World Report - May 29 : Thursday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: May 29, 2025

<p>U.S. Court of International Trade rules many of Donald Trump's tariffs illegal. </p><p>Janyce McGregor explains what that US tariff ruling could mean for Canada. </p><p>Elon Musk leaves Trump administration after leading effort to slash U.S. government. </p><p>Manitoba declares province-wide state of emergency over wildfires. </p><p>Alberta battles wildfires amid extreme heat warning. </p><p>Fire in central Labrador burning one kilometre away from Churchill Falls. </p><p>Historical documents show health officials knew gold mines in N.W.T. were contaminating the city of Yellowknife in the 1940s and '50s.</p><p>Chinese paraglider ordered to stay grounded after updraft takes him 8,000 metres into the sky.</p>

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Good morning. I'm Angie Seth. A federal court has blocked one of the key components of US President Donald Trump's agenda sweeping tariffs on Canada and many other countries. It found Trump overstepped his authority. Chris Reyes is following this story for us. So Chris, tell us more about the decision. This was a decision from the US Court of International Trade based here in New York. It's a federal court, President Trump imposed these tariffs using the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, arguing that trade imbalances, among

other things, constituted a national emergency, while a three-judge panel has now disagreed with that, ruling that the President exceeded his authority on imposing these policies because regulating commerce is the job of Congress. This all came about after five small U.S. businesses sued the Trump administration over these tariffs. They were represented by the Liberty Justice Center. Jeffrey Schwab is one of their lawyers and he believes they will win this case even on appeal. I think the law is very clear and what the president asserts is extremely broad. Our oral argument for the case with the 12 states, very skeptical of that assertion of

power. Well, almost guaranteed this case will be appealed quickly and all the way to the Supreme Court. And Angie, we know the US is in trade negotiations now as a result of these tariffs. It's a real blow for those talks. This White House has always argued that the U.S. has been treated unfairly on trade and that has decimated American workers, communities, defense manufacturing, and in their mind, that's a national emergency.

All right. Thank you, Chris. Alright, thank you Chris. Thanks Angie. Chris Reyes reporting for us from New York. Well Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Canadian government welcomes this decision from the US court. Even so he says Canada still faces a profound trade threat from the Trump administration. It therefore remains the top priority of Canada's new government to establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States.

Carney says his government's priority is strengthening relationships with more reliable trading partners around the world. All right, for now, more on this tariff ruling and how it's going to affect Canada, let's go to CBC's Janice McGregor in our Parliamentary Bureau. So Janice, what do we know so far? Angie, what happens to the tariffs that Canadian exports have been facing? That's very unclear. That's part of the reason why the Canadian government isn't out with its official reaction

yet. This decision doesn't strike down all the tariffs that Canada's been facing. The tariffs on steel and aluminum and automotive exports were based on a different executive power than the one that this legal challenge interpreted. And those tariffs arguably are the ones that are more damaging to Canada's economy. But this, nevertheless, sparks a glimmer of hope for exporters, not only those impacted by those early tariffs based on border security. The same emergency powers were used to justify tariffs on small

packages under $800 that could previously ship into the US tariff-free. If those lift, that would be a huge boost to Canadian e-retailers to get their duty-free access to American consumers back. And of course, Canadian officials have argued that all these tariffs imposed so far are fundamental violations of the North American trade agreement and should never have been imposed in the first place. Janice McGregor in Ottawa, thank you. You're welcome. Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to Donald Trump. The billionaire was tasked to oversee the purging of government agencies and initiated

thousands of job layoffs. Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency or DOJ was intended to be temporary, but Musk was critical on social media of Trump's budget bill earlier this week. Well, across much of Canada, the most dangerous part of the summer is here. Wildfires, threatening communities, weather conditions raising the danger level, and thousands of people are worried about losing their homes. Manitoba is in a province-wide state of emergency and carrying out one of its biggest evacuation efforts in years. Josh Krabb has the latest on the situation.

Firefighters forced away from the flames. A wildfire has spread from Saskatchewan within two kilometres of the northern Manitoba city of Flynn Flawn. More than 5,000 people who live there were ordered to leave before midnight Thursday. Don Helady says it was surreal. As we're driving to get away from the fire, we're still seeing all sorts of fire action happening, helicopters in the air, water bombers. It's one of 22 active fires in Manitoba. A province-wide state of emergency has been declared to help with the evacuation of multiple communities and First Nations. All told, we're looking at about 17,000 people in northern communities that are being evacuated. Premier Wab Kinew says Prime Minister Mark Carney has offered federal support. Manitoba asked for help from the Canadian Armed Forces,

moving people from remote places where highway and airport access has been cut off. This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory. The province is working with officials in Winnipeg to make room for evacuees in community centres and recreational facilities. Manitoba, Kuwait, and Naui, Okomakonak Grand Chief Garrison Seti speaks for Northern First Nations. So this is a massive undertaking and I'm proud of the fact that the First Nations are not alone in this fight. With hot temperatures and no rain in the forecast, there is little relief in sight for crews on the front lines. Josh Crabb, CBC News, Winnipeg.

Meantime heat warnings are in effect for most of Alberta. Temperatures today are supposed to hover around 30 degrees Celsius, including in northern areas where fire crews are working to contain out-of-control flames. The fire threatening the community of Swan Hills is still not contained. And last night about 100 people who live in Chippewaun Lake, about 450 kilometers north of Edmonton, were also ordered to leave. Brendan Powell is the area's deputy Reef. The fire currently is about six kilometers from the road for the community of Chippewaun Lakes, which is the only access to the community. Based on

that we've decided to evacuate the community, and the fire is showing aggressive behavior at the moment. A cold front is supposed to blow in later today, but those winds can also pose a danger to fire crews. And in central Labrador, fire crews and water bombers are at work trying to keep another dangerous situation under control.

A fire is burning just east of Churchill Falls. For now, the wind is blowing in the right direction, away from the community. Federal health officials knew a pair of gold mines in the Northwest Territories were contaminating the city of Yellowknife back in the 1940s and 50s. It's all detailed in a historical document recently unearthed by a researcher. And one of those mines that was spewing arsenic into the air into the area rather was giant mine as Leni Lindbrich tells us it remains one of Canada's most contaminated sites. Mike Palmer has been studying arsenic pollution around Yellowknife for more

than a decade. He's lived in the city even longer. The narrative I had heard the pollution that was happening at Giant and these subsequent public health effects were really a surprise. But now he knows that wasn't the case. Palmer poured over hundreds of letters and water samples from Giant and Conn gold mines from 1949 to 1956. They show consistent spikes of arsenic in Yellowknife Bay every spring, 20 times higher than what's currently considered to be safe for drinking water. A letter from one federal health official to another says two men working nearby got

sick just weeks after Giant Mine started roasting ore. They were admitted to the hospital and was confirmed with arsenic poisoning by urine analysis. Conmine was able to bring its arsenic emissions down that same year, but Giant didn't meaningfully do so until years later. It spat out more than 2,000 tons of poisonous arsenic trioxide dust per year until 1955. It certainly is disturbing. Ernest Bettsina is a chief of the Yellow Knives Dene First Nation. Losing some of our children, losing some of our dogs, that devastation that come with it, it does

confirm that my people are telling the truth. The Elinives Dene First Nation has been pushing the federal government for an apology and compensation. The federal government appointed a B.C. lawyer and politician to assess the mine's impact on indigenous communities. He's expected to deliver a report next year. Palmer hopes his study and the documents it sheds light on can be used as evidence in that process.

Lene Lambrenk, CBC News, Yellowknife. A Chinese paraglider is being ordered to keep his feet firmly on the ground for the next six months and that might be a relief given the ordeal he's been through. Peng Yuzhong was testing out some paragliding equipment. He'd just bought secondhand, but he accidentally caught an updraft and ended up 8,000 meters in the air. This video from his mounted camera went viral. It shows him above the clouds, covered in icicles, and struggling to control his equipment. It was about an hour before Pong could return safely to the ground. And that's the latest national and international news from World Report. For news anytime, go to cbcnews.ca.

I'm Angie Seth. This is CBC News.