The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/20 at 08:00 EST

Episode Date: December 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/20 at 08:00 EST

Hi, Steve Patterson here, host of The Debaters, the show where we answer your most burning questions, like, do candles deserve more appreciation? Canada's best comedians wax on about it in this week's new episode, so listen, wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, The World This Hour. I'm Claude Fagg. This morning, there's lots of anger about the Epstein files. Despite a law demanding they be public by midnight last night, much remains with a... held or redacted. And there's talk of lawsuits to force their release. Steve Futterman has more. Yesterday's release was far from complete. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Trump

Justice Department is complying with the law. President Trump has certainly said from the beginning that he expects all files that can be released to be released, and that's exactly what we're doing. Among the released files are numerous pictures showing Epstein and many recognizable personalities. Prince Andrew, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross. But there is little explanation to put the pictures in context. And many pages are redacted, with huge sections blocked out. The Justice Department says this is primarily to protect the victims. One of those victims, Annie Farmer, who says she was abused by Epstein when she was 16, says she

expected more to be released. I don't feel tremendously confident. There's been a lot of effort and money and time. into redactions, not to protect victims, but to protect people in power. Steve Futterman, CBC News, Los Angeles. Canada's main point person in Washington will be heading back to Canada soon. After eight years at the embassy, Kirsten Hillman recently announced that she would wrap up her work in the new year.

In an in-depth interview with CBC Radio's The House, Hillman reflected on the challenges of the Trump era and what the future might hold. Host Catherine Cullen has more. I think about Canada-U.S. relationship every day, all day. Kirsten Hillman says leaving will be hard. Her eight years in Washington included the COVID pandemic, the first Trump administration, and negotiating the Kuzma Free Trade Deal. But this Trump administration has meant a host of new challenges for Canada.

The beginning of last year was tough. It was around this time last year that Donald Trump threatened Canada with across-the-board tariffs. Hillman points out Canada got an exemption on free trade-compliant goods, Kuzma has sheltered Canada from tariffs that have hit much of the rest of the world. I am not trying to diminish how hard it is for some, but it is, we have somehow been, in a world of disruption, been held to a slightly lesser disruption. Hillman says she will leave Washington with mixed emotions.

She's not sure exactly what's next, but she says she's happy to be coming back home. Catherine Cullen, CBC News, Ottawa. of that interview without going ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, and author David from on the lessons Canada can learn in the Trump era all this morning on the House right after the 9 o'clock edition of World Report. Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, says Canada must stop keeping all its eggs in the American basket. In a year-end interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton, the Prime Minister signaled a major shift towards markets in Asia and Europe, but admitted that renewing ties with China comes with strict conditions.

The question is how deep is the relationship and how clear are the guardrails around that relationship. And there are areas, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, defense, where clearly the security threats are such that we would not have a deep relationship with China in those areas. We would not have deep relationship with many countries in those areas. Carney identified India and European Union as other key targets for expansion. as Canada aims to double its non-U.S. exports over the next decade. A standoff in well in Ontario has reached 24 hours. It started yesterday morning with a bylaw dispute about a fence blocking traffic sight lines. Shots were fired. A police officer was hit, but she has been treated

and released from hospital. A hospital and school were put under lockdown. Nearby residents are being told to stay inside and away from their windows. This morning, police tweeted out the suspect remains inside a residence with negotiations ongoing. And that is your world this hour. For CBC News, I'm Claude Fagg.