince's prized possessions which is the da Vinci. What's that about?

GM: Yes. So a da Vinci work was purchased by an undisclosed art aficionado a year or two ago. And it was later learned that it was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman known as MBS who bought it for 450 million dollars. And the way this was described to me was sort of an outburst by Abdullah who was basically saying you know they have hurt our family terribly, what would cause them pain? I want to go after something meaningful to them and that's what he said -- I want the da Vinci.

CO: Just tell us a bit about what your colleague, David Ignatius, has published. He has new details about Jamal Khashoggi's death. What has he learned?

GM: He has -- this week -- published a detailed account of -- the most detailed account so far that I've seen of the events leading up to Khashoggi's murder and also the backgrounds of some of those who were involved. And one of the main disclosures to me was that some of those Saudis who were at the consulate had gotten some training in the United States. It's unclear how much training or whether that training played any kind of role in this operation. Of course many people from the Middle East including in the armed services for various governments in the Middle East do come through the United States. But that was a new disclosure. I would say though that -- as David Ignatius says -- there are so many questions that remain unanswered even six months later including where is Jamal Khashoggi's body?

CO: The one line in your colleague's article -- the case is personal for us at the Post. And of course the Washington Post is leading the investigation as to what happened to Mr. Khashoggi. But at the same time this is about one of your colleagues -- this is about a friend from many of you in the newsroom. What chances are there that the Saudis will admit responsibility that you will actually see somebody really brought to justice for what happened to him?

GM: Well I don't think that we're likely to see -- I don't think anybody really expects to see anything more than kind of trials of lower level figures. You know the reaction of the Trump administration has been very very dismissive. So it certainly does not look like this has knocked the Crown Prince off of track to eventually ascend to the throne.

CO: We will be following your coverage Greg and I appreciate speaking with you today. Thank you.

GM: Thank you.

JD: Greg Miller is a National Security Correspondent with The Washington Post. We reached him in Washington D.C.

[Music]

Water Music

JD: In the early 18th century, King George the First wanted to combine two things he enjoyed: music and the River Thames. So he sent a text to the composer Handel --and by "sent a text" I mean a scroll or something. In any case he asked him to whip something up. The result was a three part suite called, the "Water Music." It was performed by a 50-piece orchestra on one barge in the Thames while the King's royal barge drifted nearby. Now Lawrence University does not have quite the same resources. For example no barges. But this past weekend the school in Appleton, Wisconsin, hosted a performance of its own water music: an opera entitled "Breathe." Performed in and around a swimming pool. The stage was the pool itself. Margaret Paek, a dance instructor at the school who performed explained quote, "The singers floated, a figure bodybuilder did a solo dance, and a keyboardist played melodica while floating in a kayak." There were also dancers in and out of the pool, and a diver who plunged repeatedly into the deep end, and a tuxedo clad cellist whose instrument was submerged while he played. But like Handel's "Water Music" this piece was not a novelty. It was an actual modern opera. Here's an excerpt from "Breathe" -- which will sound somewhat normal, but the singers are floating on their backs in a swimming pool. It is our sound of the day.

SOUNDCLIP

[Music: "Breathe"]

JD: A brief excerpt from "Breathe" -- a "multidisciplinary water opera" performed last weekend at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. The singers you heard were indeed floating on their backs in a pool.

[Music]

Michelle Gray

Guest: Michelle Gray

JD: It was a routine roadside checkpoint. RCMP officers out on a Friday night trying to curb impaired drivers. But for Michelle Gray it turned out to be a night of humiliation and of stress. And in the end, she was not impaired. Ms. Gray uses cannabis to treat her multiple sclerosis symptoms. She failed a roadside saliva test, but she passed an extended sobriety test. Still the damage was done. And now she plans to challenge the use of the roadside screening tests in court. We reached Michelle Gray in Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia.

CO: Michelle what was going through your mind when the RCMP pulled you over at this routine checkpoint?

MICHELLE GRAY: I wasn't really worried. To be honest I didn't feel that I would be or end up in the situation that I ended up in. I only had one drink of alcohol out for dessert with my son that evening, so I was quite confident when approaching that checkpoint.

CO: And as far as cannabis?

MG: No, I wasn't really worried about that either until the officer had noticed the smell of cannabis in my car -- like he could faintly smell it and inquired about it. I said I have a medical license for my multiple sclerosis. He said when's the last time you consumed it? The last time that I consumed cannabis before that checkpoint it was at 4 p.m. When I'd hit that checkpoint it was 10:48 p.m. approximately -- maybe 10 to 11. So that was almost a seven hour window.

CO: But then he wanted to do a roadside test, right? What does that involve?

MG: I had to insert this mechanism -- it's kind of like the size of a k-cup and it has a stick off of it -- like a swab. And I had to put that swab underneath my tongue for about three minutes until the swab I guess gets saturated with your saliva enough. And then the officer took that swab and put it into a machine that was in the backseat of the police cruiser.

CO: So they did this saliva test and they found that you tested positive. Is that right?

MG: Yes that is right.

CO: What did you think when you heard that?

MG: I was stunned. It's kind of like everything just -- I guess -- started spinning slowly. It's kind of like, where is this going to go? And the officer then informed me because I failed that test they had to place me under arrest.

CO: So you had to go to the police station?

MG: I did have to go to the police station in Halifax because I was given the two choices after the arrest. First choice being to go for blood work. Second choice was to do the expansive or extensive sobriety test with a drug recognition expert. I didn't want to give my blood because I figured if I'm testing positive on this roadside saliva swab, I am definitely going to go over that in my blood work too as well because it is in my system. The safest choice was to get the expansive extensive sobriety test done.

CO: Wow. You are having to weigh a lot of considerations here. So you went to the police station for the sobriety test and you had some concerns there, right? Because of the MS.

MG: Exactly, yeah. A lot of the sobriety tests are balance focus test. Tests with your eyes. They turn off the lights and shine different levels -- I guess -- of light into your retina. I don't know, that's probably to see how the pupil reacts to the light. There was walking straight lines. Like the things that you would see in the movies -- like putting one foot directly in front of the other. And my symptoms with MS, balance is an issue for me. It's not all the time -- it's when I'm stressed or if there's inflammation in my brain.

CO: And you're also worried about your speech if you are under stress, right.

MG: Yes definitely. Not so much under stress -- my speech was impaired during flare ups in the past. You know if I had a been in a flare up when this situation happened, I would have instantly failed that extensive sobriety test.

CO: But you didn't. You passed that.

MG: But I didn't. Yeah that's right.

CO: But then what happened? What were the consequences here?

MG: The car got impounded because nobody could come and pick up the vehicle. I did have my license suspended for seven days. And the reason behind the suspension was because I failed the road side test.

CO: Okay so because of the saliva test that showed that you tested positive for marijuana in your system you had your car taken and you suspended license.

MG: Right.

CO: What have you since learned about the accuracy of that testing?

MG: Just through news articles and the information that was coming out pre-legalization -- people had their skepticisms about this machine. I've used cannabis for quite some time in my life, and I know that it's not a substance that is like alcohol. In a breathalyzer test they can tell you exactly how much alcohol you have in your system. They can't with cannabis. These machines only pick up a presence of THC. If it's anything over 5 nanograms, you failed the test.

CO: But it's not just I mean things that you've been reading or hearsay -- the police themselves have said this. In fact we've heard from RCMP Cpl. Lisa Croteau who said that there is no correlation between the level that you're at -- the active THC in your body and impairment, but you can still be charged for that.

MG: Oh yes.

CO: Well what are you going to do about it?

MG: I have an amazing legal team. They feel that my case -- my situation -- here is a perfect test case to bring before the Supreme Court. I would never opt to be in this position but I am in this position and if I can make change for -- you know especially medical users, regular daily users, that are cautious with their usage of cannabis, I don't want them in the same position that I was in.

CO: All right. We will be watching and following your case. Michelle thanks so much.

MG: Thank you so much. You take care. Have a good day.

JD: Michelle Gray was in Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Shane Rimmer

SOUNDCLIP

[Thunderbirds Theme]

JD: For generations of kids, that count down transported them from in front of their TV sets and into a strange sci-fi world -- where a team of bushy-eye browed marionettes tried to save humans from an unsavory group of spies and criminals. That TV series "Thunderbirds" was created in the mid-60s. It followed the adventures of the Tracy family, also known as International Rescue -- a team of pilots with a fleet of land, sea, air, and spacecraft called Thunderbirds. Now if you looked closely you could spot the fishing line used to suspend the puppets. But thanks to clever writing, meticulously-crafted models, and memorable characters -- viewers were willing to suspend their disbelief, and the show became a hit. One of those memorable characters was Scott Tracy. You must not be distracted by his lush brows because under those caterpillars was International Rescue's, steely eyed co-ordinator who piloted Thunderbird One, a hypersonic rocket plane.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE 1: Calling on International Rescue agents: if you are receiving this, your electronic computer is descrambling our signal. Now listen carefully. We have reason to believe one our enemies is getting close to discovering our location. We are temporarily leaving the island, and relocating to one of our auxiliary bases.

VOICE 2: Ready for lift-off.

VOICE 1: Clear to go. All agents -- to defeat this enemy we need your help. Convene in the inconspicuous town of Western England from June 12th to 14th for a top secret briefing. Identification passes will be available in the next few weeks. And I will contact you at our next port of call with further instruction. Over and out.

JD: That was the voice of pilot, Scott Tracy, in the British puppet TV series 'Thunderbirds." Shane Rimmer, the actor who voiced Scott Tracy, died on Friday. He was 89-years-old. In addition to lending his voice to Thunderbirds, Mr. Rimmer had roles in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," a string of Bond movies, and Batman Begins. But Thunderbirds was always his biggest hit. In 2016, Mr. Rimmer spoke to Red Carpet News TV about how that modest puppet show turned into an international success.

SOUNDCLIP

SHANE RIMMER: When we started it -- it just seemed like, certainly from my part, it was just another job. And we didn't know where it was going or whether it was going to last a week or a month or whatever it was going to do. We got paid 20 pounds a session. Not a lot of money. But that was what the going rate was then for something that had no bankable sort of future to it. All of a sudden overnight things started to happen. And Thunderbirds became an international hit and nobody was more surprised than we were. I mean it was amazing! What I will say about Gerry Anderson -- whoever did whatever in the Thunderbirds situation was the best. And that makes a difference because although it was a puppet show and it was a kiddish show for the main part although not entirely -- the quality was striking. And this is what people came to really appreciate. And we appreciated it too as people who were doing it. The scripts were good. There was no nonsense about having to make things up because it didn't really sound right. So all in all, it was quite an immense product to be associated with. And of course the word grew around and we went running around the world and gained an immense sort of reputation and all of which we very much appreciated.

JD: That was Shane Rimmer speaking a Red Carpet News TV in 2016. The Canadian actor -- who voiced Scott Tracy on the TV series the Thunderbirds among many other credits -- died Friday. He was 89-years-old.

[Music]

Kevin Pillar

JD: For the past seven years, Toronto has been home for Kevin Pillar. And so the Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder was understandably emotional today when the news broke of his trade to the San Francisco Giants. He is the longest tenured player on the team, and Toronto was where he got his start in the majors. Fans gave him the nickname "Superman" for his impressive, and sometimes frankly, impossible looking catches. Here's some of what Mr. Pillar told reporters today.

SOUNDCLIP

KEVIN PILLAR: A lot of mixed emotions. I think some relief in some way. I mean I think -- you hear some rumors in the offseason, and it's something new to me at least. And that I feel like ever since I've been here it's kind of been you know a topic of conversation: How are you going to deal with it? What do you think about it? How do you play with it? So I think in some weird way it's a little bit of a relief. It's definitely an emotional time for me and my family. But definitely excited though. You know location wise I think you know aside from maybe going back to L.A. or Arizona, where I live, you know being on the West Coast it's going to be a pretty cool opportunity for me to be a lot closer to my family.

REPORTER: What makes this so emotional for you?

KEVIN PILLAR: It's all I have ever known. You know. You spend a lot of time here -- spend more time here than you do in your home in the off season. You know? And spend more time with people here than I do with my own family. So that part of it's hard.

JD: Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder Kevin Pillar reacting to news today that he would be traded to the San Francisco Giants after seven years in Toronto.

[Music]

Part 3: Meet the P.E.I. MLA who could become Canada's first Green Party premier

P.E.I. Greens

Guest: Peter Bevan-Baker

JD: The P.E.I legislature has been kind of a lonely place for the Green Party -- with only the two elected members. But right now it is on the edge of a lot more seats. With the election campaign in full swing, the Greens have seen a huge huge surge. The party has led in four of the last five polls and if it can hold onto that lead it will form the first Green government anywhere in Canada. And that would make Peter Bevan-Baker the country's first Green premier. We reached Mr. Bevan-Baker in Charlottetown.

CO: Mr. Bevan-Baker as you know Prince Edward Island has gone back and forth between Liberals and Tories for generations. So what makes you think that Islanders are ready to have a Green government?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Well I think like so many places in the world there is a deep dismay and disappointment with conventional politics and unimaginative politicians and that people are looking for an alternative -- a credible alternative. And so the Greens represent I think that local expression of a global phenomenon. We're at the right place at the right time.

CO: Right place the right time -- if the polls are to be trusted. And you have quite a number of polls that show you with a commanding lead. But at the same time what are your Green Party colleagues across the country is saying to you about why P.E.I? I am sure there's a lot of jealousy that's going around.

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Yeah I mean I have to tell you I've had more support than jealousy. That's the vibe that I'm getting from my friends from coast to coast who are elected Greens. But they're certainly looking at this with great interest because it's new, you know? We're in an unprecedented position here -- the Island Green Party. You know everything is set up here for us to succeed -- and really I shouldn't have anything to worry about.

CO: All right nothing to worry about. You put out your party's platform yesterday. And just give us a sense of what's your key offer to the people of P.E.I? What makes you different from the Tories and the Liberals?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: The one that I think is resonating most loudly with Islanders is to restore trust in government. And we've had -- as you've mentioned -- a couple of times that sort of ping-pong politics here between the Red team and the Blue team, and it seemed that no matter who was in there the level of patronage really did not change. And Islanders you know if they wanted to change -- it consisted of bringing back the guys that you threw out a couple of elections ago. But this time they have an opportunity for a different level of change -- sort of a deeper level of change.

CO: Why have you downplayed to some extent your environmental concerns? I would think that will be front and centre with the Green Party.

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Well absolutely they are. And I think the Green Party unlike the other parties recognises that a healthy environment is fundamental to a prosperous economy and to a healthy society. You cannot have a vibrant economy on a dying planet. And you cannot have healthy people if we don't look after the air, the water, and the soil. So you will see throughout our platform that link -- that thread -- between the health of the environment and the overall well-being of society. So it's not that we're downplaying that, but in order to present a comfortable alternative to people in politics today you have to get past that idea that the Green Party is a single issue party.

CO: We just had a report come out yesterday with devastating news about what's going on with climate change in this country. You'd think this is a time that not to say well we just assume they know we care about the environment and we'll move on. I think you'd have to actually say, hey guys we need to do something right now.

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: And you know what? We are, and I am. We're the only party actually here on Prince Edward Island that has a really robust program towards combating climate change. And people have told me that it is political suicide, you can't do that here. And I don't believe that's true for a start. But no, we're not backing off that at all. We are the party that is able to have those courageous difficult conversations with Islanders and say look yeah this is hard but we have to deal with it.

CO: The Liberal party -- the incumbent party -- government is offering job. That is what they have said. Their major campaign promise is at least 3500 new jobs over the next four years, infrastructure -- 750 million dollars are going to be put into improve roads, bridges, and schools. What is your party offering in that regard because that's what matters a lot to P.E.I -- doesn't it -- that they get work?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Well yes but so much of that work now happens outside of government. I mean there was a time when a large part of our economy here was indeed tied to patronage appointments. Absolutely. That is not so much the case now. It still exists but people do not vote for their MLA in order that she or he can get them a job after the election -- that just doesn't happen.

CO: But are you offering 3500 new jobs?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: No. But I would not make such a rash promise. And I looked at the government -- the P.E.I government -- here over the last 12 years and it has been a Liberal administration for that long who have made these sort of grandiose promises and very rarely have they ever lived up to it.

CO: They say they created 5000 full time jobs just over the past four years. Is that not true?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Well I mean it depends on whether you feel that the government was responsible for creating those jobs. There's a huge disconnect between the economy on a tear as our premier loves to call the economy here on P.E.I and the well-being of individual Islanders and the quality of their lives.

CO: Just to you personally -- I mean there's a still slight accent but not much. You do come from Scotland and you have been in a number of parts of Canada. You have run nine times unsuccessfully for provincial and national Green Party -- before you won in 2015. Is that persistence or stubbornness?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: It is probably a bit of Scottish stubbornness. I knew in those early days when I was running as a Green Party candidate that I had very little chance of getting elected, but that wasn't important to me. What was important was that I was bringing to the conversation a perspective that was not there from the mainstream parties.

CO: Well it's early, but have you practice that phrase -- Premier Bevan-Baker. Have you said that out loud to yourself?

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: You know I have to be comfortable with that Carol. I used to laugh when people said stuff like that. But it's not funny anymore and we have to be ready to govern. And personally I am ready to do that, and the party I think has demonstrated on our platform, and in the quality of our candidates that we are absolutely ready to govern here. So I'm feeling really confident and really comfortable about the whole situation we face here.

CO: All right Mr. Bevan-Baker we will be watching closely. Thank you so much.

PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Thanks Carol. It's a pleasure.

JD: Peter Bevan-Baker is the leader of the P.E.I Green Party. We reached him in Charlottetown. We have more on that story on our website: cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Trans Am Totem

JD: It is a five-car pile up that attracts rubberneckers -- especially those who see it as an important metaphor for something. For a long time, a striking piece of public art called the Trans Am Totem was on display at the median of a busy Vancouver intersection. But the city announced that it will be removed because of construction work which put its future in jeopardy. Well now the art will be parked with the city's permanent collection -- thanks to a 250-thousand dollar donation by LuluLemon founder Chip Wilson. In March of 2018, As It Happens spoke to the artist who made Trans Am Totem. Here's Marcus Bowcott, describing his work to Carol.

SOUNDCLIP

MB: It's an old growth cedar. It's about two-and-a-half metres wide at the base. It's only a partial bit of the trunk. It goes up 20-feet. And it's anchored into the ground with pylons, which you don't see. And on top of the old growth cedar, there's five cars. And they're kind of plunked on top of each other, so they're settled into each other. And they form kind of a circular spiral. And the tree trunk itself has got a spiral in it. So there is kind of a swirl to it. Your eye moves around the piece.

CO: The cars are all smooched together, right? Piled on top of each other.

MB: Yeah, Trans Am on top, BMW underneath, then it's a Honda, and then Cabriolet and then a chopped and channeled Mercedes.

CO: This location that you can see where it is it's really very striking. It’s dramatic, isn't it? You got this little square of grass that it's on, but it's surrounded by tall towers and apartment buildings, freeways, overpasses all swirling around it. Why is that an ideal location for what you're trying to say with this piece?

MB: Well, I think it speaks of our technology and the way we're living now with our technology; that we live in an artless existence, where we're just surrounded by this technology that overwhelms us. And I think the site has got the SkyTrain; it's got the viaduct, it's got the cars underneath, there's very kind of predictable looking steel and glass towers and you know it's sort of like a spectacle.

CO: And why does this old growth cedar that's the base of it why does it fit well with that location?

MB: Well, the location used to be old growth cedars and Douglas firs. This is a mere 150-180 years ago. It was primeval forest. So it's reminding people of what was and what is. It's you know we have this fascination with technology and cars. And we place cars and technology above nature.

CO: And now it seems that cars and transportation is going to dis-plant art because your work has to move out because of more development there. So we're back to what are you going to do with it?

MB: We're not entirely sure. There's been some interest from various people, but like I say, there's nothing concrete yet. You know it might go to Calgary, it might go to Seattle, who knows? I don't know.

CO: I hear that you may have to put it in your driveway.

MB: I got a cranky neighbour. I don’t think that'll happen

CO: All right. Well, I hope you find a good place. It's a great piece, Marcus.

MB: Oh, thank you.

CO: And it is great to talk to you. Thanks.

MB: Well, thank you very much, Carol.

JD: That was artist Marcus Bowcott speaking to Carol in March of 2018, about the Trans Am Totem. The piece of public art has been saved thanks to a 250,000 dollar donation.

[Music]

Ernie Klassen

JD: Not long ago, The White Rock Pride Society in White Rock, British Columbia, approached the Star of the Sea Community Centre -- which is owned by a local Catholic parish -- about an event in support of an LGBT youth camp. At first, it seemed like there would not be a problem. Then the parish got back in touch. The pride society's president Ernie Klassen spoke with Gloria Macarenko -- host of "On The Coast" -- about the church's reaction.

SOUNDCLIP

ERNIE KLASSEN: So we went there and asked whether it would be available, and they said yes the date is available. And I had said to them, well you know in all fairness I just do want to let you know that it's the White Rock Pride Society that's requesting it. And we're told at that point that oh I'm not sure that we can rent it to you. Then we put in a written application and we're told that we are not in keeping with the practices of the Catholic Church and so they would not allow us to rent the facility.

GLORIA MACARENKO: Was there some part of you that maybe was expecting this kind of response?

ERNIE KLASSEN: Well I wasn't expecting it. There was a little bit of worry that that might happen. But you know the Pope is making all kinds of statements and moving forward with the LGBT community and with the church. And so we did not actually expect this. No. Some of our support group actually are active participants in the Catholic Church and they were quite taken aback that you know in White Rock we would have this kind of a response.

GLORIA MACARENKO: Some people may think you know an organization should have the right to provide services or not to provide services to people based on their own religious views. What are your thoughts?

ERNIE KLASSEN: Well first of all they do call it the Star of the Sea Community Centre -- so if it's going to be a centre that is available only to a part -- a certain part -- of society then I think they should be promoting it that way.

JD: That was White Rock Pride Society president Ernie Klassen speaking with CBC Vancouver's "On The Coast." The parish and the Vancouver archdiocese declined to comment.

[Music]

NASA Space Station

Guest: Laura Grego

JD: It is a point of pride for India's Prime Minister. Astronauts, however, not exactly thrilled to bits about it. Last week, India used a ground launched weapon to blow one of its own satellites out of orbit. That makes India one of only four countries to have accomplished that feat. Yesterday, however, the head of NASA Bridenstine warned that the debris from that explosion was endangering the International Space Station which is currently home to six human people -- including one Canadian. Laura Grego is a senior scientist in the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. We reached her in the boarding area of the Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington D.C.

CO: Ms. Grego how worried should NASA be for the International Space Station at this point?

LAURA GREGO: Well the concern is that pieces of debris from this anti-satellite test that India conducted might impact the space station. So the Indian anti-satellite test was at a lower orbit than ISS, but it was a powerful destruction. And some of the pieces from that destroyed satellite were kicked up to higher orbits -- high enough to pass through the orbit that the ISS goes through. So as the NASA director said they're tracking 44 pieces of debris that have gone up to that altitude. You can only track pieces of debris that are around 10 centimetres in size so maybe the size of a baseball. But even pieces smaller than that can really harm a satellite or a space station -- something the size of a marble...

CO: Like what? What kind of damage could something like that do to the space station?

LG: Right. So a collision with a piece of space debris could for example damage the solar panels and you know less power can be created -- effecting systems. You know of course the big concern would be piercing the hull of the space station -- creating a leak -- or damaging any important systems that keep the space station functional. The locks that let you go in and out. All sorts of things. So there's enormous power in even small pieces of debris. The kinds of debris that you can't track with current systems. So we know that bigger pieces have gone up that high. And we expect that smaller pieces follow bigger pieces -- we just can't see all those. So the space station you know regularly maneuvers around to avoid pieces of debris that we can see. So that's an occurrence that happens. But it's always a concern when there is a bigger risk than we thought. But...

CO: But are lives at risk here?

LG: Well certainly that's the concern. Keeping astronauts alive is a complicated process and you need everything to be working well. Of course the risks are still small. In general the risks to the astronauts from debris is small -- and so generally an increase in a very small risk is slightly bigger. I haven't seen a number for exactly what the calculated risk increases. I don't know if they've actually done that assessment yet. I don't think they've finished tracking all of the debris yet. The other issue is that the debris is changing orbits rapidly so it's a complicated issue to keep track of all the pieces and know where they are. So I think the NASA director certainly is right to be irate about this because it unnecessarily increased risks to astronauts. You know there is no imperative to destroy this satellite -- for India that satellite was not problematic. It wasn't a military target. It was simply a test. And while most of the debris from the test is likely to be dragged down by the atmosphere over the next couple of months -- some of it can remain in orbit for significantly longer. And it can continue to pose risks to other satellites including the ISS.

CO: So NASA is angry -- is worried -- about this. But hasn't the United States also blown up satellites?

LG: Yes. So India is the fourth country to destroy a satellite on [inaudible] orbit. The last time the United States did something similar was in 2009 when it destroyed a satellite that had stopped functioning and it was at a low altitude as well. And so these risks continue to -- you know it's not good behaviour. It isn't behaviour that we should follow. These are tests that not only create debris and endanger the space environment, but they create precedence for anti-satellite weapons testing and development of anti-satellite weapons. You know if we continue on this path and countries build more and create inventories of them -- they may be tempted to use them against an adversarial satellite.

CO: You're describing the possibility of well star wars -- space wars.

LG: Well that will be one aspect of space wars. The fact that satellites are extremely strategic assets -- they always have been. They've always been important assets for militaries. And of course satellites are also difficult to defend. So countries have developed anti-satellite technologies. No country has ever destroyed another country's satellites ever. These tests have been against their own satellites. So that's good, right. There have been guardrails...

CO: But wait a second -- they are testing this for a reason, right? I mean are there no international protocols -- are they allowed -- are countries allowed to do this?

LG: So the Outer Space Treaty is a foundational legal document that governs outer space. And the only specific weapons that it forbids from being stationed in space are weapons of mass destruction. Of course the most important of those is nuclear weapons. And countries are meant to use space with due regard of others peaceful use of space. And of course international law applies in outer space. So you're not meant to use force -- except for self-defence or under the auspices of the UN Security Council. So there is a law that guides military uses of outer space but no specific prohibition on anti-satellite weapons or other types of weapons in space.

CO: I know you are very distracted because they want you to get on a plane. But finally we know that Canada has an astronaut David Saint-Jacques -- he's onboard the International Space Station. What's going on for those astronauts do you think right now?

LG: Well astronauts are a hardy lot and they're used to taking risks. So I think that they are probably doing their jobs and getting their instructions for whether they need to make maneuvers. I'm sure they do not appreciate the increased risks. But you know I think hopefully the Canadian Space Agency, NASA, and the Russian Space Agency are doing everything possible to keep them safe and to keep a good eye on them.

CO: Ms. Grego I really appreciate speaking with you. I know you have to catch a plane. So thank you for taking the time to talk.

LG: Thanks for the invitation.

JD: Laura Grego is a senior scientist in the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. And as you heard there we reached her just before she boarded a flight out of Washington D.C.

[Music]

Zack Bromley

JD: Zack Bromley has his mum to thank for saving his life. The 7-year-old was playing near his home on Friday in Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, when a young cougar attacked him. His mother rushed to his aid. Zack's dad, Kevin Bromley, spoke with Skye Ryan -- a reporter with CBC Victoria affiliate CHEK-TV -- about what happened next. Here's part of that conversation.

SOUNDCLIP

KEVIN BROMLEY: By that point it latched on to his forearm, and it wasn't -- obviously -- it wasn't letting go. And so she jumps in and then she's trying to pry its mouth off of him right. I think any mom would do that, right. You're a mom of a 7-year-old, right, you would do it. Like it's just that selfless love ,right.

REPORTER: How is Zack now?

KEVIN BROMLEY: He's getting there. I think that's the best description. We've got him in hiding, and he's at his favourite place -- his nan's. I think he's coming back to himself. But as we said he's figured out that was pretty close to near death. So he's old enough to grasp that and that's a big pill to swallow -- just to digest that mentally. But I think he's fine. Ultimately he's fine. I mean when I got to the hospital, I bawled you know because he was just covered in blood. Right. But then the level of care in the community and everyone has been phenomenal. [Reporter mentions money] I know I was like what do say? Like, oh my goodness! Like I was trying to refuse it but they just insisted. And then that's the community -- the community like this is a very tight knit community -- like really tight knit -- and so they just insisted and you know you had to accept it. And actually my wife came up with the brainchild -- because we figured that the only real solution, especially the conservation officer said this is such a almost a must is to get a dog.

JD: That was Kevin Bromley speaking with CHEK-TV News yesterday. His son, Zack, is recovering after being attacked by a cougar in their B.C. backyard last week.

[Music]

Biking at the wrong race

JD: She was preparing for the marathon when she was struck by an idea so brilliant she could not believe no one had thought of it before. An idea that would give her a huge advantage over her competitors. And yes it might seem unethical, but there was no rule against it. Except yes, there is a rule against it. There is a rule about riding a bicycle during a marathon. And the rule is you can't do it at all. Now you would have thought that that would have been abundantly clear to the unnamed runner before she got on her bike at the Xuzhou International Marathon in late March. You would have thought it would have been definitely clear when race officials told her to you know get off the bike, and you know not get back on it. But she stuck by her terrific idea. Apparently she did dismount when she was first ordered to, but just climbed back on at some point later on in the race. Now obviously her ingenious strategy did not work. And not just in the sense that it turned out to be illegal, it just didn't work. She didn't win. The overall winner finished in two hours and ten minutes. The bike runner finished in five hours and 38 minutes. Also she is banned for life from that race. Somehow she'd convinced herself she would revolutionize endurance running by cycling and influenced generations of marathons to come. So this was not the kind of chain reaction she expected.

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April 2, 2019 Episode Transcript

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