Your World Tonight - Canada Groceries Benefit, energy drinks, astronaut evacuation plans, and more

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

The cost of living seems to keep going up. And now the federal government is issuing a rebate to roughly 12 million people based on income. It replaces the GST/HST credit. The opposition calls it a gimmick.And: Quebec’s health minister tables legislation that would ban the sale of energy drinks to those under 16.Also: What if you had to shelter in place, 400 kilometres above the surface of the Earth? Astronauts on the International Space Station prepared to evacuate, amid a disagreement between space agencies over how to fix an air leak.Plus: Synagogue attack, pride speech interrupted by mayor, employment numbers, Quebec soccer players and more.

Imagine you've been charged with a crime, and the only witness pointing the finger at you isn't even human. I remember thinking, are you serious? What is this thing? It's something artificial, created by a mysterious Canadian. And it's coming for all of us. A life-defining technology. Crime as we know it will never be the same. I'm like, oh my God, he's lying.

From CBC's Uncover, the expert witness. Available now on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. We're a family of six, so groceries are very expensive for us, and our prices have gone up exponentially. Prices are up, but despite expectations, so are jobs. It's a relief. It also doesn't change the kind of like fundamental big picture of what's going on.

in the job market. The economy is flashing mixed signals as Ottawa rolls out more benefits, and Canadians try to figure out what it means for them. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. It's Friday, June 5th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast? Crew Dragon established safe haven.

And if we need to suit up, we will do that. What if you had to shelter in place 400 kilometers above the surface of the Earth? Astronauts on the International Space Space. station prepared to evacuate as NASA and Russia disagreed over how to fix an air leak. Housing, gas prices, groceries, the cost of living is certainly an ongoing concern for Canadians. The federal government is offering a grocery and essentials rebate to roughly 12 million people based on their income. The opposition calls it a gimmick. David Thurton has more from Ottawa. At a grocery store in the nation's capital, food costs hit hard.

Money is getting less and prices are going up. $100 now and the food basically go anywhere else does not buy you anything. We're a family of six, so groceries are very expensive for us, and our prices have gone up exponentially. In Brampton, Ontario, Prime Minister Mark Carney was also at a supermarket. What about all this fruit? Telling shoppers about the federal government's attempt to ease price paying at the checkout for those eligible. Today, 12 million Canadians,

including 5 million Ontarians, will receive a first-time increase in what's called the groceries and essentials benefit. The new benefit replaces the GST-HST credit payments are increasing by 25% starting next month, but in order to get immediate support, starting today, low and modest income earners are receiving a top-up. Those who were eligible for the GSTHST payment will automatically receive the new Canada groceries and Essentials. benefits. So it's a significant amount of money checks up to $533 today for a family of four to help with the pressures on cost of living. Advocates call it a step in the right direction with room for improvement. Jasmine Ramsey-Razai is with the organization Right to Food. Our version of the benefit we advocated for as an organization was actually a lot more

generous to be administered on a monthly basis, whereas this benefit. benefit is administered on a quarterly basis. Conservative Garnet Genis says the benefit won't make up for the struggling economy. The government's putting out gimmicks, but they're not really solving the problems. At any opportunity, conservatives and other opposition parties have been focusing on the cost of living essentials. I think one of the things that have always, I think, been a vulnerability for the Carney government is that...

David Colletto is with the polling firm, abacist data. He says the new liberal government has been focused on a lot of macroeconomic policy. Big growth, you know, big projects, things that will take time and the average person may not actually feel a benefit in their lives. And so they've had to offer up these kind of microeconomic responses. For decades, Carney has built his brand around his economic competence with a career in finance and as a central bank overseeing two countries. If Canadians think he's weak on the cost of living, it's not necessarily showing in the polls, given the sizable gap between the liberals and the conservatives.

David Thurton, CBC News, Ottawa. Getting food on the table is connected, of course, to employment. And the latest report from Stats Canada gives us a glimmer of economic hope. 88,000 more jobs last month after a rough start to the year. Let's bring in senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong. Peter, how much of a surprise was this? You know, economists were expecting something closer to like 10,000 jobs added. So the headline itself was a surprise, but the details were a surprise too, right?

These are all full-time jobs, mostly private sector jobs. They encompass three of the biggest economies in Canada, Alberta, B.C. and Ontario. So there's kind of a bunch of surprises here. Okay, but first of all, how do we square this with the GDP numbers showing Canada's economy is contracting? I mean, the economy is always full of contradictions, and that is especially true right now. But does this put to rest that debate about whether or not we're in a technical recession? Well, you're certainly not adding 88,000 jobs in a recession. Economists hate this term, the technical recession, because it doesn't really mean anything.

The C.D. Howe Institute's Business Cycle Council, which is Canada's formal kind of arbiter of recessions, it put out a statement saying the conditions we see in the data today simply don't meet the standard of a recession yet. But it's important to sort of zoom out and see the whole picture here, right? You can be two things at the same time. You can avoid slipping into a formal recession on the one hand and still be in a really lousy economy on the other. Here's Brendan Bernard, chief economist at the job search site indeed and how he sees today's jobs numbers. It's a relief.

It also doesn't change the kind of like fundamental big picture of what's going on in the job market. So what is the bigger picture of what's going on in the jobs market? So, I mean, we've added like 147,000 jobs in a year, but we're still struggling to get job growth growing this year in 2026, even with these 88,000 jobs. That only claws back about like 80% of the jobs we had lost since the beginning of this year. Does this match what we're seeing in the broader economy right now? It does.

The economy is weak. It was weak before Donald Trump and his trade war came along and it's expected to remain weak through the rest of this year. But it's also more resilient than we had expected, right? Bimo's managing director, a guy named Benjamin Reitzis, had a note to his clients this morning after the job numbers came out. And he had a line that really stayed with me that I'll quote here. He wrote, quote, quote, just when you think Canada's crumbling amid a string of negative data points, things reverse. We've seen this story a few times in the past year.

The economy isn't booming, but it isn't falling apart either. And I think that's a sentiment that I've kind of put in my back pocket to carry around with me. Next week, we're getting an update from the Bank of Canada. How does that fit into this? It probably doesn't change the central bank's view of things. Pretty much everybody expects the bank to leave rates unchanged, but we'll see what they say about going forward when we get that decision on Wednesday. Peter, thank you. You bet. Senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong in Toronto.

Coming right up, more fear in the Jewish community. A Montreal synagogue is attacked with rocks and almost set on fire. And it's not the first time the building has been targeted. Also, concentrated caffeine drinks could be providing more than a jolt of energy. Experts say they could be affecting the brains and hearts of teenagers. Later, we'll have this story. As the Canadian men's national soccer team gets, set for the World Cup, Quebec is hoping for a goal from one of their own, a first if it happens.

We have a lot of diamonds of the rough here in our province of Quebec. I'm Sarah Levin in Montreal. Later on your world tonight, how six Quebecers have cracked the national team roster and what it says about soccer development in the province. A Montreal rabbi says it's time for action after someone tried to firebomb her synagogue overnight. It's the latest in a wave of attacks on Jewish institutions across the country and comes just days after Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a major address condemning anti-Semitism, a speech that critics argue lacked urgency and concrete plans. Dan Burrett reports. Because of protections we have on the building, the smoke got in, but the fire did not.

Otherwise, we would be having a very, very different story today. Rabbi Lisa Greshko stands in front of a fire-scorched window leading to her office at Temple Emmanuel Best Shalom and Montreal's Westmount neighborhood. Police say late Thursday night, a suspect threw an incendiary device numerous times at the back of the synagogue. Westmount's public safety team and police eventually made an arrest. A 38-year-old man appeared in court charged with arson using explosives with intent to destroy property and wearing a disguise, among other counts. Police say they're not investigating this as a hate crime right now. Posting on X, Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Ananda Sangaree condemned the attack, calling it, quote, absolutely deplorable.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have left Jews across Canada feeling vulnerable. Rabbi Greshko says they're shaken but will carry on. The politicians and law enforcement have to do the rest. That call for political action comes after the Prime Minister said Canada is in a crisis of anti-Semitism. and the country's civil compact is failing Jewish Canadians. On Monday, he announced Ottawa is launching a new faith advisory council to combat hate. Government has a special responsibility to ensure that no culture, faith, race, gender, or identity is threatened or suppressed. But some Jewish leaders argue recognition alone won't solve the problem.

Ida Uden, Vice President of Quebec's Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, says action is needed. Looking at enforcement cases that police bring forward need to be prosecuted. We've called, for example, training of prosecutors in hate crimes so that they understand the cases before them and having special prosecutors appointed to try those cases. Ezra Shankan with the Jewish Federation of British Columbia notes a door at his temple was set on fire almost two years ago to the day. He says he thinks the attack in Montreal is a direct challenge to Mark Carney's speech. And I think this is exactly what they're trying to do right now. is to show that they can continue to attack and harass Jews with impunity. And I'm hoping that we're going to show them that that's not the case.

Back in Montreal, Rabbi Greshko says they will do what they can to protect themselves physically and spiritually. Keep our hearts open and our minds open and our doors open in all the ways that we can. Denver. Dan Burrett, CBC News, Vancouver. The mayor of Cambridge, Ontario is defending her decision to interrupt a teenager during their speech at a pride event this week. The young speaker was criticizing a city councillors' social media post from last year that mocked pronouns. Lisa Xing unpacks the controversy and reaction from the 2S-LGBQ Plus community.

I have experienced many instances of exclusion. Standing at a podium in front of Cambridge, Ontario's City Hall this week, grade 11 student Sophie Mills gave a speech at its flag-raising ceremony for Pride Month. In it, they included their thoughts on a controversy involving a city councillor's Facebook post last year. I have faced transphobia and bullying from my peers in school and from adults outside of school. Like when Ward 6th counselor Adam Cooper shared a transphobic meme, he did not apologize. 40 seconds in, they were interrupted by Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, who took the microphone away. Nor was, I'm not allowing to continue this disrespect.

No. No, can you remove that part for his speech? He's already gone through what he needs to go through. I don't think it's half a call. The reference is to Cambridge councillor Adam Cooper, who in January 2025 posted a meme on Facebook that sparked outrage and referenced U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order ending many policies protecting 2S. LGBTQ plus rights.

It showed a person. with blue hair screaming. Written on it, he took my pronouns. I have to live in reality now. The city's integrity commissioner later found Cooper had violated counsel's code of conduct.

Like taking my voice away from me in a vulnerable position. While Mills continued on with their speech after the interruption, they later reflected on how the incident affected them. I'm being silenced. I'm being censored.

She is an elected official. She's the mayor of a city. I don't have power in that situation. Days after the event, Liggett released a video statement, doubling down on her actions. City events are not intended to serve as venues for demonstrations, protests. Liggett said Mills broke the city's code of conduct which bans disrespectful speech on city property. This is something that I couldn't allow to continue to happen. Anybody who disrespect somebody who is there at the time, I can't let that continue.

Kazerana Walton is the co-founder of Grand River Pride and says Ligot's actions at the ceremony were disappointing. The mayor has shown us that she is not an ally and is not prepared to do the work to become an ally. In recent years, Grand River Pride has hosted its own Pride flag raising, separate from the city. Cozirano Bolton says that will continue in light of the mayor's latest comments. Meanwhile, Mills thinks her response is dismissive and still wants an apology. Lisa Sching, CBC News, Cambridge, Ontario. Three men from England have pleaded guilty in the death of a restaurant owner in Owen Sound, Ontario. Sharif Rahman was assaulted outside his restaurant in 2023 in a dispute over an unpaid bill.

He died in hospital a week later. Marine Ahmed is a local resident who knew ramen and was in the courtroom today. Nobody ever had a problem with him. He was very devoted to his customers. the restaurant, the experiences was lovely. My dad would go there. Everybody had a kind word to say. And, you know, it's really tragic that such a kind man and that he lit up the place that his life was taken so quickly. Robert Evans Jr. pleaded guilty to manslaughter. His father, Robert Evans, senior, and Uncle Barry Evans, pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact for helping Evans Jr. flee to the UK.

The father and uncle have been sentenced to 21 months, which they've already reached due to time served. They will remain in custody until Canada Border Services deports them. Evans Jr. will be sentenced in July. Quebec is moving to ban energy drink sales to kids under 16, sparked by the tragic death of a 15-year-old boy. His parents are fighting for the law after a single energy drink fatally interacted with his ADHD. medication. The bill has gained wide support from doctors, schools, and youth sports leagues.

But as Christine Birak reports, not everyone is in favor. With Quebec's health minister introducing a bill today to ban energy drinks for teens, the Miron family stood by, cautiously taking a breath. I'm relieved,

but it's not over yet. So we're very thankful, grateful for all the work that's been done. Veronica Martinez and David Miron have been channeling their grief into a fight for change. In January 2024, their 15-year-old son, Zachary, suffered a sudden fatal cardiac arrhythmia on a chairlift during a school ski trip. Since then, the Miron family has been pushing for stricter regulations, starting a petition that has gained over 31,000 signatures. It's incredible. So we're very happy, grateful, but we're still waiting for the...

the finish line. To get there, the bill needs unanimous consent to be fast-tracked before next Friday's legislative recess. But, independent conservative MNA, Maite Blanchette, Vezina, is calling for more debate. She met with the Miron family today. Blanchette Vizina says, as a mother herself, she was touched by Zachary's parents,

but she doesn't want to rush the process. She insists that if laws pass too quickly, unintended problems can follow. while industry opponents, including the Canadian beverage association, argue a ban isn't justified by science, noting energy drinks make up only a small fraction of teen caffeine consumption. But advocates for the ban are pushing forward with strong backing from public health officials, schools and youth sports leagues. They are definitely addictive. They are definitely a very little, you know, added value with any value to young people.

Dr. Olivier Drouin is a pediatrician at St. Justin Hospital in Montreal. He says energy drinks pose severe risks to kids developing hearts and brains. We never really add caffeine being consumed by this fragile population whose brain is in development. And so we're seeing, we're learning as we go. But there's both kind of neurological and cardiovascular effect that are significant. The pressure is already prompting voluntary changes. A major pharmacy chain in Quebec and New Brunswick has pulled energy drinks from its shelves entirely. Some teens in Fredericton say it's a smart move.

designs and the colors and the logos. I think they're really trying to attract young people. I don't think that's okay. Personally, I just find they probably shouldn't sell them in like pharmacies and stuff. If past, Quebec would join countries like Norway, Poland, and the UK that already restrict energy drink sales to youth. A vote is expected next week, but any continued opposition could delay the legislation until after Quebec's provincial election in the fall. Christine Beirak, CBC News, Toronto. The International Space Station, as a beacon of global cooperation. But today, tension between the American and Russian space agencies

over increasing air leaks and how to fix them prompted some astronauts on board to prepare for evacuation. Thomas Dagla has more. Station, Houston on Space to Ground 2 for all U.S. crew members. Never in its 27-year history have astronauts aboard the International Space Station had to leave in an emergency. That nearly changed today as NASA mission control told its crew to prepare to evacuate.

Crew Dragon established safe haven. And if we need to suit up, we will do that. Five astronauts moved to the SpaceX crew dragon capsule docked at the station, while their Russian counterparts fixed a worsening leak. Concerns over small cracks in the massive space lab aren't new, but today the air leak rate reportedly doubled, prompting the rare evacuation alert. Former ISS commander Chris Cassidy. It's a procedure that's, that's, that's, that's It's taken very seriously because there's risk to crew and equipment, but more importantly, the crew. And so they always want to put the crew in a place to be the most safe you can be. So that's why the Americans went to the crew dragon on the U.S. side of the space station.

For years, the leaks have been showing up in a section of the ISS that's controlled by Russia's space agency. Today, those cosmonauts reportedly planned to use a saw to break in and patch the leak. But NASA disagreed and sent its crew members to seek shelter. Parts of it are nearly 30 years old and it is getting towards the end of its life. Libby Jackson with the British Science Museum says the ISS is starting to show its age. We expect to see that next generation of commercial space stations fly sometime before the end of this decade. And there will be a transition. And one day the international space station will be deorbited and be no more.

After two hours of sheltering in place today, NASA astronauts were told to return to normal operations. The Russian crew fixed one leak and reportedly held off on plans to patch another until NASA agrees. Pressure laws are the same no matter where. Despite today's drama, U.S. astrobiologist Keith Cowing says the incident could help NASA in planning its upcoming high-profile missions. Every time this happens and we figure out how to deal with it, it's one more thing we know. And we're better equipped to do things on the moon, Mars or elsewhere. As for that space station, the U.S. Congress is considering, a bill that would extend NASA's role, keeping the ISS in orbit until 2032.

Thomas Dagg, CBC News, Toronto. Russian President Vladimir Putin is rejecting an offer from Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, to meet face-to-face. Zelensky made the offer in an open letter, which also included a critique of the Russian leader and taunts about his age. Putin called the letter Boorish and says he sees no point in the meeting. In Albania. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the capital Tirana for a sixth day,

demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. They accuse him of giving an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast to investors, led by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The $1.4 billion resort is near a protected landscape, home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtle nesting sites. Protesters say it isn't good for Albania. Not in favor of us Albanians is destroying the nature. There is no benefit for us in this project.

This is why we are here to give him a clear message that Albania belongs only to Albanians and Albania is not for sale. Activists say they will continue until the plan is stopped. Developers claim they will progress responsibly. Air Canada and WestJet have indefinitely suspended flights to Cuba. The Trump administration has imposed a large-scale oil block on Cuba, plunging the island into its worst economic and energy crisis in recent history. Earlier this year, the airline said they would stop flying to Cuba until the fall,

but that suspension is now extended until further notice. The move also applies to WestJet's subsidiary Sunwing. You're listening to Your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you 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. Five Quebec soccer players have been named the national men's team.

At a time when interest in soccer is at an all-time high in the province. Montreal has gained two new professional teams in as many years, which is spurring on fan support. Sarah Levitt reports on Quebec's growing love for the beautiful game. As Canada's men's national soccer team warms up on the pitch, a few among them say

they're feeling particularly proud. Proud because they're on home soil in Quebec. I'm very happy. This is what I grew up. 22-year-old Nathan Saliba cracked the roster, one of five Quebecers to make the team, six if you count the Brit with a Montrealer as a father. Saliba says the representation from the province is a testament to the development of the sport here.

It shows their talent in here. It shows we're hardworking people, you know, and it shows how much we can make. an impact on the rest of the country. Montreal has been home to MLS team CF Montreal, but in the past year, two new professional teams have launched. Roses FC in the women's Northern Super League and FC Supra in the men's Canadian Premier League.

The beauty of Quebec is there's so many different nationalities. We're very diverse. A lot of the immigrants that come to this province have soccer in their DNA. Among them, midfielder Ismail Kone, who moved to Quebec from Ivory Coast when he was seven. The 23-year-old is set to take part in his second World Cup, having played with the Canadian men's team in 2022. Placentino coached Kone when he was a teenager. He earned everything that he has today is because of himself.

We just gave him the chance to believe in himself. But it's not just love of the sport. There's also been investment in programs and infrastructure. Those on Canada's roster benefiting from that. It's something that when I play, I carry with me. And I think all the Quebecers carry with them. So it's very nice to represent Quebec. Maxim Cretpo, the starting goalkeeper for Canada,

says the World Cup being held at home will no doubt add interest. Is there a bigger or greater window to do so? I don't think so. So we are aware of this. And it's to inspire and to, believe the little boys and little girls of the country to say, hey, man, it's open. We can do it. After taking on Ireland in a friendly match in Montreal, the team gets set to hit soccer's biggest stage.

Sarah Levitts, CBC News, Montreal. Finally, what do you think if I say mermal, mermal, mermal? If you're like millions of Canadians, you will instantly recognize the title and nonsense words in a work by Robert Munch. It's one of the authors nearly 100 books for children. They've been translated into dozens of languages. That's what it sounds like in Toshone, and the Yukon Native Language Center is making these recordings

to help bring that book and others to more indigenous speakers. The center's manager, Kelsey Jaggard, says Munch has encouraged translators to shape his stories in ways that feel authentic to Northern readers. He was really willing and open to help First Nations and indigenous groups have access to his books and translate them. He was really awesome to take whatever your interpretation you want it to be and really just run with it. That openness is key, says Jaggart.

While books like 50 Below Zero and Thomas's Snow Suit already feel right at home in the Yukon, she says experiencing them in indigenous languages helps children see themselves and their culture in the stories. All indigenous languages and the Yukon First Nation languages, they carry the worldview of the people. So a lot of the languages are formed through relationship. They're formed through relationship with the land with each other. And so when you talk about culture and you talk about language,

they can't be separated. This has been Your World Tonight for Friday, June 5th. I'm Stephanie Skandaris. Thank you for being with us. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.