Your World Tonight - Countdown to retaliatory tariffs, Cape Breton flood, school tech pushback, and more

Episode Date: September 7, 2026

There are no talks scheduled as the deadline approaches for Canada to impose a range of countertariffs on products entering this country from the United States. It’s the latest escalation in the trade fight after negotiations hit an impasse.And: A slow-moving weather system has battered Cape Breton, which left thousands without power and dozens of homes cut off.Also: Techlash: some parents say they are frustrated with the amount of screen time kids are getting in school — and the lack of control over their digital footprint.Plus: Far-right party wins in Germany, Amazon cargo plane crash, back-to-school vaccines, and more.

The housing crisis isn't just about housing. It's also about democracy, dignity, identity, security, and who counts and who doesn't. In this year's CBC Massey lectures, housing and human rights expert Leilani Farha explores the rise of Housing Inc. And our collective fight for home. Join us on September 8th at Kerner Hall in Toronto. For information on how to get tickets, go to cbc.ca.ca. Massies. This is a CBC podcast.

I think it's a good move. We have to stand up when there are a bully in front of you. And the tariffs will punish them as much as us. Counter-tariffs Eve. Stiff import levies are sent to hit a range of American goods just past midnight Eastern. The government's plan to retaliate gets the thumbs out from a former Canadian Prime Minister and a suggestion, Ottawa could go even further.

This is your world tonight. I'm Salima Shivji. It's Monday, September 7th, coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the program. As soon as our numbers dip below a certain level, we do start to see these viruses come back and put children at risk. As kids go back to school, there's a push to make sure they have the recommended vaccines.

Health officials warn about the potentially devastating consequences for those who don't have them. And there's also another concern in the classroom, the use of screens. When the clock strikes midnight in Ottawa, Canada strikes back. Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's latest 50% tariffs on goods from here, Canada's dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs will hit more than $27 billion worth of American products. And as Rafi Bujic Canyon tells us, there are expectations for further escalation. At this year's Labor Day March in downtown Toronto, union representatives like Andrea Babington

have set their sights beyond the actions of Canadian companies and governments. Right now, we are facing an unprecedented tariff attack from across the border. The punitive tax is directly threatened our industrial core. In just hours, the federal government is going to announce. It lacked some $27 billion worth of Canadian counter-tariffs on U.S. goods like paper products, furniture, clothing, and other merchandise. A response, it says, to the 50% levies the White House brought in a little more than two weeks ago over a range of Canadian goods covered by Kuzma. The three-way free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. And that happened after talks for a trade deal between Ottawa and Washington collapsed.

We have to see the government's analysis. From Regina, conservative leader Pierre Pallév not saying for now whether he supports Ottawa's latest move. We want to know what this is going to cost and what measures he's taking to offset those costs for Canadians. Back at the Labor Day parade, the NDP's Alvi-Lewis also calling for the federal government to spare a thought for workers. Workers create the value in our economy. They have to be the center of our plans. U.S. President Donald Trump already on the rhetorical offensive before Canada's latest counter-tariffs kick in, with a post on social media showing a map of the entire North American continent in Greenland covered in stars and stripes, and another where he announced there would be no more sales of any products from Canadian aerospace giant bombardier in his country.

While there's no word from Prime Minister Mark Carney's office today, other than a confirmation talks are at a standstill between the two sides, We have to stand up when they're a bully in front of you. Jean-Cretien is vocally endorsing Canada's counterpunch. The former Liberal Prime Minister speaking to CBC News chief correspondent Adrian Arsenault in an interview for the national, suggesting Ottawa should perhaps use another trick up its sleeve. They have excluded oil, gas, electricity, potash, why? Because they need it very badly.

So brass, when they will have to impose an export tax. A lever, the federal government has declined to pull up to now, even as the U.S. has said it would retaliate. Rafi Bucan. On CBC News, Ottawa. Of course, each time either side retaliates, it's their own citizens who pay the price, literally. The cost of those tariffs on some 700 products potentially being added to the bottom lines of manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Nisha Patel has that part of the story. The dresser and the chest of drawers is going to be subject to a 50% tariff. JS furniture, a small furniture and appliance store in Winnipeg, is caught in the crossfire of the trade war.

General manager Brian Kaisa says he imports more than half of his products from the U.S., many will be hit by Canada's counter-tariffs. And I don't want to be the one that's going to phone our customers and say, oh, by the way, this is going to cost. cost more. Kaisa worries he'll lose sales. He hopes American suppliers will absorb some of the tariffs and he plans to cover some of the higher costs too. But eventually, he says he'll have to raise prices. The whole process is very, very confusing and it's scary as well because how do you plan with the volatility that's happening? Canada's counter tariffs will apply to a variety of sectors from steel to dairy to paper. That puts small businesses that rely on those imports from the U.S. in a tough spot, says Dan Kelly,

president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. They are right now cannon fodder in the trade war with the United States. That's not a good feeling. You feel like you're on the front lines. The whole idea behind this retaliation is to make American imports more expensive. Lower demand for those products will hurt U.S. companies and ramp up the political pressure south of the border. Though Kelly worries, the situation could get out of hand. If we get an escalatory scenario happening in the days ahead, this could become much, much worse. Colin Meng, an economics professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, says higher prices could get passed on, though the federal government tried to limit the impact

of counter-tariffs on consumers by choosing products that are widely available from other places. We make refrigerators here in Canada. You can also get South Korean or Chinese refrigerators. so there are other options available for Canadian families. And there could be some benefit for domestic suppliers. That frees up more of the Canadian marketplace for those Canadian manufacturers. So even though they're now unable to sell to the United States because of tariffs, they'll now have an advantage in selling their products here in Canada. Kaysa, the furniture dealer, says he's looking at making changes to his supply chain.

A similar merchandise is more expensive to bring in, even in, Canada just due to some of the raw materials. Yet another difficult decision to make in a constantly changing environment. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. Amid threats from Donald Trump to annex Greenland, the president of the European Commission visited the territory today to sign a partnership agreement. Ursula von der Leyen says the EU wants a greater role in the Arctic,

and she says the bloc stands in solidarity with the people of Greenland. Greenland's future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide. No one else. Territorial integrity, sovereignty, the inviolability of borders. These are fundamental principles of international law. And we know that the Arctic has become one of the places where the tectonic plates of geopolitics collide. So we have a direct stake in what happens here. Vonder Lyons' visit is a sign of the increasing geopolitical importance of the Arctic

to countries like the United States, Russia, China and Canada. Melting ice is opening new shipping routes and making it easier to get at the region's critical minerals. Vonderlion says the Commission will present a new EU Arctic strategy in the fall. Coming right up, taking stock. Work begins in Nova Scotia to repair homes, roads and bridges after a damaging late summer storm. Plus, investigators recover the flight data recorders from the Amazon cargo plane involved in a fatal crash. And later, we'll have this story. I'm Deanna Sumanak Johnson in Toronto.

As the new school year starts, there are new concerns about kids and technology. This time around, it's about tech the students are getting from their schools. I had no opt-out option for her Google account or her name or data that was being stored or shared. The tension between tech and teaching that's coming up on your role tonight. A major cleanup is underway in eastern Nova Scotia following a damaging storm over the weekend. Cape Breton was the hardest hit. More than 200 millimeters of rain led to widespread flooding, washed out roads and bridges. And some communities found themselves completely cut off.

Josh Hoffman brings us the latest. Bulldozers and dump trucks are busy repairing damaged, damaged, roadways from this weekend's major storm. Cleanup continues in many parts of Cape Breton that were battered by torrential downpour and strong winds. Minister of emergency management, Kim Maslin says significant work is needed to fix everything. Just unbelievable, the power of water. A culvert just ripped out of the road. It was incredible. I'm just astounded by the damage. In addition to repairs, Maslin says they're in constant communication with a group of residents in the Port Hawkesbury area who were still stranded due to flooding.

The place that I was today that I mentioned, West Bay Road, that people are cut off there. So they would be about 50 addresses that are there. But throughout the night and last evening, RC&P actually were in. We had members of our regional management operations team there and they were going door to door doing wellness checks, making sure everyone was okay.

Maslin wouldn't say exactly how many people are stranded or how long it will take to get them to safety. A break in the rain on Monday gave some residents a chance to get out of their homes for the first time in days. Ken Leachman lives in the village of St. Peter's, which is about an hour southwest of Sydney. He says he's lived in that area for 20 years and has never seen a storm like that. We were going to go to a funeral on Saturday. It was out in Lewistale. In the way, the road was blocked only five minutes out of town. We couldn't get it any further, so we had to turn around and come back.

The province told CBC News more than 40 roads were damaged in the storm, creating big detours for many residents living in rural Cape Breton. Janet Nordine lives in the small community of River Bourgeois. She says her home isn't damaged, but it's hard to get anywhere. We have to go the opposite way on the 104 here. Instead of going that, we have to go that way to the dirt road that's a little ways up. and then we have to cut across the main highway and come back down into St. Peter's. So it's a bit of a trek.

Provincial officials won't provide a timeline for when the dozens of damaged roads might be repaired, but say crews are working around the clock. In the meantime, Environment Canada is warning about more rain in the forecast for parts of Cape Breton. Josh Hoffman, CBC News, Halifax. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the flight data, and cockpit voice recorders from the Amazon cargo plane that crashed yesterday at Miami's International Airport. Five people were killed in the accident. The NTSB investigation is still in its early stages,

but the head of the organization says the plane skidded about 400 meters past the end of the runway at the airport. And as Philip Lee-Shanock reports, recordings of the ill-fated landing are raising questions. I would describe it in one word of devastating. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman, Jennifer Homandy says debris from the scene of the crash is extensive. And she says the investigation would be lengthy. No conclusions would be released until confirmed, but they have good leads. We were able to recover the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.

Those will be sent to the NTSB headquarters, where the data will be downloaded and evaluated. She also appealed for any photos or videos from the public. Video circulating on the Internet show the Amazon cargo plane landing at Miami International Airport, running off the runway, crossing a busy highway-striking vehicles, and bursting into flames in a parking lot. At least five people were killed, five others injured.

It's surprising at that point they just sit and get up and go around. David McNair is a pilot and former investigator with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. He says the Boeing 767 inbound from Puerto Rico was landing on the shortest runway at Miami International Airport. They were traveling faster than they should have been and were about halfway down the runway. They realize the approach is not going to be successful,

so they go around. But that's the safest thing to do, obviously. It would have been the safest thing to do, to me, seemed like a very obvious option that was not used. He says there were no reports of issues, mechanical or otherwise, from the pilots, but their approach was erratic with sudden dips and shifts, which he says is not unexpected,

given that they were near thunderstorms in the area and winds were changing. So it was a pretty bumpy ride down. It was, you know, making a dramatic descent. Mary Chiavo is a former inspector general with the United States Department of Transportation. She says weather factors and the training and actions of the pilots will be looked at and also the airport itself. The Miami airport is not equipped with a ruster beds, barriers made of lightweight, crushable material at the end of the runway.

They aren't mandatory at Miami because the FAA took the position that there were several hundred feet of space off the end of the runway, and so the arrestor beds weren't required. Will they be now? Well, there's a lot of population around Miami, and I think they should be. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered them installed at more than 120 airports to safely stop planes at the end of a runway. It's estimated 500 lives have been saved in incidents where planes do exit the end of a runway. Philip Lichick-CBC News, Toronto. A somber ceremony at the banks of a still-swollen river as Nepal marks a day of mourning. At least 1,300 people have died and 5,000 are still missing since flooding in late August wiped out entire communities. A huge wall of mud and rock likely triggered by a glacier breaking off.

collapsed into a river on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Soldiers and rescuers are still searching for possible survivors in underground hydropower tunnels. Germany is reflecting the day after an ultra-nationalist party won the most votes in the key state of Saxony-on-Halt. The alternative for Germany Party, or AFD, won almost 44% of the vote and secured 39 of 83 seats. Despite falling just short of a majority, it is the best result for a German far-right party in a major election since the Second World War. The AFD's positions include deporting migrants, closer ties with Russia and banning the pride flag in schools. Lisa Mayer brings us more reaction from Berlin. On the streets of Berlin, thousands gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate to protest the AFD victory in Saxony-Anhalt.

I mean, it's depressing. I never thought it would come so far, to be honest. No, 10 years ago, I thought this would never happen here in Germany. The reverberations of the hard-right parties win in the key East German state being felt in the capital. It's just making me feel scared and powerless because it's a very big movement, and I feel like now it's very hard to stop them. And it has shaken up the post-war consensus that has held in Germany for decades. There are questions about whether the party can form a government, but its leadership is unequivocal. It is a very clear mandate to govern.

It could hardly be any clearer, the AFD leader in that state, Ulrich Zygman said in Berlin today. This is the best result of any party since 1990. The AFD has been designated as far-right extremist in Saxony-Anhalt by Germany's intelligence agency. Its platform includes mass deportations under the banner of remigration, banning pride flags in schools, and demanding an immediate end to military aid for Ukraine. German political parties have long maintained a strict firewall, refusing to work with extremists. But with turnout hitting a historic 78%, that firewall could start crumbling. It's a watershed election. It's not just simply another victory for the RFD, it's more than that.

Political analyst Oliver Lemke said this could mark a change in the politics of Germany. We may see a fundamental shift in the political system, at least in the party system of Germany, with a distinct new role of the RFD. The AFD received more than double the vote share of the incumbent Christian Democratic Union, the party led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. We are all deeply shocked, German Chancellor Friedrich Merritt said in Berlin today.

Yesterday marked a turning point, not only in Saxony-unhalt, but throughout Germany. This election defeat is just another blow to the German chancellor, whose popularity has been declining in Germany. Some, like protester Jür Haas, think that could be a big part of the rise of the AFD. So I would say a significant part of this victory for AFD is the play of Mertz, who has sort of gambled on kind of playing to the right-ring tune,

but then not being able to deliver on it or not willing to deliver it. The AFD said it now plans to speak with individual parliamentary groups and lawmakers to see if they would support the party in a governing coalition in Saxony-on-Halt. Lisa Mayor, CBC News, Berlin. King Charles has issued a letter confirming that Prince Harry and Megan are not working members of the royal family, and they can't use the title Royal Highness. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew back to the UK two weeks ago. The palace released the statement to make clear that relocating back to Britain does not mean a return to royal duties.

Backpacks and lunchboxes aren't the only back-to-school priorities this fall. Public health officials are warning that childhood vaccination rates in Canada are hitting multi-year lows. That puts kids at risk for more than just seasonal bugs. Lauren Pelly reports. It's that time again for backpacks, binders, and all kinds of bugs. Because we know that we can expect coughs and sniffles as kids get back to school. Dr. Vinita Dubay is with Toronto Public Health. She's among the health officials urging Canadian families to get vaccinated.

vaccinated this fall to protect against viruses like COVID, RSV and influenza. We have seen some flu activity in Toronto already, and so as fall ramps in as we get into the winter, you can expect to see more of those bugs that really can make us feel unwell. But it's not just seasonal illnesses medical experts are worried about. The recent resurgence of measles is still a threat, as routine vaccination rates in Canada remain dangerously low. We can see sometimes devastating effects from some of these vaccine preventable infections, and it's just heartbreaking. That's Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer.

Federal figures show just 85% of Canadian 2-year-olds are vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella. A far cry from the 95% threshold needed population-wide to keep measles at bay. As soon as our numbers dip below a certain level, we do start to see these viruses come back and put children. No net risk. Measles causes a rash, flu-like symptoms, and in severe cases, death. Canada lost its official measles elimination status last November and has racked up more than a thousand new cases just this year. Last week, BC's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, warned that province alone has seen dozens more infections in 2026. Of those, we know that 30 people, mostly children who have not been vaccinated, ended up

sick enough that they need it to be in hospital for a time. Here's a great graph, the number of cases of measles. Inside her Saskatoon office, pediatrician Dr. Aisha Kerge points to a chart showing the stunning surge of measles cases in Canada over the last few years. What a huge difference from almost nothing to thousands. She suggests checking with your local doctor or pharmacist to see which vaccines your family is eligible for this fall

and to ask about the measles shot as well. We know that it works. The vaccine is fabulous. One dose is great, two doses is almost perfect. Doctors say it could be the most important thing you add to your kids' back-to-school checklist. Lauren Pelley, CBC News, Toronto. It may be a new school year, but many of the same questions about technology in the classroom are the subject of parental discussions. Many provinces like Quebec and Ontario ban cell phones in the class,

but some parents view devices issued by schools as part of the problem. And some think countries that have turned the page on technology may be getting it right. Deanna Suminac Johnson has that story. Well, we all know the students don't need a Google account to learn. Nova Scotia mom Kim Herrick's oldest child is starting grade too, but she's concerned about the amount of screen time and tech kids get in schools. Herrick, who also works as a supply teacher, says parental consent is never asked when presenting kids with school-issued tech or even asking them to open an email account with a major software company. I was concerned that I wasn't able to delete her Google account and that I had no opt-out option for her Google account or her name or data that was being stored or shared.

Herrick is part of a growing trend, some called TechClash, backed by grassroots groups like skills before screens in Canada or schools beyond screens in the U.S. And celebrity proponents like Hugh Grant. To then have schools say proudly, we give every child an iPad or whatever, is just too much. Their fundamental idea, if we know too much screen time has been linked to poor focus, mental health impacts, even lower performance. on standardized testing, why are kids getting it in school? Some school districts agree.

Sweden and Norway have legislated reducing or eliminating screen time in elementary schools. And in the Los Angeles United School Board, the second largest in the U.S., the new school year starts with much less screens in schools in the youngest grades. But rolling back so-called ed tech is no small feat. For years now, everything in Canadian classrooms from assignments to textbooks, has slowly migrated from page to screen. When people say that we should get rid of phones, we should get rid of technology, I think we're simplifying the issue too much.

Yohannatha and Woodworth teaches at Mount St. Vincent University where he teaches aspiring educators how to integrate technology judiciously into their lectures. Is this integration of technology connected to the curriculum goals and the outcomes that they were trying to do? Because just introducing technology for novelty effect, actually doesn't help those students. Tom Diameco, the recently retired superintendent of the Ottawa Catholic School Board, says educators will have to strike a balance.

I understand the concerns from that subset of parents. There's another set on the other side that want to make sure their children are getting the skills that are needed today and for tomorrow. So the backlash is really helping to make sure it's balanced and focused. As the conversation on kids and technology in schools heats up in preparation for another major disruptor, AI. Deanna Sumanak Johnson, CBC News, Toronto. And finally, so that is Marv, zipping along some rocky terrain in New Brunswick. There's no human on board the four-wheeler, which looks like a large remote control car.

But the technology inside could help save lives. The goal of this vehicle is to have it so it operates an off-road, and you can't put the vehicle in an unsafe condition, such that you would lose control or roll over. That's Ben DeBoer. He's a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and part of the group that spent five years working to create Marv, which is short for multi-actuated research vehicle. It uses math and algorithms to determine the appropriate steering, torque, and brake controls for each wheel. That's potentially a big deal when you consider that about 100 people die in ATV crashes every year. Nearly half of those from rollovers, says Statistics Canada. We're trying to sort of bubble wrap the vehicle electronically. You might say, okay, I want to go 100 kilometers an hour and I'm going to turn super sharp.

And at that point, the vehicle's not going to let you because it knows that that's going to lead to an unsafe condition. It's going to slow you down. It's going to make sure you stay within its stable region of operation. Each wheel is able to simultaneously respond to different terrain conditions. Project Lead and Associate Professor Kush Bubber says that expands the range of, what can be done safely? If you think of the vehicle as being a person, then in such an environment,

it can make choices about how I want to drive on a particular terrain. So if it's driving on, let's see, a multi-terrain environment where two tires are hitting ice and two tires are hitting gravel, it can respond in a way that the vehicle doesn't end up rolling out. Weber says more testing is needed, but he hopes to see it in ATVs on the market within five years. Thanks for being with us. This has been your will tonight for Monday, September 7th. I'm Salima Shivji. Good night. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca slash podcasts.