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The AIH transcript for August 30, 2024

For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.

NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

LISA BRYN RUNDLE: Good evening, I'm Lisa Bryn Rundle, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[theme]

LBR: Tonight:

NK: Essential Service. The mayor of Whale Cove, Nunavut tells us about fighting a fire that knocked out the only grocery store in town -- as well as its post office and electricity.

LBR: Starting over… Again. Even by the standards of Presidential politics, it has been a dizzying summer of swinging momentum. As the real race takes shape, we'll check in with journalist Ben Smith about what to expect in the fall.

NK: Flood, sweat and tears. Deadly flooding in southeastern Bangladesh has destroyed homes -- and left millions stranded. A man from Feni describes getting his family to safety after their own home became fully submerged.

LBR: On again, Off again, part 1. Thieves in a Manitoba town go on a serial statue-decapitation spree, leaving a local woman trying to crack the case of the carried-off cranium.

NK: On again, Off again, Part 2. We'll preview my conversation with a guest a lot of As It Happens listeners will know very well.

LBR: And, Spitz take. Muggins the dog helped raise money for two world wars: once trotting the streets of Victoria, B.C. and once after being taxidermied. Now, he's found his forever home.

LBR: As It Happens, the Friday edition. Radio that considers him the Stuffed [NK chuckles] of Legends.

Part 1: Nunavut Grocery Store Fire, Bangladesh Flooding, Minnedosa Statue Head

Nunavut Grocery Store Fire

Guest: Oliver Shipton

LBR: People in Whale Cove, Nunavut woke up today to a state of emergency. The hamlet's only grocery store burned down early this morning -- partly knocking out power in the community. Power has since been restored. And officials are now assessing the damage and figuring out how to move forward. Oliver Shipton is the mayor of Whale Cove. That's where we reached him.

NK: Mayor Shipton, how did you first find out about this fire?

OLIVER SHIPTON: So the fire had started in the mid-section of the co-op -- our grocery store. And that was at 330 in the morning. And we were on the scene at 3:32. So, with the firefighters. And as soon as we got the door open, the inside of the co-op -- I guess -- was already preheated. So we had a flashover, which is the fresh oxygen coming into the building, and it, everything spontaneously combusted, and there was no, there was no way of putting out the fire at that point.

NK: And just to be clear -- for our listeners, in case they missed it -- you're the mayor. You're also a member of the fire department. So, you're not just acting in your capacity as mayor in those early hours. You are actively trying to fight this fire.

OS: Correct. Yeah, correct.

NK: How are you dealing with all of this now?

OS: I'm, I'm tired, but I have work to do. And it's not going to, being tired is not going to stop me right now from making sure everybody in the community is taken care of. And, and that's my number one priority is everybody in this community. And, a lot of our, when we found out, when we came to the conclusion that the store was not going to be able to be saved, then we were a securing scene. And there was, so part of the power outage, there was a power pole that's placed right beside. And that's the pole that feeds the main part of town. So, we focus all our efforts on keeping that pole from burning. And so, keeping our hose line on the pole. And then also, we had a loader open up that corner of the store that is a few feet from the pole. And we just kept water on that area, and we saved our power lines. So, we were able to restore power relatively early.

NK: You were able to do that. On the other hand -- you know -- watching this integral part of your community burn, what was that like for you personally, Mayor?

OS: It's not a good feeling watching something burning that's so valuable to the community. Our store, our store is a huge necessity. And it's, stressful situation, but it's always best to remain calm because keeping the calmness in the community and working together and everything, we, we're going to get through this.

NK: Because this is, this is a, it's a grocery store -- as we've said -- but it's also the post office, the local fuel store, as well. So how are people in Whale Cove reacting? How are they taking this news?

OS: Yeah. So, it's, it's definitely very disappointing. And what we've done to combat this was our community hall is currently being set up into a back-up store right now. And being, re, re, re retrofitted. Arctic Co-Ops is sending food hampers as we speak for every household. We have other communities donating food. The post office, we're going to develop a system so people can still get postal mail. And PPD is coming with, new mid coms. And, that will keep us, dispensing fuel and gas.

NK: And what's PPD, just for our listeners?

OS: Petroleum Products Division.

NK: It's, this has all happened quite quickly. And -- you know -- we cover -- certainly -- a lot of disasters and emergency situations in towns large and small. And just hearing you talk about the strategy already in place, it seems like you've, you've all been able to do that very quickly.

OS: Yeah. Yeah, I have been, that's, that's why I didn't get back to you right away when you called.

NK: That's okay.

OS: Because I, I've been phone call after phone call, and running around town, and I've been very busy. But I couldn't do this without the community support. Like, when we have a fire, people come, and they help, and we have, we have a lot of great people in this community that are, that are all offering vehicles, giving out food, cooking for other people, working at the school. And I'm sure we're going to get a lot of volunteers to distribute these hampers and everything. And, all our essential services are still running too, like water and sewage. So everybody will be able to still shower and everything in their homes. And we're going to be providing this food with the support of other communities and all these businesses that reached out. And it's a lot, a lot can be done when a community works together. And this, these are one of those times that really show how strong the North can be.

NK: Any sense -- Mayor -- at this stage, what happened? What caused this fire?

OS: So, it's currently still under investigation. It started at the midsection within the store. The store was completely locked, but I am not an investigator, so I cannot fully comment on that. We are getting a fire investigator coming in, I believe. But -- other than that -- I can't confirm, so I won't comment.

NK: Certainly not. No, we'll stay, stay up to date on the details as you get more information and that investigation gets started. How long do you think? I mean, it's still very early stages -- as organized as, as, as you certainly are. How long do you think before a store is rebuilt and, and, and it becomes that, that central hub again?

OS: That's tough to say, but we're working. We're going to have everyday meetings with Arctic Co-Op and CGS and, and, and, and Nunavut Emergency Management, and we're coming up with solutions. So, there's been a few ideas. I even threw in is that there's securing a full sea lift and -- hopefully -- getting a prefabricated building to bring in and quickly set up as, as another support mechanism while we build a new co-op. We have a lot of projects going on right now. So we just got a new water treatment built. And our airport is currently being constructed by them, so I'm really hoping maybe we can utilize them as well because they're very fast and efficient and do great work. So, we are lucky to have these resources in the community at the moment, and I really hope we can utilize them.

NK: Well -- Mayor Shipton -- I appreciate your time because you are very busy still. And I do hope that you're able to get some rest after all this. Thank you.

OS: Okay. Thank you.

LBR: Oliver Shipton is the mayor of Whale Cove, Nunavut.

[plucked instrumental]

Bangladesh Flooding

Guest: Raquib Muhammad

LBR: Devastating flooding in Bangladesh has left millions stranded and at least 50 dead after one of the most severe monsoon seasons in 30 years. The city of Feni -- in southeastern Bangladesh -- is the epicentre of one of the worst floods in the country's recent history -- and the scenes there are devastating. Raquib Muhammad was born and raised in Feni. And last week, his family home was completely submerged in the flood waters -- forcing his family to flee. We reached him in Dhaka.

NK: Raquib, you and your family are dealing with a lot right now. How is everyone doing?

RAQUIB MUHAMMAD: Right now, we are navigating the precarious conditions following the flood -- the disastrous flood -- which we've never encountered over the last three to four generations of our family. Even we never heard any stories from our grandmom or auntie about any disastrous flood they affected in their earlier lives.

NK: Your home in Feni -- your family home -- is, is completely submerged, as I understand it. You were all there as, as the heavy rains fell and the flooding began. Can you tell me what it was like? When did you realize? What was the moment you realized you had to get out?

RM: Around August 20th, we started to realize that our own land is submerging because we had no previous experience to navigate such disasterous flood. People, they were not prepared about such, about such disasters. Even when I talked to my parents about that flood -- that water is submerged in the roadside -- they are laughing. They say that, okay, in different years, it touched the roadside then it disappeared by its own way. But -- unfortunately -- it was not the case.

NK: So, people thought they were going to be okay. And then, things changed and changed quickly. Can you just tell me personally for you, you're in the house, what is happening in those moments?

RM: The flood, it was around touching our whole home yard. And my parents, me, all of us left around 11 p.m. But around 1 to 2 a.m., we started to realize that flood is entering, the water is entering our home. And within five to six hours, it crossed the, the shoulder level. And my, my parents -- when they left the home -- it already submerged their shoulder. And we are lucky that our home, it was something very close to the roadside. That is why it took only 10 to 15 minutes for them to reach to the main road, and they were evacuated, and they were rescued in my aunty's home in a district area. Nearly 1.5 million people in our home district were affected by this flood.

NK: So, when you're, you're in Dhaka now -- as we've said. Is your family with you, or are you staying in different places?

RM: Right now, I'm in Dhaka. But My family, they already returned to, my home village. So I rescued them, and they were in my auntie's home for five days, and they returned to the home just three days back.

NK: Yeah. So, they've gone back to the house. What condition is it in?

RM: The water just washed away. I think still, it is around roadside.

NK: But the waters are still in your home? Or is it still submerged? Or has, have the waters receded from the house now?

RM: The roadside is still submerged, but the home -- because it is something above the roadside -- so it's, so the home right now is safe, but the roadside and other areas is still under, underwater.

NK: So, your family was able to, to get away quickly -- as you said. And -- fortunately -- they have support and other places they can stay. But what about other people in the, in the affected regions? What do you make of the government response and its ability to help people?

RM: I'm I'm thankful for one, one thing. A majority of the residents of our own district, they actually worked in Middle East. So, they send a remittance to the villages and their families and friends. In each vicinity, they have a two-story building. At least in each villages there are different two-story building. So, if this flood happened in different districts in Bangladesh, like Rangamati or Pirojpur, thousand of people would die because people got only five to six hours to evacuate their home. Government didn't want the people.

NK: Inside Bangladesh, there, it is certainly -- as we've reported on this program -- a time of political uncertainty, the mass protests, the resignation of the prime minister. How is that impacting the government's ability to respond?

RM: Yeah. So, so government was not preferred because they were actually busy with settling and estate building process. So, one thing following the regulation when people face this situation, they get by, by themselves in different countryside. They made a kind of a community of care. People from all walks of life, they donated, they provided reliefs, and they gathered in Feni City to help the people. People from different areas, they are coming and helping us. Another thing -- which is something like that -- many people who came from different areas, even the people those were expert on rescue and those who are expert disaster management, if they are in Feni, they're completely lost because they never handle such disaster situation in their, in their own life.

NK: You've been helping, you've been helping in terms of relief efforts. How, how are you doing that? What are you doing?

RM: So we are helping the people today still. I prefer to track of the food to actually help people, such as the people living in my police station areas. So we sent two trucks of the food for nearly 2,000 people, those who are affected by the flood. So people are getting food from different areas, but it's still mattered. The people -- still -- they don't have enough resources. He still they are navigating such precarious condition and they still they need more support to actually rehabilitate. It's still some areas and some people, those whose living status is standard is something below. Still, they are living in the shelter centre, being submerged in various parts of the Feni district, and they're expecting the food and other other, other help.

NK: Raquib, I appreciate your time. Thank you. Please take care.

RM: Thank you so much. Thank you.

LBR: Raquib Muhammad lost his family home to flooding in southeast Bangladesh.

[newsy theme]

Carol Off Book

LBR: It's been two years now since Nil's predecessor -- Carol Off -- took her leave of As It Happens. And she says it's taken about that long for her to wrap her head around the ideas that were top of mind when she left. Or maybe I should say... To wrap her pen around them. Next week, her new book -- At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage -- hits shelves. And next week, we embark on a whole new season of As It Happens. To mark both occasions, Carol sat down with Nil in our studio for a feature interview about words and how we use them. Six words in particular: democracy, freedom, truth, woke, choice and taxes. You can hear their full conversation on Monday's show -- but for now -- here's a taste.

SOUNDCLIP

CAROL OFF: What I found was that people were so angry with each other. This, we now are so, this rancour is so familiar we don't even, even talk about it. But at the time, that was just growing then. And what I found is that -- increasingly -- people couldn't have civilized conversations. People were angry. They weren't just, they didn't just disagree with their opponents, they hated their opponents. And then I also became aware that people were giving up on some really important ideas of civil society. That they were increasingly democracy was becoming a dirty word. And then when we saw during the freedom, so-called freedom convoy, when freedom became a word about doing whatever you want and no longer having obligations to society, I realized that something seriously had gone wrong. And so -- soon as I finished here -- I began to write this book that you're now looking at.

NK: Yes. And the detail, the journalism, the, the experiences that you've had that you apply to this -- both personal and professional. And you've seen things shift. But people have always tried to manipulate words. What's different now?

CO: These are specific words of civil society that have, go back to -- in some cases -- like, the words freedom and democracy go back to the Greeks and Romans. What had shifted in this case -- especially with the word freedom -- was that there was this word that meant, like, Robben Island, and Martin Luther King Junior, and being liberated from Auschwitz, freedom was some, was the clarion call of people who were oppressed, people who didn't have what they needed. It was what Franklin Delano Roosevelt talked about in his speeches about we have to be free from want. People aren't free if they don't have enough to eat and don't have a roof over their heads during, during the depression. And so, this important word became the first one that I wrote about. And what I thought is that we need to reclaim this word from those who were in January 6th, storming the Capitol in Washington, saying that they were going to liberate their country. And we needed to take it back from those who were giving out this message of, of anger and rage, and saying, we don't have to care about others anymore. We don't need to wear a mask. We don't need to do things for others. And then wrapping that in a flag -- a Canadian flag -- and calling it patriotism, I thought, we're taking this word back, and I'm going to write about that.

LBR: Tune in on Monday to hear Nil's full conversation with former As It Happens host Carol Off. Carol's book -- At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage is published by Penguin Random House.

[Britpop]

Minnedosa Statue Head

Guest: Marlies Soltys

LBR: Marlies Soltys built Art from the ground up. That's Art van Wrinkle, a sculpture that Ms. Soltys created outside her art store in Minnedosa, Manitoba. And Art quickly became a popular guy in town. But there's one major problem: Art has lost his head. Or rather, someone has taken it… For the third time. We reached Ms. Soltys in Minnedosa.

NK: Marlies, what does Art look like?

MARLIES SOLTYS: Art is a life-sized statue that sits on our bench. He's in a sitting position. He leans forward a little bit. Yeah, he looks like he's bronze, but he's not. I just painted him to look like bronze.

NK: What is he made of?

MS: It started off with a chest -- like a mannequin's chest -- and then we just, I just added his bum, his legs, his arms, his head, that sort of thing.

NK: Yeah. And there is no head right now, we should say.

MS: [chuckling] Yeah, there's no head.

NK: Oh boy!

MS: We're not ahead in the world.

NK: [chuckling] You've got, you've got a million of those lined up -- I bet -- right? You've been writing messages and leaving them where his head used to be. What are some of your favourites?

MS: One of my favourites was I thought I had my head in the game. I guess I was wrong. [NK chuckles] And the other one says I would like to get ahead in the world.

NK: Well, you're gunning for --

MS: Those are my two favourites.

NK: You're gunning for a stint writing at As It Happens, it sounds like. Whether you, whether you know it or not. This is not the first time this has happened. It's happened a few times now. And I wonder -- I mean -- there are statues lives there, statues everywhere, including ones where they're seated on benches. Why do you think this keeps happening to Art?

MS: I'm not quite sure. I think maybe they think it's a joke. Maybe they think that he's so good-looking that they're jealous. Maybe they think they're tough and macho doing this, but it's really quite the opposite. But -- yeah -- I don't know.

NK: Yeah. Is it easy to remove the head?

MS: It was just stuck in time because -- well -- it was and it wasn't because we had a special, heavy-duty magnet ordered in, and we put a steel plate in his body. And in the, in the head, we epoxied this heavy-duty magnet. So it would just make that slurp sound when you put it on there, and then it stayed. Like, it would stay on in the gale force winds, but you could remove it by sliding it and pushing it off. But this last time, we put it on there way more secure. But they bashed it pretty good.

NK: They bashed it right off. And how long ago was that?

MS: Last Saturday -- Saturday night to Sunday.

NK: And you were mentioning -- you know -- the mannequin body, and then you added pieces. The pieces that you have added -- like the head -- what are they made of?

MS: So, the rest of his body is made with wood, heavy gauge wire, tinfoil. Back when we got, had copious

amounts of plastic grocery bags, we used those, that sort of thing. I don't even know how many rolls of hockey tape to keep it all together. And then his head, I first used styrofoam to carve out, but we hollowed that all out and put mechanisms in to attach it to the body.

NK: You've been, you've been taking it in stride -- it sounds like. But I can't imagine it is fun or cheap. So what do you want to say to whoever's doing this?

MS: No. What I would like to say to whoever is doing this? That please return his head. You don't need it. And come see me, and we'll make a head together for you to keep as a trophy. I'm not going to be angry. Just, I would like it back, that's all.

NK: In the previous instances -- at least once -- you found one of the heads. Where was it?

MS: We found it twice.

NK: Okay.

MS: So the first time that it happened -- a couple of years ago -- after about three weeks, it magically appeared one morning under our bench. And then last month -- when it happened again -- we found it, or somebody from town here found it at our local beach.

NK: [chuckle] Just hanging out.

MS: Yes. I guess they thought Art needed a beach day. I'm not sure.

NK: Yeah, I guess so, I guess so. So, are you going to, are you, are you making a new head as we speak?

MS: Yeah, I'm in the process of making a new head at the moment, yes.

NK: And will there be any modifications to, to make sure it stays, but also, maybe if you could find it.

MS: Yeah, we're trying to figure out -- my husband and I are trying to figure out -- either a rod right through, down and even through the bench, or a plate of some sort. But then again -- if this is going to get bashed in again -- then are they going to make it even worse? I would hope not. I hope this is now done, and Art can enjoy his time in Minnedosa . Yeah, but yeah. And then, we've also got an AirTag on order that we'll insert somewhere in his head. I won't tell you where [NK chuckles] so that whoever's listening won't know either. [laughing]

NK: Yeah, good, good plan. And I heard you might, you might, you were thinking of even trying to -- you know -- catch them in the, in the act. So maybe having a microphone or a speaker.

MS: Well, that would be the ultimate, wouldn't it? Look, if I could get a Bluetooth speaker in there somehow. And then if they were to mess with it and I get a notification on my phone, that I could then speak to them and say, hey, I like my body, leave me be sort of thing.

NK: That would be pretty epic, yeah.

MS: Yeah. Something like, no, I've already been on lofty adventures. I don't need another one.

NK: We'll see. Clearly -- you know -- people -- whether they're stealing his head or not -- they really like Art. And they like posing with him. How are they reacting to, to all these disappearances?

MS: Yeah, they're clearly upset. There's so many people that have stopped me and saying, oh, I'm so sorry. Or they popped into the studio, in because we're a small town. If I go into the grocery store, I have to -- like -- people will stop me to talk to me about it and so on. And they're all upset. They would like it back as well.

NK: Are they still posing with him?

MS: Yes, they are actually. Because we've been putting these little notes up on there and they come.

NK: I bet. Why do you think they love him so much?

MS: I don't know. I think it's just a unique opportunity. He's sitting on that bench. You can snuggle right up to him. He's a good listener. I don't know, I, [NK chuckles] it's just something that people just really like, so, which is great. That's exactly what we wanted when we built them.

NK: Well, keep us posted, Marlies. I appreciate your time.

LBR: Marlies Soltys owns the Inspire Studio of Fine Art in Minnedosa, Manitoba.

[cop movie music?]

Part 2: U.S. Election Lookahead, Muggins On Display

U.S. Election Lookahead

Guest: Ben Smith

LBR: It's already been a whirlwind campaign. And now, there are just 66 days left until the U.S. presidential election. This summer, we saw a hard-to-watch debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Then, there was an attempt on former President Trump's life. And soon after that, the Democratic top ticket changed -- meaning Kamala Harris has less time to make her case to voters than any other candidate in modern history. The fall campaign season will be key to deciding who will be in the White House come November. Ben Smith is the editor-in-chief of Semafor and co-host of the Mixed Signals podcast. We reached him in Brooklyn, New York.

NK: Ben, you were on our show on the last day of the Republican National Convention back in July. It was just a few days after that that Joe Biden dropped out of the race. It is now -- as you well know -- Kamala Harris's campaign. How are you viewing this, this shift? Is this turning out to be the fall election campaign you were building in your mind's eye?

BEN SMITH: Absolutely not. I mean, I think this is the most astonishing month-and-a-half of American politics that I've ever seen. And I've been I've been covering this for 20 years, been, been to every convention since 2004. And I would say that the two most happy, confident, positive conventions I've ever been to were -- one -- Kamala Harris's convention -- you know -- just a few days ago in Chicago. And -- two -- Donald Trump's convention in Milwaukee. You know, both parties left feeling like they had the right nominee, like they were united. They were going to win. I mean -- obviously -- someone will not win. And strangely, now the election actually sort of is on rails. And you have, within the context of Donald Trump obviously being an extremely unusual candidate and Kamala Harris being brand new to the ticket, basically a pretty conventional American election campaign where they're spending hundreds of millions of dollars on television and where both candidates are trying to show how centrist to are.

NK: Let's talk a bit more about, about those conventions. Because when we spoke on that last day of the RNC -- you know -- you described sort of this Disneyland atmosphere, the excitement. And also, you said the moment could go down in history as the time that MAGA took over and irreversibly became Donald Trump's party. And you said there was a non-zero chance it will be remembered as a moment of, of wild overconfidence by the Republicans. What's your sense of that confidence or overconfidence now?

BS: I think it now feels like it was -- in retrospect -- incredible overconfidence. I mean, they couldn't have known that Biden was going to drop, that Kamala's launch was going to be this successful. But, but they -- I think -- almost feel, and I think Trump has said he feels like it was some kind of trick. Like, they were winning and they switched the other team. Like, is that even allowed? And -- I mean -- it is -- in fact -- allowed. But, but you see why they feel that way. Like, they really thought they had this thing in the bag. And -- of course -- that's why the Democrats switched it.

NK: CNN secured the first interview with the U.S. vice president and her running mate -- Governor Tim Walz. That aired yesterday. They discussed a lot of issues, including some of the issues that Kamala Harris has changed positions on. Fracking is one of them. We're going to play you a bit of what Harris had to say during the interview, so you'll hear her, as well as CNN journalist Dana Bash, asking about a potential ban on fracking.

SOUNDCLIP

KAMALA HARRIS: No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking. As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking.

DANA BASH: In 2019 -- I believe, in a town hall -- you said, you were asked would you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking on your first day in office? And you said, there's no question I'm in favour of banning fracking, so yes. So, it changed in, in that campaign?

KH: In 2020, I made very clear where I stand. We are in 2024, and I've not changed that position -- nor will I going forward. I kept my word, and I will keep my word.

NK: Kamala Harris later added -- as you likely heard, Ben -- her values, she said that her values have also not changed in terms of crime, health care and the border. What do you think voters will take away from that interview?

BS: I mean -- you know -- our headline on that was that she and Walz survived the interview. It was fine. It was -- I thought -- kind of actually extraordinarily boring and low energy. Basically -- if you were a viewer -- you didn't leave thinking -- wow -- this was the most -- you know -- dynamic -- you know -- half-hour of television I ever saw. Which, watching her on stage at the convention, watching her -- you know -- in these more performative settings, watching her in -- you know -- interrogating people on the Hill, you sometimes do think -- wow -- this is this incredibly dynamic political figure. But, but she didn't hurt herself. And -- you know -- the Republican line right now is that she's -- like -- stupid. And I don't think anybody watching that was going to come away thinking she -- you know -- they've set the bar very low for her. But she has this discomfort in those interviews. And I do think it's partly that she ran a campaign for president in 2019 where she changed her whole political persona, adopted issues that she wasn't really that connected to and now, is forced to come back from that and can't just say the obvious thing, which was I was running for the Democratic nomination. So I said a bunch of stuff then that I didn't believe, which I think is basically the truth.

NK: That word conventional that you used -- Ben -- a moment ago -- you know -- we've seen this campaign shift from that focus on age and acuity. Donald Trump -- though -- still -- our listeners will remember -- is a convicted felon. But at this stage, having a more conventional or even dull campaign by previous year's standards, is that good for the American people at this point and for these parties?

BS: I mean, we need a break. But, but -- you know -- it's not -- I mean -- Trump is obviously not conventional. He was -- you know -- posting yesterday with really crude sexual references about Harris. You know, stuff. And so, he -- you know -- we've sort of been desensitised to Trump's saying stuff that -- again -- it's just -- you know -- is outside norms and his. But it doesn't say, but it's not like if only people knew about them, they wouldn't vote for him anymore. I mean, this is just sort is who he is. And I think, and the voters who support him are used to it. What is conventional and kind of almost -- like -- remarkable how conventional it is, is that the candidates are racing to the centre on policy. Trump announced that he would not only support people's right to in vitro fertilization, but that the government should pay for it. Harris is much, much tougher on immigration than she was when she was running in 2019 or than Biden was. I mean, they're treating it as a very serious problem. So you have two candidates trying to win over swing voters in a pretty traditional way, even if they're unusual candidates.

NK: The next time -- well -- I shouldn't say the next time because they haven't come face to face -- Kamala Harris and Donald Trump -- as we heard in that CNN interview, they haven't interacted in person. They certainly will on September 10th. They're set to meet in that very important debate. What are you expecting or looking for on that stage?

BS: Well -- first of all -- I'd say there's a specific reason they haven't interacted in person, which is that after his supporters trashed the Capitol on January 6th, Trump did not show up at the Biden inauguration. So, that's why they haven't met. You know, I think the tradition of these debates is that unless something goes unbelievably awry, they tend that to me and very much. You know, I think at this point, it will be September. Most people know who they support. And I suspect supporters of each candidate will see what they want to see. What was so extraordinary about the debate with Joe Biden was that even people who were fervently rooting for him and supporting him could not unsee how frail he looked.

NK: Ben, we will leave it there, but I suspect we may speak again. I appreciate your time.

BS: Yeah. Thank you for having me on.

LBR: Ben Smith is the editor-in-chief of Semafor and co-host of the Mixed Signals podcast. He was in Brooklyn.

[chiptune!!!]

Driveway Mini-Putt

LBR: Over the summer months, it's not uncommon to see kids at the ends of their driveways showing off some entrepreneurial spirit. Like -- say -- the classic lemonade stand, which you'd like to support. But, when they offer you a cup they appear utterly ignorant about how their lemons have been sourced so you have to decline. It's disappointing. Anyway, if you walk by 12-year-old Nate Barker's home in Saint Andrews, Nova Scotia you're going to see something a little different. This summer, he's been running an entire nine-hole mini-putt golf course in his parents' driveway. Here is Nate's mom -- Christine Barker -- speaking to the CBC about how it all started.

SOUNDCLIP

CHRISTINE BARKER: Nate was sort of searching for something to make for woodworking. And something that he really loves is mini golf and kind of frequents. Wherever we go, we visit mini golf courses. And he came up with the idea that he wanted to build one hole, which turned to two holes, which turned to three, and it sort of snowballed from there. And then he put them in the exhibition and he won a couple of awards and things like that with it. And then it just sort of [chuckling] turned into this.

ELIZABETH CHIU: And -- Cameron -- how do you feel about having all these folks in your driveway?

CAMERON BARKER: It's, it's interesting. You know, it's, it was cool to just see it flourish like that and see him flourish with the project. And now, it's this big thing.

EC: And how do you support him in this?

CAMERON BARKER: I guess I lend a hand being janitor or whatever. [chuckling]

CHRISTINE BARKER: Yeah, he usually drags the holes out --

CAMERON BARKER: At some point.

CHRISTINE BARKER: And helps to leaf blow.

CAMERON BARKER: Yeah.

CHRISTINE BARKER: He's a pretty good helper.

CAMERON BARKER: Work on signs.

EC: Someone's got to do that job, right?

CHRISTINE BARKER: That's right!

EC: I just want to clarify: who is the boss? Who is the founder? Who is the assistant? Can you provide some clarity?

SEAN BARKER: I would say that, when the idea originally came, it was Nate's idea to build mini golf course. And it was sort of my idea to build a few pieces and actually maybe open it up to the, to the public. But I would say that Nate is definitely the boss, and I am his, I work for Nate. I don't get paid.

NATE BARKER: Well, I did give you those seven dollars.

SB: Yeah. He buys me coffee once in a while, too. But I'm happy to work for him. He's a good boss.

LBR: That was Nate Barker and his dad Sean. Before that you heard Nate's brother Cameron and mom Christine. They were speaking to the CBC's Elizabeth Chiu in Saint Andrews, Nova Scotia.

[chiptune!!!]

Muggins On Display

Guest: Paul Jenkins

LBR: When it comes to making a difference, you can never be too small. Or, too furry. Take Muggins, the dog. During the First World War, he walked the streets of Victoria, B.C. But while other dogs were busy leaving their marks… He was busy making his! For years, the pure-white spitz strutted around the city, collecting donations for the Red Cross. He was so effective -- and well known -- that upon his death, his body was preserved and used during fundraising efforts in the Second World War, as well. Then, Muggins went missing. And for decades, his whereabouts were unknown -- until recently. Today, Muggins moved into his new home at the Trafalgar/Pro Patria Legion in Victoria. Paul Jenkins is a volunteer with the provincial Red Cross and helped facilitate the move. We reached him in Victoria, earlier today.

NK: Paul -- fair to say -- moving is never fun. How are you feeling about the move Muggins is about to embark on?

PAUL JENKINS: Well, I think relieved in this case. We've been concerned that he have a proper place to be displayed, not just stored away as he was for so many years. We're overjoyed -- quite frankly -- with the whole thing.

[R&B]

FOA: Swansea Postcard Update

LBR: Think snail mail, with an emphasis on the snail. Last week, we told you about very, very late postcard that had just turned up in Henry Darby's mail at the Swansea Building Society in Wales. And Mr. Darby told us he'd made it his mission to help get it into the right hands. Because while the street address was correct, the postcard had been written to a young woman named Lydia... 121 years ago.

SOUNDCLIP

HD: Yeah, it looks like something that should be in a museum -- definitely. The penmanship is amazing. It's kind of a lost art skill, I guess you'd say. It reads -- you know -- very much like it's from a different time -- which it is. The graphic on the front -- I think -- represent Scotland. And it's got a big stag or a dear. And -- obviously -- it's something that someone really cared about to send to Ms. Lydia 121 years ago. And did it make it to her or -- obviously -- has it been lost in the system and -- finally -- it's made its way to the address? We're not sure.

SB: What does the message to Lydia say?

HD: They're talking about something quite specific, although they don't actually allude to what they're talking about. Ewart -- which we believe is a Celtic name -- it could be Welsh, it could be Scottish, but it's not a common name you'd now hear, writes to Lydia saying he was unable to get her something she asked for, and it was impossible. A pair of something. So maybe we're guessing it's a pair of shoes. The local archive believes Lydia was maybe 16 at the time, according to the census that was done a few years prior. So that maybe lines up with what a 16-year-old maybe wanted in 1903. But then he goes, he goes on to talk about Lydia's pocket money and the fact she may be able to get a train fare with her recent pocket money and get the item they're talking about herself.

SB: Sounds mysterious.

HD: It is. It's very mysterious, isn't it?

SB: How did you go about finding out what you did find out?

HD: [chuckle] Well, I think like most people, everyone enjoys a detective show now don't they on TV? And we all fancy ourselves as a private eye. So I kind of did the initial searches on Google, Googling the name, Googling the address, Googling anything of kind of key mention in the postcard. And nothing really came up. So -- as the building society -- we have a small following on our social media of a couple of thousand people local to us. So I thought, well, maybe we could share it with our network of local people, and the community could come together. And if anyone knew anything about Lydia, or where Lydia lived, or her past, they may be able to help us put the pieces together. I've reached out to the local West Glamorgan archive, who look after newspapers and other things from the past couple of hundred years. And from there, we've had an amazing flurry of information. The local newspaper in Swansea put it in there newspaper this morning, and lots of people have been in contact and kind of helped us put together the pieces of -- yeah -- what? Life in Swansea was like 121 years ago.

LBR: Henry Darby talking to As It Happens guest host Susan Bonner, last week. And now, Mr. Darby's detective work has paid off. Turns out Ewart -- the fellow that sent the postcard -- was Lydia's younger brother. And now, the postcard has brought together descendants of each of them that weren't even aware the others existed. On Wednesday, Ewart's grandson met two great-nieces and a great-granddaughter of Lydia's at the archive that will now hold the postcard in its collection. And it seems the unexpected family reunion went pretty well, with all four newfound family members pledging to stay in touch. You know, as long as their letters don't get lost in the mail… You can find more on this story on our website -- cbc.ca/aih.

The AIH Transcript For August 30, 2024

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