Your World Tonight - Carney on CUSMA, Ring of Fire deal, horse herpes, and more

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump hasn't suggested he will walk away from the North American free trade deal. But the U.S. trade representative has suggested Trump is willing to just throw out the deal signed during Trump’s first term. Carney says they talked earlier this month about timelines for renewing and renegotiating CUSMA.And: Ottawa and Ontario have agreed it’s time to significantly speed up approvals for infrastructure projects. They're dropping federal impact assessments altogether, and leaving them in the province’s hands. And hoping projects — like mining in the Ring of Fire — will get up and running more quickly.Also: It’s highly contagious, and can be fatal. So ranch and farm owners in the U.S. and Canada are taking measures to protect their animals from EHV — also known as horse herpes.Plus: More Epstein file pictures, the effect of atmospheric rivers, the future of Ontario’s Marineland, and more.

Okay, so there's this new play about the Rogers family and their battle for control over the gigantic telecom empire, and I cannot stop thinking about it. I'm Alameen Abdul-Mahmoud. I host a pop culture show called Commotion. This week, we're talking about Rogers v. Rogers, and on the show, we'll get into what this corporate story actually tells us about our national mythology and why Canadian theater audiences are craving more and more homegrown stories. Find and follow Commotion on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. We're unlikely, given the time horizons coming together to have a sectoral agreement, although if the United States wants to come back on that, we're always ready there. We're very ready. Mark Carney, ready, willing, and able to make a deal with the United States.

But with negotiations stalled, the Prime Minister says tariff talk will likely have have to wait for next year's Kusma review. And in the meantime, he's not budging on U.S. demands. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, December 18th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. A true milestone on our mission to unleash our economy, create jobs, and build nation-building projects. Circling in on the ring of fire. In an effort to create jobs, speed up the development of Northern Ontario mines and other major projects, the province and the federal government agreed to streamline the approval process. Plus, if the names are actually shown and not redacted, I do believe the public will be very surprised.

A new batch of Jeffrey Epstein photographs released as American officials race against the deadline to make the files public. Any hopes of Canada getting a holiday tariff deal from the United States can be put on hold. The Prime Minister today says tariffs could be around until summer. Yesterday, the White House revealed its wish list for the future of North American free trade. Olivia Stefanovic is in Ottawa with more. We've been clear about our approach to supply management. We continue to stand by that. Minister Mark Carney holding his ground

amid new White House demands to renew the Canada-US-Mexico agreement known as Kuzma. It's a negotiation. Each side has a set of issues. In a report to Congress released Wednesday evening, U.S. trade representative Jameson Greer issued a series of Kuzma conditions on Canada, including better market access

for American dairy products and addressing provincial bans on U.S. alcohol, something Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he isn't prepared to do just yet. When the Prime Minister and President Trump come up with a great deal for both countries, we'd be more than happy to bring in some maybe Kentucky bourbon. But until then, we're going to hold off. It turns out, Carney says he was close to signing a deal with the U.S. to lower sectoral tariffs in October.

But he says President Donald Trump backed out when Ontario, released anti-tariff TV ads featuring former Republican president Ronald Reagan. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. At a joint news conference in Ottawa with Carney, Ford defended the commercials. Number one, that was the best ad that suffered and run, 12.4 billion views. As Carney rolled his eyes and laughed at the Premier's comment, negotiations between Canada and the U.S. haven't yet restarted. judgment is that that is now going to roll into the broader Kuzma negotiations. Meaning it could take months before punishing levies are lifted on Canadian steel, aluminum

lumber, and autos, though Karni insists he's eager for relief. We have lots to do. We're ready to sit down on the weekend, negotiate any weekend, anytime. Let me ask you what you understand Donald Trump's position on Kusma to be right now. In a year-end interview, Karnie told. CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, Trump hasn't threatened ending the trilateral deal. Did he say the deal is dead? I'm ripping it up. What indications did you get? He did not say any of those things.

But Carney did say there's an expectation that Mexico and Canada will have to make adjustments. How much will be determined when Kuzma is reviewed over the course of the next year. Olivia Estefanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. As the Prime Minister waits for trade. talks to ramp up, he says he's keeping busy with his top domestic priority. Today he signed a deal with Ontario aimed at speeding up nation-building projects, including one in the province's resource-rich north that for years has stirred interest and controversy. Philip Lee Shanock

reports. It has the critical minerals the world needs and wants. Ads paid for by the Ontario government paint the ring of fire as the solution to the provinces and all of Canada's problems. We need to get these critical minerals out of the ground. Geologists say the area about 500 kilometers north of Thunder Bay is rich with chromite, cobalt, nickel, and copper, needed for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. Premier Doug Ford says an agreement signed with Ottawa will reap the benefits faster. And when President Trump is taking direct aim at our economy every second counts. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the agreement will mean approvals that involve labor standards, indigenous consultations, and environmental assessments will only need

to be done. You have the province of Ontario doing their job. The federal government over here doing our job, but again in sequence, and next thing you know, it's eight or ten years. Carney says federal obligations to recognize existing treaty rights of indigenous people will be respected. Trying to fast track this process is probably going to cause more problems than it's going to solve. Keith Brooks is with environmental defense. He's concerned about one set of approvals for Ring of Fire projects. He says Ontario has fast-tracked developments by loosening environmental protections. The province's Bill 5 passed in June gives the government sweeping approval powers in special economic zones.

There is a constitutional obligation for the federal government to consult First Nations. And the province does not actually have that same constitutional obligation. We really do need the federal government to step in here. Along with streamlining the approval, the government, approval's process for these special economic zones, the Ontario government is trying to get legal action from several treaty nine first nations dismissed. Ten communities filed a lawsuit in 2023, accusing Ontario and the federal governments of breaching their treaty rights and threatening their way of life over development in the ring of fire. June Black is chief of the

Abitibi and Nishnabak nation. This is our sacred responsibility. And we expect Canada to honor that. Black says that requires free prior and informed consent of the rights holders of the land. Ford says he already has agreements with three First Nations in the ring of fire and more are coming. He expects approval soon under the new process in time to break ground on an access road by the summer. Fulti-Shanock, CBC News, Toronto. More political turmoil in Quebec as health minister Christian Dubet says he's leaving cabinet and his party.

Dubay says in a statement, he's not the right person to continue negotiations with family doctors. The Coalition Avenié Quebec government passed Bill 2 in late October that changes how doctors are compensated. The union representing the doctors has been pushing back hard.

Earlier this month, the government announced it would delay the implementation of the law while negotiations continued. Dubet says he will now sit as an independent. And the Quebec Liberal Party is looking for a leader. Pablo Rodriguez made it official this morning, announcing his resignation. A growing chorus of liberals had been calling on him to step down

amid new allegations of campaign donation fraud. Rodriguez denies any wrongdoing but says he wants to do what's right for the party. I took this decision solely out of a sense of duty for my party. for my party, which I sincerely love for Quebec and for my country. The Quebec Liberal Party is bigger than any of us. It has weather storms. It has risen time and time again, and it will rise again. Coming right up, a new release of Jeffrey Epstein images,

a day before a much wider disclosure is expected and Australia's government criticized for ignoring warnings ahead of a deadly terror attack. Later, we'll have this story. A massive property in a prime location near one of Canada's greatest landmarks. Marine land in Niagara Falls is closed to the public and crumbling. Now, residents want something to replace the former amusement park and zoo.

It makes me really sad because I see it sitting empty and I feel like we could use that space for something really good. I'm Lisa Sching in Niagara Falls. Coming up on your world tonight, why 30 whales still living in the park pose a major challenge for potential developers. Democrats in the U.S. have released more images from Jeffrey Epstein's estate.

Tomorrow, the Justice Department is supposed to release investigative files related to the late sex offender. The latest images include photos of high-profile associates, screenshots of text messages, but there's not much context and still plenty of questions. Paul Hunter has more from Washington. It's been really challenging as the photos drop. London, Ontario, Charlene Rochard, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein on previous photos from the Epstein estate, today more. And they're as unsettling as they are reminders that there is still much to be learned about Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes. Released by Democrats, one photo shows a woman's bare foot with a handwritten

passage on it from the book Lolita, about a middle-aged man's sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. Others show more passages from the same book written on a woman's chest, neck, and spine. There are photos of passports, apparently of women from around the world. There's a screenshot of a text exchange. I have a friend. She sent me some girls today, it reads, but she asks a thousand dollars per girl. Maybe someone will be good for Jay. All of the photos, dozens of them, are from Jeffrey Epstein's estate given to lawmakers investigating the U.S. government's handling of aspects of the Epstein case, made public now a day before a deadline for the U.S. Department of Justice to release all of its files on Epstein, who was found dead in a

a prison cell in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial. My name is Charlene Rochard. As a bill to force the release of all documents was voted upon last month, Rochard stood on Capitol Hill with other survivors of Epstein's abuse pressing for the bill to be passed. Our pain is real. Rochard telling CBC News today, they're all now bracing for what might be in the files,

from fresh details of Epstein's crimes to potentially names of others who may be connected. If the names are actually shown and not redacted, I do believe the public will be very surprised. There are so many people that were involved in this. All of it casting political shadows in America, as U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to resist the release before signing off on it under pressure. A one-time friend of Epstein, there's been no suggestion Trump did anything wrong with him. But the president, along with others, such as former President Bill Clinton, and billionaire Bill Gates have been seen in some of the Epstein photos released by Democrats, though again, none showing anything untoward.

Republicans have slammed the released photos as Democratic cherry-picking. As for the files expected from the U.S. Justice Department, said Democratic Senator Dick Durbin today... This administration has gone to the greatest possible political links to conceal this information from the American people. There must be something awful in there. Deadline for the release, Sometime tomorrow. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington.

Donald Trump says Ukraine needs to move more quickly if it wants a peace deal. Trump said during a press conference, every time Ukraine takes too long, Russia changes its mind. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was in Brussels meeting with European leaders. He says the U.S. is the decision maker that can stop the war. I really count on pressure from the United States. and now the United States more mediating, it's true, it's through them mediating between us. But I really wanted very much the more steps pressuring Russia because I think that Putin doesn't want to stop this war,

but he can if United States will pressure more. Australia's government is making changes after Sunday's deadly terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration. The country's prime minister is introducing new laws to combat anti-Semitism and hate speech. But as Sasha Petrissik reports, Australian Jews say the measures are coming too late and the government should have listened to earlier warnings. The memorials continue on Bandai Beach,

with songs, flowers, and much grief. Tears two at funeral processions for those shot on Sunday. a rabbi and a 10-year-old girl, among others. We're a very innocent children. It's just appalling. It's a horror show. Sydney's Jewish community is furious over what it sees as inaction by the Australian government to tackle anti-Semitism.

Mourner Chana Friedman. Why haven't you listened to us? We've been saying it. It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now promising a quick response, including laws against hate speech. A package of legislative reforms to crack down on those who spread hate, division and radicalisation. But on the streets of Sydney, opinion is divided. I think that it's very necessary.

Lots of support for action, but also worry of a knee-jerk reaction. Kate Chalker. I think if the government rolls anything out, too quickly. They will end up in a position where they isolate other members of the community. Mehti Bukhari says laws have to protect everyone. Hate speech overall is something that should not be tolerated, not just anti-Semitism. I think Islamophobia as well. The government is also proposing tougher gun control laws to prevent people like the two accused gunmen from legally owning multiple guns. Australia enacted sweeping legislation

limiting firearms 30 years ago. In the wake of another mass shooting, one that saw 35 people killed in Tasmania's Port Arthur. Australia is very much not on board with the right to bear arms. Now groups like gun control Australia say it's time to tighten loopholes, group president, Tim Quinn. There's a lot of people that have a lot of guns, and those are very unnecessary in a place that value.

their public safety. For Australians, he says, Bondi Beach has become a powerful new symbol of the devastation guns can bring. Sasha Petrusik, CBC News, Toronto. 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. British Columbia could face more flooding in the days ahead. The forecast is calling for heavy rain, wind, and snow. The province is still recovering from several powerful storm systems. They're known as atmospheric rivers, which scientists warn are becoming stronger. Yasmin Renéya explains. We cannot keep umbrellas on the shelves right now.

Shawna Hookfelder, owner of an umbrella warehouse that supplies hundreds of stores in BC's lower mainland, says a long stretch of rain has new customers pouring in. Our sales reps are driving around in vans, filled with merchandise, loading up the racks, trying to keep Vancouverites dry. Heavy showers have battered the South Coast for more than a week, bringing in a total of about 15 centimeters in the hardest hit. areas. These storms are also known as atmospheric rivers, large narrow streams of water vapor that travel through the sky. They can stretch on for kilometers. As the rivers move through mountainous regions like the BC coast, the vapor condenses into precipitation, sometimes dumping a month's worth of rain or snow in a matter of days. Amospheric rivers are a very natural feature that occurs in Western Canada. Jennifer Smith, a meteorologist,

with Environment Canada says they are critical in helping Canada maintain its water supply, helping avoid a constant state of drought. But they can be problematic. When they stall for too long or they're too strong of a system or we do get repeated ones in succession. That's what happened in recent days across swaths of BC. Multiple atmospheric rivers triggering local states of emergency and evacuation orders for hundreds of people, damaging homes and businesses and killing livestock. And before that, in 2021, they were responsible for billions of dollars in flood damage in BC.

We have seen an overall increase in the number of atmospheric rivers in Western Canada. Environment Canada research scientist Nathan Gillett says climate change is fueling these storms and will make them more frequent on the West Coast. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor and so, That is a signature of climate change on Canada's climate that we are starting to see and we expect to intensify going forward. Elise LaGarth is studying the impacts of atmospheric rivers at the University of British Columbia. She says the province needs to be prepared.

There needs to be a lot of planning and redesigning of infrastructure. So our bridges, our dams can accommodate greater flood levels. As the climate changes and flooding risks grow, experts say BC will have to adapt to what could be the new normal. Yasmir Ranea, CBC News, Vancouver. A highly contagious virus has been making horses sick. Mostly in the U.S., some cases in Canada too. EHV is a respiratory illness that can sometimes be more serious, even fatal.

Helena Mahalek tells us what Canadian stables are doing to prevent the disease from spreading. Spraying down the stables at Wheatfield-Soul Equestrian Center outside North Battleford, Saskatchewan, manager Breanne Fokt says she disinfects with bleach multiple times a week. Anything that a horse that doesn't live here has touched, we would sanitize down. Other equine facilities and horse breeders are also upping their sanitizing measures, trying to stop the spread of equine herpes virus, commonly known as E.HV. We quarantine horses when they come in, so they know...

EHV isn't a new disease. It's more commonly found in the United States. Last month, it was detected in Red Deer, Alberta. And before that, in the spring, two cases were reported in Saskatchewan. If there were more cases locally and stuff, we would consider closing down to travel altogether. Experts say the disease is common in younger horses, especially those traveling for shows, where they can be exposed to other horses carrying the virus. And once they're infected, they carry it forever. But if properly treated, horses can be cured in two weeks

of symptoms such as fever, runny nose, and swollen lymph nodes. But testing is critical, because without it, there's no way to know if a horse has the more serious, neurological version of EHV. Every time we have the neurological form, I think people are maybe reminded of the concerns of this virus, that it can show up in a more deadly way than it typically does. Stephanie Smith is the chief veterinary officer with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

She says those preventative measures are essential, especially considering there are currently 47 neurological cases in the U.S. Sometimes though those animals do require euthanasia, if the damage to their neurological system is so great that they aren't able to swallow or move around appropriately. Smith says it's likely there are more cases of, EHV going undetected. Like I said, because typically we see this

as a very mild respiratory illness, most people aren't running out to ask their vet to test for this. He is cute. He's a good boy. Hi, buddy. Brian Fokt says that she has horses from other provinces coming to her facility weekly. Still, Fokt remains cautiously

optimistic and says breeders in the prairies have done a good job of protecting against the disease. And make sure that hopefully it doesn't come and if it does that we'll get less severe cases here. Foked hopes that as more awareness grows about EHV, that other equine breeders and facilities take the same precautions as she has to prevent more cases in the prairies.

Helena Mahalik, CBC News, North Battleford, Saskatchewan. It is a large and valuable piece of land, not far from one of Canada's most popular tourist attractions. But the marine land amusement park in Niagara Falls is now abandoned, except for the beluga whales still on site. There is no plan for the property, and residents say it's time to find a solution that works for animals and the community.

Lisa Xing reports. Even in a deep freeze, Niagara Falls draws visitors millions a year. About a five-minute drive down the road is a massive property, about 400 hectares, home to marine land, a former theme park and zoo, now shuttered to the public. I mean, how valuable is property like that? Oh my goodness, it is huge.

Local real estate agent Shelby Tomlinson says the future of the site is often discussed among friends and neighbors. And every time I drive by, it makes me really sad because I see it sitting empty and I feel like we could use that space for something really good. At a local diner, almost everyone has an opinion about the property. After all, for close to 60 years, it was a major driver of the local economy. Many have a personal connection, including Vince Forte. Yeah, I worked there for two summers growing up. I think they should do something to give the residents or the kids of Niagara Falls jobs like it used to do for us. But giving marine land a new future isn't so straightforward.

There are still animals there, like 30 beluga whales, the legacy of changing public sentiment towards animals in captivity used for entertainment. But we're kind of caught in between what it used to be and what it's going to be. The mayor of Niagara Falls, Jim Diodati, no illusions about the challenge these animals pose to any potential buyer. I regularly meet with proponents that would be potentially interested in buying the property and converting it and investing significantly, but they're all scared off by the liability of the creatures. The problem is they would not survive if released in the wild. Any proposed sanctuary could be a long time away

and may not be able to accommodate all of them. So what we see is the best option and the most humane and compassionate option is to keep the whales close to home. Leah Caruso is the chief experience and chief marketing officer of NAP Capital Management, a New Jersey-based investment company that wants to build a $4 billion entertainment complex on the site, including hotels, casinos, and a sanctuary for the marine mammals, the roughly $2 million a month needed to feed and care for them, funded by a data center. That would fund annual operations for the sanctuary. fund the staff. But the company says talks with the province have stalled. This week, Ontario

Premier Doug Ford said he's open to proposals and working with marine land. They want to come in and put an offer to Ontario. Well, we'll look at it. But a project of this size will need zoning, permits and approvals from multiple levels of government. And without everyone on the same page, the future of the land and its animals is still uncertain. Lisa Shane, CBC News, Niagara Falls, Ontario. We end tonight in Montreal with a group of Santas and some little helpers who delivered gifts but may have landed on the naughty list. So no injuries were reported at that time and there's still no arrestation regarding this event. Officer Joanne-Nie Charlan says Montreal police are investigating after there arose such a clatter on Monday night.

About 40 people stormed a metro grocery store. disguised in Santa and elf costumes. They filled up their shopping carts with about $3,000 worth of food and then, a way they all flew without paying. Later that night, the stolen items reappeared in gift bags under a Christmas tree in a nearby plaza. A Robin Hood-inspired activist group is claiming responsibility. In a social media post, it said as Canadians are struggling to afford food,

supermarket chains are raising prices and making huge, huge profits. A spokesperson for Metro says theft, for any reason, is unacceptable and criminal. She adds that in 2025, Metro donated more than a million dollars to food banks and provided millions more in food donations. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight. For Thursday, December 18th, I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC.ca.com slash podcasts.