Your World Tonight - Auto tariff delayed, U.S. stops sharing intel with Ukraine, cancer and youth, and more

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

Motion sickness in the Canadian economy as the U.S. takes another turn on tariffs. Automakers have a one-month exemption from the 25 per cent tariffs imposed yesterday. Washington says it’s to give them time to move more investment out of Canada and into the U.S. And in U.S. border towns, businesses are facing the possibility of a drop off in revenue – their customers, and many of their supplies, come from Canada. Tariffs could take a bite out of both.And: US officials have cut off key intelligence Ukraine’s military uses to protect its cities and defend itself from Russia’s invasion. It’s a dramatic example of the brokenness of the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s combustible encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House last week.Also: The incidence of some types of cancer is increasing in young people. That means healthcare needs to adapt to help them cope. Issues including finances, fertility and life planning are all different for those who are younger.Plus: A home for treating people with mercury poisoning is finally getting built in Grassy Narrows First Nation, searching for climate clues in Antarctic, and more.

When a body is discovered 10 miles out to sea, it sparks a mind-blowing police investigation. There's a man living in this address in the name of a deceased. He's one of the most wanted men in the world. This isn't really happening. Officers are finding large sums of money. It's a tale of murder, skullduggery and international intrigue. So who really is he? I'm Sam Mullins and this is Sea of Lies from CBC's Uncovered, available now.

This is a CBC Podcast. We spoke with the big three auto dealers. We are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA. Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2nd. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Tariffs, counter tariffs, maybe reduced tariffs, lifted tariffs. Every day brings more confusion, contradiction. It's enough to give the Canadians whiplash or at the very least motion sickness.

Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, March 5th coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern also on the podcast. Canadians can't put the brakes on tariffs but they can maybe make it hurt at the pump. Canada has a secret weapon in this trade conflict with the United States. brakes on tariffs but they can maybe make it hurt at the pump. Canada has a secret weapon in this trade conflict with the United States. A trump card so to speak. And it is located directly under our feet and it is called Alberta Energy.

But Danielle Smith admits if the U.S. persists on going down the tariff road it will cost thousands of Canadians their jobs. North America's automakers are getting a break from tariffs with a hitch. The White House says the pause is for companies to shift more production and jobs to the U.S. Today's swerve is the latest turn on a trip many Canadians would like to forget. We have full coverage of this trade war for you beginning with Peter Armstrong in Washington. Hello everybody. Another whirlwind afternoon at the White House, more news breaking at a breathless pace,

another social media post from U posts from US President Donald Trump and another last-minute development in a continental wide trade war first came Trump senior officials flooding the cable news outlets I think mr. Trudeau it would be really useful if he just toned stuff down. That's Peter Navarro White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing He was on CNN being asked what Canada can do to get the tariffs lifted. I watched the conference yesterday with Mr. Trudeau. He's calling the president dumb. He's he's he's calling him Donald instead of respectfully

the president. A demand for respect from an administration that now all but exclusively calls Prime Minister Justin Trudeau governor of the 51st state. Then Trump posted a rant on his social media site saying he'd had a somewhat friendly phone call with Trudeau in which they discussed efforts to curb fentanyl smuggling. Trump said he'd told Trudeau Canadian efforts

were quote, not good enough. Trump went on to say that Trudeau was unable to tell him when the Canadian election is taking place, which quote, made me curious. Like what's going on here? I just realized that he's trying to use this issue to stay in power. Good luck, Justin. He wrote the post didn't touch on any measures to end the trade war and made no mention of potential exemptions.

So by the time the white house briefing kicked off, it looked like any potential deal or compromise was dead in the water. But about 10 minutes into the briefing, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt was asked about a phone call between automakers and Trump. We spoke with the big three auto dealers. We are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA. That would be a huge relief to one of Canada's biggest industries, but it still leaves vast swaths of the Canadian economy,

including energy supplies, facing tariffs. And, Levitt made it clear, the next round of tariffs is still very much in play. Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2nd, but at the request of the companies associated with USMCA, the president is giving them an exemption for one month so they are not at an economic disadvantage. Trade experts like Daniel Utsco, senior counsel at Thomson High and LLP, say it's a good first step and a hopeful sign that more industries can follow suit.

We have to look and see what does this administration want. They want as much an investment into the United States as possible. And one clear impact of all the chaos and uncertainty is that both Canada and Mexico aren't exactly attractive to any company considering long-term business investments right now. And that is at least a big part of what Trump is trying to accomplish. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Washington. While Canada's auto industry straps in for tough months ahead, the country's

political leaders are rolling out more measures to counter this unprecedented economic attack. Tom Perry has more from Ottawa. Well they're saying reprieve and I always worry when someone says 30-day reprieve that gives them a chance to start you know lining things up and planning their next move. To Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Donald Trump's 30-day pause on tariffs for Canada's auto sector changes nothing. The deal is zero tariffs. We're going to budge.

Other premiers also expressing their resolve, including Alberta's Danielle Smith. This economic attack on our country combined with Mr. Trump's continued talk of using economic force to facilitate the annexation of our country, has broken trust between our two nations in a profound way. It is a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship. Smith is standing by her opposition

to limiting the flow of Alberta crude oil to the U.S. as a means of applying pressure on the Trump administration, insisting instead that every effort must be made to build new pipelines to ship that crude to new markets. Smith did announce her government is pulling U.S. alcohol off the shelves at liquor stores in the province and that it will work to ensure Canadian and non-U.S. suppliers are contracted in public infrastructure projects. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe today announced similar measures, while holding out hope this current crisis will eventually be resolved.

Saskatchewan is one of the most diversified provinces and least dependent on the United States of America for our exports. That being said, they are our largest trading partner, our largest ally, and it's important for each of us to remember that as we go through what is admittedly a very challenging conversation with the president and his administration, but we will find our way through it. Canada's auto sector is voicing cautious relief while acknowledging this dispute is far from over. David Adams is president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada. He thinks Trump may have realized, at least for now, the impact his trade war could have in the U.S. To put those tariffs in place will cause severe economic damage to not only Canada, but also the American people.

It's not just a little bit of damage, it's significant damage. Adams says 30 days is not nearly long enough for any automaker to shift production to the U.S. Flavio Volpe of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association calls the pause a small victory that Canada should take. But he says every sector of this country's economy needs to be protected from a president bent on crushing his closest partner. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa. Concern over tariffs is also growing in U.S. border towns that rely heavily on Canadian trade

and Canadian tourism. Lisa Shing is in one of the biggest, Buffalo, New York. Workers are busy canning cider at resurgence brewery. The grain for the beer, the cans they use, all come from Canada. It's gonna hurt. So, you know, our lowest profit margins are on packaged beer. The company's president, Jeff Weir, has put a freeze on procurement for two weeks as the uncertainty with US President Donald Trump's tariffs on all Canadian imports plays out. He's also afraid of fewer people coming across as Canadians rally to spend their dollars within their country.

The border traffic is a huge driver for us. I mean we're less than a mile from the hockey arena and we get a lot of you know Sabre fans coming down for games and Habs fans and you know everybody else and so you know we really count on those dollars coming in. Buffalo, like a handful of border cities, are in a unique position in this terraform, closer to Canada than many of its U.S. counterparts. Its economy relies heavily on border traffic. Canadians spend about $1 billion U.S. every year, money that's essential after decades of decline in its

manufacturing sector. It'll be a massive hit to us. Patrick Kahler, CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, says about 40 percent of the visits to the region are from Canada and yet earlier this year the tourism organization had to pull a campaign aimed at Canadians because of the negative feedback from them. That traffic is already starting to drop off. Yes, so we're hearing anecdotally from some of our hotels, some of our attractions as well, that they are starting to see a decrease. That's concerning to some Buffalo residents who say the economy is already suffering. We have a lot of income that comes from our Canadian tourists year round.

And so naturally it's going to affect, you know, it's going to make things a lot harder. It's like ripping off the bandage. It's something that's necessary to equalize, you know, different aspects of trade. Like it seemed like it would be better if they had just left it alone. Let them continue how we was doing this entire time. But it isn't just the economy that will take a hit. There's a unique relationship between border cities everywhere that's affected, according to Marta Liardi Anderson, executive director of the Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor. It's friends that are connected, it's events that are connected,

it's our communities that are connected. That connection residents here hope will be restored sooner rather than later. Lisa Sheng, CBC News, Buffalo, New York. Coming up on the podcast, the U.S. has cut off another key element of support for Ukraine as Europe works to mend the rift. Poisoned by mercury in their own community, some of the sick will now have local care, plus Canadian science at the possibility of war with Russia over Ukraine.

The French president says he wants to talk to regional allies about nuclear protection. At the same time, France and Britain are working on a peace deal, hoping to get the US and Ukraine talking again. Chris Brown reports from London. When Russian drones smash into Ukraine's cities, destroying buildings and killing civilians, as they did overnight in Odessa, US satellites and surveillance can often sound the alarm

and gain life-saving time to prepare. But as part of coercing Ukraine's government into cutting a Donald Trump-led deal with Vladimir Putin, that crucial intelligence sharing is now suspended, confirmed US National Security Adviser Mike Walz. We have taken a step back and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship. Trump's team had already paused the transfer of weapons with the measures doing all aspects of this relationship. Trump's team had already paused the transfer of weapons with the measures hobbling Ukraine's ability to defend itself from Russia's constant onslaught.

Trump CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox's Business Network the restrictions could be short-lived if Ukraine does what Trump wants. I think on the military front and the intelligence front the pause that allowed that to happen I think will go away. You're in no position to dictate what we're gonna... That ugly blow-up at the White House last week was in part triggered by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's insistence on U.S. security guarantees

before signing a ceasefire with Putin, which Trump refused. Faced with what many Ukrainians see as betrayal by their most important ally, in his nightly address, Zelensky said there has been positive movement in talks with the Americans, there has been positive movement in talks with the Americans and U.S. officials suggested a meeting between both sides is coming, possibly within days. We've had serious discussions with Russia. But so far, Trump's efforts to end the war have been utterly one-sided. He hasn't made any public demands of Vladimir Putin.

Britain's Keir Starmer told the UK Parliament he's been trying to patch things up between Zelensky and Trump, having had several conversations with both men and trying to find a formula that satisfies them. The way to ensure we have peace is to ensure there are guarantees for any deal that is in place.

A plan for a solid peace. And in a prime time address tonight, France's Emmanuel Macron said Europe must mobilize quickly and decisively given Trump's upending of decades of security policy. I want to believe the United States will stand by us, said Macron, but we have to be ready if that's not the case. Who can believe Russia will stop at Ukraine, he said. Russia is and will be for years to come a threat to France and Europe. Chris Brown, CBC News, London.

Greenland's political leaders say it doesn't matter what Donald Trump says or how often he says it. The territory is not for sale. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Yesterday Trump repeated his vow, the US will acquire it one way or another. The island is mineral rich and provides strategic access to Europe. Polls suggest most people in Greenland are worried and offended by Trump's threats to seize control. Ottawa is adding so-called forever chemicals to its list of toxic substances. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals. They're used in a range of products from food containers to clothing, cosmetics and firefighting

foam, but they have been linked to numerous health problems. Canada is not banning the chemicals yet. Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeau says adding them to the toxic substance lists begins the process of limiting their use. I certainly share the views by some that we should try and go faster and we are trying to go as fast as we can within the confines of the laws and regulations we have in Canada. As I said earlier, what we're doing is unprecedented. That we would use the Canadian Environmental Protection Act

to not look at one substance of one chemical family, but to look at the entire family, has never been done before. Scientists estimate that all Canadians have some amount in their bodies. For the people of Grassy Narrows in northern Ontario, this day should have come decades ago. Since the 1960s, mercury contamination in the local river system

has poisoned fish, a huge part of the local diet. That mercury is then passed on through pregnancy. Multiple generations have been made sick, and a Sarah Law reports a long-promised care home is finally being built. I have a child myself that's sick, and it's very emotional. You have to watch your own children.

That should be born healthy. Chief Sherry Akkabe says it's not just an emotional day for her, but for her whole community. The chief of Grassy Narrows First Nation in Northern Ontario also experiences symptoms of mercury poisoning. The problem dates back to the 1960s and 70s, when the Dryden paper mill dumped about 9 tons of mercury into the English Wabagoon River system.

Acope says breaking ground at the mercury care home has been a long time coming. It took 10 chiefs to come to this present day and a lot of councillors back to this day. Fewer than 1,000 people live in grassy narrows, but about 90 percent of residents experience mercury poisoning symptoms that affect the brain and the body, including tremors, memory loss and disorientation. Elder Robert Williamson remembers when the community first discovered the problem. The loss of income of people, it affected the social well-being of everyone in the community.

And it led to a lot of drinking and a lot of suicides over the course of my lifetime. The Mercury Care Home will house 22 people and provide outpatient services to all affected community members. Dr. Donna Mergler led a key study on the impact of mercury in Gracineros. That will greatly improve the quality of life of the people in the community. The federal government says it's spending more than 140 million

dollars on construction and operations. Chief Ackaby says the home means people don't have to leave the community for care as they have done for decades. It'll be nice to bring our elders home. After several years of delays, construction is expected to take another two to three years. Akaby says with the first shovels hitting the ground, they're digging a better path forward. Sarah Law, CBC News, Grassy Narrows First Nation, Ontario. CBC News, Gracie Narrows, First Nation, Ontario. A cancer diagnosis at any age is a life interrupted. But for younger adults with their whole lives ahead of them, putting everything on hold can be especially devastating,

a situation that's becoming more common as people get diagnosed earlier. Some hospitals are trying to offer age-specific support to younger patients. Health reporter Jennifer Yoon has details. There is an anger of like, why me? Why now? Kasia Tewonak thought she was having a panic attack when she went to the emergency room last year.

It ended up being a cancer diagnosis at the age of 24. It was difficult in general to accept, but then also to be among a patient population that was so much older. Surrounded by other patients at least twice her age, Taiwan says she felt profoundly alone. Adding to that the fact her friends were forging ahead while she was recovering. Just in the year that I've been sick, they've gotten engaged. There's people who've started their PhDs that have graduated from school

that are getting married. Around the world, people are getting diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s at higher rates. In the US, some cancers like leukemia and colon cancer are on the rise in millennials, according to a recent study from the Lancet Medical Journal. It's a pattern here in Canada too, say experts. We think about fertility, we think about freezing eggs. Despite increasing rates, young adults with cancer don't always get support for problems unique to this age group, says nurse Jennifer Katzberg.

Finances are less stable. People may not even be sure what's happening. They may not have discovered their own sexual identity, maybe not have found a partner or you know stabilize their career." She's part of the program at Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto for patients between 18 and 39, offering one-on-one support on issues like student debt or fertility, a chance to connect with other young people through activities like art class or yoga, and workshops to manage things like hair loss.

Since it started in 2015, the demand for it has soared, says Dr. Abhigupta, a cancer doctor at the hospital and the medical director of the program. Back then, we saw maybe 30 new individuals per month in our program and now that number has doubled. They've had a bomb dropped on their life. Colorectal cancer surgeon Dr. Shadi Ashmala says scientists have no clear answers about what's driving the trend. He'd like to see people getting screened earlier and a push to prevent cancer. We have to realize that this cancer could happen to a 25-year-old just as easily as an 80-year-old

and that we have to investigate these symptoms exactly the same. At the same time, doctors and support teams are working to make sure every young person with cancer has the support they need. Jennifer Yoon, CBC News, Toronto. The leader of Manitoba's progressive conservatives has apologized to the families of four murder victims. Their loved ones were murdered by a serial killer. Two bodies are still missing. Wayne Iwasco says when his party was in government it should not

have refused to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Mercedes Myron. Our government erred. It's as simple as that. We went forward and followed advice to emphasize prosecution above all. We lost our way in regards to empathy and also lost our way in regards to closure being brought forward to the families of the victims. New Democrats were elected in 2023 and promised to search the landfill. That search began in December. Last week, searchers found potential human remains.

They are now being analyzed for identification. 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. Out on the frigid waters of Antarctica, a team of Canadian scientists is working to uncover what's happening beneath the surface as the planet warms and sea ice vanishes.

Senior International Climate Correspondent Susan Armiston is with them and reports on their challenges and their discoveries. Zipping up their dry suits for a cold day of research on the Southern Sea. Biologist Jenny Tolman and three other scientists are heading out to measure what's changing in the ocean at the bottom of the world. Microbes are the little engines of the ocean. They're also the things that respond the most quickly to change and the poles are a very

rapidly changing place. Tolman from Dalhousie University is capturing DNA in seawater samples. We've seen a ton of penguins today. Hopefully there will be some penguin DNA in there, some whale DNA. Antarctica helps regulate the global climate. But sea ice is receding to near record lows. New data shows abnormally warm temperatures over the continent in February, which over time is changing the ocean.

So I'm studying trace metals. I was using a really long pole basically to avoid contamination from the boat itself. Collecting seawater may sound simple but Tia Anderlini from the University of Victoria is finding out it's not. The first day we were out and it was 30 knot winds and we were putting these large niskin so 12 litre bottles and it's really hard to do. And things just happened. I dropped it. A plastic lid from a sample bottle slipped into the ocean. Can you look over and see if there's a cap floating under the boat?

Everyone searches and within minutes the cap reappears. Fished out successfully with an oar. A Navy boasin maneuvers as close as he can in front of a towering face of blue white ice. The glaciers look impenetrable but they are receding more rapidly than before. The time is 17.13 and the depth is 51 meters. One way to measure is grabbing sediment from the seabed. Karen Douglas and Jeremy Bentley send a metal cloth 50 metres deep and then hand over hand

haul it back up and dump out a cake-sized muddy mass. We're looking at changes over time. There are clues here and with deeper core sampling about glacial history. It's like a Christmas day for me with a good sediment sample. A good bit of mud. Yes. Most of the samples will be packed back to Canada, shared with colleagues and analyzed in labs.

It's so rare to get here and time is flying by. It's a great day for samples from glaciers from here. The science isn't fast or easy. It is vital. It's been kind of a wild ride so far. Yeah, it's been a bit of a rush. Susan Ormiston, CBC News in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. Finally, Tara Manuel was sitting in her home in Cornerbrook when she got an email from the former head of the household

at 24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. She wanted to speak to me on the phone. She said she had something that had belonged to my grandmother and she had been looking for a relative. The items in question, a set of antique silver spoons in a velvet-lined case and a letter from her grandmother. Sent in 1971 to a pair of newlyweds, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau.

Here's Tara Manuel reading some of her grandmother Mary's letter. I am not up on my Emily post, so do not know if it is the correct thing to send a wedding gift to people you don't really know. But I've been in love with Pierreau ever since I watched him on TV the night he was elected leader of the party. But remember, she warns, they are for the Trudeaus, not to be left at 24 Sussex Drive if the government changes hands. Although she did add that she would be okay with the spoons ending up with then-PQ leader René Lavec. Margaret Trudeau took the spoons with her when she left Ottawa and later gifted them

to a friend who felt the spoons, in the spirit spirit of the letter should be returned to the Manuel family. Tara Manuel says the memories of her grandmother have flooded back, quirky, sometimes severe, and always funny. I think she was what the kind of woman that we might call difficult and I do hope to carry on the tradition of difficult manual women and I intend to be a difficult old lady myself. Tara Manuel says she intends to share the letter and the spoons with her family and then will donate them to the Cornerbrook Museum and Archives. Thank you for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for March the 5th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.