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The AIH transcript for May 23, 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: Big ban on campus. Shreya Mishra Reddy was fulfilling a dream by attending Harvard -- but now that the Trump administration wants to bar international students, she has no idea what will become of her, or her expensive education.

CH: Can't teach a new Kat old tricks. A lot of Americans say it's time to say goodbye to the Democrats' old guard -- emphasis on "old". And 26-year-old online personality Kat Abughazleh is ready to be the life of the party.

NK: Not in vain. It's been five years since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. His cousin tells us she won't stop fighting to make sure his death leads to lasting change.

CH: Making history and prehistory. Almost 40 years after a father and daughter discovered a fossil in British Columbia, it's officially recognized as a new genus and species.

NK: Doing the rounds. People put a lot of things on bagels, but only the late Judith Hope Blau put smiley faces on them -- and the resulting artworks made her the family breadwinner.

CH: And...he was just lying there, and then Prow! In Norway, an off-course container ship runs aground and nearly smashes into Johan Helberg's cottage, sending the neighbourhood into a panic -- except Johan Helberg, who sleeps through it.

CH: As It Happens, the Friday Edition. Radio that assumes by now he's been to hull and back.

[theme]

Part 1: Harvard Student, George Floyd Anniversary, B.C. Fossil Family

Harvard Student

Guest: Shreya Mishra Reddy

CH: Thousands of international students at Harvard University won a temporary reprieve today. A federal judge blocked the U.S. government's efforts to bar the enrollment of foreign students -- including more than 700 Canadians. The university claims the ban by the Department of Homeland Security is political retaliation in the ongoing battle between Harvard and the Trump administration. Homeland Security had demanded records of protest activity by students, and attacked the university for allegedly failing to condemn anti-Semitism. Shreya Mishra Reddy is a student from India who is months away from completing a program at Harvard Business School. We reached her in Toronto.

NK: Shreya, I know there's a lot of uncertainty for a lot of people at this moment in time. How did you find out and how did you react?

SHREYA MISHRA REDDY: So, I actually found out through a news notification on my phone from CNN saying that the Harvard University had been banned from accepting international students. So, that's how I found out. I was in the middle of a work day, and it was completely confusing and devastating to read something like that.

NK: And you're just two months away from finishing the program, right? You're planning to fly there in the summer. I mean, you think you're going to be on that plane?

SMR: I am not sure, to be honest. But I was supposed to start my program once again on 28th of May virtually, and then fly to Boston in July and then finish it at that time, and then officially become an alum of the Harvard Business School. But right now, it's all up in the air. I'm hoping that the resolution is reached soon. But, right now, I'm not really sure what will happen.

NK: So, what are you doing in the meantime? You know, obviously you're monitoring the news alerts and the latest developments. We heard about what the federal judge has done at this stage. What are you going to try to get answers?

SMR: So, I've tried reaching out to the Harvard program administration. But yeah, I'm keeping close tabs on that. I'm also following up on social media updates from Harvard. I've tried checking out with my batchmates also, but I've not heard back from anybody yet. But apart from that, I think it's just a wait and watch game. I think the time is really critical, and seeing that my program starts in literally five days from now, I'm hoping that we get some answers soon, if not today, then sometime tomorrow, saying that we're still good to be on campus in July.

NK: You know, you mentioned that phrase, you were set to be a Harvard alum, I could hear the pride in your voice as you said that. What did that dream, that Harvard dream, mean for you when you were growing up?

SMR: So, so much. So, Harvard has been, like, my dream school since I was probably 10 years old. And not just mine, but my family's as well. So, even back home, my grandparents have also heard of the name, and they're very proud of the fact that I am a current candidate at HBS. And they were so overjoyed when I actually got accepted into the program. So, it means so much, it's more than a degree for us. It's absolutely a sense of pride that I will carry in my heart for all of the time to come. But yes, it means so much to be a Harvard alum, and to be able to feel all of that, to be able to say it out loud, to have experienced all of it on campus. And right now, if we're not allowed to be back on campus, we're not allowed graduate, we are not allowed to officially have that tag behind us, I think it takes away so much. So, I know the current administration said that you can switch to another school, or you can go to another country. But at least for me, and for people like me, that's not really an option because studying at Harvard was never just about a degree, it was about so much more.

NK: And it comes with a lot of hard work. You don't get there without hard work, but also the financial commitment and burden.

SMR: Absolutely.

NK: What kind of costs?

SMR: So, the entire program cost me close to $90,000. Actually $100,000 incurring all the expenses. But the tuition fee alone was close to 90,000 dollars. Yes, it does take so much of hard work building your profile to a point where you will be accepted into a program with all the other executives, it was absolutely not easy.

NK: And you took out loans to be able to go.

SMR: Yes, I did. So I currently work at Visa in Austin, Texas, so I was able to pay some of the tuition fee with the money that I've earned so far, but I had to take out a student loan as well.

NK: If you are not able to finish this as you planned and become a Harvard alum, what will you do? What can you do?

SMR: At this point, I don't think there is anything that I can do. I sort of just have to accept it. But like I said, pursuing a similar program from another school, or from another country, is not really an option that makes sense for me. It does not fulfill all the requirements that I had, the sense of pride that I would have had graduating from a school like this. So, I'm not going to go down that route. But, at the same time, there's not really anything that I can do if it comes down to that.

NK: And would you be, would you get a refund?

SMR: I am not sure, but I am pretty sure Harvard would not let it come to that. I have a lot of faith in what the institution stands for. Today, morning, it came out with a very bold statement saying that Harvard is not Harvard without its international students. And it completely gave me goosebumps to be able to hear something so reassuring from the institution that you put all your faith and belief in. It meant the world to me, and I'm sure to other international students like me.

NK: And I wonder what it's like for you, Shreya, to be caught up in this battle between the Trump administration and the university that you want to attend? What is it like to be stuck in the middle of all of this?

SMR: So it's, honestly, it's very, very difficult. A lot of international students like me are not able to figure out why we're caught in the crosshairs. And I do understand the policy change that the administration is trying to bring about. It's for the safety and security for everybody on U.S. soil, which makes a lot of sense. But I feel like having a blanket policy against all international students, most of them, most of whom have nothing to do with the policy that's been made. And they don't even identify with the ideology being discussed. They have absolutely nothing to do with it. They're like me, they've come to the U.S. putting in a lot of hard work, resources behind that one school that they want to get into. They have gotten there. They just want to peacefully study, learn everything that they can, give back to the U. S., and then go back to their home countries. But, at this time, that very objective and goal is being threatened when we have nothing to do with what's going on. I feel like all the uncertainties that we are being exposed to with all the new policies coming in every second day, it's just putting us in a lot of anxiety and a lot of worry. And we just don't know how to deal with it, or what's gonna happen 10 days from now.

NK: Shreya, I hope you do get answers soon. Thank you for this.

SMR: Thank you so much for having me.

CH: Shreya Mishra Reddy is a student at Harvard Business School. We reached her in Toronto.

[instrumental]

George Floyd Anniversary

Guest: Shareeduh McGee

CH: The three words that were heard around the world -- and are still haunting: "I can't breathe." Five years ago this Sunday, George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. For more than nine minutes, Derek Chauvin knelt on Mr. Floyd's neck -- while Mr. Floyd told him he couldn't breathe, and people watching pleaded with him to stop. The video of the murder sparked the largest racial justice protests in the United States since the Civil Rights Movement. This weekend in George Floyd's hometown of Houston, Texas, there will be a festival to mark the five-year anniversary. Shareeduh McGee is George Floyd's cousin. We reached her at the Houston airport.

NK: Shareeduh, it is impossible to forget what happened to George Floyd, to your cousin, but I think for a lot of people, wrapping their heads around the fact that it has been five years. Does it feel like a long time, or just yesterday, for you?

SHAREEDUH MCGEE: Uh, well, it doesn't feel like a long time, but it doesn't feel like yesterday either, if that makes sense. And I'm feeling like, um, the five year mark came rather rapidly. Um, but yet, there's been enough time for me to know that it didn't just happen.

NK: Does this anniversary feel different?

SM: No, not really. I think in terms of, you know, what the loss means to me, it's really no different. But, you know, it's like anything else. There are times when it hits me very heavily. And there are times where I'm okay and can, you know, can cope with it. So, in terms of the anniversary, I don't feel that it's any different. I just think all of that really depends on where I am emotionally.

NK: When you think back to 2020, the protests that followed the murder, what do you still play in your mind?

SM: Well, the thing that sticks out most in my mind is what felt like unity in community. And I mean global community-wise. Like, there was a collective outrage for what everybody had witnessed at that time. But on top of that, there was just seemingly people, you know, reaching across and sort of wanting to be united in something. That was one of the things I got out of it. And on the flip side, I look, you know, there were people who were really, they were grieving as if George was their family member. Like, the pain was very evident and palpable in all the places that we were traveling to. And I did quite a bit because we were doing, you know, going to panel discussions and, you know, protests and marches and all kinds of things throughout that year and well into 2021. So, it just felt good for us to know that we weren't alone in how we were feeling at that time.

NK: And now, Shareeduh, given the change in administration in Washington, the fact that they've announced that they want to end the federal government's involvement in reforming local police departments, how does that sit with you?

SM: I think disappointed is probably the best word to describe it. I'm not at all surprised because I think, you know, what has happened has been pretty consistent with, you, what is being communicated as, you know, their thoughts about the government's involvement in, you know, the local police and what have you. But what I choose to focus on, at least in Minneapolis, they have communicated that they're going to continue to do those things that they were already in the process of working on for the transformational changes that they feel are necessary with their police department. So, even though the executive order has been reversed, I think to focus much energy on that instead of looking at the fact that there are still people who recognize that what was happening there is something that does require some effort to change, and that they're going to move forward with it, that's really where I am in that place.

NK: And then on top of that, Shareeduh, as you likely know, there are right-wing commentators, right-wing politicians that are bringing up the idea of a pardon for Derek Chauvin, the police officer, former police officer.

SM: Right.

NK: You were in the courtroom. You know what happened. How are you dealing with that possibility?

SM: I mean, it's the same, my position is still the same. It's one of disappointment is kind of, you know, so, one of the things we do know is that Derek Chauvin was convicted by the state of Minnesota as well as by the federal government. So, the pardon from the federal government does not impact his state sentencing. And while, you know, he still has to do the state sentence, symbolically what it means, you, know, is just kind of saying, you know, we disagree. That maybe we don't feel that he actually should be held accountable for murdering George. But no amount of me, you know, fixating on that is going to change what potentially can happen. You know, I am just glad again that there is the other conviction there that will stand even if he's pardoned.

NK: What do you want listeners to know about George Floyd, your cousin George Floyd, the one you had family memories with?

SM: I think I just want people to know that he was a whole person who was valued extremely by those of us who loved him. And there were no conditions on that love for him, despite, you know, any adversities he may have faced in his life, it doesn't change what he meant to us. And so, because of that, we are going to continue to push forward to make sure that, you know, the murder that happened to him, we're not left with just that. That we do have a legacy of change, and that we were actively involved in making sure that that change happened.

NK: Shareeduh, I thank you for your time. Safe travels.

SM: All right, thank you so much.

CH: Shareeduh McGee is George Floyd's cousin. She was at the airport in Houston, Texas.

[sombre piano]

B.C. Fossil Family

Guest: Pat Trask

CH: In 1988, Mike Trask and his 12-year-old daughter, Heather, were out fossil-hunting near a river on Vancouver Island, when they found something big: the remains of a 12-metre-long prehistoric marine lizard. That discovery is still making waves today. For decades, paleontologists weren't quite sure what, exactly, Mike and Heather had found. But now, it's official. They found what they'd always suspected they'd found: a whole new species and genus, belonging to the family of the elasmosaur. A creature the size of an orca, with a very long neck and very sharp teeth. Sadly, neither of them lived to see the findings published. Heather died two years ago -- and Mike died last week. Pat Trask is Mike's twin brother and Heather's uncle, and the curator of natural history at the Courtenay Museum and Palaeontological Centre, and one of the authors on the paper. We reached him in Courtenay, Vancouver Island.

NK: Pat, first of all, I'm sorry for your loss.

PAT TRASK: Well, thank you very much for that. Yeah, it's still pretty raw right now. It was only a week ago that my brother passed away. I've been taking care of him for a while. And we knew this was going to come. He had a long disease, but he was peaceful at the end. And so, I was there with him. And that's the best way for him.

NK: I'm glad you were together.

PT: Well, I can't really say on the radio, but he knew it was something big, but he didn't have any understanding of what it might be, but it was giant. He knew it was a giant reptile from the age of dinosaurs, but not knowing what it was. But he got a hold of the right people. And, uh, Dr. Richard Hebda, he came to Mike's house, but he was skeptical before he got here. He was totally skeptical that they weren't going to be what Mike thought they were. But then he was elated when he found out [NK chuckles] , oh, these are bones. I think the last time he was called up here for something, it was like motocross tire tracks or [laughing] something in the mud. But this turned out to be this giant marine reptile, about 12 meters in length, and a turtle-shaped body, super long neck, a beautiful sea monster, fitting for the province of B.C.

NK: [chuckling] It sure is. Why did it take nearly four decades to get to this point, and these answers, confirmation, publication?

PT: It was dug up in 1991. It was still a pile of rocks when I got here in 1992. We finally got it prepared and cast into a model in 1995. But during that time it was studied, but there was only the one. And some of the edges on the bones had been corroded by just erosion and corrosion at the bottom of the ocean. It didn't get buried quickly enough. And so, the definition was not as good as it should be on the edges of the bones. Then in 2020. I happened to find another Elasmosaur in the Trent River, just south of Courtenay, about 10 kilometers away from where he found his, and it turned out to be a juvenile Elasmusaur. And it took several months to dig it out and several months in a lab cleaning and preparing, and it turned out to be an about 60 per cent complete juvenile Elasmusaur. And the bones were really crisp and in awesome condition. And because of those two specimens, the scientists could ascertain the fact that it's new to science, new genus, new species.

NK: So when you look at this beautiful sea monster, as you put it, Traskasaura sandrae, carrying your family name, what do you see now?

PT: I see hope for the future. I see more hope for more discoveries on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. Because more people understand that the fossil record is so incomplete out there, more eyes, the more learned we become. You see, every time we find something, we can add it to the sum of human knowledge, and it makes that picture just a little bit bigger, and a little wider, so every time you can add a new thing to that picture of what it was like here, 85 million years ago, when Vancouver Island was under the ocean. Yeah, but there's hope for everybody. Anybody and everybody could make a major discovery in their lifetime and add to that some. That's the point, I think. [NK chuckles] But it's not always about the creature, though. It's about the people, about the people involved, the scientists, the citizen scientists, and the broader community. And so, our community is, like, they love our Elasmusaur, and it's always good news, paleontology is good news.

NK: Pat, I'm really glad we could speak. Thank you for your time.

PT: Thank you. Appreciate it.

CH: Pat Trask is the twin brother of Mike Trask and the uncle of Heather Trask. We reached him in Courtenay, Vancouver Island. The study was published today in the journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

[sombre instrumental]

Norway Cargo Ship

[wave sounds]

CH: What is more soothing than the sound of waves in a fjord? The epic poem whispered insistently by the briny deep, unspooling a tale of eternity. The saltwater symphony that lulled Johan Helberg to sleep Wednesday night -- as it does every night. And when I say it lulled him, I mean he was lulled. I wake up when a sparrow [waves fade] lands too hard on a branch a block away. Johan Helberg slept through this.

[waves, a ship horn, horn and engine gets closer, scrapping sounds]

CH: That's probably what it sounded like near Trondheim, Norway around 5 a.m. on Thursday morning -- when a 135-metre-long container ship -- that's 443 feet -- ran aground in a fjord, just metres from Mr. Helberg's house. In fact, it came to a stop so close to his property that it damaged one of his pipes. But somehow, not close enough to wake him up. His neighbour heard the ship coming, though -- so he ran over, [a doorbell rings multiple times] and rang Mr. Helberg's doorbell over and over again to warn him. Personally, halfway through the first ring, I'm tumbling down the stairs to the front door. Johan Helberg, however, had no response. Although he did give the Norwegian station TV2 a good explanation for that. He said, quote, "The doorbell rang at a time of day when I don't like to open." Unquote. [chuckling] That's fair. And he did get out of bed when his neighbour phoned him. He told the Guardian, "I went to the window and was quite astonished to see a big ship. I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was so unreal." I can imagine. What I can not imagine is not hearing a gigantic boat screech to a halt just outside my window. Maybe that haunts Johan Helberg, too. From now on, he'll awaken at the drop of a hat -- afraid that once again, his ship has come in. Here are Stars, with "Ship to Shore".

[lofi]

Part 2: Kat Abughazaleh, Bagel Lady Obit

Kat Abughazaleh

Guest: Kat Abughazaleh

CH: After any election, the losing party is in for some dark days of soul-searching. And in the United States, the Democratic Party has spent almost 200 days reflecting, since Americans re-elected Donald Trump to his second term in office -- where he has been pursuing his agenda aggressively, to put it mildly. Some people believe the answer for the Dems is fresh faces. With leaders like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and former President Biden all in their 70's and 80's, a push is on to elect younger candidates with new approaches to reaching voters. That's where Kat Abughazaleh comes in. She made her name as an online political commenter and satirist on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where she gained a following for snarky commentaries on Fox News and its current and former hosts.

SOUNDCLIP

KAT ABUGHAZALEH: One year ago today, Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News. And I'm happy to report it's been a rough year for America's squeakiest fascist.

CH: Now, Kat Abughazaleh is taking her online politics to the streets of Chicago. She's hoping to become the Democratic candidate for Illinois's 9th Congressional district -- where several Democrats are vying for the seat long-held by 80-year-old Jan Schakowsky, who recently announced she will not be seeking re-election. We reached Ms. Abughazaleh in Chicago.

NK: Kat, do you remember the moment where you thought, I really want to do this, and I'm going to do this?

KAT ABUGHAZALEH: I don't remember the exact moment, but I just kept thinking since Trump's inauguration, Democrats have to do something, right? And then they kept not doing anything, and then they keep not doing any thing. And I don't remember what straw broke my back. But eventually, I was just like, okay, I'm gonna run. And it's written in my planner on February 3rd, and then I did.

NK: Yeah. And what did you want to see Democrats do that they weren't, in your view?

KA: I mean, the way that you resist fascism isn't by capitulation. Anyone who's taken a middle school history class knows that appeasement doesn't work. And so, by continually backing down, continually making room for Trump, Democrats have put themselves in this corner where they're allowing people to get hurt in hopes that then they'll get votes in 2026. But that's not how it works. If you cede ground to authoritarianism, they take it and claim it as their own. When Elon Musk went to the Treasury Department with his army of teenagers, every Democrat should have been standing arm-in-arm in front of every Treasury Department entrance and called their bluff. You can't just allow fascism to run rampant. You have to try to gum up the works wherever you can. Because a lot of times, people are looking at you as a leader and wondering, is this normal? And if you aren't actually speaking out against it, and if you keep making excuses for it, then they'll normalize it in their own communities as well.

NK: There will be those who are listening, and even if they agree with you, might say it's very noble what Kat is saying, but that's her youth speaking. If she really knew how politics worked, she'd know that they can't do those things and they're trying to work within the system. When people say to you things like that, what do you say in response?

KA: I mean my background is I'm a journalist and researcher that studies the far-right. And the people that I've been covering now run our government. I know how these people think, and I know to beat them because I have been doing it, fighting them successfully, pissing them off for years. And the fact that people in my line of work in journalism, specifically covering authoritarianism, we've been used as a dry run for what Elon Musk and Trump and their cronies are doing to the federal government. And it's not youthful idealism to think you should stand up against it. I mean, we've seen this in every authoritarian movement that has thrived in the past. It does so because the opposition refuses to put up opposition. Working within a system that's clearly not working for most Americans, even before Trump. I mean, the average American can't afford a $1,000 emergency expense raises questions about the system itself. And Democrats, let's talk about parliamentary procedure and decorum. You should be finding any loophole you can. You should be finding any avenue possible if you actually care about stopping authoritarianism. That's what you need to be doing every single day.

NK: Do you think the Democrats that are in office right now don't care about stopping authoritarianism, or stopping what they disagree with?

KA: I think specifically democratic leadership is scared of making too many waves. I think they've taken the wrong message from the 2024 election, and they think that they need to go farther right. And frankly, our left in America is most countries' centre. What they really need to be doing is embracing common sense. It's the idea that everyone deserves to afford housing, groceries, and health care with money left over. And that's usually baseline for most of our peer countries, but for some reason, is a pipe dream here. And I think that especially democratic leadership, they're more worried about their job security as elected officials and their control in this political system and maintaining political capital without spending it.

NK: What kinds of experiences are you drawing on specifically, apart from what you were mentioning earlier about being a target, as you tried to take on far-right figures?

KA: Yeah, I mean, I think that we need diversity in Congress, and not just in race and age and gender, but also background. Like, we do need lawyers and we do need business owners and we need people who have already been politicians at the state level, but we need more than that. We need educators and healthcare workers and reporters and people with different experiences through life. I mean, I am a renter and rent is a lot higher than it was when my parents were young. I just got health insurance two days ago. I've never made six figures. I don't expect to be able to buy a home anytime soon, when my parents were both able to buy homes at my age. If you want to legislate on those issues, you have to know the reality of them.

NK: Given what happened in the last election, do you believe people across your country are ready for the kind of change, systemic candidate change, all of that, that you and others are pushing? Is America ready?

KA: Oh, America's been ready. A big part of this is how little we are given a chance to vote for something. The last few elections have been presented as, vote for us; we're less bad than the other guy. And if you point that out, then you actually want him to win. And that's not a winning message, especially when young people, we weren't ever given a carrot, just the stick. And so, when we're told to come out because you don't want it to get even worse. But besides that, the status quo is going to stay the same, people don't. And they didn't show up in 2024. A lot of people stayed home. And I really just think taking away the labels here, this is a party of the New Deal and the Civil Rights Act. It's a party where, you know, we got social security. And if you tried to pitch social security now, Republicans would call you, I don't know, like a woke, Marxist communist, when it's one of the most basic tenets of our country at this point. And so, reminding people that they deserve good things, I think, is a big part of this. But also, people are ready for change, and that's why a lot of people voted for Trump. Because he did acknowledge their pain. He was like, the system's broken, and I have a solution, and the solution's bad. It's not good. It hurts people. But he at least is acknowledging it, and people are really looking for that right now.

NK: Kat, I'm glad we could speak. Thanks very much for your time.

KA: Thank you so much.

CH: Kat Abughazaleh is running to become the next Democratic candidate for Illinois's District 9. We reached her in Chicago.

[indie rock]

Catcher Parents

CH: Last night, when Keibert Ruiz made it to second base, he looked up into the crowd and waved. And he'd been waiting more than a decade to get a wave back. It’s been more than a decade since his parents saw him play baseball. The Washington Nationals player is from Venezuela, and his family hadn't been able to get a visa to come visit him in the US. They'd never seen him play in a major league game. Until last night. And it was even more exciting because Mr. Ruiz hit a double that helped his team win the game.

SOUNDCLIP

KEIBERT RUIZ: That's a dream come true for me. It was a lot of emotions, and I feel so grateful to God for this opportunity. They make a lot sacrifice for me. And seeing me play here in the big leagues, that's a blessing, you know? I'm really grateful to God for this.

DAN KOLKO: Keibert, we see you with your smile all the time, and it lights up everywhere. That's the biggest smile I've seen from you ever. Can you just explain what it's like to see them right now crying, loving this moment?

KR: Yeah. Yeah. They're going to make me cry, too, you know? That's a great feeling for me and my family. And, like I say, I feel grateful to God for this opportunity. And that's a dream come true for me.

KEVIN FRANDSEN: Keibert, did you wonder if there was ever going to be a time that your parents could make it here to the States to watch you play?

KR: Yeah, it takes, what, 10, 11 years to be there, like to be here in this day, but the time of God is perfect, you know? And, yeah.

DK: The only thing that would have made it perfect was going out in right field earlier, you know? But getting that moment, 3-1. You know that the motion's there, everything's going behind it, and you just hammer that ball.

KR: Yeah. [chuckle] Like I said, I was feeling really good today. The emotion was there and the adrenaline was there. I just want them to be here every night.

KF: Yeah, I think they have to be now.

DK: You play like this, and your team plays like this in front of them. Last one for you. Your team has now won five straight with this walk-off win tonight. What are you happiest about during this five-game winning streak?

KR: The vibe that we have, you know? The positive that we're having in the clubhouse, everybody is playing together, everybody is doing his part, and we just got to keep it going.

KF: Keibert, congratulations on Everything tonight buddy.

DK: Go enjoy the fam, dude.

KF: Yeah!

CH: Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz, speaking with broadcasters Dan Kolko and Kevin Frandsen last night.

[indie pop]

Bagel Lady Obit

Guest: Laura Blau Paul

CH: They were sort of a craze in the early 70's, sold in gift shops and department stores like Bloomingdales: wreaths and candleholders and necklaces, painted with smiley faces -- and made from real bagels. The mastermind at the centre of this phenomenon was Judith Hope Blau, a Cornell-educated fine artist and animator who found success making bagel art -- inspired by her grandfather Izzy, a bagel-maker in the Bronx. She was also a children's book author, and had a ground-breaking career as one of the first women in the toy design business. Ms. Blau died earlier this month at the age of 87. We reached her daughter, Laura Blau Paul, in Scarsdale, New York.

NK: Laura, our listeners got a hint there in the introduction of what your mother's bagel art was like. But can you paint them a picture so they can imagine what you were dealing with?

LAURA BLAU PAUL: [chuckling] Well, my mom started painting on bagels, which was something that my great-grandfather had taught her about the bagel bakery and that the little bagels were magic. And so, she wrote her book, and then there was an interest in the actual necklaces. And so, we had bagels all over our house.

NK: Do you remember when, you know, when you found out this is what she was going to do? I mean, do you remember her saying, okay, we're going to go buy, get some bagels, and we're all going to paint them? I mean, was there a moment that you recall that happening?

LBP: Not exactly. She went and she got them and she started painting on them. She did ask our opinion about what the faces looked like, and if we thought they were cute or funny or that, but it just sort of, we were just kids, so it was really, she was doing this and we just were along for the ride.

NK: Would you describe it as a fun ride? A whimsical one?

LBP: He did.

NK: And he taught her about whimsy, and clearly. But just tell us a little more about how that morphed into the children's book that then became this project.

LBP: My mother was very close to her grandfather. And he was a real storyteller, and he would, she was very ill as a child. For two years; she was pretty much confined to bed. So, during that time, he told her lots and lots of stories. And she started drawing, um, I guess what he was telling her. And, um, when she, you know, grew up and then had us, she just really wanted to write this story about her grandfather, and how kind of magical he was. So, that's where it all started. And then she went from being a fine artist, to doing toys, to doing all kinds of things.

NK: Yeah, I wanted to ask about that other phase as well, designing toys. That kind of creativity, becoming a creator, almost an inventor, too, in terms of the types of toys she designed, was that always part of her personality?

LBP: Um, my mom was always inventing and doing little things. She was, there was no problem that she couldn't fix. She used her art, she used her storytelling to make everything in life more fun. And, um, it just was really natural that she would sort of, you know, go toward the toys because she always had ideas about those things.

NK: And that connection to one's inner child, sounds like maybe it was because of that illness you described, and having that freedom later in life. Like, just that connection to the inner child is really interesting. Never losing that.

LBP: Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. She always kept that. There was a silliness in our house that was very refreshing and very nice.

NK: What a beautiful way to grow up. She made a lot of products for big companies, Hasbro included. Our producers pulled an ad, uh, for one of them. It might ring a bell for some. [LBP chuckles].

SOUNDCLIP

[upbeat music]

GIRL: Daddy, watch me feed my Baby All Gone.

CHORUS OF KIDS: [singing] My Baby All Gone!

SOLOIST: You make it all gone!

GIRL: You can fill it again! [NK chuckles] And she loves cherries from her jar!

CHORUS OF KIDS: [singing] My Baby All Gone.

NK: How many times did you hear that jingle [LBP chuckles softly] in your house? [chuckling]

LBP: Definitely heard it. [both chuckle]

NK: Did you have one?

LBP: Very honestly, I was actually a little bit older when that came out. The doll was actually the right age for my kids

NK: not just a designer, but as a woman in this field, what did she tell you about that?

LBP: Well, we were brought up to believe that women should use their brains. And every woman in my family went to college. My grandmother got a law degree in the '30s. And we were just taught that you use your brain, you do things, you can do anything you want. And my mother was one of the first women toy designers around. And she was in a field that was absolutely dominated by men.

NK: There's the joy in your household you describe, that whimsy, that fun, that does sound like an incredible gift to have growing up. As you grew up, had your own children, made your own life, how did it inform what you wanted to do?

LBP: My house was always the project house. I had pretty much every piece of art paraphernalia you could have. And so, the kids would all come here to do their projects and I loved it.

NK: And did you, I mean, did you stop eating bagels at some point? Are you sick of bagels?

LBP: No, never. [both laugh]

NK: They are delicious. They're still a staple. They are in the DNA at this point, right?

LBP: Absolutely. [chuckling]

NK: The family DNA.

LBP: Definitely.

NK: What ultimately, Laura, do you want people to take away from your mother's life and her story?

LBP: Well, that she was told as a little kid that they didn't know if she was going to live to be past about 40 years old. And that they told her she would never really be able to do a lot. And she lived to 87, and she did a tremendous amount during that time. And even though she had some limitations, she never let them stop her.

NK: Laura, I'm glad we could speak. Thank you for this.

LBP: Thank you.

CH: Laura Blau Paul is the daughter of artist and toy designer Judith Hope Blau, who died earlier this month at the age of 87. We reached Ms. Blau Paul in Scarsdale, New York.

[ambient]

Cape Breton Hiker

CH: Heather Todd was excited to show off the East Coast to her friend who was visiting, including the beautiful trails around Cape Breton. But on one of their hikes, the New Brunswick resident experienced a setback that would really put a damper on that hike and any hikes in the immediate future: she slipped and broke her leg. And yet, her misfortune became a surprisingly positive experience -- thanks to the kindness of Cape Bretoners. Heather Todd told the CBC what happened.

SOUNDCLIP

HEATHER TODD: I was probably in shock. I heard some people coming from the trailhead. They wanted to kind of stick around and I said, no, no you guys go. I'm going to call 911; I'm fine. Like, I hurt nothing else, so that's when I called 911.

ERIN POTTIE: What happened next in terms of getting out of there?

HT: I called 911, and they were fantastic. They wanted to know how far into the trail I was, and I explained that to them. And they just basically told me to hold tight. I waited for about an hour and the paramedics started to come. Once they showed up, it was, the show was on the road. And so, they spent some time stabilizing my foot, my leg. And my friend looked out at me. She goes, Heather, there's 17 people here, 'cause I only thought there were like four or five. I was like, oh my goodness. [chuckling] And I looked around, and they said they brought that many people in case they would have had to switch out. When they were, like, carrying me out of the woods, one of the paramedics from Inverness, I believe, he was able to administer some pain relief so that they could move me around as much as they needed to to get me out of the woods.

EP: And how are you getting along now?

HT: I'm getting on great now. I'm at home. I'm back in New Brunswick. I had fantastic care at the Inverness Hospital and the Sydney Hospital. I can't speak highly enough of the doctors and nurses that took care of me in both facilities. I wanted to add that at the Inverness Hospital, the doctor arranged my friend to stay at a local bed & breakfast. That was all taken care of for her. The innkeeper at the bed & breakfast sent her to a restaurant, and they gave her supper on the house. And they invited her out for a little fire outside. And it was with a lady who owned bed & breakfast in Ingonish. And apparently, we have, like, a free night in Ingonish to have a do-over. And they were all very upset that this vacation was [chuckling] sort of derailed by this freak accident. But we were just overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity, the professionalism of everybody we encountered in this. It actually made a happy memory, if I can say it that way. Like, it could have been horrible. But, I'm coming away with this, with some really good stories, like a lot of gratitude, and just happiness that there's kindness left in the world. And that it doesn't have to be, like, miserable, like, when something like this happens.

CH: Heather Todd speaking to Erin Pottie on Information Morning in Nova Scotia.

[indie rock]

Part 3: Russia-Finland Border, New Speaker,

Kelowna Paediatric Ward

CH: Dr. Jeffry Eppler has been sounding the alarm for months now. But the paediatric ward at his hospital will have to close its doors anyway. Dr. Eppler is an emergency physician at Kelowna General Hospital. Starting on Monday, the hospital's paediatric ward will be closed for six weeks. B.C.'s Department of Interior Health says the closure is due to, quote, "limited physician availability." Dr. Eppler says he and his colleagues were totally caught off guard.

JEFFRY EPPLER: Basically found out just a couple of days ago that they're shutting down the entire paediatric ward for over a month through a news release, less than a week before it happened.

CHRIS WALKER: What do you think of that?

JE: I think it's appalling messaging. I mean, to not let the people that are going to be most affected other than the patients themselves know this is going to happen, and to find out from a news release, is just I think fairly appalling. And to have so little consultation on how to deal with this issue. I want to be clear though, we knew there were going to some disruptions in terms of paediatric services. And there have been some disruptions up until now. We've had periods where there was no paediatric coverage, say for an overnight period. And we knew there were going to be some disruptions that could last a day or even a few days, but we had no idea that there's going to complete loss of paediatric services for over a month.

CW: I wonder if we could use a scenario to sort of game out how this might affect patients. Like, if a kid comes in with, let's say, a bad case of measles and is in a life-threatening situation, how will this change how that child is cared for?

JE: Well, I want to make it clear. I mean, we're still running as an emergency department. And I think parents with sick children should bring their child to the emergency department. They don't need to be scared they're not going to get good care. Emergency physicians are well-trained in diagnosing and treating acute medical conditions, including paediatric conditions. And there has been some planning for these disruptions in paediatric services. So, you know, Interior Health has funded us so that we can actually have additional physicians available in the emergency apartment to take care of sick children. But we were never prepared to become what is essentially a de facto paediatric ward as they are closing the entire ward for over a month.

CW: How would you like the health authority to communicate not only with doctors, but with the public about these kinds of things?

JE: Well, for one thing, I don't know for sure, but I suspect this situation's brewing for a lot longer. And we should have been notified much sooner so we could do better planning. This affects our department greatly because we are already often short nurses. All of the physicians in our emergency group are gonna have to step up and work extra to accommodate for this. It would have been nice to have the ability to plan for this, I'm not a communications expert, but I think it's better to be transparent. That's why we've come forward, that's why I'm having this interview, I think the public needs to know. But I want to emphasize., We're still functioning as an emergency department. We still provide good care. We are trained in paediatrics, but this can affect the flow in non-emergency department because if we have admitted paediatric patients, then that ties up nursing resources, physician resources, beds. That makes it harder for us to take care of all the patients. It's difficult. And frankly, there's a lot of moral injury to all of us working in this system right now. And this only adds to it.

CH: Dr. Jeffry Eppler is an emergency physician at Kelowna General Hospital. He was talking to the CBC's Chris Walker, host of Daybreak South.

[chillhop house tour music]

Russia-Finland Border

Guest: Emil Kastehelmi

CH: Right now, despite attempts at peace talks, a deal between Ukraine and Russia is still looking very much like a pipe dream. And meanwhile, Russia's assault on its neighbour drags on. And many miles north of Ukraine, Russia has quietly been making other moves near another neighbour: Finland. New satellite imagery shows that Moscow is beginning to build up a military presence near the border. And Finland -- which has been in Ukraine's position before -- is watching very closely. Emil Kastehelmi is a military analyst with the Black Bird Group. He analyzed dozens of those images for The New York Times. We reached Mr. Kastehelmi in Lahti, Finland.

NK: Emil, what struck you most as you started taking a closer look at these images?

EMIL KASTEHELMI: When looking at individual changes at these Russian bases, there are certainly quite a few of them. So, there are changes in the air bases, changes in military bases, and also some changes in the infrastructure, too. However, it also should be noted that no very radical changes have taken place yet. So, many of these, many of the things we see are related to ongoing organizational changes or development projects.

NK: So, not radical at this stage, but notable, certainly, as you've said. Give our listeners a sense of, if they were looking at these satellite images, if they were in front of them right now, what would they be seeing?

EK: They would be seeing, at least in some parts, for example, new tents. Maybe in some places, large amounts of transport equipment because there's a lot of Russian soldiers being trained in various bases for the war in Ukraine. You might see some new large storage halls popping up in a few places. And then also, especially in the Arctic, some likely adaptations to new threats, which are Ukrainian long-range drone strikes, which can already reach even the northernmost air bases of Russia.

NK: How does everything that you're seeing now compare to what was there before?

EK: Of course, Russia has had many different kinds of bases, armed bases, air bases, near Finland already. So, it's not like they have built something large and new just recently. However, when we look at also the organizational level of these changes, then we are seeing something a bit even more significant as the Russians are, for example, at an organizational level, expanding their brigades into divisions. So, at the moment, those are the most significant things that are happening. And they are not present on the satellite images, at least not quite yet.

NK: Is what you're seeing Russia's response to Finland joining NATO or the Arctic War Games Finnish troops have carried out in the region, is this just a response to that from Russia, or something else?

EK: Yeah, this is mostly a response. It's an answer to NATO's growing presence. However, it also should be noted that the growing presence of NATO is basically Russia's own fault as it began to be more and more hostile and aggressive also, of course, against Ukraine, but also against some of its neighbouring countries. So yeah, especially the largest organizational changes can be seen as a response to the new geopolitical situation, but also some of these decisions-developed certain areas are also linked to pre-existing decisions before Finland's and Sweden's NATO accession.

NK: What's the reaction in Finland so far as these images are released and as news stories report on what's in these images? How are people reacting there? Is there a sense that there is a big threat looming?

EK: Well, in Finland, the situation isn't generally perceived as very alarming. Of course, this varies among individuals. Some may be actually scared, but as a general level, people aren't really scared. These developments near our borders are being monitored. They are being reported about. And, of course, there's nothing that comes as an actual surprise to our military intelligence. Finland is also a very prepared country. So, people are mostly calm, but they, of course, are constantly reading about these changes as it's important to understand what Russia is actually doing on their side of the border.

NK: And what do you expect the Finnish military might do next as it obviously watches what is happening closely and analyzes these images and prepares accordingly?

EK: Well, Finland is doing, actually, many things at the moment. It's, of course, increasingly integrating itself into NATO, the wartime strength of the Finnish Defence Forces may be increased in the future. Finland is withdrawing from the Ottava mine ban treaty, which banned anti-personal mines. We're investing a considerable amount of money to our defence. And basically, developing defense capabilities at many different levels simultaneously. So, Finland is, of course, also responding to the new threat environment.

NK: What's your sense of things at this stage, Emil? If we spoke again, a year from now, what might happen?

EK: Well, the Russians will move forward with their organizational changes. There will be thousands, even tens of thousands, new soldiers permanently placed in the regions which are near Finland. So, there's going to be a lot more military activity near NATO's northeastern flank. Of course, everything depends on how long the war in Ukraine goes on. These aren't very quick developments, but they are still ongoing all the time.

NK: Emila, I appreciate this, thank you.

EK: Thank you so much.

CH: Emil Kastehelmi is a military analyst with the Black Bird Group. He's in Lahti, Finland.

[fiddle]

NL Riding Recount

CH: It took more than three weeks -- but today, the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas officially has an MP-elect. It turns out Conservative Jonathan Rowe beat Liberal Anthony Germain by just 12 votes. That's a flip of the election night count, which had the Liberal candidate 12 votes ahead. The CBC caught up to Jonathan Rowe this afternoon right after the results were announced.

SOUNDCLIP

JONATHAN ROWE: Well, it's certainly exciting. I mean, after an automatic recount and the results come in and it's 12 votes, it is not a lot, but it's enough. And we're thankful for it.

REPORTER: It's 12 votes, but it's also been 12 days since the recount started. Can you tell me how you've been feeling over the last 12 days, just waiting for this result to come in?

JR: Yeah, it's very, you know, we were caught in limbo, so it's very stressful. You lose a lot of sleep, and you're looking forward to this call and worried that you're going to get the other call. So, it's been nerve-wracking, to say the least.

REPORTER: Absolutely. So, what are your priorities now going to be when you finally get to head to Ottawa?

JR: First thing I got to do is get to Ottawa and catch up. We're a little bit behind, like we mentioned yesterday in an interview. But the focus is still the same. We've got a district that is reliant on natural resources. We've to make sure that we've got to hold this Liberal government accountable, and make sure they're aware of the importance natural resources has in our industry. And make sure we can get good, powerful paychecks to local people. And make sure we get our young people can stay here at home and continue to work in this amazing province that we have.

REPORTER: So, Jonathan, how will you be celebrating this win with your family and friends over the weekend?

JR: Well, there's not much time for celebrating; work starts now. So, I'm heading to St. John's and getting a flight out tomorrow morning, and going to Ottawa to try to prepare for the following months and the following years of representing Terra Nova-The Peninsulas.

REPORTER: Okay, and I know your opponent, Anthony Germain, won Election Night by 12 votes. Now, you've won by 12 votes. Do you have anything to say to your political opponent about the race that you guys fought?

JR: Yeah, Anthony reached out and congratulated me. And, you know, he'd done a fantastic campaign, and we couldn't be so close if we tried. It's, you know, and like I told Anthony, these past few days and weeks have been some of the hardest for both of us. There's not many candidates across the country that had such a grueling experience. And, you know, my heart goes out to him, and I wish him well. I'm sure that whatever he endeavors, and you never know, maybe in a few years's time, there's another rematch.

CH: That was Newfoundland and Labrador's newest MP, Conservative Jonathan Rowe -- who won his riding by 12 votes, after a drawn-out recount process.

[hip-hop]

FTR: Kermit Commencement

CH: It's that time of year again -- when students take the long walk across the stage to collect their hard-earned diploma or degree. And part of that graduation tradition is waiting in suspense to see who shows up to impart some wisdom on the graduating class. And last night, the class of 2025 at the University of Maryland had a huge celebrity. Well, like, a small celebrity. Kermit the Frog gave their commencement speech. It was an ode to the Muppets creator Jim Hensen, who graduated from the school in 1960. According to the university's student-run newspaper, some graduates weren't thrilled by that choice -- saying the school was avoiding talking about real issues by not having a real speaker. But some students embraced the green, and it seems to have gone over relatively well.

SOUNDCLIP

KERMIT THE FROG: You're all here to listen to a frog in a very tiny cap and gown give a commencement speech. Now, as I look at you students, I can tell that you have all worked your tails off. And as a former tadpole, believe me, losing your tail is a pretty big deal. So, go Terps! [claps and cheers] Many of you are trying to make career connections and networking connections and are applying for jobs and grad schools and quietly panicking about rent and loans and the price of eggs. Good grief. Which brings me to one really important connection that I 'gotta mention. And that's the one that you share with your parents, or your family, or the special people who helped you get here today. You're still connected to them. You really are. And that's the thing about love. It sticks with you, even when you're apart. It's important to stay connected to your loved ones, stay connected to your friends, and most of all, stay connected to your dreams. Dreams are how we figure out where we 'wanna go. And life is how we get there. You've all done just what you set out to do. And you're just getting started. [claps and cheers]

CH: For The Record, that's Kermit the Frog delivering the commencement speech at the University of Maryland last night.

[calypso]

New Speaker

Guest: Catherine Lévesque

CH: On Monday morning, Canada's MPs will return to Parliament. And before they do anything else, they'll have to choose a new speaker of the House of Commons. In advance of that vote, rumours are circulating about who's in the running -- with several aspiring speakers putting their names forward. Catherine Lévesque has spoken to several of them. She's a parliamentary reporter for the National Post. We reached her in Ottawa.

NK: Catherine, the speaker's role, of course, is always a crucial one, an important one. But given the election we've just come out of, is it even more so now?

CATHERINE LÉVESQUE: Yes, I think it is crucial. Because honestly, in the last session, things were very rowdy. I mean, sure, it was a pre-election period. I think tensions were very high on both sides of the aisle here in Parliament. But I think MPs are looking to have a new speaker. They're hoping for a reset. And so, I think that it will be really important to see who that person is and how they will change the tone in the House of Commons. I think a lot of MPs are looking for someone who can actually apply the rules, someone who can create a consensus amongst Liberals and Conservatives and, frankly, all parties.

NK: And Greg Fergus, who has been the speaker since October of 2023, is running again, our colleagues have confirmed, and you as well. It doesn't sound like you think that he actually has a chance of coming back.

CL: Well, yes, he is running again. I think he's still interested in this position. He seemed to enjoy his role. However, I have heard some criticism that he maybe wasn't, he didn't have the experience necessary to hold up the rules in the chamber, who maybe wasn't applying them in a uniform manner to everyone. Let's not forget that Mr. Fergus, because of all the tensions in the House, has had to expel even MPs. And more notably, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre; that was a particularly raucous Question Period. My feeling is I don't think he'll be the one who will be chosen, but it is a ranked ballot so we could be surprised. But the Liberal and Conservative caucuses in particular, they will be meeting this Sunday, and they will be discussing amongst themselves who they will be supporting.

NK: As the parties are having those discussions, doing the math, having the debates within their caucus, you know, how much of that is going to be around really the math that's at play? The Liberals are in a minority situation. They're just short of the majority that they wanted. So, what kind of calculations are these MPs and their parties going to making? Because if one of their own becomes speaker, they lose that vote.

CL: Oh, absolutely. It is an active discussion amongst the Liberal ranks. Certainly, I think part of them is saying, well, look, we can't lose a vote, right? Things can happen. People can get sick, or there can be by-elections, or some votes could flip potentially, or some people could just cross the floor, and then the Liberals could get their coveted majority. So, there could be an argument for some Liberals to vote and instead support a Conservative. You know, a name that comes back often is Chris D'Entremont, who is a bit more of a progressive Conservative, who's someone who was the deputy speaker in the last four years. I think he's well-liked. A lot of people know him and appreciate him. So, I think that he's helpful that he can get that support from not only his party but also the Liberals.

NK: Chris D'Entremont in particular, he was on our show, the day after the election, in fact? And we spoke at that time about what had happened with the Conservative leader. Let's listen to a little bit of what he told us at that time.

SOUNDCLIP

CHRIS D'ENTREMONT: Quite honestly, it's going to be difficult to question or keep government to account from outside of the House of Commons.

NK: Mr. D'Entremont also said he didn't think it would be fair for Pierre Poilievre to run elsewhere and take someone else's seat. We know that that election is going to happen. How much do you think that that kind of comment -- and he has made it since, I'm sure -- is going sway the other MPs, whatever party they're with?

CL: So, you know, from what we've been hearing, it seems like, so Pierre Poilievre and his caucus would be more willing to, you now, support the other Conservative candidates, so that would be

Tom Kmiec. He, I am told, will not be getting any Liberal support, so I think it will be extremely interesting because Chris D'Entremont -- you know, as as your listeners have just heard -- he had been critical at Mr. Poilievre. He has been critical since. You know, he hasn't hesitated to criticize, especially, you know, he is now the only MP in Nova Scotia from his cacus. So, I don't think he's going to have the, necessarily, the support of the leadership. At the same time, you know, a lot of MPs support him. You know, I've interviewed him yesterday. He said he had support from a lot his colleagues within caucus, the Conservative caucus, also the Liberal caucus. So, I think, especially in a case where we have this ranked ballot, if he is high enough, and if he manages to form this consensus, he could actually be the next speaker.

NK: Sherry Romanado, the Liberal MP, was on our show almost exactly a year ago. The Globe and Mail, she has confirmed to them that she is going to be running for the speaker position. And when she was on out show last May, we spoke with her because there was such concern about harassment of MPs. A lot of it happening online. The Sergeant-at-Arms at the time had said there was a 700 to 800 per cent increase in those kinds of attacks. This is a little bit of what she told us then.

SOUNDCLIP

SHERRY ROMANADO: We have a responsibility as members of Parliament to model good behaviour. And sometimes, there are lines that are crossed. It's one thing to have healthy debate and, you know, attack a policy. It's another thing to attack a person.

NK: And Catherine, so much of course, as you very well know, has happened since May of last year. But how much of that thinking do you think is weighing on MPs right now, or will sway them as Sherry Romanado tries to make her pitch for this position?

CL: Oh, absolutely. I think, you know, that message still stands today, and I think that is something that we will be hearing a lot. And it's quite funny, I was just speaking to another contender for speaker, and he said something similar. In fact, Rob Oliphant, he said, if you get food poisoning at McDonald's, it doesn't help Burger King. You know, it affects the entire fast-food world. You know, it just comes to say that whether it comes, you know, from the Liberals, the Conservatives, the Bloc, or the NDP, or even the Greens, you know, bad behaviour is bad behaviour. And really, it affects everyone. And it's really a bad example, frankly, for everyone who comes to see what our elected officials are doing in the House of Commons.

NK: Well, we will see a busy few days ahead, certainly, Catherine. I appreciate this. I'm glad we could speak.

CL: Same to me. Thank you so much for inviting me.

CH: Catherine Lévesque is a parliamentary reporter for the National Post. We reached her in Ottawa.

[funk]

Vaginaberg

CH: For a show that has no pictures, we spend a lot of time talking about nature photography. In recent memory alone, we've spoken with the photographer who dedicated years of his life to capturing stunning images of butterfly migrations. The photographer whose sleuthing won her a hard-fought image of an elusive and inexplicably orange owl. And the photographer whose uncanny picture of an actual badger looking at graffiti of an imaginary badger won him a prestigious wildlife photography prize. There's something about compelling images of the natural world that makes hearing about them almost as good as seeing them. And Jill Taylor's newly viral photo of an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland is no exception. Although, we do actually recommend you Google this one. And I'll repeat, it is definitely a photo of an iceberg. But when I looked at it at work, I unconsciously looked over my shoulder to make sure no one saw me looking at it. For reasons we'll let Ms. Taylor explain...

SOUNDCLIP

JILL TAYLOR: This photo was taken just this past weekend, so May 18th, in Twillinggate, Newfoundland. And it's actually, I feel like there's been so many photos of this iceberg on the Newfoundlands Iceberg Report. It's the massive iceberg that's beached near Point Road, and it's very viewable by land. But on the other side that faces towards the ocean, the ice has formed into a rather unique shape, if you will.

LUKAS WALL: So, describe what you mean when you say unique?

JT: Well, unique as in, so it's facing out towards the ocean, and we were actually on a boat to be able to see it. So, we came around the other side and it was a very fun moment. Everyone on board looked at the iceberg, and we all looked at each other and then laughed in disbelief that the ice would have formed in this exact shape. But the iceberg looks exactly like a vulva. It is uncanny how anatomically correct it is.

LW: And so, when you saw that, what was your reaction?

JT: I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. I can't take credit for this. My boyfriend was the one who made the joke, but he made the joke that Dickeyburg came two years too early. I'm sure everyone listening, the Dickeyburg is a famous iceberg that was photographed in April 2023 by Ken Priddy.

LW: So, you took those pictures and a video as well, I believe, and you posted them on your Instagram.

JT: I did.

LW: What's the reaction been like since you shared those photos and video?

JT: It's been very positive. And I specifically said that in the caption for people to be respectful in that this is just ice that has happened to form in this way. And the way the clouds and the sun were that day, the shading really also accentuates the shape of it. But just, yeah, a lot of just people being like, oh, I love Newfoundland. This is so fun. A lot of people resharing it. I think I only posted a photo on my Instagram feed yesterday, and I think it's already had over, like, 3,000 shares on it. So, lots of people just having a good laugh and sharing, which we often see phallic shapes in, I think, everyday life, but it's fun to see some other shaped icebergs, which is fun as well. I will add, someone did reach out, I had a gynecologist in St. John's reach out and ask if they could use the photo in some of her upcoming talks. So, I think it's fun to think that this iceberg is going to be used in a way to educate about reproductive health on the island as well.

CH: Jill Taylor is a puffin researcher and scuba diver. She was speaking with the CBC's Lukas Wall.

The AIH Transcript for May 23, 2025

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