The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/20 at 15:00 EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/20 at 15:00 EDT

The first time Michael Jackson was publicly accused of molesting a child was in 1993. It happened again 10 years later, but he was never held responsible. And it seemed like Jackson's legacy would remain mostly untarnished until a documentary called Leaving Neverland exposed horrifying behind-the-scenes details. I'm Kathleen Goltar and this week on Crime Story, I speak with the documentary's director, Dan Reed. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour.

I'm Mike Miles. CBC News has confirmed Prime Minister Mark Carney will call a federal election Sunday. No specific date has been mentioned, but it can come as early as April 28th. NDP leader Jatmeet Singh was asked about the timing. This is a decision of the Liberals. I've said very clearly that we are up against one of the most serious threats that we've seen in a generation when it comes to the economy. And I propose that we should put in place protections for workers first.

But it's clear that Mark Carney wants to go first in an election, and so that's what's going to happen. But we're ready for an election. The CBC poll tracker suggests the liberals and conservatives running neck and neck at 37 percent, with NDP support falling to 11 percent. Conservative leader Pierre Poliev is defending his decision to break with tradition and not allow reporters to travel with his campaign. Historically, media outlets have paid the parties for seats on the planes and buses

in order to cover the campaigns, but Polyev says there will still be media coverage. We will have open media across the country. Local media will have the ability to ask questions. It will be refreshing to hear from local outlets. Meantime, a new study is mapping the disappearance of local news. Just about all news outlets have been facing economic difficulties in recent years, but none more so than local media. And the study warns that has grave implications for democracy. Jamie Strashan reports.

For many Canadians, accessing local coverage of their communities is becoming increasingly difficult. We are on a fairly steep downward spiral, particularly on the print front, but also on private broadcasting. According to a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canada's local news landscape is continuing to shrink. One of the report's authors, David McDonald, says communities are losing about 20 local print or online outlets every year on the broadcast side. 2024 saw more private broadcasters abandoned local news than ever

before. This isn't only a small town, you know, rural issue. This is a big city issue where we just don't have the level of scrutiny of public affairs in order to make good democratic decisions. McDonald says without local news outlets, many are relying on social media. Often he says a source of misinformation. Jamie Strash in CBC News, Toronto. China is hitting Canada with a new round of tariffs.

25% on pork and seafood, along with 100% on canola, a key export for farmers in Western Canada and it's happening at a crucial time of year for farmers. Cameron McIntosh has more. We average about a thousand acres of canola. Jason Johnson farms less than two kilometres from the US border near Darlingford, Manitoba. Preparing to seed, he's watching as prices drop about two dollars a bushel. So on my farm that would mean about an 80,000 dollar loss. The drop comes as China imposes 100% tariffs on Canadian canola.

Retaliation after Canada put tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. A move made in lockstep with the US to prevent China from taking over the North American EV market. No one wants the Chinese electric vehicles anyway. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith accuses China of unfairly targeting Canadian farmers. I think it is a divide and conquer strategy. The federal government calls China's tariffs unjustified but has not announced any plans to help canola farmers. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Winnipeg.

For the first time in its history, the International Olympic Committee has elected a woman as president. Zimbabwe's Kirstie Coventry also becomes the first African to lead the organization. This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl, I never thought that I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement. Vows. Coventry accepted the presidency at the IOC meeting in Olympia, Greece. She takes over from Thomas Bach,

who leaves office after the maximum 12-year term. The 41-year-old former swimmer is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and she's currently Zimbabwe's minister of youth and sport. That is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Mike Miles.