The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/22 at 21:00 EST

Episode Date: January 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/22 at 21:00 EST

Every language is a note in the symphony of our heritage. Together, they create a harmony that cannot be silenced. Discover your voice on the new APTN Languages TV channel. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Neil Herland. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met virtually today

with provincial and territorial premiers to discuss the looming threat of U tariffs on Canadian goods. Tom Perry has more. As I said to the premiers, you can't bring a knife to a gunfight. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been a lead voice demanding a tough Canadian response to tariffs which he is convinced are coming from US President Donald Trump. We need to match those tariffs dollar for dollar. Trump has mused about imposing a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico by February 1st. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been urging Ottawa to focus on diplomacy over threats of retaliation.

She posted on social media today the discussion with her fellow leaders was, in her words, more positive. Smith has insisted there should be no export tax or restrictions placed on Alberta oil exports to the U.S. as a way of putting pressure on the Trump administration. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he agrees with Smith on that point, while also siding with Ottawa on the need for a united front. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa. Meantime, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie today.

A statement from the Americans gives few details, but it does say they discussed the Trump administration's new approaches to key issues around the globe. Every US federal employee who works in diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI is about to be fired. The Trump administration has placed them all on leave with plans to scrap the DEI departments completely. Paul Hunter reports. At a rally in Washington the day before he was sworn back in as U.S. President, Donald Trump made his promise yet again. But we're going to stop the destructive and divisive diversity, equity and inclusion

mandates. And among the many executive orders signed off on by President Trump soon after the inauguration. Our country is going to be based on merit again. One aimed at dismantling federal DEI practices which are aimed at promoting fair treatment for everyone in the workplace. All federal workers that oversee DEI practices have been put on administrative leave. It's reprehensible. Mark Morial is president of the National Urban League, a civil rights organization based in New York.

What this is about is saying we're no longer going to have protections in the government against discriminatory practices. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. Fire crews in Southern California are battling a new fast-moving wildfire tonight that broke out north of Los Angeles. The Hughes Fire has forced 31,000 people out of their homes. Anthony Maroney is the LA County Fire Chief.

The National Weather Service has extended the red flag warning. Light to moderate Santa Ana winds will continue tonight and into Thursday. The situation remains dynamic and the fire remains a difficult fire to contain although we are getting the upper hand. And finally Amazon is shutting down all of its warehouses in Quebec. More than 1,700 workers will be laid off. Nisha Patel reports. Over the next two months Amazon will close its seven locations in Quebec. That means more than 1700 employees will be out of work. Nadim Sabaheddin worked as a supervisor. What we're gonna do now it's in 2025 is now is hard to find one stable job. The move affects

the facility in Laval, Amazon's only unionized warehouse in the country. Workers there said they were dissatisfied with low wages and inadequate health and safety measures. Amazon says the decision is tied to cost savings and not issues with the union. The company will return to using small local businesses to deliver its packages in the province. Amazon opened its first facility in Quebec just five years ago. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your World This Hour. I'm Neil Hurland.