The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/20 at 16:00 EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/20 at 16:00 EST

1942, Europe. Soldiers find a boy surviving alone in the woods. They make him a member of Hitler's army. But what no one would know for decades, he was Jewish. Could a story so unbelievable be true? I'm Dan Goldberg. I'm from CBC's personally, Toy Soldier. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Tom Harrington. The United States is turning up the financial pressure on its NATO allies.

Donald Trump wants to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, but with the Europeans taking a bigger role afterward. His national security adviser Mike Waltz says all member nations must spend at least 2% of GDP by the next NATO summit in June. The minimum needs to be met. We need to be at 100% in this June at the NATO summit. And then let's talk about exceeding it, which is what President Trump has been talking about with 5% of GDP. Europe needs to step up for their own defense as a partner. Only a handful of NATO countries currently spend that

2% amount on defense. Canada has committed to doing so over the next few years. Heritage Minister Pascal St. Onge is proposing a new mandate for the CBC. It includes steady funding regardless of what party is in power. She says increasing funding is vital in an age of misinformation. I think we need to envision the investments that we're making in our public broadcaster as a national security issue. We know that our sovereignty is more than ever an issue that Canadians are preoccupied about. Protecting Canadian sovereignty implies investing in our means of communication

and in being able to resist a foreign influence. St. Onge says at $32 per person per year, spending on the public broadcaster is the second lowest of all the G7 countries. Only the United States spends less. However, there are no guarantees. The minister's plan will survive the next general election, which is expected as early as this spring. Dennis King is stepping down as Prince Edward Island Premier and leader of the Provincial Conservative Party. He says with more road behind him than in front of him, it's time to retire. King has led the province since 2019. A successor is expected to be named

by tomorrow. An Ontario NDP candidate has pulled out of the race after a controversial social media post resurfaced. The progressive conservatives are doing intense opposition research as they try to win next week's provincial election. Michelle Song reports. My secret is that I want to be a black woman. Ontario NDP candidate and sociology professor Amanda Zavitz chose to resign after controversy over comments in this resurfaced video. At a presentation last year for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Zavitz recalled an event she attended a decade ago. She was required to reveal a big secret.

She said she wanted to be a Black woman. I'm not really a minority. I want to lead or initiate the fifth wave of feminism. That's my dream. But it's difficult when you're called a Karen. Zavitz apologized and recognized her comments were harmful, but resigned because she doesn't want to distract from the Ontario NDP's chances. Throughout the campaign, the progressive conservatives have dug up social

media posts of several candidates from opposing parties. Posts that they deem offensive. Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto. We are just hours away from one of the most anticipated hockey games in years. Canada versus the United States in the final of the new four nations faceoff. Jamie Strachan has more on a cross-border battle that goes well beyond the ice. The tension around this game being fueled by the politics that surround it. The simmering war of words, most coming from US President Donald Trump, who won't be at the game but spoke to the American team this morning. Also in a tweet this morning he continued to push the idea of Canada as a 51st state and again referred to Justin

Trudeau as governor. All of this has fueled renewed patriotism in Canada. Many fans have made the trip to Boston. Well just the build-up with everything going on you know there's been a great series to watch, but also just everything in politics these days, it just seems like something you can't miss. Players like Sidney Crosby say this game is different. I think it's been something probably even more than maybe what people expected. We're a pretty hockey-proud country. The game is sold out, tickets on the secondary market going for more than $1,200. Canadian.

Jamie Strashan, CBC News, Boston. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening.