The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/21 at 02:00 EST

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/21 at 02:00 EST

There is no shortage of scam artists and true crime. But I'm guessing you've never heard of one quite like Caitlin Braun. For over two years, Caitlin Braun conned more than 50 birth workers into thinking that she was pregnant. I'm Kathleen Goldtar, and this week on Crime Story, I sit down with Sarah Trelevin, the host of the con, Caitlin's baby. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour.

I'm Neil Herland. U.S. President Donald Trump says a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods is still possible and could come into effect by February 1st. Trump did not impose those tariffs on Canada on his first day in the White House, but tonight he put the threat back on the table. Tom Perry reports. Donald Trump was back in the Oval Office signing a raft of executive orders when a reporter tossed a question the president's way on tariffs.

We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada. Up to that point Trump had not specifically mentioned his pledge to slap tariffs on Canada, something he once vowed to do on his first day back in the White House. Federal cabinet ministers meeting in Quebec tried to roll with Trump's impromptu rekindling of his threat. None of this should be surprising. The one thing we've learned is that President Trump at moments can be unpredictable. Finance Minister Dominique LeBlanc scrambled to respond to Trump's comment on tariffs.

The government is still trying to show the administration they'll hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border, but if the U.S. still goes ahead, he says, Canada will retaliate. Tom Perry, CBC News, Montbello, Quebec. U.S. President Donald Trump also issued pardons for the 1,600 rioters who were convicted or arrested in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and he signed a long list of executive orders declaring a national emergency at the southern border with Mexico, trying to end birthright citizenship, and starting the process to pull the U.S.

out of the World Health Organization. Trump is also pulling his country out of the Paris climate agreement for the second time. The United States has flip-flopped on the issue based on who is in the White House. But as Susan Armiston reports, Trump's position is clear. The next item here is the withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty.

Trump signed the order at a sports arena in Washington. The U.S. will no longer partner with nearly every other country in an international pact to limit global warming and curb harmful carbon emissions. Environment Minister Stephen Gilbo says Trump's timing is tragic. And it is quite ironic as California is going through one of the worst forest fire season in its history. And on the heels of the hottest year on record.

Denying a climate crisis, Trump says there's an energy emergency promising a huge lift in oil and gas production and exports, an end to electric vehicle mandates and other green incentives. Climate groups are prepared for the fight back, says Elizabeth Lean with All in America. States have actually a tremendous amount of power to make sure that they remain focused on those climate goals. Trump's team appears determined to unravel the U.S.'s climate agenda. Susan Ormiston, CBC News, Toronto. And finally, an aerospace startup is eyeing Newfoundland's south coast for a spaceport. Ontario-based NorthSpace says it's the ideal location to launch rockets and satellites into space.

Heather Gillis has more. I won't say out of space but it came from out of the blue. Municipalities get applications to build homes and businesses all the time. But one for a spaceport outside St. Lawrence, a town of 1,200 people on Newfoundland's south coast, came as a surprise. Mayor Kevin Pittman has questions. What's the purpose? Why Newfoundland? NordSpace wants to launch rockets with tiny satellites from the outskirts of town, satellites

to be used for observing Earth and communication. At 16 metres, the rockets are nearly eight times smaller than SpaceX ones. Rahul Goyal is the CEO. They're not designed to go tremendously far. About a thousand kilometres above Earth at most in low Earth orbit. If they can get off the ground, NordSpace claims it would be the first commercial spaceport in Canada. But we've never, ever actually launched anything to space from Canadian soil. If approved, the company expects to start commercial launches in two to three years' time.

Heather Ullis, CBC News, St. John's. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neal Hurland.