Your World Tonight - Affordability battles, CBC News in Iraq, Italy’s Olympic challenge, and more

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

As Canadians struggle to put food on their tables, MPs in Ottawa are fighting over who has the best plan to bring down the price of groceries. The Conservatives say the country can’t afford Prime Minister Mark Carney’s GST rebate, but are voting for it anyway. New data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer suggests the rebate may save money for everyday Canadians but cost the government billions.Also: CBC News is in Iraq, near the border with Iran, as tensions between the Iranian regime and the Trump Administration intensify, while talks are scheduled for Friday.And: Travel advisory. The big test facing organizers and athletes as the Milano Cortina Winter Games gets set to host one of the most geographically challenging Olympics in history.Plus: Canada’s changing auto sector, Epstein files fallout, mental health worries for Ontario youth, and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. We want to see this debated in the House today, go to committee as early as tomorrow, and see it back in the House on Wednesday. If you work here, you know that that's lightning speed. There may be no quick fix to Canada's affordability crisis, but MPs in Ottawa will try to fast-track some relief. Unanimous support for a conservative motion

calling for quick approval of the government's grocery benefit. Welcome to you. Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Monday, February 2nd just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. There's just this general long-term move away from Canada from U.S.-based automakers. Dramatic threats and declining production. As Canada's auto sector copes with the sudden shock of Trump and tariffs, a new report shows output over the past decade is down by more than a million vehicles. They say it isn't perfect, but opposition MPs will try to get the government's new affordability legislation passed as soon as possible. It includes a federal GST rebate, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week.

While opposition parties promised support, they are still offering ideas of their own to bring the cost of living down. Tom Perry has more. Food prices are out of control and they're not going down. On one hand, conservative deputy leader Melissa Lansman says the government plan to offset the rising cost of groceries doesn't go far enough. The top up will equal about $10 when you go to the grocery store and you're spending $300 a week to feed your families. On the other hand, Lansman says, the proposals, which the parliamentary budget officer says,

will cost more than $12 billion over five years go too far. We had a federal budget less than four weeks ago. The ink is not even dry on that federal budget, and this is another $12 billion of unaccounted. spending. But for all their issues with the government's plan, conservatives are offering to fast-track Bill C-19, the legislation underlying it. A motion passed unanimously in the commons today that will see finance minister Francois Philippe Champagne appear at committee this week and the bill quickly passed third reading. At the same time, conservatives are proposing other ideas, which they say will bring down grocery prices, ideas they've put forward before, like axing the industrial price on car,

and gutting federal fuel standards. We know that affordability is a priority for Canadians, and it is a priority for our government. The finance minister stood in the House of Commons today defending his affordability measures with questions coming from all sides. New Democrat MP Gore-John says his party backs helping Canadians with the cost of living, but he wants the government to do more to fight what he calls corporate greed by Canada's grocery chains. Mr. Speaker, all they need to do is.

charge and excess profit tax on these big grocery stores. The main plank in the government's affordability plan involves boosting the federal GST rebate for low and modest income Canadians by 25% for the next five years. Ottawa says this will help more than 12 million people. The government is also offering food suppliers half a billion dollars to boost productivity and putting forward other measures which it says will help Canadians feed themselves. I certainly hope that my colleagues understand. Canadian families send us here to do one thing is to support them in time of needs.

This is in line with Canadian values. Francois Philippe Champagne says he hopes the opposition will make good on the motion passed in the House today and quickly pass the government's legislation. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa. Canada's auto sector is awaiting a key strategy from the federal government. It will be Ottawa's response plan to damaging U.S. tariffs. At the same time, a new report is revealing the sector was sputtering long before Donald Trump's second term. Peter Armstrong has more.

Canada's auto sector is more than just the cars we drive. It's an enormous industry, direct and indirect employments as high as 500,000 people. The automotive sector contributes some $14 billion to Canadian GDP. But if you zoom out, you can't help but notice the industry has been in a long, slow decline for decades. There's just a general long-term move away from Canada from U.S.-based automakers. That's Brendan Sweeney from the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing in Ontario. He released a report today looking into the state of the Canadian automotive sector. Sweeney says Canada made 2.3 million vehicles back in 2016, but by last year, that number had dwindled to 1.2 million. The majority of that

decline, he says, comes via American companies like GM, Ford, and Stalantis, cutting back on their production in Canada. We treated Ford and General Motors and Chrysler almost like they were Canadian companies for, you know, for 100 years. They were never Canadian companies. Meantime, he says Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota, have been investing and growing their manufacturing footprint. But some say the report doesn't give enough context.

Well, it's an incomplete picture. Brian Kingston, CEO of the Canadian vehicles manufacturing. Association says the big U.S. automakers have invested heavily in research and development, as well as parts and battery production. The footprint of Ford General Motors and Stalantis remains larger than other manufacturers in this country, and they do more than simply assemble vehicles. The timing is a key factor here. The federal government is working on a new automotive strategy aimed at providing better market access to companies that build in Canada. Sweeney says that strategy needs to be focused.

on the modern realities of the auto industry. So companies that grown their footprint in Canada over the past 10 years, that appear to be continuing to grow their footprint, let's focus on those companies. They've shown their commitment to Canada. Let's show some commitment back to them. Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, says the U.S. auto giants are in the midst of several big changes

that have kept Canadian production offline to the tune. of about 500,000 units a year. But he says the automotive strategy is an opportunity to focus the conversation. Talk is cheap when the president of the United States is using a stick. So let's find at least a carrot here and put it into the mix. That auto strategy is said to be in the works and set to be released sometime this month. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Toronto. Bill Blair is stepping down as a Toronto MP.

The former cabinet minister has been named Canada's next high commission. to the UK. That appointment starts this spring. Blair was first elected in 2015 and held a number of portfolios in the Trudeau government, including defense and public safety. His resignation leaves the liberal government three votes shy of a majority. A by-election date will be announced in the coming weeks. Coming right up with Iran and the United States inching closer to confrontation, there could be a small sign of movement in the other direction and new details. in the Jeffrey Epstein files reveal more close ties between the sex offender and the British royal family. Later, we'll have this story. There's snow and the hockey rink is ready for players.

Two worries ahead of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. But there's another one. Distance. Eight venues are spread out over 22,000 square kilometers. It has added additional complexities. I'm Sarah Levitt in the northern Italian town of Lavinio. Coming up on your world tonight, the logistical gymnastics of putting together a scattered winter Olympics. On the surface, it could be seen as potential progress, a last-ditch effort to avoid a military conflict between the United States and Iran. Talks are scheduled for Friday in Turkey. But despite the diplomatic overtures, both countries are preparing for a confrontation,

and the entire region is bracing for impact. Senior international correspondent Margaret Evans, as more from Urbiel, Iraq. At his weekly press conference, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that Tehran is engaged in talks about talks with the United States over Iran's nuclear program.

Various points have been exchanged, said Ismail Bakai. At this stage, we're reviewing and deciding on the details of any diplomatic process. Even the admission is a significant development in these tense times, especially given the rhetoric U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hamenei have been tossing back and forth. Yesterday, in front of a crowd, chanting death to those against Hamenei,

the Ayatollah said Iran won't be intimidated. Americans should know. he said that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war. Iran is warning that in the event of a U.S. attack, it will throw what's left in its arsenal at U.S. allies and assets, widely believed by analysts Sumin, Israel, and U.S. military bases across the Middle East, including a small contingent just outside Erbil, here in northern Iraq. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq are also threatening U.S. assets. if there's an attack, and fears across the region of a potential escalation are real.

The talks, if they go ahead, are expected to be hosted by Turkey, with participation from countries including Qatar and Egypt. Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi would reportedly represent Iran, with Steve Whitkoff taking part for the Trump administration. Trump's envoy also expected in Israel this week. According to Israeli media, the head of Israel, Israeli military intelligence recently visited Washington with a focus on potential targets in Iran. At his briefing today, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran expects a lifting of U.S.-led sanctions against the country in exchange for confidence building and what he called pretexts over concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

All this, while Donald Trump continues to increase the military press, pressure, building on what he calls his armada of warships in the region by sending more fighter jets and refueling planes to bases nearby. Margaret Evans, CBC News, Airbeel. Not one, but two royal families are mentioned in the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files made public. More than three million pages were published on Friday. Crystal Gamansing has new details from London. She was one of the most visible members of the royal family for a very long time. Royal historian Alexander Larmine says Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York,

has again embarrassed the royal family. Details have surfaced of communications she had with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction related for prostituting minors. You can see that she had absolutely no filter when it came to talking about her own members of her family. I mean, she describes, for instance, her daughter. of Princess Eugenie going off with a boyfriend on, I quote, a shacking weekend. There was an invitation for tea in a royal residence and an inquiry about how to raise thousands of pounds for a rent payment. Emails believed to have been written by Ferguson that were included in the latest release by the U.S. Justice Department.

She was seen as harmless. And in fact, I think through, again, ignorance rather than malice, she's been proved to be anything but harmless. While no wrongdoing has been indicated, the same can't be said for her ex-husband and former prince known only now as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. King Charles's younger brother labeled the creepy crawler by a British tabloid as new images surfaced in the latest cache of documents. There's no context for the picture of him hovering over a female. But lawyers for Epstein's victims tell BBC news, there are new allegations involved. involving the disgraced royal. CBC News has not been able to independently verify those claims.

They have not been proven in court, and the former prince has always denied any misconduct. Palace officials haven't said anything about the latest revelations having previously cut ties with Andrew in October. The British royal family is not the only one caught up in the latest round of Epstein files. Norwegian royalty have also been implicated. and some in Oslo are trying to make sense of it. So I think they were just lying to the public. I find it really, really disturbing, actually. Norwegian crown princess met up Morrette's name

appeared nearly 1,000 times in the latest documents. In a statement, she admitted to poor judgments. Norway's prime minister says he too thinks it was poor judgment and is calling for an explanation. The call comes ahead. of another serious royal scandal. The princess's son, Marius Borg-Huybe, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of assault and is set to go on trial in Oslo tomorrow on 38 separate charges, including the rape of four women. He's denied the most serious charges. Christolga Mancing, CBC News,

London. The U.S. has struck a trade deal with India. President Trump says the agreement will see India drop tariffs on American goods and pledged to stop buying Russian oil. In return, the U.S. will cut its levies on Indian imports from 50 to 18%. Trump says India also committed to getting oil from the U.S. and Venezuela. Full details of the pact are not public. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the announcement, Wonderful in an online post. It has faced boycotts and cancellations.

Now one of the most important cultural institutions in the United States is being shut down for two years. The Kennedy Center will close this summer. Donald Trump says it's for much-needed upgrades, but critics say it has more to do with the president's controversial changes. Katie Nicholson has the latest. The Kennedy Center is among the most striking buildings along the Potomac, but U.S. President Donald Trump, still a real estate developer at heart, has plans for it. It's in very bad shape. It's run down.

It's dilapidated. It's sort of dangerous. Things fall out. Fall out of ceilings. Trump says the Performing Arts Center would close down on Independence Day for two years, pending, of course, the approval of the board, of which he is the chair. I'm not ripping it down. I'll be using the steel.

So we're using the structure. We're using some of the marble and some of the marble comes down. But when it's open, it'll be brand new and really beautiful. A decision. that comes after a slew of artists and organizations like the Washington National Opera pulled out of performances and contracts, leaving an almost empty schedule for its three main theaters. Now, this man has destroyed the place.

He has run it into the ground financially. He's made it a place where performers don't want to perform, and individuals don't want to attend performances. Representative Shelley Pingree from Maine, one of the first in Congress to react, posting this video on Instagram. I don't trust him for a man. minute. He's given us no financial information as members of Congress about what they're planning to do there. And I fully believe that he's just giving us a line of bullshit, that he will actually

plan to tear it down, turn it into the Trump Center. The center did undergo $250 million worth of renovations six years ago, and it did not respond to CBC News's request for clarity on what the new renovations would entail. It certainly seems retaliatory in the sense that, you know, because a lot of artists have pulled out of it, maybe not all of them at this point, that the president is upset about that and wants to kind of punish the sphere as a whole. Jonathan Friedman is the managing director of free expression programs for the non-profit Penn America. This proposed closure comes after the administration spent the last year, also trying to make the center's shows less woke.

This is a gross violation of norms around how politicians have historically engaged in arts and culture, and it's very dangerous. This is not the only D.C. landmark the President has sought to remake. He's proposed an arch that will tower over other monuments on the mall and demolished the east wing of the White House to make way for an ever-growing ballroom project. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Washington. New research in Ontario suggests more young people are being diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. The details were published today.

while researchers don't have a clear idea why, some experts believe cannabis may be playing a role. Jennifer Lagrasa reports. My memory of the time is very hazy. A few years ago, when Sean Heron was in his early 20s, he started hearing voices. The prominent thing that they would say a lot to me was just like to end my own life. After getting help, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. New research in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, shows Heron is part of a growing number of young people in Ontario with a psychotic disorder.

I think it raises a number of concerns. Dr. Daniel Myron is the lead author of the study. It looked at health data from more than 12 million people born between 1960 and 2009 in Ontario. It found the rate of psychotic disorders increased by 60 percent among 14 to 20-year-olds between 1997 and 2023. We see that people born in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s actually see more psychotic disorders and at younger ages than people born in the 60s and 70s. The study doesn't explore what's behind this trend, but Myron has some theories. I actually don't think that changes in stigma and discussions about mental health are a major factor here.

Instead, he points to other factors, like increasing cannabis use. This is something that has. has been feared quite strongly by many of us who study cannabis. Dr. Romina Mizrahi in Montreal studies the impact on young people. Past research shows people under the age of 18 are at a higher risk of psychosis if they frequently use cannabis with a high THC level. I think if this were any other illness, there would be a public outcry. Dr. Sarah Brandy Gumpula is a psychiatrist.

at an early psychosis intervention program in Ottawa. She says it's seeing a lot of young men looking for help. The legalization of cannabis has, I think, created this idea that cannabis is benign or that it's safe, and it certainly is not. She says the program has been overwhelmed with demand. The longer we wait to offer treatment for people, the worst their illness is going to be. She points to Heron, who went through the program as an example of what, what's possible when people are treated early.

I think it's very important that we have services like this to get people on a better track. Heron thinks cannabis played a role in his diagnosis and wants young people to be more aware of how harmful it can be. But he also wants them to know that it's important to reach out for help. Don't think that you can do everything by yourself. Now 27, Heron has graduated school and is looking for work. Goals, he wasn't sure he'd ever meet. Jennifer Lagrasa, CBC News, Windsor, Ontario. This is Your World Tonight from CBC News.

If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. With thousands of athletes, officials, and spectators moving, around, the Olympics are always a massive logistical feat. But this edition may take the gold in that category. With venues spread out across northern Italy, the 2026 games will be a long-distance challenge unlike any other. Sarah Levitt has more. Just on the edge of Livino's freshly groomed cross-country ski track, kids from the local

ski club get ready to go out. It's in their blood. The snow, the skis, a part of everyday life in Lavinio, a small alpine town in northern Italy about to make it big, playing host to Olympic snowboarding and skiing. Michael Longa has lived here his whole life. It's a part of the history of the town that in the future, for sure, we will remember happily. But the cross-country ski instructor admits not only does he expect his rental business to grind to a halt, he also isn't sure there will be many spectators making their way here.

Milano Cortina is the most spread out winter Olympics of all time. Eight venues across 22,000 square kilometers. Events will be held in Milan, Lavinio, Cortina and more. A way to use legacy venues like those from the Cortina Games in 1956 and to cut costs. International Olympic Committee President Kirstie Coventry says it hasn't been easy. Initially we all thought, oh, well, we'll just have it be a little bit more dispersed because that's more sustainable.

Yes, that is very true, but it has added additional complexities. Ruland to Bormio, home to the alpine skiing and ski mountaineering competitions, takes three hours by car. It's another hour to Lavinio if you go direct. That is only for people with a special pass. The steep switchback roads are easily navigated

if there's good weather, not always a given in this mountainous terrain. And spectators coming from Milan have to take a train and two buses to get there. To create this unity of the team is something really important. For the Canadian Olympic Committee, it's meant a lot of planning. Eric Miles is the chief sports officer. We're speaking via video call because you're in Milan, I'm in Livino. Does that speak to how complicated these games are?

It's a long process. Like just the specific process for these game lending here. One big difference, there won't be a difference. Canada house. Instead, there will be a series of events in each location where Canadians can cheer on their athletes. It's about five years of preparation. So when we get down to where we are right now, we're ready. Milano Cortina may be the start of a new trend in the Winter Olympics. The French Alps in 2030 will see competitions spread into clusters, and it's particular to winter sports, contending with climate change and overall warmer weather and the ballooning cost of bidding for

the Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee says, though, it's ready with Milano Cortina a way to prepare for the future. Sarah Levitt's CBC News, Livino, Italy. We end tonight with a fitting tribute for a beloved Canadian star as people across the country and around the world mourned the death of Catherine O'Hara, some of her fans bundled up to say goodbye. This is so Canadian. This is so perfect. Beautiful. Oh my God. With the temperature nearing minus 20 degrees in Toronto on Saturday night, a group of friends decided to clean up O'Hara's star on Canada's Walk of Fame. O'Hara died Friday at the age of 71,

after one of the great careers in Canadian comedy, from SCTV to blockbuster movies like Home Alone, to a late career renaissance as Moira Rose in Schitts Creek. Cleaning it. Okay, now we've got to clear her. It's actually crazy. The group used snow to polish O'Hara's star, then lit sparklers to make it shine in the night. They weren't the only ones remembering O'Hara over the weekend.

Hershey's Creek co-star Dan Levy wrote, It was a gift to be in the warm glow of O'Hara's brilliance. Fellow cast member Eugene Levy also released a statement. The pair worked together since the 1970s. Levy says he will cherish the work. relationship they had, most of all, he will cherish their friendship. Thank you for joining us for this edition of Your World tonight for Monday, February 2nd. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca.com.