Your World Tonight - Canada boosts defense spending, L.A. protests, measles & pregnancy, and more

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

<p>In an announcement including billions of spending on defence, Prime Minister Mark Carney says the era of U.S. dominance is ending. Carney says Canada must stop relying on the Americans for protection, and will meet the NATO military spending target of two per cent of GDP by March. That will mean arming the military with new subs, armored vehicles, and drones, and an increased focus on the Arctic, and cybersecurity and AI.</p><p><br></p><p>And: Tension is building in the streets of Los Angeles and the rhetoric is ramping up in Washington D.C. U.S. Marines are reportedly joining the National Guard in response to ongoing immigration protests. U.S. President Donald Trump says, if he were border czar Tom Homan, he would arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom.</p><p><br></p><p>Also: Six babies have been born with the measles in Ontario since the current outbreak started last fall. Doctors are saying there should be more effort to protect pregnant people – or even those planning to conceive.</p><p><br></p><p>Plus: Closing arguments in the trial of five former Canada junior hockey players, civil liberties groups worried about the Strong Borders Act, and more.</p>

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a literary superstar. You might know her from her previous books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones and the Six. On my podcast Bookends, Taylor told me all about her new space thriller and also got into how she deals with being a celebrity author. That's what I've been working on lately is understanding that there's a person named Taylor Jenkins Reid and they talk about her and sometimes she has things in common with me and other times someone's perception of me is different than the real me. If you want to hear more of that conversation, check out Bookends with Matea Roach wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast.

This is not about getting to 2% full stop, it's about defending Canada. Canada will boost military spending by billions starting this year. It matches the NATO target of 2% of GDP. But Prime Minister Mark Carney claims that's not the real reason. The changing world order and a U.S. disinterested in old alliances leaves him little choice. As the world grows more dangerous, Canada will ensure our country is protected from coast to coast to coast. Carney vows to grow Canadian forces, both personnel and arms, without raising taxes. But when asked where the money will come from, he was short on specifics. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner.

It is Monday, June 9th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. With this order, Trump and Hegseth ignored law enforcement's expertise and guidance and trampled over our state's California's sovereignty. California is suing the U.S. government for unilaterally sending in the National Guard to quell protests on the streets of Los Angeles. The downtown of that city is off limits, but the tension on the streets

and in the corridors of power remains. The Prime Minister says Canada must step up on the world stage and stop relying on the US for protection. Mark Carney has pledged billions of dollars to boost defense spending, but there are questions about where the money is coming from and where it will go. Murray Brewster has the details. Ahead of this month's NATO summit, for Prime Minister Mark Carney, there was no avoiding this moment.

I'm announcing today that Canada will achieve NATO's 2% of GDP target this year, half a decade ahead of schedule. NATO's 2% defense spending goal and Canada's inability or unwillingness to aim for it has long been a source of irritation, even embarrassment, in front of allies. Carney took the first step towards remedying that, a planned $9.3 billion injection of cash into the Defense Department that he frames this way. Our fundamental goal in all of this is to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants.

This comes as allies are set to move the goalposts again, asking members to invest up to 5% of their GDP in defense and defense-related infrastructure. The new spending is foundational, allowing the military to increase recruiting, give current soldiers a pay raise, and set the stage for major equipment purchases, as well as the expansion of the defense industry. Now, without a federal budget, it's hard to know how Ottawa is going to pay for all of this. The money is being spent incrementally and comes with a pledge Ottawa will not raise taxes.

Carney underlined, however, that in the coming years the United States will no longer be the dominant power and Canada must chart its own course with European allies. This is probably one of the most compelling articulations of national requirement, national ambition that I've heard from a prime minister. Retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman, the former second in command of the military, who says building more equipment in Canada will have an enormous impact. It's long overdue that we stopped being consumers of other people's stuff and start figuring out how we can and should meet our own domestic supply.

The last time Canada spent 2% of its GDP on defense, this was playing on the radio in the 1980s. What the federal government is proposing is essentially recreating some infrastructure that allowed it to fight the Cold War. There are, however, questions. Defense expert Dave Perry says D&D has often had trouble spending all of the money the government gives it. If bureaucracy proceeds like normal, the way it has been over the past decade and a bit, this money is unlikely to be spent. I'm going to have to actually see concrete change across the Canadian government.

Opposition parties, the Conservatives and the Bloc, seem generally supportive of hitting the NATO target, but say they want to see the budget details. Marie Brewster, CBC News, Ottawa. U.S. Marines are reportedly now being mobilized to respond to ongoing unrest in Los Angeles. Violence and outrage erupted over the weekend during immigration protests, followed by US President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard. But as heated as the clashes have been on the streets, a potentially explosive confrontation is shaping up between the President and the Governor of California.

Sasha Petrasek reports. After a weekend of rioting, protests on the streets of Los Angeles reports. After a weekend of rioting, protests on the streets of Los Angeles have been largely peaceful today, musical even, as Mexican cultural groups emotionally plead for the release of arrested workers among dozens detained by the federal government's ICE immigration police. That's what triggered street protests on Friday prompting President Donald Trump to order in 2,000 National Guard troops. California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom challenged Trump to lock him up. Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with. Tough guy.

I don't give a damn. Trump was asked if border czar Tom Holman should arrest Newsom. He's daring Tom Holman to come and arrest him. Should he do it? Trump answered, I would do it if I were Tom. It's the latest salvo in a war of words that continued between California and the White House with Trump taking credit for slowing the rioting. And until we went in if we didn't do the job that place would be burning down just like the houses burned down they were in big trouble last night Peter you know it.

Newsome insists police had the situation under control and calls Trump's deployment an illegal and immoral act. Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. He's putting fuel on this fire. The last time a U.S. president sent in the National Guard without a state's permission was 60 years ago. Today, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the federal government.

We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops. In the meantime, hundreds more National Guard troops are pouring into the state with reports of Marines soon joining them as ICE agents continue their arrests. Sasha Petrusik, CBC News, Washington. Coming up on the podcast, Ordering Change, the Competition Bureau sues a popular food delivery app, closing arguments at the sexual assault trial of five former junior hockey players and the dangerous combination of measles and pregnancy.

Canada's competition watchdog is asking DoorDash to show the receipts. It is accusing the food delivery company of making big money by adding more to orders than customers asked for, like hidden fees. Nisha Patel has details. DoorDash can DoorDash pretty much anything. Dash Anukia, EV9, Dash Peanut Butter, M&M's. Every day thousands of Canadians use DoorDash, ordering everything from bananas to burgers online and having them delivered.

Now Canada's competition watchdog is accusing the U.S.-based company of misleading customers by marketing its services at a lower price than what they end up paying. As you drip, drip, drip additional prices in there or additional fees or charges. Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, says the practice, known as drip pricing, is deceptive. Oftentimes consumers are attracted by the promise of a particular price and once they click through and it can take a couple of clicks, suddenly the the price actually far exceeds what the expected price was.

The competition bureau alleges DoorDash used drip pricing for close to a decade making nearly 1 billion dollars from mandatory fees. These customers in Vancouver say it's frustrating. They have that BC regular fee or whatever it is 99 cents and they just keep adding those and the service is not that good. There's always so many service charges recently and it just gets to an astronomical point. In a statement, DoorDash claims it was unfairly singled out.

The company says all of its fees are clearly labelled and disclosed to customers, and it intends to vigorously defend itself against the claims. Your door to more. DoorDash. Kelden Bester, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, says drip pricing is widespread. These sort of middlemen businesses, whether that's delivery or hotel and travel booking, airlines, I think there are a lot of targets that, you know, should be basically dealing with consumers more straightforwardly.

Bester says the Competition Bureau has taken on several cases after changes to Canadian laws in 2022 recognized drip pricing as a harmful business practice. Last year, Cineplex was fined $39 million for charging an extra fee during online ticket purchases. If they are successful, other companies with similar practices, because often it's rarely just one company engaging in these practices, they'll see this and change their ways. The Competition Bureau now has to argue its case before a tribunal. It says it's looking for DoorDash to change its practices,

pay a financial penalty, and compensate affected customers. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. After two dismissed juries, a missed trial and weeks of testimony, closing arguments finally began today in the sexual assault trial of five former World Junior hockey players. All five have pleaded not guilty. Karen Pauls is in London, Ontario covering the case. We believe EM. Supporters for the complainant known as EM outside court this morning

while across the street a lone man carried signs saying defamation ruins lives and false allegations are out of control. Inside court Michael McLeod's lawyer David Humphrey said, this is a case where the defense has an embarrassment of riches, a cornucopia of compelling credibility and reliability concerns in EM's testimony. Humphrey argued she consented through her full and active participation back in 2018 in a London, Ontario hotel room. Then, as the alcohol buzz wore off,

she began to regret what happened. He said things snowballed beyond her control after she told her mother a quote, white lie and the police got involved. Humphrey also defended his clients decision to record consent videos saying it was proof he was trying to check in on her quote, in a nice and in a perfectly responsible manner. Carter Hart's lawyer, Megan Savard, started her closing arguments with a simple question. Did EM consent to oral sex? And did Hart believe she was consenting?

She said EM agreed verbally and non-verbally, and Hart never saw or experienced anything in the room that was not consensual. I say Mr. Hart should be acquitted, she said. He obtained unequivocal, communicated consent. The defense doesn't have to prove anything. Michael Koresstein is a former senior crown who now works as a criminal defense lawyer in Toronto. He says the defense only has to raise a reasonable doubt. If the judge arrives at a shoulder shrug and say look I have a feeling that some things

happened in this room that were not above board or not conventional and maybe not even consensual but I can't be sure about it then that's a win for the defense. Lisa Dufresmont is a professor at Toronto's Osgoode Hall Law School who isn't involved in the case. She says an accused person is presumed to be innocent and the Crown has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty. That if there is a plausible view,

a reasonable story that could be accepted from the evidence that the person isn't guilty, then they'll be acquitted. It gets even more challenging with the issue of consent. There may be credibility issues about the complainants' claims, there may be credibility issues about other witnesses or the accused person who were there in the room on the issue of consent. So it's a really difficult issue to navigate

in terms of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Closing arguments continue tomorrow and then the Crown will present their arguments. Karen Pauls, CBC News, London, Ontario. The federal government says its new legislation is meant to combat crime in a digital age. But civil liberties groups say the proposed measures could put the privacy of Canadians at risk,

giving police the power to dig into your personal information from mail to internet activity without you even knowing it's happening. Marina von Stackelberg reports. It's just a blank check of these new powers. Shakir Rahim, a lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, says the Strong Borders Act could actually remove the barriers that protect your private information. Bill C-2 would give

sweeping powers to law enforcement, making it easier for them to search your private mail and digital footprint. This legislation is about your personal data and personal information and that data and information can reveal a trove of background about our lives. Police would have the authority to force electronic service providers to hand over details of your online use. That includes your smartphone and internet, email and messaging apps, like when you use them and where you were without a warrant. We have serious concerns that this bill is not compliant with the charter. This really does invite potential phishing expeditions. Michael Geist is not compliant with the charter. This really does invite potential fishing expeditions.

Michael Geist is an expert in privacy law. He says police could order that information if they suspect you violated any federal law, not just the criminal code. We're not just talking about bad crimes and we're definitely not just talking about the border. We're talking about a broad power. In a modern technical society, this is bare minimum information. Thomas Kareek with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police says the legislation simply modernizes Canada's current laws

that haven't kept up with the technology criminals now use. And it's impacting our ability to ensure the safety and security of Canadians, the national security of our country, and to address transnational organized crime on an equal footing with the other law enforcement partners internationally. What we have witnessed is that technology has been weaponized against children. Monique St. Germain is a lawyer with the Canadian Center for Child Protection. She says she sees firsthand the initial barriers police face when trying to

investigate a tip of a child being exploited over the internet. The process for police to link a computer's IP address to a suspect can take months. By then, that key data may have already disappeared. Investigating online is not the same as investigating in person. There are pieces of information that are only in the possession of companies that provide internet services to subscribers. The Conservatives and NDP have already raised concerns about potential privacy issues but the Liberal government says it believes the law will strike a balance. Marina von Stackelberg, CBC News, Ottawa. A Gaza-bound boat filled with activists is now docked on the shores of Israel

after the IDF cut the voyage short. Members of the group say they were trying to raise awareness about the dire need for food and supplies in Gaza. Israel calls the trip little more than a propaganda exercise. Chris Brown reports from London. The video shows the moment the Israeli Navy boarded and seized the Freedom Flotilla vessel at almost 3 a.m. local time. This is reportedly activist Thiago Avila. Everyone, we are under attack. Please sound the alarm. They are throwing a lot of substances and objects on us.

Quadcopters, the most dangerous ones. The substance was some sort of white paint or powder sprayed by Israel's Navy, but it's not clear what the purpose was or if it was dangerous. Their boat was intercepted in international waters. The maritime zone of the coast of Gaza is close to naval traffic. The Israeli officials seen addressing the passengers said there's only one way to get to Gaza and that's with Israel's permission. The IDF released a video showing its members handing out bottled water and sandwiches to those on board. Not long after their arrests and on their way to the port of Ashdod, supporters of those

on board released pre-recorded appeals. My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters. Israel's defense minister Israel Katz, the other hand congratulated the military for successfully intercepting what he called the anti-Semitic Greta and her Hamas supporters. His government frequently referred to the voyage as the selfie yacht. Israel's response to the Hamas attacks of October 7th have killed more than 54,000 people in Gaza, with aid groups accusing Israel of using food as a weapon.

Until last week, Israel cut off supplies to civilians for almost three months. The UN's special reporter for Palestine Francesca Albanese, a vocal critic of Israel, said the activists' boat should have been allowed to pass. You know, there should be state navies breaking the siege instead of a boat of volunteers risking their life. The voyage by Toonberg and the other activists was to draw attention to the terrible humanitarian conditions that Israel's siege and attacks have created in Gaza that came as a response to Hamas' October 7 attacks.

A controversial new agency was set up, backed by the US and Israel, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to deliver food boxes that have helped some in Gaza, but at a terrible cost. So far, at least 110 people have been killed trying to get those scarce provisions, some crushed in crowds, but others shot either by Israeli soldiers or unknown gunmen. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been invited to the G7 in Alberta next week, CBC News has learned. Saudi Arabia is not a G7 member, but other world leaders are often invited to the annual summit. His invitation is controversial.

He's been accused of directing the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. He has denied it, but Canada has sanctioned 17 Saudi nationals linked to the murder. The Saudi embassy has not confirmed whether bin Salman will attend. 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. Sly Stone, whose music redefined pop, funk and rock has died. Stone formed the group Sly and the Family Stone in 1966.

They had a series of hits including Everyday People, Thank You and Dance to the Music. They made a memorable appearance at the Woodstock Music Festival. A cocaine addiction and related arrests stopped his career in the 1970s and 80s. He only began playing publicly again a few years ago. His family says he died today in Los Angeles after having lung disease for years, as well as other health issues. Sly Stone was 82. There is an urgent call from Canadian health experts about the risks of measles during pregnancy.

They say the virus is putting patients and their unborn children at risk. It comes after Canada recorded its first death linked to a measles outbreak last week. Alison Northcott reports. It's concerning. Julia O'Reilly is due to give birth to her first child next month in Toronto. She's vaccinated against measles which can help protect her and her baby. But she's worried as cases keep climbing in Ontario. We do what we can but hope that others also do what they can as well.

In the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, experts warn pregnant people with measles are at a higher risk of pneumonia, hepatitis and hospitalization and have a tenfold higher risk of death than those who are not pregnant. Dr. Michelle Barton is head of pediatric infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital in London, Ontario, a region at the centre of the province's outbreak. We would want to know that every woman who's planning to get pregnant is vaccinated

and not wait to end up with measles in the pregnancy. Why? Because measles in the pregnancy can have complications, including death. According to Public Health Ontario, 39 pregnant people have been infected with the virus, about 2% of the province's cases, and six infants have been born already infected during this outbreak. The virus can lead to serious outcomes, not only for pregnant parents but their unborn babies too. Dr. Cheryl Chu is a maternal fetal medicine specialist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The risk of spontaneous abortion, that means miscarriage. And then of course there can be an increased risk of fetal demise as well,

which means babies passing away are still birthed. Those are serious, irreversible complications. Ontario health officials say measles was a contributing factor in the recent death of an infant born prematurely, the first death recorded in Canada linked to the current outbreak. The baby contracted measles before birth from its unvaccinated mother, but it also had other serious underlying medical conditions. Experts say vaccination before pregnancy is the best protection. The vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy. If a pregnant unvaccinated person is exposed to measles, Chu says they can be given an antibody therapy to reduce the risk.

This medication is a very safe blood product. It's one of the safest that there is. Routine prenatal tests don't usually screen for measles antibodies to check if a patient is protected. But Dr. Doreen El-Char with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada says having that information could help. If they've been vaccinated they should recover more smoothly or have almost no symptoms and be more protected if they had not been vaccinated these are patients that need to be monitored. She says the prenatal screening guidelines could be revisited if Canada's outbreak continues to grow. Alison Northcott, CBC News, Montreal.

Finally tonight, the bond between animal and human can be inspiring and unexpected. Eventually we all come to love her and she became like our little family member. That's Gloria O'Connell remembering Frida the Snow Goose, mascot of Humber Arms South Newfoundland. Frida arrived in town seven years ago after escaping a farm. She laid some eggs and never left.

Especially when she befriended O'Connell and the other workers at the local fish plant. I guess it was just her personality. Like she would come up around the parking lot and she wouldn't bother with us. at the local fish plant. I guess it was just her personality. She would come up around the parking lot and she wouldn't bother with us. She wouldn't attack us. She would just ambaline in between all the cars and people would throw her a little snack

and she'd squawk at us and she'd go on again. She became part of the community. The workers would shelter her in blankets each winter, make sure she had food. Frida would even knock on the door of a local restaurant where they'd let her in. Children from the local school became her biggest fans and would stop by to feed her on their way home. They'd draw pictures of her and even wrote a song about her with visiting musicians Geraldine Hallett and Phil Churchill. Since I landed on this shore, I ain't gonna find no way home. No, I'm home cause I'm as safe as I can be. Frida died sometime in May after an apparent attack by an eagle while she was protecting this year's eggs.

She was buried on the beach near the fish plant with corn and bread, her favorite snacks, and a plaque that reads, In loving memory of Frida the Goose. Thank you for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for June 9th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.