The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/01/23 at 10:00 EST

Episode Date: January 23, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/01/23 at 10:00 EST

I'm Jonathan Goldstein, host of Wiretap. You're invited to listen in on my telephone conversations, whether funny, sad, wistful, or even slightly strange. You never know just what you might hear on Wiretap. I mean, I knew you had on a show. I just didn't think that people actually listened to it. That's the breadth of your genius, Jonathan. It's not just that you're funny, but you can be cripplingly, pointedly depressing. The Wiretap Archives, wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, it's the world this hour.

I'm Joe Cummings. The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a challenge to Quebec's controversial secularism law. Last year, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld Bill 21. It prohibits public sector workers such as teachers and police officers from wearing religious symbols while on the job. The National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and the English Montreal School Board are heading up the high court appeal.

Any would-be candidates looking to enter the liberal leadership race have until 5 p.m. eastern time today to officially join the campaign. That means putting down a $50,000 deposit to go along with 300 signatures of support. But from there, the next step is to start landing high profile endorsements. Janice McGregor reports. It's not just the names you line up, it's whether these higher profile Liberals also bring with them a team that helps you win. Radio-Canada is reporting that this weekend, François-Philippe Champagne is going to throw his formidable and formidable networking skills behind Mark Carney. That, on top of Melanie Jolie's earlier support, is huge, especially in Quebec, where liberals have to hold their ground.

If you look at some of the other junior cabinet ministers and MPs in the camp, they are some of the best fundraisers and organizers, particularly in the greater Toronto area and BC's lower mainland. That too is fundamental. But remember, because of this party's national point system, where writings are weighted

equally, whether they are currently held by liberals or not, it's just as important for candidates to sign up supporters in places like Western Canada. And these endorsement lists don't really tell us how that ground game might be going. Janice McGregor, CBC News, Ottawa. Emergency crews in L.A. County are dealing with yet another fast-moving wildfire. This one is 70 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. Out here it's more sparsely populated.

However, out here we are dealing with high winds, along with a thick fuel bed and steep topography. And as local fire official Matthew Van Hagen, evacuation orders have been issued for more than 50,000 people living in the immediate area, but the fire is changing direction and some of those orders are being rescinded. At the same time, another new fire is now burning near the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood.

Meanwhile, it's been six months now since wildfires ravaged the town of Jasper, Alberta. And for those who lost their homes, the wait for temporary housing continues. Julia Wong has more. This further state of Limbo is actually awful. Loni Kledell stands in an empty lot in the town of Jasper. After losing her home in the wildfire, she's been in a hotel for six months, and temporary housing promised by the Alberta government has not arrived yet.

The Alberta government offered roughly 100 million dollars to build permanent single detached houses but there's only room for 60 of those units on the parcels of land set aside by Parks Canada. The town says it needs high density housing for more than 600 households. Alberta's community seniors and social services minister Jason Nixon says the province isn't budging from its single-family home position. If we don't have a project that meets those requirements then this money can't be spent. Parks Canada is working to get interim high-density housing but without the province's contribution there won't be enough for everyone who needs it.

Director of Recovery for the municipality of Jasper Michael Fark. Now that we understand that the province is not going to be bringing any interim housing, we need to find other solutions. Julia Wong, CBC News, Jasper, Alberta. This year's Oscar nominations have been released and a Canadian is in the running in the best picture category. Dune, Part 2, Mary Parent, Cale Boyder, Tanya LaPointe, and Denis Villeneuve, producers. Quebec's Denis Villeneuve is a producer and the director of Dune Part II, which has five nominations in total.

Overall, Amelia Perez leads the field with 13. Wicked and The Brutalist are next with 10. All this year's nominees are on our website this morning, with Oscar night set for March 2nd. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.