World Report - December 23: Tuesday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

The US Department of Justice has released thousands of new files on Jeffrey Epstein this morning.Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 3 people and cuts power. Military considers permanent bases in Latvia as part of Canada's NATO commitment. US President Donal Trump said he didn’t want Canadian cars — now one built in Windsor, Ont., is racking up big American awards. Proposed referendum question on separation from Canada approved by Elections Alberta. Canadian Guide Dogs For The Blind has graduated its first two autism service dogs.

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Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. This is a CBC podcast. This is World Report. Good morning. I'm Marcia Young. The U.S. Department of Justice released thousands of new files on Jeffrey Epstein this morning. The documents include more information about the convicted sex offender and mentions U.S. President Donald Trump. Many lawmakers say the Justice Department is violating its legal obligations and that much of what has been released in the Epstein documents is highly redacted.

Steve Futterman is following the news. And Steve, what are we learning so far from this latest document dump? Well, this is a massive document dump. 11,000 files, the largest so far. One particular email that's getting lots of attention right now is an email in 2020 from a U.S. attorney in New York talking about Donald Trump on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane. And the email says that Trump is on a passenger, listed as a passenger, on at least eight flights between 1993, 1996. That's a lot more than he has been at least talked about before.

Trump, of course, has tried to distance himself many, many times from Jeffrey Epstein. And on this passenger list, there are at least four times on the flight that he is on with Maxwell, Galeen Maxwell, on one flight. he and Epstein are the only two passengers listed, and there's another flight where the three passengers listed are Epstein, Trump, and what's described as a then-20-year-old. So, I mean, none of this is putting in context. Does it mean much? It just means that perhaps Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein may have been a bit closer than he's wanted to talk about before. It does not suggest that Trump has done anything wrong, but it does give us more of an idea of their relationship, at least in the early 1990s.

Where are we hearing from the Department of Justice? Well, they're saying that so far, more than 30,000 documents have been released, but they point out that some of the documents contain what the Justice Department calls untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump. By the end of the year, we expect a lot more documents to be released. Many of the victims, though, are concerned that the redacting process is not actually working perfectly. Some of the victims are quite concerned that their names are being mentioned for the first time. All right. Thank you so much, Steve. My pleasure.

Reporter Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. Air raid alerts are still in effect across much of Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia targeted his country overnight with dozens of missiles and more than 650 drones. In Kiev, police cordoned off. a damaged low-rise apartment, at least 13 different regions were attacked. Zelensky says the attacks targeted the energy sector and civilian infrastructure. At least three people have been killed. Zelensky says now is the time for world leaders to push the Kremlin toward peace

and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the killing. Canada's operational command is considering permanent military bases in Latvia. They could help sustain Canada's NATO deployment in the Baltic region. That mission has been extended. But the Army is short of soldiers, and as Marie Brewster tells us, military planners are trying to figure out how to keep the ranks full. We're looking at every option, very much understanding that we've got a limited number of troops. Lieutenant General Steve Bovan is in charge of Canada's military operations, at home and abroad. He says planners under his command have embarked on a study about how to keep the deployment in Latvia going until 2029.

looking at whether it wouldn't make sense to permanently base people forward. Beauvais underlines, however, no decision has been made. No recommendations have gone to the chief of the defense staff or the government on the notion of permanent basing. Right now, about 2,200 Canadian troops cycle through Latvia roughly every six months, a costly, time-consuming exercise that means there are very few soldiers left over for other missions. Steve Siedeman, a defense expert, says NATO nations. have been reluctant to embrace the concept because of an agreement signed with Russia

at the end of the Cold War that promised Western allies would not establish permanent bases in Eastern Europe. The invasion of Ukraine changed that. The NATO-Russia founding act had some language to that effect, but since the Russians have violated pretty much

every other clause of that agreement, we shouldn't be obligated by an agreement that they haven't respected. At least one other NATO ally, Germany, has already embraced the idea and plans to have troops permanently stationed in Lithuania by 2027. Murray Brewster, CBC News, Ottawa. It's been a tough year in Canada's automotive capital.

For months, the industry has been feeling the pain of U.S. tariffs, but as M.A Loop reports, a reimagined car built in Windsor, Ontario, is turning heads south of the border. The reborn Dodge Charger six-pack is assembled in Windsor, but is racking up awards in the U.S., despite President. Donald Trump's efforts to keep Canadian cars out. Dodge CEO Matt McAleer says the gas-powered car symbolizes the brand's future. This marks kind of the evolution of muscle cars as we know it. The 550 horsepower six-pack started rolling off the line in Windsor earlier this month.

Since then, it's won top-gears U.S. car of the year and the Detroit News' vehicle of the year. It embodies a broader shift back to gas as the electric market stagnates. Auto analyst Sam Fiorani says car companies had geared up for huge EV adoption. And while there is a market for EVs, a lot of buyers really want a gas engine because they understand it. For Canada's car capital, the Reborn Charger is also a glimmer of hope. Windsor's unemployment rate was among the highest in Canada for much of the year. Mike Stevenson is from Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant. Stalantis is putting these cars here in spite of the tariffs.

So that's a testament to the workforce. And to me, I'll take that good news while we can get it because it's been a tough year. The six-pack is now a finalist for North American Car of the Year. The winner will be revealed next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Emma Loop, CBC News, Windsor. The Alberta Prosperity Project is one step closer to getting a referendum on separatism. Its last proposed question was deemed unconstitutional. Since then, the Alberta government has changed the law.

And now, Elections Alberta has approved a new policy. petition from the group. It calls for a referendum asking Albertans if their province should become an independent state. Mitch Sylvester is the Alberta Prosperity Project CEO. I think this is going to be the biggest political decision anybody in Canada will ever make in their lifetime. I believe every Albertan will be much better at the end of this referendum vote if we vote to leave Canada. The Canada that I grew up with is no longer the Canada that I'm living in. And my fervent hope is to

have that back. His petition now has four months to collect nearly 178,000 signatures. Another petition calling for Alberta to remain part of Canada forever has already collected more than enough signatures and been certified. For years, families with children with autism have been speaking out about how difficult it can be to access services in Canada. Now a new program aims to help more families by using some four-legged friends. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind has graduated its first two autism service dogs.

The CBC's Natalia Goodwin met up with one of the families and their new helper. Four-year-old Nora Beale plays on the floor with her yellow Labrador Fred at her home in Pembroke, Ontario. But he's no ordinary companion. He's been trained by Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. He helps her sleep better and with emotional regulation by applying pressure. with his head, pause or full body to help her calm down, explains her mom, Lindsay. He responds and gives her something, like, he's so soft, so, like, she loves to pet him. He also has special training to prevent her from running off, which Nora is prone to do,

with a second leash attached to Nora's waist. It allows the family to do simple things, like shopping together. You know, we've been able to participate in community activities, And not only is that great for her, she has an older brother. And so it allows him to go out and participate in things because we're not so much worried about accommodating her needs in those environments. Nsendisi Bongoza, a trainer with Canadian guide dogs for the blind, says the program was built out of need. They've been receiving requests for years.

Over the time, through inquiries and people always asking us, asking us, and then we thought in 2025, why not give it a try? But all the work pays off when he sees the result with the families. It gives that fulfillment that you contribute in somebody's life. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind says it will continue to develop the program with placements planned for the upcoming year. Natalia Goodwin, CBC News, Ottawa. That is the latest national and international news from World Report.

news anytime cbcnews.ca.ca.com. I'm Marcia Young.