The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/12/22 at 17:00 EST

Episode Date: December 22, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/12/22 at 17:00 EST

Okay, so there's this new play about the Rogers family and their battle for control over the gigantic telecom empire, and I cannot stop thinking about it. I'm Alameen Abdul-Mahmoud. I host a pop culture show called Commotion. This week, we're talking about Rogers v. Rogers, and on the show, we'll get into what this corporate story actually tells us about our national mythology and why Canadian theater audiences are craving more and more homegrown stories. Find and follow Commotion on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, the world this hour, I'm Martina Fitzgerald. New numbers from Health Canada suggest the country is weathering a wave of flu cases not seen in years. And as Lisa Jing reports, along with that, the number of people in hospital is also on the rise. This year is an H3 and 2 season. Infectious disease specialist, Isaac Boghash, on why the country is experiencing the highest flu positivity rate in the last three seasons.

says the rise in cases is because the H3N2 strain of influenza A known for more severe infections is circulating the most. The component that protects us against H3N2 is not as good as we'd like it to be. And that's because the virus changes with time. According to Health Canada, the country saw 27.7% of tests come back positive for the second week of December. Flu hospitalizations are increasing too. Even if the vaccine isn't as robust as health professionals want, to be, it's still important to get the shot to protect yourself and others, says pharmacist

Deanna Kang. The vaccine is there to help reduce risk of getting the infection, but it is also there to help reduce severity. Experts say cases will peak around Christmas. Lisa Xing, CBC News, Toronto. Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing Mark Wiseman, Canada's ambassador to the United States. Wiseman is a former pension fund manager and global investment banker. He's also a longtime friend of Karnies and was among the first to contribute to his leadership bid. The Prime Minister's office says Wiseman will assume his role mid-February and will lead negotiations with the U.S. on the review of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The federal government is making a new offer to reform the on-reserve child welfare system.

I'm proud to present a new path forward for First Nations and the Canadian Huberan Rights Tribunal. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Golmasty made the announcement in Ottawa. She says the previous plan drew criticism for its lack of flexibility. And now the idea is to strike regional agreements so that First Nations can tailor the delivery and funding of services to their distinct realities. The plan will come with a $35 billion price tag, which is considerably less than what was offered by the Trudeau government.

But Golmasti points out there will be a top-up. After the initial financing runs out in 2034, Ottawa is committing more than $4 billion in annual funding. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal workers have reached tentative agreements for mail carriers in both urban and rural areas. The five-year collective agreements include wage increases, enhanced benefits, and a new model to support weekend parcel delivery. KAPW members will vote on the deals early in the new year.

Both parties have agreed not to engage in any strike or lockout activity during that process. If the agreements are finalized, it would end more than two years of labor strife between Canada Post and its largest union, representing about 55,000 workers. With three days left until Christmas, Canadians are scrambling to buy gifts. But as Nisha Patel reports for many, the holiday budget is a little tighter this year. Telescope, dinosaurs, trying to get little knickknacks, those things that will inspire. Jason Bogle just finished his Christmas shopping at the Eaton, Center in downtown Toronto. Things are tighter. Everyone is feeling it.

I'm not spending as much as last year, but I think that the gifts are more meaningful. From presents to decorations, parties to special meals spending during the holiday season can add up. One in five Canadians surveyed by Angus Reid said they're feeling high financial pressure. Angus Reed Research Associate John Rowe says there's a lot of anxiety about the economy. They're worried about maybe they're going to lose their job. They're looking at the cost of groceries, and they're saying, yeah, it's very difficult for me to put food on the table, to feed my family. That concern may persist as nearly three and five Canadian surveyed named the cost of living as their top issue heading into 2026.

Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. And that is your world this hour. For news anytime, just go to cBCNews.ca. For CBC News, I'm Martino Fitzgerald. Thank you.