The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/21 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/21 at 06:00 EST

You probably don't follow Canadian politics like it's your job, but I do because it's mine. And I love it. And I want to help you filter out the noise. Mr. Speaker, there is an obligation. I'm Catherine Cullen, host of the House. And every Saturday, we take a deep breath and make politics make sense. We bring you in-depth analysis, documentaries, and smart chats with people from across the political spectrum. Because democracy is a conversation. And we're here for it. From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. Donald Trump begins the first

full day of his second term as US President, having already signed close to 200 executive orders. But so far, he's yet to sign off on tariff action against Canada. But from the Oval Office last night, he did suggest those tariffs could still be on the way possibly as early as February 1st. 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 US still goes ahead he says Canada will retaliate. Tom Perry, CBC News, Montbello, Quebec. Amid Trump's many executive orders last night is a blanket pardon for all those charged with crimes in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump has pardoned, commuted, or vowed to dismiss the cases of more than 1,500 people charged or convicted in the riots. It paves the way for the release of those found guilty of violent attacks against police, as well as the leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republicans in power after the 2020 election. Another official act yesterday saw Trump pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord.

It's something he did back when he was first elected in 2016, at the time calling climate change a hoax. Susan Ormiston has more. 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. Coalitions are strong. Climate groups are prepared for the fight back, says Elizabeth Lean with All in America. Trump's team appears determined to unravel the U.S.'s climate agenda. Susan Ormiston, CBC News, Toronto. In other news, Ontario-based NordSpace is looking at the south coast of Newfoundland as a potential location to launch rockets and research satellites.

Heather Gillis explains. 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 meters, 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 kilometers 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. 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 the World This Hour.

For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.