Your World Tonight - Canada/U.S. trade talks, graduate unemployment, hockey hot in Florida, and more

Episode Date: June 11, 2025

Canada and the U.S. appear to be making progress toward a trade agreement. CBC News and Radio-Canada have learned about a working document outlining details of a potential deal.And: New graduates are facing the worst unemployment rate in (non-pandemic) years. One expert says the numbers are the canary in the coal mine – warning of danger ahead for the entire Canadian economy.Also: It’s a cold weather sport, but hockey is hot in Florida. From kids dreaming of making the NHL, to an increase in adult hockey leagues, interest in the sport is growing. And having a team in the Stanley Cup finals several years running – doesn’t hurt a bit.Plus: Remembering Brian Wilson, protests over immigration crackdowns spread around the U.S., and more.

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This is a CBC podcast. What the president heard he liked. China has agreed to open their markets to the United States. So the president is reviewing the details of that with his trade team now and you'll hear more from him I'm sure. With the White House saying it struck a trade deal with China there are new signs Canada could be next. As officials try to hammer out a deal there is a working document outlining potential terms of an agreement,

signs of progress, but still a work in progress. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, June 11th, coming up on 6 PM Eastern, also on the podcast. When you raid home depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you're not trying to keep anyone safe you're trying to cause fear and panic. With hundreds of people in custody and troops in the

streets the mayor of Los Angeles wants the immigration raids to end and the national guard out but the protests that started in LA are spreading to other cities with the White House warning troops could follow and round round get around I get around yeah get around round round a musical visionary who popularized sunshine surf rock and coped with personal darkness. Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson has died. Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson has died. There is movement in the push for Canada and the U.S. to reach a trade and security deal.

CBC News and Radio Canada have learned Ottawa and Washington are exchanging a document outlining terms of a possible deal. Those sources have warned there's still plenty of work to do before a final deal is reached. Katie Simpson joins us from Washington. Katie, tell us about this document and what's in it. So the talks are now at a point that the teams leading these negotiations

have been sending a document back and forth between Ottawa and Washington, outlining the terms for a possible deal. That is according to three sources with direct knowledge of the situation, speaking to me as well as my colleagues at Radio Canada. A deal has not been finalized and I have been told explicitly,

despite hope that an agreement could be reached before the G7 summit in Alberta next week, that is not expected to be the case. According to one source, the document says Canada will participate in the Golden Dome missile defense system. It is a controversial plan proposed by President Donald Trump that could end up costing hundreds of billions of dollars in total and take years to fully develop. It also highlights Canada's commitments to meeting its NATO defense spending targets, additional investments in Arctic security and the previously announced measures to improve border security along the Canada-US

border. Now, we know Canada is aggressively seeking tariff relief from the Trump administration and it's unclear at this point if Trump will commit to that. The biggest obstacle we're hearing about in this moment, it's that 50% tariff on both steel and aluminum. There are no signs the Trump team is willing to back down or grant Canada any relief there. So where is possible relief then for Canadians hoping to see US tariffs eased on Canadian-made goods? So what I'm being told is there's still a ways to go.

One source tells me that Canada can't just settle for any deal and it might take more time than people had hoped to ensure that there is tariff relief. One thing to keep in mind, the Trump administration has been distracted by the protests in Los Angeles as well as the trade negotiations with China that just took place in the UK. Both sides there saying a deal has been reached with the Americans agreeing to roll back some of the tariffs they have imposed in recent months. Now there is of course the Trump factor in all of this. Negotiations could push ahead and progress is made at lower levels, but it all comes

down to the US president. He is the final decision maker and he is unpredictable, which means nothing is really confirmed until there is something on paper. Katie, thank you. Thanks. The CBC's Katie Simpson in Washington. There is more backlash tonight against the Trump administration to its immigration raids and military deployments in Southern California.

Since Friday, thousands of people have marched in the streets of LA in protest. Now that anger is spreading to other major US cities and so too the forceful response. Paul Hunter reports from Los Angeles. After a night of smaller demonstrations in Los Angeles with a handful of arrests on curfew violations, frustration again from Mayor Karen Bass on all of it. Donald Trump's deployment of the US National Guard, the now looming use of U.S. Marines on the streets of Los Angeles, and those raids targeting undocumented immigrants. We started off by hearing the administration wanted to go after violent felons, gang members, drug dealers. But when you raid home depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and

children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets you're not trying to keep anyone safe you're trying to cause fear and panic. As for the Marines yet to hit the streets Scott Sherman deputy commanding general of the US Army Northern Command says their mandate is strictly protection of federal personnel and federal buildings, but... They're allowed to temporarily detain and wait for law enforcement to come and arrest them. They do not do any arrest. They are strictly there to detain, to wait for law enforcement. With protests against the raids and Trump's use of federal forces now spreading to other cities,

including New York and Atlanta, the Texas governor meanwhile calling in the National Guard, here's the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson. What we have seen in Los Angeles is really not about immigration. This is not about policy. This is about power. We have a tyrant in the White House who has a complete disregard for our Constitution and the dismissing of our democracy. In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth, today grilled by Democrats. Are you prepared to authorize DHS to use drones and also to authorize the police forces to

detain or arrest American citizens? Senator, every authorization we've provided the National Guard and the Marines in Los Angeles is under the authority of the President of the United States is lawful and constitutional. They are assisting in defending law enforcement officers and law enforcement facilities in the execution of their job in the city of Los Angeles. All of it leaving so many here wondering where this goes next, including, with her own theory, the mayor of Los Angeles. I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor.

Again, tonight, a curfew in Los Angeles near those federal buildings as all sides brace. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Los Angeles. He was deaf in one ear, afraid of the water, and didn't surf. Yet his songs became the sound of California summer and redefined pop music. Brian Wilson, leader of the Beach Boys, is dead. His songwriting and studio mastery inspired acts from The Beatles to Bob Dylan, but behind the sunny melodies were deep personal struggles. Ali Chiasan has more on Wilson's life and legacy. with highs that include being the

creator of the sound of the American 60s and lows with addiction and mental health struggles. As music journalist Eric Alper explains, there were times the music would speak for him. I think God Only Knows is one of a song that sounds very whimsical. I think that's as deep as any religious book that has ever been written. Alper says a lot of the magic of the Beach Boys sound is the duality within the songs. So poppy, but at the same time so angsty. Their album Pet Sounds crystallizes that. Here's Wilson speaking to CBC in 2012.

When we did it, we heard back the harmonies on the speakers, just like going back to 1965. Brian kind of reinvented pop music, which is a pretty huge thing. Michael Hollett, president of the North by Northeast Music Festival, says that unique sound inspired countless artists. Perhaps most famously, Paul McCartney. We don't get Sergeant Pepper without pet sounds. The dynamic between the Beatles and the Beach Boys competing, I mean, what that drove and sort of the collateral benefit that we got by that little battle is amazing. Hollett spent an afternoon with Wilson in 2004 when he was playing a show at

Massey Hall and receiving the NOW Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award. And of course that day I saw a lot of what we'll politely refer to as idiosyncrasies, you know, he was very kind, he kept calling me Mr. Hallett, but he invited me to his soundcheck. So I got to see him do soundcheck at Massey Hall and that was a different person. Seeing him in his element, being a bandleader, none of the hesitation, none of the inarticulateness was there. He was completely conversant with his, leading his band. And I had the joy that I can still treasure of him seeing him work on good vibrations. I'm picking up good vibrations. She's giving me the excitation.

Another example of his multitude, but also his magnitude. Not only was he the first vulnerable pop star, and I think that's in the fact that that he allowed his emotions to to go out there. And now his legacy. Ali Chasson, CBC News, Toronto. There's still lots to come on the podcast including Canada's young grads facing a fierce unemployment problem and Canada's North Star sport shines in the southern Sunshine State. With the school year ending, thousands of students across the country are preparing to enter the workforce. But many new grads are discovering in the current economy

finding a job is a full-time job and success isn't easy. The CBC's Jenna Benchitrit has more. To celebrate the class of 2025, let's hear it for them! With cap in hand, Sarah Chung was all smiles on the happy day of her convocation ceremony. But the 23 year old's University of Calgary graduate is aware she's heading into one of the worst youth labor markets in recent history. There's a whole talk about there's a recession coming.

I'm not an economist, but I can also see it as well. For new graduates between 15 and 24 years old, the unemployment rate stands at around 11.2%. It hasn't been this high since the mid-90s. A generation later, and Canada's youngest workers have been served a bad cocktail of economic conditions that could spell trouble for them later on. We've seen over the past few years Canadian youth employment conditions really deteriorate. Economist Brendan Bernard says the labour market has endured a kind of whiplash since the pandemic.

How serious is the labour shortage? Companies went on a hiring spree and the economy regained the jobs it lost, but the workforce had shrunk. The federal government prescribed an immigration boom which led to a rise in the Gen Z and millennial working population. But the appetite for hiring new workers eventually calmed. It was really high coming out of the pandemic,

which probably was never going to last. Other conditions like high inflation and rising interest rates slowed the economy. And just as those crises faded, US tariffs have made some businesses reluctant to hire. Divyan Varna-Kumaran graduates this month with a degree in electrical engineering. He's applied for hundreds of jobs in the last six months with no luck. I wouldn't say I'm pessimistic but I'm really realistic about the situation.

He's applying for jobs that he says he's overqualified for, which Statistics Canada data shows isn't that uncommon among new workers. Most experts agree we aren't technically in a recession yet, But economics professor Miles Korak says joining the workforce during a downturn can lead to something called wage scarring. Long-term earnings prospects are dampened for people graduating during the recession. That's what happened to young workers

after recessions in the early 80s and 90s. Research shows a real decline in their wages for years afterwards. Varna Kumaran doesn't take it personally. Yeah, it is disheartening but at the same time it is because of the market. It's not really me that may be the issue. After four years of studying, he, like all grads, is just hoping for a chance. Jana Benchitrat, CBC News, Toronto. The Saskatchewan government will pay $500 to every adult who had to leave their home in the northern part of the province.

That's more than 10,000 people who've evacuated because of wildfires. Premier Scott Moe says the money is meant as emergency help for affected families. These funds are going to help support families not only through their evacuated time, but going to help support them as they encounter the costs of returning to their home community. Announcement comes the day after the province's ombudsman started an investigation into the wildfire response. Some people forced from their homes will start making their way back tomorrow as conditions improve in the La Ronge area. back tomorrow as conditions improve in the La Ronge area. Communities across Northern Ireland are dealing with a third straight night of anti-immigrant violence.

At the peak of the protests, rioters smashed cars, burned homes and attacked police officers. As Chris Brown reports, it was all sparked by an alleged sexual assault. Two nights of hate-driven violence left parts of Balamina, north of Belfast, on fire and its large immigrant population reeling. Hoodlums threw Molotov cocktails, bricks and anything else they could find, police vehicles. Mourning revealed streets full of broken glass and smashed building facades.

It's not possible to wait to see what's going to happen. I have to save my children. Mika Cole's family moved to Northern Ireland from Bulgaria a decade ago. Their home was among those ransacked and now they're preparing to flee. Ten years we live here and work and pay rent normally. Going to school normally we we never never make problem. The trigger for the rampage was a vigil for the victim of an alleged sexual assault. The two young male suspects arrested for the crime spoke Romanian, which seemed to be all

the mob needed to attack any immigrant, said Ryan Henderson, the assistant police chief constable. It was racist, thuggery, pure and simple. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged calm, in part so authorities can finish their investigation of the sexual assault. It is absolutely vital that the PS and I are given the time they need to investigate the incidents concerned

rather than face mindless attacks. Stop, stop it! Not the point here! The Balamina violence has worrying overtones of the race riots in South Port England in the summer of 2024, which followed the stabbing deaths of three girls at a dance class. Anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK has been surging and police say they're worried the violence in Balamina could spread, prompting some families to put British flags outside their homes to show the nationality of those inside. Jackson Minford is the town's mayor.

Ballymena has a large American population. We need those people to be not feared, not scared of living in this town. Meanwhile, as a precaution, the Assistant Chief Constable says officers from all over the UK are being brought in to beef up resources. We're taking steps to increase available resources and are surging a significant number of extra officers, vehicles and equipment to those areas where the rioting is taking place. Northern Ireland has its own already volatile political dynamic, which is adding to the anxiety. For decades the conflict between Catholics and Protestants known as the Troubles ripped communities apart. There's fear this new violence could unsettle what's been a relatively long-standing peace. Chris Brown, CBC News, London.

It's a minimum nine billion dollar commitment. This week Canada pledged to increase military spending this year to meet the NATO target of 2% of GDP. But while Canada is trying to catch up, others are moving ahead. One of those countries is Sweden. Emma Godmeier has a look at its push to go further, faster. It's a bit scary, but it's just something you have to do. And I think everybody who is here is ready to do everything they can for this country. Eunice Thunel is wrapping up his final week

of mandatory military training. In the start, I didn't want to come to the military. Sweden reintroduced conscription in 2017 in the face of growing threats. Every 18-year-old in the country has to fill out paperwork for the draft. Last year, 8,000 young men and women were picked for basic training. In five years, that number will increase to 10,000. I love it now.

It changed my perspective of the military completely, I would say. Ramping up recruitment is just one part of the country's massive military push. Sweden went from neutral to a NATO member in 2024, and now it's putting its money where its membership is. In the last four years, Sweden's defense investments has doubled. And politicians repeat it often. Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,

Sweden spent 1.4% of its GDP on the military, roughly where Canada is now. The Swedes are now slated to hit 2.4 percent this year, and they're eager to go further. We aim to be able to agree at the Hague summit to the defense spending target of 5 percent. Victoria Jörg Malmö is defense policy director at the Swedish Ministry of Defense. There is very much an awareness that Europe has under invested for many years. We are now taking responsibility and we are expecting other allies to do the same. That 5% target once pitched by US

President Donald Trump, now pushed by NATO's Secretary General, is actively supported by the newest member of the military alliance. We need to have that understanding that we do need to, all of us, Europe and Canada to increase our defense spending in order to be able to meet the threat that is posed primarily by Russia.

Back at Conscript Training, Eunice Thunel encourages young Swedes to actively join the country's expanding ranks. You learn a lot. I think everybody should at least try to be selected. He even has a suggestion for allies, too. The Canadians at home, do your military service. That military support is likely sharpened by the potential military threat.

Russia lies just across the Baltic Sea from Sweden and NATO's European allies are gripped by unchecked Russian aggression, a concern expected to dominate the Alliance's highly anticipated summit in just two weeks. Emma Godmeier, CBC News, Stockholm. A jury has reached a mixed verdict on three charges against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. He is being retried for sex crimes in New York and has been found guilty on one charge and acquitted of another. Jurors have not been able to reach a verdict on a third. They will continue to deliberate tomorrow. Weinstein was originally convicted five years ago, seen

as pivotal for the MeToo movement that conviction was overturned last year. 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. It is one of the more surprising hockey stats in recent years. Nothing to do with goals, but geography. The past six Stanley Cup finals have involved a team from Florida. The Panthers are there again taking on the Edmonton Oilers, and the success of those pro teams is helping

to grow the sport at the grassroots level. Julia Wong has more on a hockey boom in the Sunshine State. Dozens of kids racing onto the ice. 10-year-old John DiPaolo among them all taking part in the South Florida hockey camp. I really like teamwork. I like that you pass and you can build relationships with everybody. The chilly rink where DiPaulo practices is a stark contrast from the hot and humid climate where he lives. Here, palm trees are everywhere and temperatures often soar to more than 30 degrees Celsius.

It's really cool and since I play in a rink if there's ever like bad weather I can still come to the games. DePaulo is one of a growing number of South Floridians embracing the game. Carlos Freitas is general manager at Palm Beach Skate Zone which runs hockey programs for kids and adults. In the last 20 years has been a big change. Freitas is originally from Toronto. He says when the business first opened, it had six adult teams and 20 kids who played hockey. Now there are 55 adult teams and more than 500 kids enrolled.

It's just great to see. I really love it. Freitas admits Florida isn't a typical hotbed for hockey. He says there are a few things helping it grow. You can play hockey in the morning and go to beach in the afternoon. Ocean waves and suntans aside, Freitas points to the success of the Florida Panthers. First half here, scores, he's got another. The team is in its third straight Stanley Cup final.

The Panthers Foundation runs a learn to play program for kids. Vice President John Colombo says normally the program sees about 750 kids. This year there were 1,000. The hunger for the game has grown tremendously. You see more Panthers gear out here now than you've ever seen before. Crowds at pubs are growing too. Kaitlyn Gross, the general manager at Connelllly's Sports Bar and Grill, says the local community bar gets packed during NHL playoffs, second only to football.

It's nice to have different sports. Hockey is a different vibe. I think it's important. Diversity in sports and everything else is important. Interest is increasing in adult hockey leagues too. Jean-Paul Saint-Germain says in four years the league he runs has expanded to six teams. Because of the weather and because of there's so many things to do that you would think that maybe ice hockey wouldn't be as popular as it is down here. Once I guess you start to really dig into it,

you realize that the hockey community down here is quite a large group. A group that now includes DiPaolo, who hopes to go pro one day and play for his hometown team. But he says he would play for any club, even if other kids here don't get his passion. They always tell me I'm not really going to get anywhere because nobody really likes it. All my friends are like big soccer people and baseball people, but I don't really care. I just want to keep doing what I like. Helping to grow Canada's winter sport even more in the Sunshine State. Julia Wong, CBC News, Lake Worth, Florida. Finally tonight from a winter sport in the Sunshine State

to a record-breaking summer at the Canadian Swimming Trials. She has never been out that fast before. Summer, other than the current world record holder, is the next fastest in history and will tonight she become the fastest ever to swim the 200 butterfly. History was all summer Macintosh was chasing last night in Victoria. The superstar swimmer was way ahead of the pack, competing in her first major meet

since winning three gold medals at the Paris Olympics. The 200-meter butterfly is one of her strongest events and a special one. Her mother Jill swam the race in the 1984 Olympics. The event also has what's considered the sport's most untouchable world record set by a Chinese swimmer in 2009 who was using one of those full-body swimsuits that was banned a year later for providing an unfair advantage. Five meters left to go. That marked 201.81.

She's going to be just over. It was a Canadian record, but McIntosh just missed the world record by less than half a second. Still she says coming that close is something to be proud of. It's definitely my favorite event and part of the reason why is because my mom used to swim in. Overall I just love the race but yeah she definitely knows how fast 202 is. Some people that don't know swimming as well probably think oh like she missed the world record maybe she won't be happy but I'm absolutely thrilled with that time.

It may help that before last night's race, McIntosh had already made history at the trials, breaking two world records and one other Canadian record. And at just 18 years old, there is likely much more to come. Thank you for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for Wednesday, June 11th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.