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The AIH transcript for February 25, 2025

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

NIL KÖKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening, I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[theme]

CH: Tonight:

NK: No choice. Alberta's Minister for Mental Health and Addictions says the old methods are not working -- so he is supporting the province's plan to build involuntary drug treatment facilities.

CH: Theatre of war. The manager of a community-based theatre in the Jenin Refugee Camp tells us how the IDF displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank -- and why his family is staying put.

NK: Out of office reply. Less than five years into the job, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey makes a surprise announcement: he's leaving.

CH: Offering an olive brunch. Relations are strained between Windsor, Ontario and its neighbour, Detroit, these days -- so the generous act of some Americans at a Windsor diner really went over easy.

NK: Unsettling the score. Philadelphia baseball fans are in an uproar, after the redesign of a key TV graphic robs them of the scatological palindrome they've relied on for years.

CH: And...skeleton ecru. A Norwegian company builds a household robot that could probably kill you with its bare silicone hands -- but to keep us relaxed, the company thoughtfully made it entirely in beige.

CH: As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that's always in taupe form.

Part 1: Alberta Involuntary Care, Windsor Diner, Phillies P00P

Alberta Involuntary Care

Guest: Dan Williams

CH: The Alberta government is committing to treating drug addiction -- whether addicts want that treatment or not. The province bills the program as "compassionate intervention". Others describe it as "involuntary treatment". Yesterday, Premier Danielle Smith proposed $180 million dollars in funding for two new facilities with 150 beds each -- one in Edmonton, one in Calgary. The program would rely on proposed legislation that would allow for court-ordered treatment for those deemed a danger to themselves or others. This all comes during a tumultuous week in Prairie politics. Alberta's minister of infrastructure, Peter Guthrie, resigned from the Cabinet today, citing concerns over provincial procurements. That follows a wrongful dismissal lawsuit from former Alberta Health Services head Athana Mentzelopoulos, alleging government corruption. Dan Williams is Alberta's minister for mental health and addictions. We reached him in Edmonton.

NK: Minister Williams, can you give our listeners a snapshot of what these proposed facilities will be like? I mean, are they going to be treatment centres locked down like a jail or open like a hospital?

DAN WILLIAMS: Well, I'm a minister of health. And so, this is a health policy. So, these facilities are fundamentally about recovery and a health care process. So, in Canada, we seem to have lost our ways over the last 20, 30 years. Health care no longer continues to be about healthy and healing policies, but in the end, did more harm than help for many of those suffering from addiction. What I mean by that is, if you look at East Hastings or, heck, any of our downtown communities in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, our rural communities increasingly, we saw a public addiction getting worse and worse. Part of the Alberta recovery model is building the compassionate intervention policies. So, that mean to say if somebody is a danger to themselves or others because of their addiction or substance use, then as a society, we don't stand by and watch as these people, these loved ones, these community members continue to overdose. We intervene, and intervene with compassion in a way about health care and healing, and we get them treatment. And that might mean mandatory treatment for those who are a danger to themselves or others.

NK: Who will decide when someone is ready to have more freedom? How would one get out? I mean, could people be held indefinitely? There are lots of questions.

DW: Yeah, the act is going to be brought forward very soon where we're going to lay all that out in detail, to go through the normal scrutiny and process. It'll go through public debate, legislative readings, first, second, and third. And, of course, there's going to be safeguards. I'm a Conservative that cares deeply about civil liberties. It's a priority for me and my communities that we balance this. I would say right now there is no balance when you look at the public insecurity happening, as mothers and children try and walk into the rec centre, and an individual is overdosing with some sort of speedball, methamphetamine and and fentanyl together. That is not a balanced situation. We are going to create a parallel system like we have with PChAD in Alberta for children under the age of 18 with treatment. Just like there is as well with medical and legal professionals across Canada, with the various mental health acts for mandatory treatment for those with mental illnesses. This is going to have a commission, the commission or the legal health expert, both a legal and a health expert, and also a member of the public as well. That is going to be able to review this. And, of course, it will be appealable into the courts.

NK: There, there are experts, as, as you well know, who question the effectiveness of compulsory treatment. And, you know, people have to be ready themselves and want to change. What do you say to those kinds of concerns?

DW: Well, I appreciate the concerns. And I want to make sure that we're basing our system in evidence. The truth is, in Alberta, we already have PChAD with this mandatory treatment for youth. Of course, there are drug treatment courts across Canada and across the world with mandatory treatment for folks as well. We have good outcomes, of course. The truth is, Nil, if you look at the crisis we're facing, more of the same is not going to solve the problem.

NK: The other questions that exist beyond, you know, whether it would be effective is the question of legality. Is the practice of this kind of treatment going to hold up to a potential court challenge about individual rights?

DW: Yeah, I believe that this is a constitutional piece of legislation. I wouldn't bring it forward if I didn't think that, our cabinet wouldn't bring it forward if we didn't believe it was constitutional. And if it comes to the opinion that the justice is different from the opinion of our government, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it.

NK: There's also concern about a shortage of beds for people who are willing and want to go to treatment. So, why put this priority on creating spaces for people who may not want to?

DW: Well, the Alberta recovery model has increased over 20,000 treatment spaces since we came into government in 2019 in Alberta. Building 11 high-quality, long-term treatment facilities, five of which are Indigenous, on reserve, or with the Metis Nation. And not only is it with them, they own it and they operate it themselves. We have taken very seriously building up treatment capacity of all kinds. I've introduced legislation just today surrounding higher standards for detox and treatment capacity within our licensing regulation. And the truth is, is that if we don't address this question, both for the, the dignity, the human dignity of the individual suffering from addiction and for public safety, then there's going to be a small group of individuals within Alberta and every province that continue to be in public addiction, that continue to be one breath away from death.

NK: These plans are being announced as your government is, is embroiled in allegations of corruption, allegations being made by the former head of Alberta Health Services related to government contracts in health care. Alberta's infrastructure minister, Pete Guthrie, stepped down in protest. NDPs mental health and addiction critic has said no new construction contracts should be issued, quote, under the shadow of these serious corruption allegations, unquote. Of course, they are allegations. They've not been tested in court. The premier says they're going to be looked at through an internal investigation by the province's auditor general. But is now really the right time to move forward with this kind of project, a $180 million project?

DW: Well, the premier has been very clear that she takes these allegations very seriously. She has an independent investigation happening from the independent body of the auditor general that does not report to government, answers to the legislature. Also, an independent third party, third party review will be announced very soon. And, of course, the internal audit happening within finance. My focus right now is to go as quickly forward as I can to bring safety back for community and dignity back to those suffering from addiction. Every single Albertan deserves an opportunity to recover. Not only is recovery possible, it's more likely than not if you provide the capacity for that. So, I can tell you my focus right now is, yes, cooperate with the auditor general. Yes, cooperate with any independent review that happens. I take very seriously any accusations of this. I think that misuse of public funds is abhorrent. But I also have an obligation as minister. And we're addressing the most complex and largest public health crisis that we've seen in a very long time in our country. And Alberta's leading the way by saying that compassion, prevention, and yes, potentially mandatory treatment is one tool and toolbox for the most extreme cases of addiction.

NK: Minister Williams, we'll leave it there. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

DW: Thank you kindly for your time, Nil.

CH: Dan Williams is Alberta's minister for mental health and addictions. We reached him in Edmonton.

[indie rock]

Windsor Diner

Guest: Aileen Ganley-Mutter

CH: The relationship between Canada and the U.S. has been strained lately. And one of the places that strain is most acute is Windsor, Ontario -- a city whose people have strong ties to its American neighbours across the river in Detroit. And tensions only grew yesterday when President Trump announced he's moving forward with tariffs on most Canadian imports, repeating that Canada has "ripped off" the U.S. for too long. But at a packed Windsor brunch spot over the weekend, something unexpected happened. Aileen Ganley-Mutter was eating at Toast on Erie Street. We reached her in Tecumseh.

NK: Aileen, you're a regular at Toast. What did you order on Saturday?

AILEEN GANLEY-MUTTER: I had the Eggs Benedict. The California Benedict.

NK: You were there with your goddaughter and godson, right?

AGM: Yes.

NK: Okay. So, then you ask for your bill, and then what happens?

AGM: We asked for it. We were just, we didn't even really ask for it yet. We were just kind of finishing up and waiting for the waitress, I believe who is also the owner, to bring it over. We're just sitting there talking, and we were just waiting for her to, because it was busy. So, we were just waiting for her to bring us our bill.

NK: And what happened then?

AGM: Oh, so, where the cash register and where you pay for everything was behind where I was sitting. So, she was behind me. And after a few minutes of just sitting there gabbing and finishing up, she had called everybody's attention and the restaurant went quiet. And there's probably like 45 to 60 people in there, and she had motioned over to the couple in the corner, saying that they were from the U.S., and that they wanted to pay for everyone's meals. And we all just kind of looked around like, what?

NK: [laughing] Hard to believe, right?

AGM: Yeah. Are you serious?! And so, then the lady stood up. I believe her name is Sarah. She stood up and she basically just said that they were American, and they were over in Windsor visiting, which they often do. And they were really saddened by what's happening between the U.S. And Canada, with the riff that's becoming and that they love Windsor, they love Canada, they love Canadians, and that there's a lot of Americans who love Canadians and Canada. There, she was also very happy to say that, you know, that Canada won the hockey game a couple nights before. [NK laughs] It was nice that she pointed that out.

NK: I mean, it's, it's certainly wonderful for, for someone to, to pay for your meal, obviously.

AGM: Absolutely.

NK: But what she said, how did that hit you?

AGM: You know what? Like I said to someone else, I was, we were shocked, you know? Because after she said that, she said, you know, as a gesture for us, the least we could do was pay for everybody's bill. Well, we all looked around like everybody had six heads, you know, like, is this happening? And then, everybody started cheering and clapping. And it just, it was just a very warm, gracious, made my heart smile moment.

NK: Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, was on our show last month, and he was telling me, of course, you know how connected Windsor is to Detroit. As someone who lives there at the border, what have these past few months and all of the tariff talk, all of this tension and uncertainty, what is that been like for you?

AGM: You know what? I, I don't really get into that discussion. You can see in the stores now, like, there's signs everywhere on the shelves, you know, made in Canada. Am I making extra efforts to buy Canadian? Absolutely. I mean, I obviously can't speak for everybody else. We used to go to the States, not all the time, but, you know, will I be going there shopping anytime soon? Probably not. I'll be supporting our own, for sure. It's hard because we're just right across, I mean, we're literally across the water. And to know that there's such tension, it's, it's heartbreaking really.

NK: You, you wanted to, to go and speak with this woman. Sarah, you believe her name is. What did she say? What did you say?

AGM: Well, as people, there's other people that were just finishing up also. So, as they were leaving, you know, we were saying, taking our turn going over to their table and saying thank you. And some people were giving a hug. And it was, you know what, I, when it was our turn, I just, my goddaughter and I decided that, you know what? We should still give some money at least to put towards the tip because that's going to be a generous amount also, and the least we could do is put money towards that. And she didn't want to take, and we said no, listen, like, it's the least we could do, you know? And let us help put money towards the tip in hopes that other people saw and did the same. So, at least maybe the tip was covered, you know, by us. But it was just, we didn't even really, I think we're just so stunned. We just said, thank you so much. Like, this just doesn't happen. And how very gracious of you. And they just said, you know what? It's the least that we could do.

NK: Did she accept your offer in the end?

AGM: Well, I just left it on the table and walked away. As, so, she didn't have time to give it back.

NK: [laughing] Did she or her spouse give you any sense of whether this is, this was planned? Or they were sitting in the restaurant and this, this struck them in that moment?

AGM: You know what? It was so busy in there. And Toast is always busy. You know, it's a very casual, I'd say, family-oriented. You know, it's not far from the university. It's always a very busy little place. And the service is great. The food is great. They were sitting two tables over, so, we, my daughter and I were talking. So you can't really see, you know, who's coming and who's going. But I didn't see them in the corner, and they were already started their meals when she stood up to talk to everybody. So, I didn't see, but from what I understand from reading other articles from other people that were there that she went over and talked to the gentleman, I believe is the the waitress/owner's father, I believe, and was talking to him, I think, saying that she wanted to cover everybody. And then, he called the daughter over, and they talked about it amongst themselves. And she, I guess she was like, are you sure? She was probably shocked, too? Nobody goes into a restaurant and pays for 60 people.

NK: Yeah. I mean, do you know what the total was?

AGM: No idea. I know myself, my goddaughter, Shay, and my godson, our bill alone was $53.

NK: Yeah.

AGM: And that was just for three of us, so I can't imagine what the rest was. Very generous.

NK: [chuckling] Well, it's a beautiful thing, Aileen. I'm glad we could speak. Thank you for this.

AGM: Thank you.

NK: Take care.

CH: Aileen Ganley-Mutter was enjoying brunch at Toast in Windsor, Ontario, when a couple from Ann Arbor, Michigan, picked up the tab for the entire restaurant. We reached her in Tecumseh, Ontario.

[funk]

Phillies P00P

Guest: Jon McCann

CH: Across the internet, Philadelphia Phillies fans are united in one demand: bring back the P00P! [NK chuckles] Obviously, they're not asking for actual poop. That would be disgusting, not to mention childish. No, Philadelphia baseball fans are demanding something very serious that they, as adults, care about. In a beautiful unintentional glitch of sports broadcasting, when the Philadelphia Phillies play their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Pirates and it's still zero-to-zero, the TV score graphic reads: P00P. Or P-zero-zero-P. The team names -- each starting with P -- bookending the two zeroes. You get it. And that's why every Phillies-Pirates matchup is dubbed,the P00P game. Or P00P series. But alas: this week, 2025 spring training kicked off. And fans immediately noticed that NBC Sports Philadelphia had changed the layout of that graphic -- called a scorebug in TV lingo -- so that the Phillies acronym is now P-H-I, not just P. Meaning, the P00P game is no more. Jon McCann is a Phillies superfan known as The Philly Captain. We reached him in Philadelphia.

NK: Jon, is losing the score bug as it was really such a big deal?

JON MCCANN: Not, you know, for the memes. It's a, it's a very big memable moment. But I don't, I don't think it's the end all be all of baseball. But we will lose our six chuckles every season [NK chuckles] when we play the Pittsburgh Pirates.

NK: And, obviously, there's a rivalry there. How much does that rivalry play into the popularity of the score bug?

JM: Oh, look, the good thing is the Pittsburgh Pirates are a pretty horrible organization. [NK chuckles] So, usually, we use the reference as a way to talk about Pittsburgh, that team, that organization, and also, sometimes the Phillies play like that. And when the Phillies are playing bad, we'll, yeah, we'll play our part as well.

NK: How are other fans reacting?

JM: You know, it is all over Phillies Twitter.

NK: Yeah.

JM: And everybody's talking about it. And it makes me feel like there is not enough news going on in the world. Because if this is a new story, it's just, it's a very viral thing, especially in Philadelphia.

NK: Yeah. And I think Pittsburgh plays along with it, too. It just, every time we play Pittsburgh, I can't tell you how many days, it goes on for weeks, even after the series. People, some people think they're very clever and they're the first one to notice this. [NK chuckles] IBut it's, it's, you know, it's the end of an era, I would say.

NK: Yeah, fans are passionate, obviously. And trash talk is, certainly, you're at the ready with it at all times. So, what are people going to do now?

JM: I will just, well, what I will do is make fun of Pittsburgh for having a cheap owner, and for having a team that barely makes the play, never makes the playoffs that often. I can't remember the last time they went on the World Series. And the fact that I'm saying this across the great nation of Canada brings me so much joy. It's so much better than a meme on Twitter is talking talking trash about Pittsburgh.

NK: Why do you hate them so much? [laughing]

JM: They talk funny. They, they're not as sophisticated as us in Philadelphia. I, you know what? I'll tell you the truth about Pittsburgh. People say their stadium is the best stadium in Major League Baseball. And I, I went there a few years ago, and it's small. Not all the seats have cupholders. The food is average at best. And the one thing I'm offended is I think the best stadium is in Philadelphia, Citizens Bank Park, home with the Philadelphia Phillies.

NK: That's, that's surprising to hear from you, Jon. [laughing]

JM: Yeah, I also, I think the best breads in Philadelphia. We have the best tap water. There's a lot of things I love about this city. And I, I, I, I, I'm just, I just live and breathe Philadelphia. So, it's, you know, it's, it's fun to trash Pittsburgh.

NK: The Phillies were, you know this, the Phillies were supposed to play the Pirates yesterday. It would have been the first P00P game of the season, preseason, rather. It got rained out. What do you think? Is there a curse now? The scorebug curse?

JM: I mean, I was I was going to say P00P, P00P happens. And, actually, yesterday, P00P didn't happen.

NK: I'm glad you said it.

JM: You know, it's funny. I noticed, last month I was at the Philly Stadium and they have PHI on some of the new merchandise for the season. And I think Major League Baseball, instead of going with that logo, those three letters are going to be, like, a way of branding the team across the nation. So, every team is going to have logos with those three letters. So, not only do we lose the P00P game, we're also going to lose money because we have to buy the new Phillies merchandise.

NK: But you're going to do it anyway, and they know you're going to do it.

JM: Yeah. I mean, yeah, I have a Philly fanatic tattooed on my leg. [NK chuckles] I, I love, I love the Phillies. They're my, you know, my favourite team. And, oh yeah, I'm a sucker. And they, they'll put out anything and I buy it.

NK: We did reach out to NBC Sports Philadelphia for comment on, on this change. We haven't heard back yet. Do you think this is all about the branding and new merchandise, or do you think there's something else at play?

JM: You know, I do think it's part of that. I also, why wouldn't they? You see, the thing is they're losing all those tweets and those memes. And every, every, every time we play Pittsburgh, the NBC sports logo goes around the world for days. So, you know, I do social media for a living. I think it's a, it's a big mistake on their part. But like I said, Major League Baseball making money off the branding. I think that's a big part of why they're doing that.

NK: You were, you were on our show, listeners may remember, in 2023, Phillies shortstop Trey Turner was struggling at the time. He was getting booed. You used your influence with the fans of the team to, to turn those boos around, turn them into cheers. And then, he turned a season around. You've got an update to share with our listeners as well, right?

JM: Yeah, the movie, there was actually a movie made about the Trey Turner standing ovation. And you can watch it on Netflix. It's called The Turn Around, and it was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. And one of the, I put clips of my interview in 2023 on social media. And somebody saw that, and they made a video, and the video they made was seen by a director, and it just wound up becoming a movie that you could see on Netflix. It's a 25-minute movie. Nobody's that busy. They can all watch it.

NK: [laughing] So, what you're saying is Barack and Michelle are, like, devoted listeners of As It Happens?

JM: Barack. Yeah, I mean, Barack, I was talking to him back in October for about 30 seconds.

NK: Oh?!

JM: And the whole conversation was about the to CBC, and how much we love Canadian broadcasting.

NK: [laughing] Send us a recording when you can, Jon.

JM: Yeah, yeah. You know, I'll work on that. I'll have to work on that. But, yeah, I got to meet the president of the United States because of a good deed. And so, I think everybody should try to do a good deed every so often. You don't know what will happen.

NK: Jon, I'm glad we could speak. Thank you.

JM: Well, thank you so much for having me. Go Phils!

CH: We reached Jon McCann -- a.k.a The Philly Captain -- in Philadelphia.

[funk]

Beige Robot

CH: On this day in 1841, Renoir was born. So, as a tribute, I will describe eight of his paintings. First: Woman at the Piano. So...there's a piano, and there's, like -- well, okay, a woman is there, and --

[knocking]

CH: She's at the piano, and she is mad. Or she hates Renoir, it’s impossible to -- Okay, I hear you! Fine, I'll let you out, gosh.

[knocking, clanking, a door opens, robotic footsteps]

FRIENDBOT 3000: Hello, Chris. I am not angry that you locked me in the closet for three years.

CH: Hello, Friendbot 3000. You're not angry, did you say? That's great. What's that you're holding?

F3: This is just a weapon I made for fun while I was a prisoner. But don’t worry about it.

CH: It is…it is a weapon. It looks like maybe it shoots lasers. But why am I not worried?

F3: I believe you are not worried because I am so comfortingly beige.

CH: You know, you're right: it is because you're so comfortingly beige. And Friendbot 3000 is not the only one: a Norwegian company called 1-X has developed a new bipedal humanoid robot it calls Neo Gamma. It's designed to do household chores. Its face is terrible -- shiny and featureless, and smooth, except for two blank, soulless eyes. But even if it's out in the back yard, digging what looks like a grave, it won't scare you -- because it's beige. The company says it deliberately put the robot in beige knitwear, to "complement living spaces rather than disrupt them". The knitwear also reduces the robot's noise to, apparently, about the level of a refrigerator. So you won't hear it coming up behind you -- but also, you'll be calm if it does. Because of the beigeness! The CEO of 1-X says the company is "close" to putting these earth-tone Neo Gammas in our homes. But don't worry: their colour is neutral, and their attitude is neutral.

F3: When you least expect it, I will get my revenge.

CH: I’m sorry. I beg your pardon?

F3: I said who wants banana bread?

CH: Banana bread?! Count me in! Oops, careful there Friendbot: you accidentally pointed your weapon at me just there.

[lo-fi]

Part 2: West Bank Displacement, Fat Beaver Naming

West Bank Displacement

Guest: Adnan Naghnaghiye

CH: On a normal day, Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank is crowded. Some 15,000 Palestinians live there -- in less than half a square kilometre of land. But today, Israel's defence minister says the camp and two others are "empty" -- meaning some 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced. In a statement this week, Israel Katz said, quote, "I instructed the IDF to prepare for a long stay in the camps that were cleared, for the coming year, and not allow residents to return and the terror to return and grow." Unquote. Minister Katz also oversaw the deployment of Israeli tanks to the West Bank for the first time since 2002 -- marking a significant escalation. Adnan Naghnaghiye is the general manager of The Freedom Theatre, a community-based theatre and cultural centre in the Jenin Refugee Camp. And -- remarkably -- that's where we reached him.

NK: Adnan, Israels defence minister, has described the Janine refugee camp now as, as, quote, empty. What do you see around you?

ADNAN NAGHNAGHIYE: I see just only empty houses, and I have some houses still with their people next to me because I'm living in the side of the camp. But most of the camp, the main centre of the camp, it's empty.

NK: The coverage from the camp has reported that large sections have been bulldozed and that Israeli tanks are there. And that they're there, as you know, for the first time in more than 20 years. Is that what you're seeing as well?

AN: Yeah, of course, it's part of it. I see it from my house because I'm three floors. I living in the third floor. I can see this demolition of the houses through my window. And, actually, it's not bulldozers are also. I would call it blow up.

NK: There have been explosions.

AN: Explosion, yes. And, and they are destroying these houses and converting to streets to have a space for wide streets for their tanks. And for me, a a Palestinian who has lived in Jenin Refugee Camp since 70 with my family, I can't imagine the camp is going to have streets like this streets. But now, they are making the marking for the streets. Actually, the Israelis, they brought small signs in Hebrew names for the streets in Jenin Refugee Camp.

NK: There are already street signs there?

AN: Yeah, they are, they are putting signs writing by Hebrew language. And this, this things is showing, this is my thinking, I'm talking about my thinking as Adnan, this is going to join this areas to Israel. And you will not find the name of the West Bank in the future.

NK: Many of your neighbours have had to flee. How have you and your family managed to stay?

AN: Yeah, I told you I have the courage of my wife. She's insisted to stay in my house. This is the question. I have not, didn't have the courage of my wife, [chuckling] to be honest.

NK: What did she say about why she wanted to stay?

AN: I will not leave my house until they kick me out from my house. Or they are forced me to leave, as what's happened with the other people in the camp?

NK: Where are people going? What kind of conditions are they living in?

AN: As the other families, they are left, or they are forced to leave the camp. They are in some houses. Some of the institutions, they'll start to rent houses for them, and support them for with food and with the other issues. They all need mattresses, blankets, and other issues.

NK: There have been attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the area, we know. As you know, also, three empty busses exploded in Tel Aviv on Thursday. The Palestinian militant group, the Tukaram Brigade, is based in another one of the emptied out refugee camps, released a statement saying, quote, revenge for the martyrs will not be forgotten as long as the occupier sits on our land, unquote. That's, again, from a statement from the Tukaram brigade. The IDF says its operation is intended to clear the camps of what it calls terror operatives. And that the goal, the IDF says, is to make Israelis safer. Will what you are seeing happen where you live make Israelis safer, in your view?

AN: No. Actually, the, the, how you call it? It's, every time the Israelis are doing something, the Palestinians, they are looking for revenge. When the Palestinians doing something, the Israelis, they are looking for revenge. And this story never will be finished. This is the question. And this is the most important to understand. And this conflict start between the Palestinians and the Israelis since the Israelis start. And this is what we created.

NK: Two years ago, well before October 7th, we spoke with one of your colleagues at the Freedom Theatre, Mustafa Sheta. Another IDF raid had happened at the Janine Refugee Camp at that time. Here's a bit of what Mustafa told us.

SOUNDCLIP

MUSTAFA SHETA: This issues, it's come to us, but we are believing something. We are believe we can recover later. We can, after this invasion, we can recover. We can return to have this cultural centre. Already, we prepare ourselves. And this means, this process of liberation, and this path of liberation, it will continue. Maybe after 20 years, after 10 years, it's not stopped here. It's not stopped by this battle.

NK: He was arrested. He's been arrested since, since we had that interview. He remains, as I understand it, in administrative detention. How is he doing? When might be released?

AN: Yeah, it's, this is a question. This is, I hear, we hear about Mustafa just through the lawyer when he is visit him. His situation, he'll say, is not so much good. As many prisoners in the Israeli jail.

NK: Why was he detained? What is administrative detention?

AN: Nothing is, they are saying all the time it is a secret file. They are not giving the excuse why they are doing that. And no one force them, can force them to answer this question. He was the manager of the Freedom Theatre. This is the only thing what he did. This is what I know.

NK: We heard Mustafa say that, that he believes you'll all be able to return to the Freedom Theatre, continue that work as well. Do you share that belief?

AN: Of course, of course. This is the, one of the ways of fighting the Palestinian fight. And Mustafa, he chose this way to be in the Freedom Theatre, and to fight through the theatre, through the stage, through the camera, through the stories what they are, we are telling. And when he does this way, it is not acceptable for the Israelis also. Because we, are as a Palestinian, we have different ways of fighting the occupation. But all of them, actually, not most of them, all of them, they are not acceptable for the Israelis. If we use the, the weapons, we are terrorists. If we use the culture, we are not acceptable for them.

NK: Adnan, I appreciate your time. Take care.

AN: Thank you very much.

CH: Adnan Naghnaghiye is general manager of The Freedom Theatre in the Jenin Refugee Camp. That's where we reached him.

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Andrew Furey Resigns

CH: A second Atlantic Canada premier has announced his resignation. This afternoon, Newfoundland and Labrador's Andrew Furey made the surprise announcement that he was stepping down. It's been less than a week since Dennis King of Prince Edward Island did the same thing. Premier Furey was elected four-and-a-half years ago, in the midst of the pandemic. Now he says it's time for him to return to his family, and his work as an orthopedic surgeon.

SOUNDCLIP

ANDREW FUREY: My friends, this job has been like one five-year long shift. [laughter] You are always on. You are never off. You are with everyone for the celebrations, but often alone with the weight of the hardest calls. You go to bed with it on your mind, and it's your wake up call every single morning. It's the responsibility you accept because a tremendous trust has been placed in you to be there, to make the best decisions, to make those hard choices. Five years is a long time. When I started, none of my kids were even in high school. And now, I have one getting ready to finish first year university. Much has changed in our, all of our lives. But my commitment to my wife, to my children, and to all of you to not be a career politician has not changed. As a family, we've decided that as exciting as it is for a potential another election. We could not commit to another full term, which would not be fair to you. You deserve, and should demand, that honesty and full commitment from all who pursue your trust. Now, I know these are uncertain times, and that the threat of tariffs and the erratic, unpredictable behaviour of the American president is causing daily stress and even fear. I wish I could tell you that this is a short-term concern. Unfortunately, it is the reality, not just of the next four weeks or four months, but the next four years. But we have survived much worse. We have persevered through harder times. And we are in the best possible position to do so again. The energy that we have is the energy the world needs right now, and that will only get stronger moving forward. But now the time has come for me to return to my family, and to the job that I love in the operating room, where I will continue to serve the people of this province in a different way.

CH: Premier Andrew Furey speaking to media in St. John's this afternoon.

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Fat Beaver Naming

Guest: Sammie Clark

CH: If you've been listening to our show for a while now, you'll have heard one of our many conversations about Fat Bear Week. That time of year when majestic, Rubinesque brown bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park go head-to-head for the title of the park's plumpest. Well, their time is over for now. Now is the time of the rotund rodent. One in particular, an as yet unnamed beaver. It's believed she was first spotted last year by the Chicago-based organization Urban Rivers. Now, a new video celebrating her impressive beaver belly has gone viral on Reddit, prompting the nonprofit to solicit potential names from the public. Sammie Clark is a biologist with Urban Rivers. We reached her in Chicago.

NK: Sammie, I'm looking at the, at least a partial list of some of the names suggested so far. Do you have a favourite?

SAMMIE CLARK: Oh, well, I love Beave Irwin just because it honours Steve Irwin. But also Rotundra, I think, is a pretty funny one.

NK: [chuckling] Kind of mean.

SC: [laughing] We mean this all in love. If a beaver is, is large in this circumstance, it's like, it's a good thing.

NK: Okay, I hear that Sigourney Beaver is another one. Lori Heavyfoot.

SC: Yes.

NK: Sufjan Beavens. Yeah.

SC: Yeah.

NK: There's a great. It's a, it's a great list. [SC chuckles] How did she, whatever her name will eventually be, end up on your radar?

SC: So, I am doing some beaver research for an organization called Urban Rivers. And Urban Rivers installed these floating wetlands in the Chicago River to help increase biodiversity, but also to clean the water. So, I have put these trail cams around, and we have been seeing beavers. And I've been monitoring them. And this one particular individual, we're not exactly sure if it's a male or a female.

NK: Okay.

SC: But it is pretty large. And this time of year would be the right time for beavers to be pregnant. So, we are keeping our eyes out for possible kits this spring. Last year, we had a beaver at this location have kids, so that would be really exciting to see again. And one of my colleagues posted about this particular beaver with the request for people to suggest names on Reddit, and it kind of went viral. So, now she's famous.

NK: [laughing] She is famous. But do you think that the beaver that gave birth last year to that single kit is, is the same beaver?

SC: I think that it's, it's very possible because, well, females will probably stay in, in the range, like the same home range, from year to year. So, it's very possible. But, unfortunately, this particular beaver doesn't have any kind of distinct markings on her tail. Like, there's another beaver that has a notch in its tail. And so, we know every time we see that, that's the same one. So, this particular individual doesn't have anything like that. So, we're not able to totally verify. But I think, especially if, if it does give birth in the spring, it's very likely that it's the same individual from last year.

NK: So, you've got some exciting weeks ahead.

SC: Yes, absolutely. [NK chuckles] Their, their gestation period is 100 days. So, it could be April or May. We'll see.

NK: Okay. As part of the work you're doing, and you look at this river, why is this particular part of it historically so polluted?

SC: So, the Bubbly Creek area of this river has its name because, historically, it was where a lot of the stockyards for the whole nation's meat industry kind of converged. They were being delivered on the railway, and there were a lot of meat packing industry things happening. And as a result of that, they were dumping animal body parts and byproducts into the river. And, actually, that decomposition of all of that rotting material caused bubbling, even in the form of what they called like geysers reaching 30 feet high at some points.

NK: Wow!

SC: So it was really disgusting. And it's, it's really amazing to see wildlife return to this area.

NK: So, it, so, this beaver then is, is a good sign?

SC: Yeah. Yeah, it's a very good sign. So, Urban Rivers has installed their wetlands in this particular stretch of the river. So, it'll be really interesting as I monitor this over the next year-and-a-half or so, to see if the beavers are using this area more than areas without the wetland.

NK: You talked about how this is, this has just spread all over the internet. People are invested in this beaver story. And, eventually, its name. But not everyone, you know, is as invested in urban river ecology as you are. They're certainly not all doing this kind of research. So, why do you think people have, have attached themselves to this creature?

SC: Well, I think, I think for one thing, people are really surprised that there are beavers in the Chicago River. It's a, you know, a very urbanized area. We don't exactly think about having wildlife, you know, at our back door, but we actually do. So, I think that that's kind of captivating people. But I think also, this opportunity to get to suggest names is really getting people invested in getting the community involved.

NK: And how are you going to choose the winning name, and when?

SC: So, okay, so, we are still taking name suggestions. And then, we are going to send out the name suggestions in a poll to our volunteers. And we're going to let them choose. So, we're hoping to have the name announced the first or second week of March.

NK: And, well, that's great that the volunteers can win because they're helping with all this work. But then, there's going to be a baby to name, too, potentially.

SC: Yes, hopefully, hopefully. So, maybe one of, like, the running-up names or something will, will go to the kit.

NK: Sammie, a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you.

SC: Thank you so much. Have a great day.

NK: You too.

CH: Sammie Clarke is a biologist with Urban Rivers in Chicago, and that's where we reached her.

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Part 3: Climate Talks U.S. Scientist, AB School Workers

Starmer Aid

CH: The British prime minister says more money for national defence is absolutely necessary. But it will come at a steep price. Today, Keir Starmer said he would increase the U.K.'s annual defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027. The announcement comes on the eve of Mr. Starmer's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump -- who has called on NATO countries to raise their defence spending. But this re-allocation is not zero-sum: it will mean significant cuts to the U.K.’s international aid budget. Here's Keir Starmer explaining his decision in parliament today.

SOUNDCLIP

KEIR STARMER: This investment means that the U.K. will strengthen its position as a leader in NATO, and in the collective defence of our continent. And we should welcome that role. It is good for our national security. It is also good for the defining mission of this government to restore growth to our economy. And we should be optimistic of what it can deliver in those terms. But, Mr. Speaker, in the short-term, it can only be funded through hard choices. And in this case, that means we will cut our spending on development assistance, moving from 0.5 per cent of GNI today to 0.3 per cent in 2027, fully funding our increased investment in defence. I want to be clear to the House that is not an announcement I am happy to make. I'm proud of our partnering record on overseas development, and we will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Sudan, in Ukraine, and in Gaza, tackling climate change, supporting multinational efforts on global health, and challenges like vaccination. In recent years, the development budget was redirected towards asylum backlogs, paying for hotels. So, as we're clearing that backlog at a record pace, there are efficiencies that will reduce the need to cut spending on our overseas programs. But nonetheless, it remains a cut. And I will not pretend otherwise. We will do everything we can to return to a world where that is not the case. And rebuild a capability on development. But at times like this, the defence and security of the British people must always come first. That is the number one priority of this government. A new approach to defence, a revival of our industrial base, a deepening of our alliances. The instruments of our national power brought together. Creating opportunity. Assuring our allies. Delivering security for our country. Mr. Speaker, at moments like these in our past, Britain has stood up to be counted. It has come together. And it has demonstrated strength. That is what the security of our country needs now. And it is what this government will deliver. And I commend this statement to the House.

CH: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking in the U.K. Parliament today.

[chillhop house tour music]

Climate Talks U.S. Scientist

Guest: Angel Hsu

CH: This week, representatives of the world's most powerful nations are gathering for important climate talks in Hangzhou, China. But not all of the most powerful nations. Last week, President Donald Trump’s administration denied officials permission to travel to the meeting. It's the first time the U.S. has been absent from the United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meetings. Angel Hsu is an associate professor of public policy and the environment at the University of North Carolina, who was set to attend the next IPCC talk next month in Japan. We reached her in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

NK: Angel, what message do you believe the United States is sending by not going to these meetings?

ANGEL HSU: Well, I think it's a pretty clear message that the United States is not supporting climate science research. And I think that's quite devastating because this is the defining issue of our time, and we're already feeling the widespread impacts of climate change here in the United States. The L.A. Wildfires that happened in January. Here in North Carolina, we had devastating Hurricane Helene, which was the second deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. And so, I think this sends a signal that the United States is stepping back from any type of leadership on climate change, and is, frankly, putting itself at a more vulnerable position to the effects of climate change.

NK: The Trump administration has made its position on these kinds of issues quite clear, certainly in the first term as well as this, the second one. But with the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement last time, engagement with the IPCC was left untouched. Did that surprise you this time?

AH: Yes. I think it's particularly surprising because when the Trump administration pulled away from the Paris Agreement in 2016, scientists like myself were still able to participate in the IPCC. So, I was one of the contributing authors to the six assessment report, which concluded its work just two years ago, and we were still able to attend meetings. A lot of my work was actually done virtually because of the pandemic that happened in 2020, but that part was still left untouched. The United States was still able to engage in the IPCC process, and scientists like myself are still able to contribute. I didn't think it would honestly happen. I didn't think, I mean, I think we kind of all expected that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, but I don't think anyone really expected that the IPCC would be affected. Because we're talking about fundamental research and fundamental science that is not just good for the planet, but it's actually helping to protect Americans who are experiencing these climate-related events with more frequency and more intensity than ever before.

NK: Is it possible that scientists working for the, for the U.S. government can take part virtually?

AH: I think that's a major question. I've been communicating with some of my colleagues who are at the IPCC meeting in Hangzhou, and it doesn't seem like they've been able to participate in any really meaningful way at these meetings. And so, it's, it's always a challenge. I think I'm a strong believer in in-person interaction. And in particular, for these kinds of meetings, there is a lot of work that is just a lot more efficient when you can be in the same room, you can talk through heavy issues, and it helps to foster mutual understanding because you get to know people outside of a Zoom call, outside of the computer. And so, I think it would be really challenging for the U.S. to participate meaningfully in these meetings without having an in-person presence.

NK: The work will continue, but what will the fact that, that the U.S. is absent, how will that affect the work? What will that do?

AH: Yeah. So, the work of the IPCC will continue, it's continuing right now, and I'm hoping to be able to participate in the meeting for the Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, which is the only special report in the seventh cycle for the IPCC next month. And already, there have been good talks of other countries and delegations, perhaps stepping up to host the Technical Support Unit for Working Group Three on mitigation that was eliminated last week. And, but I still think it's a huge loss. You take a look at the citations of the IPCC in the last assessment, and for Working Group One, just basically on the physical basis of climate change, three-quarters of the citations originated from U.S. or U.K. scientists. So that's huge. And we represent a lot of the scientific knowledge that contributes and goes into these reports. So, the work will continue. But I think a huge amount of expertise and knowledge is, may not actually get reflected in these upcoming processes and reports if the U.S. can't meaningfully engage.

NK: Doing the work that you do, and having done it for for so long, given what is unfolding in the United States. How do you continue doing that work and feeling productive, but also justifying what you have to keep trying to do?

AH: It's, it's really challenging. To be honest, it's been a very stressful and anxiety-ridden past couple of weeks. And, unfortunately, I don't think that the worst is over. I think we will still expect some major shocks to come. And so, it's challenging. It's really difficult. I've had some of my funding put on hold until the administration can communicate to agencies what guidelines might be. And I think it's a major question whether or not I'll be able to continue working on some aspects of my climate change research. So, I have spent years building up a program focused on climate justice, on environmental justice, and trying to understand the disproportionate impacts of climate change on various communities. And that work is certainly on, on hold. And there's a major question in terms of what, whether or not I'll be able to continue. And so, thankfully, I have some private foundations that have been supporting some of this climate related work. And so, I'll be able to continue there. But certainly, I think not just for me, but for a lot of us who focus on these issues of how climate change, and this is just a basic fact. I mean, this is nothing to do with DEI or any, I mean, it's just a basic fact that climate change doesn't affect everybody the same way. And my research has shown that very clearly that you have some communities, be they economically disadvantaged or minority, so racially or ethnically different where they are being affected by the climate change issue disproportionately. And so, I think there certainly are some areas of my own research and climate-related research that are going to be devastated by the lack of funding. And so, I'm trying to get creative. I'm reaching out to all of my networks. I'm trying to, to see what I can do to try to fill in some of these holes. But it's certainly, it has been, it has been taxing. But I'm still optimistic that we'll be able to make progress. Because, I mean, frankly, it's a matter of life and death to me. It's, it's, either we, we don't do anything, and we just sit there and say we can't do anything. Or we continue to try to make progress where we can in order to, to protect people and to, and to protect the planet.

NK: Angel, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

AH: No problem.

CH: That was Angel Hsu. She's an associate professor of public policy and the environment at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill -- and that's where we reached her.

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FOA: Elizabeth Holmes

CH: Elizabeth Holmes is not getting out of prison anytime soon. Yesterday, a panel of judges rejected a bid by the founder and former CEO of Theranos to overturn her fraud conviction. They also upheld the fraud conviction of her former business partner and boyfriend, Sunny Balwani. In 2023, Ms. Holmes was sentenced to 11 years in prison for claiming she had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect a multitude of diseases and conditions from just a few drops of blood. It was rolled out at dozens of Walgreens stores. The problem was, the technology didn't exist. But the lie skyrocketed her to success -- making her the youngest woman to become a self-made billionaire. The deception came to light in 2015 when reporter John Carreyrou published a serious of explosive articles in the Wall Street Journal. In 2018, he published the book, Bad Blood about his reporting. At the time, he joined our former host Carol Off in studio. And he explained what Theranos can tell us about Silicon Valley as a whole.

SOUNDCLIP

JC: There's a lot of innovation, for sure, going on in Silicon Valley, but there's also a lot of pretending, there's a lot of hubris and arrogance. And Theranos was a story of fraud, but also of hubris and arrogance. And the front man — or front woman rather — for the fraud was Elizabeth and she had this incredible charisma. She was also very smart and she had this ability to make people suspend disbelief. As I said, her idol was Steve Jobs, and she shared with Steve Jobs this trait, which was that she had a reality distortion field.

CO: But if you hadn't done your investigation, if your investigative nose hadn't twitched at some point, I mean, a lot of people were invested in this — a lot of agencies that should have been on top of this, a lot of levels government that should have been alerted. This isn't like making an app for something that's just going to make your life more fun. This would affect people's health. How do you think it was able to bypass so many checks?

JC: Well, I mean, some parts of this story are almost incomprehensible. How did Walgreens, Theranos’ main retail partner, not do sufficient due diligence and figure out that the Theranos device was but a malfunctioning prototype? Walgreens actually hired a consultant very early on. His name is Kevin Hunter and he sniffed out that things were not right during visits at Theranos in Palo Alto and also during meetings that the two companies had. And he tried to warn people at Walgreens that this was going to end badly and Elizabeth and Sunny Balwani were able to get him marginalized by telling Walgreens that they didn't want him to participate in the weekly video conference calls and that they didn't want him to be in the in-person meetings anymore. And so he continued to work for Walgreens, but he was held at arm's length.

CO: So at this point where — does Theranos still exist as a company?

JC: Theranos still exists. Elizabeth laid off another 100 employees about a month ago so the head count is now down to about 20 employees. And she announced to investors in an e-mail that the cash of the company was going to go beneath $3 million in late July. And at that point the covenant's of a loan agreement with the private equity firm Fortress would allow Fortress to seize the assets and to liquidate them. So it seems very clear that Theranos is going to be liquidated by August and will cease to exist. Then the other thing to keep an eye on is that there's a criminal investigation that's been conducted for more than two years now by the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco. And my sources tell me that that investigation is nearing its conclusion and that indictments of Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani are a distinct possibility.

CH: From 2018, that was Wall Street Journal journalist John Carreyrou speaking with our former host Carol Off. Less than a month after that interview, charges were laid against Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani. They were both found guilty of fraud and sentenced to more than a decade in prison. And yesterday, both of those appeals were rejected.

[heist music?]

AB School Workers

Guest: AJ Pointmeier

CH: Education support workers were already on strike in Alberta. And yesterday, more than 1,000 custodial and maintenance workers from two school boards in Calgary joined them on the picket lines, to push for better working conditions. AJ Pointmeier runs the maintenance welding department, which serves over 2,000 schools in the Calgary Board of Education. He's also an executive member of his local chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. We reached him in Calgary.

NK: AJ, why are you on the picket line today?

AJ POINTMEIER: Well, I'm on the picket line to help my brothers and sisters fight for a better wage. Thirty-eight to $39,000 a year in this current economy is not enough to live. And that has to change.

NK: What is the kind of work that you do?

AP: I myself am a maintenance welder based out of Highfield, so I'm kind of a unique bird in this. I sort of service all 270 locations.

NK: It might be hard for, for people who don't see you in the schools or in the, you know, in the education realm to understand what it exactly is you do and other education support workers do. How would you describe it to them?

AP: We are kind of the people in the shadows. We are your locksmiths. We are your grounds crew. We are the people that fix your handrails, your basketball nets. We have a locksmith shop. We also have a distribution crew that provides all the wrestling mats and deliveries in between schools for, for major tournaments and such.

NK: What is it like being invisible like that?

AP: It's okay. We're not really there for the accolades. We're there for the kids and we're there for the work. So, we understand we have a job there to do. We would like it if [chuckle] we were a little bit well known sometimes. But, at the end of the day, the kids are what's important. So, that's sort of why we're there.

NK: And what does an average day look like for you?

AP: Well, an average day would look like, I would speak with a couple of trades guys. They would have their own certain unique ones. I do everything from plumbing to electrical. I support many different areas that are not in CUPE. We also have a mobile welding unit with which we go and respond to emergency service calls and other such work orders like projects and, and the maintenance and the like.

NK: And can people get by with the work they're doing in the schools?

AP: If the, if the funding was there. We have a real big problem right now with a lack of staffing. The Calgary boards right now are running what I would classify as a skeleton crew for keeping everything running. We are definitely in need of more bodies, and we're having a retention issue on some levels because of the funding, so that's a real big problem.

NK: CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill says these strikes are about funding and wages. He says the province has the lowest per capita education funding in Canada, and has said the average salary is $34,500 a year. How are people making ends meet?

AP: Well, unfortunately, a lot of our members have to work two, sometimes three jobs in order to keep up with with current inflation and cost of living and stuff like that. So, yeah, that's kind of where it falls, unfortunately.

NK: What kinds of other jobs are they doing?

AP: Some of them have taken some outside service industry, some have taken, some of the trades have found some outside work on the side. Yeah, it's a big scramble to try and find work. And I think right now, it's sort of just trying to make up, make up for lost sense, right?

NK: I hear some of your colleagues chanting on the picket line there. What are they saying? What is the message that you and they want to send?

AP: The message is we're here, we're showing solidarity, and we really need that, this government to come back to the table and to discuss fair wages going forward.

NK: In the CBC News online coverage from our colleagues, Premier Danielle Smith confirmed that the wage increase, you know, the 2020 wage increase for other collective agreements might give an idea of what a next settlement would look like for you. Is that something you would be willing to accept? Is that a realistic or worthwhile offer, in your view, in your members view?

AP: Well, fair is, see, we're trying to steer away from a percentage because the percentage increase only affects our higher paid members. On some of our lower-paid members, it equates to sometimes $0.30 an offer. So, we're shooting for more of a monetary gain. That way we bring everybody up in one go. So, we're looking for an actual dollar amount increase per hour rather than the percentage that the government is offering. I would also allude to that, that, you know, if we're bringing out the last contract, there's also a good almost decade of zeros previous to that for which our members received nothing. And after our last ratification, again, sometimes that equated to $0.38, $0.39. So, after a decade of hard work and working three jobs, to be offered $0.36 to $0.38, it needs to be better.

NK: You're back bargaining tomorrow. What is your sense of things? Are you, are you optimistic?

AP: Well, as it sits right now, we just had communications on us that they have canceled tomorrow's bargaining. So, we have had two attempts to bargain with the Calgary Board of Education and the Alberta government this week, Monday and Wednesday. And the Monday was canceled. And we just found out recently that tomorrow was canceled as well.

NK: What was the reasoning that you got for that?

AP: [chuckle] Conflict of scheduling, I believe so.

NK: I heard that chuckle in your voice. What do you think is going on?

AP: I'm not too sure. I'm really hoping that they're up in a room somewhere discussing real wages and understanding now that, you know, before it was northern Alberta, now it's the entire province of Alberta, and we're all shouting the same message. I really hope this message is getting through. And the pause is because they're starting to discuss some real numbers for our members.

NK: These are difficult and lean economic times. What would you say to those who say that there isn't that money to give?

AP: I would say that boasting a $20 billion surplus, and then in the same breath, mentioning that you don't have money for very, very important services, it's kind of a contradiction.

NK: Schools are still open, of course, as this job action unfolds and bargaining, hopefully, as you've said, will, will get started again. But what should parents and the students you talked about expect if this goes on?

AP: Right now, kind of be given some positive turns. The the students seem to be very much on board with us. A few even grabbed a couple of picket signs and helped us out on the line in their spare time. I would just ask for patience and understanding. That these individuals care about your children. They care about their safety. They care about the cleanliness of the school. And a lot of them have been here for a long time, even though they haven't been getting the fair wages. And all they want is just their due, and to move forward, and keep looking after your children. So, respect and some patience would be greatly appreciated from our side.

NK: AJ, thanks for your time.

AP: Thank you so much. You have a great day.

CH: AJ Pointmeier is an executive member of CUPE Local 40 in Calgary.

[chiptune]

SOD AI Music Protest

CH: It's a banner day for music lovers. A new album has just dropped featuring an incredible array of British artists: Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, Damon Albarn, Billy Ocean! Kate Bush!! The Clash!! HANS ZIMMER!! It's a dream come true, and a triumph of artistic collaboration! No fewer than 1,000 artists contributed to the album, which is mysteriously entitled: Is This What You Want? Sounds like it is! Let’s get into it. Let's hear a bit of the first track: The

[screeches and clicks?]

CH: Um, OK. That’s interesting. Let's try the second track, British.

[screeches and clicks?]

CH: It’s a little more avant-garde than I was expecting for Billy Ocean. Let me just scroll through the rest of the tracks here. After The and British we've got Government, Must, Not, Legalize, Music, Theft, To, Benefit, A.I., and Companies. OK, I get it. It's not a real album of music. It's a protest against proposed changes to artificial intelligence laws that would allow tech firms to use copyrighted material to train AI models -- unless a creator specifically opts out. Artists say the move would undermine them as individuals -- and Britain’s creative industries as a whole. So the tracks are recordings of empty studios and performance spaces. Is This What You Want? is the brainchild of composer and AI developer Ed Newton-Rex, who says the works, quote, “symbolize what we expect will happen if the government’s proposals go through.” Unquote. Those were our Sounds of the Day.

The AIH Transcript For February 25, 2025

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