The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/22 at 05:00 EST

Episode Date: January 22, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/22 at 05:00 EST

Hi, I'm Matea Roach, and I like to think that I know a little bit about a lot of different things. But you know what's one thing I can never get enough of? Books. If you're anything like me, after you finish reading a great book, you probably have some burning questions for the author, you want to talk to all your friends about it. Every week, I talk to the biggest, brightest, and most interesting authors from Canada and around the world. You can find bookends wherever you get your podcasts.

From CBC News, the world this hour, I'm Neil Herland. The Premier of British Columbia says people in his province should rethink travel to the U.S. in light of Donald Trump's warning to Canada. David Eby calls the threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods a deliberate economic attack on families in his province. Mira Bains reports. B.C. Premier David Eby says people should use their purchasing power to stand up for Canada. And we will not spend money in a country that wants to do economic harm to Canadians. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Monday that 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods could take effect as soon as February 1st.

Eby told British Columbians to carefully consider where they're taking their vacations and what country they're buying products from. Our decision not to purchase American alcohol would definitely send a message. It is one of the things that could be on the table to respond to these tariffs. They are completely unjustified.

Other ways B.C. could retaliate, EB says, is charging U.S. trucks to drive through Canada to get to Alaska or banning American companies from bidding on BC infrastructure projects. Carleton University professor of public policy Ian Lee says Canada should be open to a deal. We will get squashed in any trade war because they are vastly more powerful. Mira Bains, CBC News, Vancouver. Less than 48 hours since he took office, U.S. President Donald Trump is taking the first steps on many of the actions he promised during the campaign.

The most anticipated, mass deportations of immigrants who are in the states illegally. Steve Futterman reports. Even before Donald Trump was sworn in, his aides said mass deportations would begin quickly. Chicago's Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson is critical of Trump. I think what the president is attempting to do is create hyperbolic fear and tension in this country, and that's not what we need right now.

The January 6th defendants continue one by one to leave prisons after being granted pardons and clemency, another campaign promise. One of the most high profile of those released, the And last night the administration announced the first steps to get rid of thousands of workers who are part of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, DEI. Trump has ordered those who work in such programs to be placed on paid leave and eventually laid off. Steve Futterman for CBC News, Los Angeles. Canadian medical professionals are calling on the federal government to step up its support for the World Health Organization.

After President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the U.S. out of the organization, they say defunding the WHO is a threat to public health. It's been two years since the federal government boldly declared it would start seizing the assets of sanctioned Russians and handing the money over to Ukraine. But it hasn't happened. Zak Dubinsky has more. His 26 million dollar American accounts will be used to compensate victims. In December 2022, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolie saying the government would become the first in the G7 to seize money from a sanctioned Russian and hand it over to Ukraine. Jolie's first target?

Russian Roman Abramovich, an oligarch and close ally of President Vladimir Putin. But two years later, there's been no progress. The millions of dollars still sits frozen in an account far from Kiev. Same story for a giant Russian-owned cargo plane sitting at Toronto's main airport. Trade lawyer John Buscarriol points out that Canada has an investment treaty with Russia that competes with its new asset seizure powers. You cannot expropriate property of a Russian investor unless you compensate them for it. Canada has committed billions to Ukraine, but says it's not obliged to get this seizure done on any timeline.

Zach Dubinsky, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Neil Herland.