Your World Tonight - Food insecurity grows in Canada, Kirk suspect charged, Freeland steps down, and more

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

Food insecurity is up in Canada. That means more people don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or how much food they will be able to afford.And: Leaving the cabinet, leaving elected politics… Chrystia Freeland says it’s time for her to seek fresh challenges. That means a cabinet shuffle, just over a month before budget day. We’ll have the details on what’s next.Also: The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk has been charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and five other charges. Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.Plus: UN backed inquiry declares genocide in Gaza, Radio-Canada journalist suspended for antisemitic remarks, immigration experts say AI could be leading to more rejections, Robert Redford dies, and more.

Did you know that it was once illegal to shop on Sundays? That's true for when I was born. I remember this, and I'm not that old. I'm not, okay? Leave me alone. Anyway, I'm Phelan Johnson, and I host See You in Court, a new podcast about the cases that changed Canada and the ordinary people who drove that change. From the drugstore owner who defied the Lord's Day, to the migma man who defended his treaty right to fish, to the gay teacher who got fired and fought back. Find and follow, see you in court, wherever you get your. your podcasts. This is a CBC podcast. I had to cut back a number of years ago when I was put on disability.

Small-scale meals, being content with hot dogs and stuff like that. Cost of living is uncomfortable. Canada's affordability crisis getting harder and harder to stomach, with rising inflation pushing up prices at the grocery store, millions of Canadians aren't getting enough to eat and more communities are declaring emergencies fed up with food insecurity and looking for help. Welcome to your world tonight. I'm Susan Bonner.

It is Tuesday, September 16th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. Christia is a valuable member of this team, but more importantly, she's a dear friend. I've had the good fortune of serving with Christia for 10 years, and she's been a role model and a leader in caucus. Her actions helped trigger the last federal election, but Christia Freeland won't run in the next one. In a surprise move, the high-profile liberal is stepping down as minister, leaving Cabinet for a role in the effort to rebuild Ukraine. And later...

I think I might have an engine failure. I'm landing at a soccer field. I don't... There are people, though. The stunning emergency landing in the middle of Canada's largest city. It's a dilemma facing people across the country, an empty stomach or an empty wallet. New economic data show year-over-year inflation is up nearly 2%. It's a smaller jump than predicted, helped by lower gas prices.

But the cost of groceries continues to rise, especially meat. And it comes with new warnings about food insecurity in Canada, as more households worry about running low or even running out. Colin Butler reports. At this grocery store in London, Ontario, shoppers' budgets are tighter than ever. Cost of living is uncomfortable, difficult. Greg Cowie depends on disability benefits to put food on the table. After rent, he's left with $300 a month for food, making every trip a careful balancing act. Small-scale meals, being content with hot dogs and stuff like that. But I had to cut back

number of years ago when I was put on disability. Tight budgets like his are now a reality for millions of Canadians. Food insecurity is surging nationwide. One in four households struggles to pay for groceries. We're seeing the horrific stats play out on the ground. Neil Hetherington is CEO of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. He says the issue of feeding families is being overshadowed in the political chaos. Unemployment had been historically rather good for the past number of years. Yet Food Bank usage was rising dramatically. In the past year, seven Ontario cities from Toronto to Cochran have declared hunger emergencies. Aurelia is the latest. Nearly one in three households there struggles to afford groceries.

Our neighbors, our fellow employees are not able to afford the food they need to live a happy, successful life. Chris Peacock is the executive director of the Sharing Place Food Center in Aurelia. We need action and we need it now. And so this declaration is a great example of what we're going to be. we need to do to truly create awareness, develop true strategies that will solve these problems. But the issue of food poverty didn't happen overnight. Experts say it's the result of years of growing economic pressure and systemic neglect.

Food insecurity is a problem that's been festering in Canada for years. Professor Valerie Tarasuk studies food insecurity at the University of Toronto. She says political parties have been talking kitchen table politics for years, but none have actually addressed what's on Canadian families' place. Both the Kearney government and the opposition have been silent on this topic. So, you know, this is a problem that isn't going to fix itself. Families, seniors, and children across Canada are struggling to pay for what they eat. Food bank visits have doubled in five years, and every trip to the grocery store now is a reminder.

Paying for groceries is still a daily struggle for too many Canadians. Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario. While the Prime Minister is being asked to find a fix for rising food prices, he's also looking to fill a big hole left in his government. Christia Freeland says she is resigning from Cabinet and eventually as a member of Parliament. Tom Perry has more on her departure and next steps. Prime Minister Mark Carney,

walking past reporters alongside Christia Freeland at the end of what would be her last cabinet meeting. Freeland announcing today she's stepping down as a minister and won't run in the next election. I've had the good fortune of serving with Christia for 10 years and she's been a role model and a leader in caucus. Liberal colleagues like Ontario MP James Maloney were quick to sing Freeland's praises.

Freeland was known as Justin Trudeau's Minister of Everything, taking on tough files as foreign affairs minister, deputy prime minister, and minister of finance. It was in that role that Freeland first resigned from cabinet last December, a move that hastened Trudeau's decision to step down. New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan says taking down Trudeau will always be part of Freeland's legacy. I think Canadians will remember that. I think liberals will remember that to be sure. As foreign affairs minister, Freeland helped negotiate a new North America Free Trade Agreement during Donald Trump's first term, that, despite Trump taking a deep dislike to her, something the U.S. President trotted out once again in May during a meeting with Carney at the Oval Office.

I won't say this about Mark, but I didn't like his predecessor. I didn't like a person that worked. She was terrible, actually. She was a terrible person. Freeland, on the other hand, got on famously with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the two forging an unlikely friendship over trade talks. Yeah, she's always a friend. I talk to her almost daily and bye daily and she's a good person and she'll do a great job over in Ukraine and I support her all the way. The Prime Minister has asked Freeland to take on a new role as Canada's special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Freeland, who comes from Ukrainian roots, has been a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war against the Ukrainian people. This is not the behavior of a superpower. This

is the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy. Freeland's duties as Transport Minister and Minister of Internal Trade are being taken on by other members of Cabinet. Freeland today thanked the Prime Minister and underlined she's not leaving to spend more time with her family or because the burden of office has become too great to bear, saying now is simply the right time to make way for others and seek new challenges. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa. The government will table the federal budget November 4th. It's the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Finance Minister Francois-Philippe-Champin says Canada needs to lower its spending, but also invest more. I'm not sugar-coating anything. I've said this is going to be a generational investment. We're going to have to make tough choices. We're going to be asking from Canadians to work together with us because they understand this is a transformational moment. This is nothing like business as usual. Opposition leader Pierre Poliyev accuses the liberals of doubling the deficit with no plan to rein in spending.

Coming right up, the man accused in the killing of American activist Charlie Kirk is formally charged with murder and could face the death penalty. And as Israeli troops push into Gaza City, a UN-backed investigation concludes genocide is being committed against Palestinians. Later, we'll have this story. A Hollywood star who lit up the screen in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. What's the matter with you? I can't swim! Robert Redford was the Golden Boy.

So many of his movies, he played somebody who was sort of an outsider, but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in. Today, the 89-year-old actor, producer, director, and activist passed away at his home in Utah. I'm Magde Gepra Salase. I'll have more on the tributes that are rolling in. Authorities in Utah are seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing the right-wing American commentator Charlie Kirk. They revealed a list of charges along with new details in the investigation. And Katie Simpson has the latest from Washington. The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy.

The Utah County attorney, Jeff Gray, stood in front of reporters outlining the case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, confirming that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is facing seven charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering, alleging the suspect had been planning the attack for about a week, alleging that he tried to destroy incriminating evidence, and alleging he targeted Kirk at a public event, knowing children would be there to witness the violence. press conference, I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. Gray read from a series of text messages he says were between Robinson and his roommate, who had become his romantic partner and is undergoing a male-to-female gender transition.

According to Gray, Robinson directed the roommate to look under a computer keyboard where he'd left a note, saying he'd seized the opportunity to take out Kirk. Roommate, you weren't the one who did it, right? Robinson. I am. I am. I'm sorry. Roommate. Why? Robinson, I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. Kirk was a leader within Donald Trump's MAGA movement, advocating for conservative viewpoints opposed to transgender rights. Robinson's mother told police her son had become more political over the past year, adopting more pro-2S-LGBQ plus positions as he started dating his partner. Authorities also say Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the murder weapon, a rifle, they say, was given to him by his grandfather.

Most of the violence is on the left. In the wake of Kirk's murder, Donald Trump is vowing to crack down on left-wing organizations. He claims fund political violence, even though there's nothing to suggest that's a factor in this specific investigation. He's also backing a push to limit hate speech, after some on social media celebrated Kirk's death. When asked by a reporter about it, the president lashed out. We'll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly.

It's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. The president's response to Kirk's murder continues to draw criticism, including from Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, who was targeted in an arson attack earlier this year. Unfortunately some, from the dark corners of the internet, all the way to the Oval Office, want to cherry-pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn. Political divisions in the U.S. remain raw,

as this investigation now makes its way through the court system. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. An independent UN-commissioned panel says Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It came to the conclusion after studying nearly two years of deaths, displacement, and famine that have followed the Hamas, October 7th, attack on Israel. Chris Brown has more on the report's findings and Israel's emphatic rejection as its military pushes deeper into Gaza's largest city.

On the same day, Israel announced its ground invasion of Gaza's city is underway. A UN-commissioned inquiry says Israel is committing genocide. Navi Palais is the inquiry chair. The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a moral. outrage and a legal emergency. Member states must act now. The panel of experts say the scale of civilian deaths, including more than 18,000 children killed, the deliberate blocking of aid, repeated forced displacements, and the destruction of a fertility clinic for Palestinians all adds up to genocide. The panel says it looked at open source information, interviewed

witnesses, victims, and doctors, and concluded Israel's most senior leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are directly responsible. Chris Sidoti is a commissioner. These deaths are not accidents. They are not collateral damage. They are the direct consequence of a military strategy of saturation bombing and scorched earth. Israel categorically rejects...

Israeli officials dispute Gaza's death toll and the figures from Hamas. Today they condemn the inquiry's findings as lies. Danielle Moran is Israel's ambassador to the U.N. The report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others. In Tel Aviv, other Israelis also rejected the conclusions. Meitav Levi is 19 years old. Because what's happening in Gaza currently isn't a genocide.

Nobody's trying to get rid of the Palestinians. We're actually trying to get rid of Hamas, which are only doing worse to the Palestinians. Outside Gaza City, Palestinians watched a long percentage. of displaced families fleeing the incoming Israeli offensive, some with all of their possessions, piled on carts or on top of vehicles. Several said the UN report is coming too late to change anything for them. Where is the decision to arrest Netanyahu? said Muhammad Ali. Why haven't they arrested him yet? What are they waiting for? The IDF says their goal is to kill Hamas's remaining

fighters and to free Israeli hostages, although within the IDF there are reportedly grave doubts about the ground operation. The panel does not officially speak for the United Nations, which has not officially used the term genocide, but is under pressure to do so. The widespread horror at Israel's conduct in Gaza has pushed some European nations to impose arms embargoes and threaten cultural boycotts. Netanyahu has said Israelis need to prepare themselves for more isolation as he's not changing course. Chris Brown, CBC News, London. The CBC's French Language Network Radio Canada has suspended one of its correspondence indefinitely for what the public broadcaster calls anti-Semitic, erroneous and harmful allegations.

Rafi Bujicanian reports. How does it and how explain you that the On a flagship Radio Canada TV newscast, an anchor asks correspondent Elisa Serre how it is that the U.S. administration has such a hard time distancing itself from Israel. My comprehension is the cell of several analysts. Serre cites unnamed analysts. It's Israelis, in fact,

the Jews who finance much the politics American. Says Israelis, in fact, Jews finance American politics and run Hollywood. It was clear that it was not something. that was appropriate in any space, but certainly on our national broadcaster. Ita Udin is with the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs. She says the advocacy organization received immediate complaints as the segment aired on Monday. Look, it's 2025.

I think we expect more from the world around us than what we're seeing. Anti-Semitism is at an all-time high. UdN says the comments are particularly egregious in light of hate crimes targeting Jews rising in this country. And then we see an interview. where something so clearly over the line, something that really feeds into the oldest anti-Semitic tropes is stated and normalized on air. In a statement, Radio Canada said Ceres' allegations

against Jewish communities regarding U.S. policy in the Middle East were stereotypical anti-Semitic, erroneous and harmful. It also said the comments violated CBC Radio Canada's journalistic standards and practices, relieved CERA over duties until further notice, and apologize to viewers and the Jewish community. We have seen in the numbers a profound rise of anti-Semitism in this country. Patty Haidu is the Minister of Jobs and Families. I mean, you know, people need to feel safe in their communities,

and anti-Semitism has no place in our public narrative. Her counterparts in charge of the Heritage Department, Canadian identity minister Stephen Giebeau says in a statement the words used in last night's broadcast were pernicious anti-Semitic tropes and have absolutely no place on Canadian airwaves. While adding, the government does not and should never interfere in the decisions of the public broadcaster. Conservative deputy leader, Melissa Lansman, says in a social media post that Canadians deserve better than excuses and carefully worded apologies, calling on CERA to be fired. Rafi Biducan, CBC News, Orwa.

Tarrantial rains led to floods and landslides in several parts of northern India today, including in the northeastern Manipur state. Two main rivers swelled, submerging houses in several villages. Meanwhile, a landslide hit Shimla City in the Himalayan foothills, which caused extensive damage to properties. Several other states, such as Punjab, have faced severe floods this year. Floods and landslides are common during monsoon season, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity,

and impact. People applying to immigrate to Canada say they are seeing some unusual responses from officials, and they're wondering if their files are being fully reviewed by actual human beings. As Shana Luck tells us, the odd replies are raising suspicion about using technology to handle important documents. What is actually being looked at? Mario Belisimo has decades of experience putting together complicated immigration applications, But lately, he's become concerned. He says, for example, one of his client's applications was rejected because it didn't have a birth certificate attached.

The problem, he says, it did. Belissimo says this type of thing is happening often enough that he thinks technology designed for faster processing means things are getting missed. It does not instill the confidence we need in an immigration system to foster a belief that we are processing applicants in a fair and transparent manner. Belissimo isn't alone. In an open letter last month, the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association wrote it's seeing an increase in decisions that aren't meaningful or well-reasoned. They're calling for better oversight of the department's use of tech. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, says it has introduced a machine learning-based tool that sorts files according to complexity. Another tool was developed to simplify how cases are displayed and to allow officers to examine, review, or approve multiple cases at a time. That's particularly concerning to Vancouver immigration lawyer Will Tao. I think that this bulk and blanket treatment of individuals definitely has had a negative impact on the system.

In a statement, the IRCC says its tools do not issue refusals or recommend refusals. Those decisions are made by humans based on their own review. Annie Baudouin began her career at IRCC in 2004. She says by the time she retired in 2018, there was much more pressure to process files faster. There are currently more than 900,000 cases backlogged. The officer have a lot of pressure to do a lot of decision extremely fast, and that's when these problems occur. After retiring, Baudouin began a business as an immigration consultant. She acts for Chani-Ajwani and Jay Dave, a Canadian citizen and an Indian citizen who married in 2023.

Their spousal sponsorship application is expected to take some time, so he applied for a visitor visa. Ashwani was upset when their visa application was rejected for lack of funds and there was no mention of their relationship. Like Belisimo, Baudouin questioned whether there was a full review of their file. The couples say they both submitted proof of good incomes. There was anger. I'm not going to lie. After they asked for their case to be re-examined, IRCC changed its decision. Shana Luck, CBC News, Halifax.

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. He was a legendary leading man and one of Hollywood's biggest stars, a climate activist and a champion of independent films. Tonight, the show business world is mourning Robert Redford. He died today at his Utah home at age 89.

Magda Gabra Salase has more on Redford's life and career. You can trust me, you know that. He was a classic Hollywood heartthrob, a seasoned actor, producer, director, and activist. But for Robert Redford, fame wasn't always written in the stars. The idea of being an actor had never been in his game plan. Born in Santa Monica in 1937, his skills on the baseball field, landed him a college scholarship. But after flunking out, he pursued the life of an artist.

Michael Feene Callan, who wrote an authorized biography on Redford, heard all about it from the source. He wanted to be a painter and came to France and Italy and literally sat in his streets trying to sell paintings. And by, as he would say, by osmosis, celebrity happened to him. He enrolled in drama school and took to the stage, making it all the way to Broadway by 1950. A few years later, the film world came calling.

You finally noticed. This is him in Barefoot in the Park with Jane Fonda. Then in 1969, came his big breakthrough role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring alongside Paul Newman. What's the matter with you? I can't swim. Diving into many romantic lead roles, he broke hearts in the way we were with Barbara Streisand

and charmed his way in indecent. proposal. Would you mind lending me your wife? Sean Means is a longtime film critic in Utah. He interviewed Redford many times about his many roles. Robert Redford was the golden boy. He was depicted either as the person of privilege or he was depicted as the rebel. So many of his movies, he played somebody who was sort of an outsider looking in, but with the stunning good looks that he could fit in. Or stand out, getting political in films like all the president's men about the Watergate scandal that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon's resignation. He wasn't afraid to speak up in real life, too, as a climate activist. But first and foremost, he was an artist, winning an Oscar

for directing ordinary people. Shogun Odulowu, an American entertainment journalist, also speaks to Redford's legacy as the founder of the Sundance Institute and Film Festival. supporting independent films. He felt that art could not only change but could actually be the catalyst for change and that's what he saw doing with Sundance. Fredford's publicist says he passed away in his home in the mountains of Utah

surrounded by those he loved. Today, Meryl Streep, his co-star from out of Africa, released a statement saying one of the lions has passed. Magde Gebera Salas's CBC News, Toronto. We close tonight in the skies above Toronto. It was 8 o'clock last night, clear conditions, good visibility, and a light breeze out of the south. Ex-regulled traffic, about 11 o'clock, 3 miles northbound down in Starr, 2000.

It was smooth flying. Air traffic control at Toronto's Island Airport was guiding in a small passenger plane, cleared for what appeared to be a routine landing until... A city center. I think I might have an engine failure. There. Extra golf, Charlie. Can you make it to the airport?

Negative. There were only three people on board the four-seater, Piper Cherokee aircraft, but down below, a city of millions. Engine failure high above the heart of Toronto, with the pilot staying calm while searching for somewhere to land in a dense urban area. Oh, okay, tower. I'm not exactly seeing anywhere to land here. Extra golf, Charlie, can you make it, you find a little bit? make it, maybe find a highway or a street that's being very busy or a park or something?

I am looking. Like my garage? I'm landing at a soccer field. I don't. There are people, though. Okay, can you just maybe find the gap with no people? That was the last radio contact with the pilot, heading for an emergency landing in a soccer field with a match underway,

and somehow the plane came down between the bleachers and a storage shed without hurting a single person, including the people on board. So we ran over from there, being this other guy, and they were just getting out of the plane, just coming out of the plane. They were fine. She was so worried about her friends. I said, did you run out of fuel or anything like that? She said, I don't know, the engine just stopped.

She was amazing, like she really was. Witnesses were stunned. They're calling it a miracle. The aircraft belongs to a Toronto flight club. In a statement, the company's CEO says when engine failures happen, the most important factor is pilot competence. And in this case, the emergency landing was executed with great proficiency and focus. Thank you for joining us on your world tonight for Tuesday, September 16th.

I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. CBC Podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.