Your World Tonight - Hockey players not guilty, mine workers trapped, Hulk Hogan dead, and mislabeled groceries

Episode Date: July 24, 2025

The judge in the trial of five former Team Canada hockey players has ruled they are not guilty of sexual assault. In her reasoning, she said the victim’s testimony was “not credible or reliable.��And: The company that runs the Red Chris mine in B.C. says work has begun to dig out three workers trapped behind 30 metres of debris. Newmont Corp. says specialized drones are assessing the conditions underground.Also: Some big grocery stores are being accused of selling food marked “Canadian” – that isn’t. A CBC investigation found multiple instances of products with a misleading maple leaf.Plus: Hulk Hogan has died. Hogan helped lead professional wrestling's rise in popularity in the 1980s and beyond, liver damage from alcohol doubles in U.S. study, Canada’s trade negotiators downplaying the possibility of reaching a deal with the U.S. by August 1, and more.

You sailed beyond the horizon in search of an island scrubbed from every map You battled crackens and navigated through storms Your spades struck the lid of a long-lost treasure chest While you cooked a lasagna There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover bestselling adventure stories on Audible. This is a CBC Podcast. The public narrative of this event was, until this trial, one sided and untested.

Now the criminal process has shown it to be false. The worst possible outcome is to feel disbelieved. It's a gutting experience. That's why today's verdict is so devastating. The long-awaited judge's decision after an alleged sexual assault, years of controversy, and the high profile trial of five hockey players that became a cultural face-off over consent and the culture of Canada's game.

Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Angie Sepp. It is Thursday, July 24th, coming up on 6pm Eastern, also on the podcast. If you're standing there, the whole thing is choked off of debris and it's going to take considerable effort to remove that material. Hours are turning into days for three mine workers trapped beneath meters of rubble and rock underground in a remote northern British Columbia mine, cut off from communication as crews try to dig a rescue tunnel.

And... Everybody knows that hulking mania is the strongest force in this universe. He became much bigger than the pro wrestling business, which is really rare. The powerful wrestling star who lifted the sport to new heights. Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. Five former World Junior Hockey players have all been found not guilty of sexual assault. They were accused in a 2018 incident involving a woman in London, Ontario. The case attracted national attention and scrutiny on the players themselves and the

sport they play. Karen Pauls was in the courtroom today to hear the judge's decisions. She has her top story tonight. In a trial full of emotion and polarization, supporters of the complainant, E.M., being confronted by those supporting the players, Michael McLeod, Alex Formonton, Carter Hart, Dylan Dubay, and Cal Foote. Inside the courtroom, an audible sigh of relief and some tears from family members when Justice Maria Carasio said she didn't find EM's testimony

credible or reliable and that the Crown did not prove its case. In her analysis Carasio went through a list of examples where EM gave inconsistent or contradictory testimony where she filled her gaps of memory with assumptions and made a distinction between quote her truth and the truth. The Crown has 30 days to file a notice of appeal but would have to prove a significant error in the judge's legal reasoning and that that reasoning led to the acquittals. We want to thank EM for coming forward and for her strength in participating in this process. After court, Assistant Crown Attorney Megan Cunningham said they will review the decision,

adding the Crown's goal was to see a fair trial for all parties. A fair trial is one where decisions are made based on the evidence and the law, not on stereotypes and assumptions. Very disappointed with the verdict. Karen Ballemer is EM's civil lawyer. The woman at the center of this case was watching the court proceedings by VideoLink. When a person summons the courage to disclose their story, the worst possible outcome is to feel disbelieved.

It's a gutting experience that no one deserves. David Humphrey, the lawyer from Michael McCloud, says his client welcomes the decisions as a resounding vindication. Humphrey said EM's civil lawsuit in 2022 has shaped the public narrative around this case for years. The Hockey Canada settlement decision made unilaterally without the players' knowledge.

Had they been consulted, they would have refused to settle and they would have vigorously contested EM's allegations. That version of events dominated headlines and created the lasting and a false impression of guilt. It was only through this criminal trial that the allegations were fully and finally tested. The decision means the men are free to get on with their lives. There's no word yet if Hockey Canada will reinstate their privileges. The players are banned from all Hockey Canada events and programs. As well, four of the players had NHL contracts and were not re-signed by their teams when they were charged. Many will be watching to see if they can rehabilitate their hockey careers. Karen Pauls, CBC News, London.

Drones and remote controlled heavy diggers are underground in northern BC. They're trying to open an escape path for three trapped drillers. They've been there since a rockfall sealed the exit on Tuesday. The company says they are in a safe area but there's no communication. The CBC's Lindsay Duncombe is near the Redcris copper mine located 500 kilometers north of Prince George. So Lindsay, what can you tell us about the progress of the rescue effort? Well we have seen and heard helicopters flying around the entrance to the mine. The rescue crews are actually based at Newmont's Bruce Jack facility. That's an underground mine. It's about a couple

hours away. This rescue is high-tech work. There are specialized drones. They're assessing the area. A remote control scoop is removing the debris. And we know more about just how challenging that is. Duane Tennant is a geotechnical engineer. He's with the University of British Columbia. He describes the situation this way. If the pile of debris is seven to eight meters high that's likely the height of the original tunnel so you can imagine if you're standing there the whole thing is choked off of debris and it's going to take considerable effort to remove that material. So hearing about what he's saying there what more

can you tell us about what happened Lindsay? Well there are two operations on site here. There is the open pit mine and then there's this new underground site. That's where the two separate rock falls occurred on Tuesday morning. These workers were preparing for an expansion that's set to open at the mine in the next three years. And we are expecting to hear from the global head of safety for Newmont later today. We are going to ask some questions about events and what operations at the opening

in relation to what had happened at the exploratory facility. The drillers were in contact initially, we understand, but then were cut off. Has there been any word since? Not as far as we know. The latest information Now, the drillers were in contact initially, we understand, but then were cut off. Has there been any word since? Not as far as we know. The latest communication from the mine this

morning was that they were trying to reestablish communication. And I have to say, I am right now standing in the rain on the side of a highway on a satellite phone. It is very difficult to communicate right now. This is a remote area. We is very difficult to communicate right now. This is a remote area.

We are experiencing or part of what appears to be a large star link out or star links not working, which is something a lot of people rely on. So it is unclear if that would have any effect on the operations. We do know that they are trying to reach the workers who are

trapped and as far as we know they have not yet had any communication. Lindsay thank you for this. You're welcome. That's CBC's Lindsay Dunkholm near the Red Chris Copper Mine in northwestern BC. I'm Angie Seth. Coming up on the podcast, Canadian shoppers reading the fine print and finding out some products advertised as domestic are actually American. Plus, he was one of the most iconic figures inside and outside of the ring, remembering the life and legacy of the Hulkster. Those stories and more coming up on Your World Tonight.

Like a lot of businesses, this country's big grocers have been all in on that buy Canadian trend letting consumers know what products and produce are domestically supplied. But a CBC News investigation has discovered dozens of cases of maple leaf branded goods that have American origins. Sophia Harris has the exclusive details. I will actively avoid buying products from the United States. Stacey Deneen cuts up strawberries fresh from a farm in Ontario, the same province where she lives.

Deneen is all in on the Buy Canadian movement, especially for food, but she loses her appetite when it's mislabeled, like broccoli advertised at her local Sobe's as a product of Canada. Woohoo! I was pretty excited. Except that when I picked it up and read the tag, the tag shows product of USA. That frustrates me. It makes me feel misled. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in the past eight and a half months, the agency has identified 29 complaint-driven cases involving country of origin claims for food where companies violated the rules. The CFIA says most of the cases involve bulk produce sold in stores.

CBC News went shopping in downtown Toronto and found several cases where grocers provided conflicting information in the produce section like packaged fresh blueberries at a Sobe store advertised as product of Canada but the packaging stated product of USA. Food economist Mike von Massow says that doesn't add up. That's mislabeled that's false advertising right that that's not consistent. At a Loblaw own noills, the signage for packaged fresh strawberries included pictures of red maple leaves and a prepared in Canada declaration. But the packaging said, product of USA. After CBC News reached out to LaBla about this, the signage was gone.

Why would you put a maple leaf on a product that very clearly is imported? Beyond the produce aisle, both Deneen and CBC discovered signage for raw imported almonds at Sobe's stores that included a red maple leaf and a Made in Canada declaration. But according to Von Massow, We don't grow almonds in this country. Those should not meet the Made in Canada threshold. Sobe's didn't answer questions about the almonds, but the grocer and Loblaw told CBC News they strive for accurate country of origin signage. But that mistakes can happen

when managing large inventories and frequently changing suppliers. I think it is still possible to make mistakes because where it comes from can change on a week-to-week basis. Canadian isn't just in our name. But food labeling expert Mary Labbe says some big grocers are spending big money on patriotic TV ads and have had enough time to iron out the wrinkles.

Just having a marketing campaign without having the correct information behind the scenes really, I think, doesn't disservice all consumers. As for Deneen, it just erodes the trust. She'll keep checking the fine print to make sure she knows where her food is coming from. Sophia Harris, CBC News, Toronto. Well, most people know drinking alcohol isn't good for you, but new research suggests it may be more dangerous than previously believed. It's destroying the livers of more and more people according to the latest stats. And experts say changing what's on bottles and cans could help

drinkers limit the harm caused by what's inside. More now from CBC health reporter Christine Birak. It's not like I drank so much that it matters. Leaving a downtown Toronto liquor store we asked shoppers how many servings of alcohol they're buying. I don't know actually I'm curious now. It's one of the most common things unfortunately when I see a new patient and we diagnose them with cirrhosis from alcohol and they say well I don't drink that much.

Dr. Brian Lee co-authored some dramatic newly published research. It suggests who's doing the drinking matters. The study tracked roughly 44,000 American adults from 1999 to 2020. It found among those drinking the equivalent of three glasses of wine a day, rates of serious liver damage more than doubled and nearly tripled in those aged 35 to 65. Dr. Lee says the rise may be related to the shifting demographics of drinkers, including higher consumption among women, older adults, people with lower incomes, and those with metabolic conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure.

It should really be a wake-up call, not only for doctors, but really the lay public, about understanding what the risk of liver disease is based off of your alcohol consumption. So somebody might think, oh well it's just a small can and you know it's no different than a beer but it may have triple the alcohol percentage that a regular beer does. So in theory that one small can is like drinking three beer. Dr. Jennifer Fleming is a liver specialist and associate professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Guidance from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction says three to six standard drinks per week increases your risk of developing several types of cancer. In general, a bottle of wine, if you consume a bottle of wine, that has usually about seven

standard drinks in it. Dr. Fleming says a standard drink is about 13 grams of alcohol. Health Canada says that's roughly a bottle of beer, a 5% can of cider or a shot of liquor. However, drinks on store shelves don't list grams of alcohol or how many standard servings they contain. Some European countries are now working to add that information to labels. In addition to all of this, you know, there's a lot more beverages that have high sugar content these days and sugar is equally damaging to the liver as is alcohol and if you actually look at alcohol sales sales of beer and wine are decreasing whereas sales of coolers and ciders are

increasing. She points out that liquor based cocktails can be deceptively strong leading people to drink more than they realize which is why doctors say Canada needs new labeling and a new easy way for people to calculate their consumption so they can hopefully lower it. Christine Birak, CBC News, Toronto. Hope appears to be fading that Canada and the US will reach a trade agreement before August 1st. That's a date Donald Trump has targeted with more tariffs on Canadian exports. After another round of meetings in Washington,

Canadian officials say they're making progress, but aren't making any promises. Katie Simpson breaks down where things stand. Hi Katie. Hi, how are you? Well, thank you. The Canadian Trade Delegation led by Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Capitol Hill as part of the urgent push

for a new trade and security agreement. And after yet another meeting with an American lawmaker, LeBlanc did not seem particularly optimistic. We're going to continue to do the difficult work and take the time necessary until the Prime Minister decides that the deal that's on the table is the best deal we can get. So we've made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us. Over the course of two days of meetings LeBlanc spent time with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick who is leading negotiations on behalf of President Donald Trump. The Canadian delegation

also met with Republican senators who have a good relationship with Trump including Tim Scott of South Carolina and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, an effort to make Canada's case and learn more about what Trump's team is thinking. Trump announced an August 1st deadline to reach a new deal with Canada or else border security tariffs will increase from 25% to 35%, though exemptions for KUSMA-compliant goods will continue. I wish that I could say it feels good that this is all going to be taken care of before the 1st of August but I'm not sensing that.

It's an uphill battle for Canada according to Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski even though Trump appears to be in a deal-making mood. Framework agreements with Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines have been announced with Secretary Lutnick saying another deal is close. Well, the EU really, really, really wants to make a deal. Trump appears to be focusing on countries that do not have trade agreements with the U.S. in the same way Canada does, with Lutnick previously suggesting Canada is better positioned than others because of the existing free trade agreement and the tariff car votes the U.S.

has granted. We have a plan called USMCA, US-Mexico-Canada agreement. Virtually 75% of all goods coming from Mexico and Canada already come in tariff free. Still, the exemptions do not apply to all goods or aspects of the auto sector or to steel and aluminum. Canada's ambassador to the US, Ken Hillman saying supports for those industries could help buy Canada more time at the negotiating table. Some of the measures that have been taken including in steel last week are designed to help us have the room that we need to get where we need to go. Despite all the pessimism, LeBlanc returns to Washington next week

for a final round of talks before that August 1st deadline. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington. A top U.S. Justice Department official and former lawyer to Donald Trump met with Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice, Helene Maxwell, today at a Florida courthouse. It's part of a push by the Trump administration to contain pressure over the sealed Epstein files. Chris Reyes has more from New York. Todd Blanch, second in command at the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, met with convicted sex offender and longtime girlfriend of Jeffrey

Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, at a federal courthouse in Florida today. Maxwell's attorney, David Marcus, said this after the meeting. He took a full day and asked a lot of questions and Ms. Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped. She never invoked a privilege. She never declined to answer. The meeting is the latest move from the Trump administration to quell demands for the release of the Epstein documents, a move that former federal prosecutor Mitchell Epner says is highly unusual from a legal perspective. It is extraordinarily unusual for the Department of Justice to announce in advance that it

is going to be meeting with a potential cooperator. It is equally rare for the Deputy Attorney General, somebody at that level, to be the person leading the discussions with a potential cooperator. The meeting comes after a judge denied the DOJ's request to unseal grand jury testimony from the Epstein case, a case that never went to trial because Epstein died in prison. The request was made after backlash over a memo issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month announcing that no additional information from the case will be released to the public.

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego said he's not surprised many in Trump's base felt betrayed by the decision. He campaigns as a man of the people when it comes down to it, he is a servant of the powerful and the elite. He built a movement claiming to fight those same elites and now he is protecting them every way possible. On Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to subpoena the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files and to call on Maxwell to a deposition hearing.

Republican Congressman James Comer is part of the House committee that cast the vote. We're moving very quickly on everything we're doing right now. August 11th is the date when we hope to depose Maxwell in that prison facility in Tallahassee. Republican representative Ralph Norman says it's clear only full transparency will satisfy the public. You'd have to have your head in the sand to say that this is going to go away. It's not. The public deserves it.

No matter the outcome, the Trump administration making a show that they're trying to get the documents released. Chris Reyes, CBC News, New York. Israeli and U.S. negotiators have left Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Whitkoff says the latest response from Hamas shows it doesn't want to reach a ceasefire. Hamas says it will only release the hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war.

Israel, meantime, says Hamas must give up power and disarm. For the people on the ground in Gaza, the slow pace of diplomacy is having catastrophic consequences. United Nations spokesperson Farhan Haq says there's simply not enough food. More than one million children are bearing the brunt of deepening starvation and malnutrition, with reports of death from malnutrition increasing by the day. In the first two weeks of July, nearly 5,000 of the 56,000 children under the age of five who were screened for malnutrition in the Gaza, Dar al-Bala and Khan Unis gardenerates were found to be acutely malnourished. This is a staggering 9% rate. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron says

France will recognize a Palestinian state. Macron says he will formally make an announcement at the United Nations in September. He was a legend of pro wrestling, a shirt-ripping, show-stopping pop culture icon. Hulk Hogan has died. For decades, the mustachioed muscle man ruled the world of sports entertainment and will be remembered as a man who lived as a hero and at times a heel, inside the ring and out. Nisha Patel has his story. He is the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion, Hulk Hogan. Even if you weren't a wrestling fan, you knew his name.

And what you gonna do when Hulkamania and the largest arms in the world run wild on you? Hulk Hogan, with his trademark handlebar mustache, imposing physique and booming voice, was one of sports entertainment's most recognizable celebrities. Hogan was born Terry Bulea in 1953. He quickly dominated the professional wrestling world in the 1980s and was widely credited with boosting its mainstream appeal. Wrestling historian Greg Oliver. He had charisma, he had presence.

To know that he's gone, it just feels like there's a huge void in my childhood. Hogan was also a superstar outside the wrestling ring, expanding into TV and films, making a splash in Rocky III. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from The Rock to Macho Man Randy Savage to Andre the Giant. Look at this! He's got standing! I don't believe it! Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, but Oliver says his career was not without controversy. The thing about Hulk is we quickly learned that he had a lot of trouble telling the truth.

If you read his first autobiography and then his second, it's full of all kinds of holes. He loved to make up stories. In 2015 a tape of him making racist comments emerged and his contract with WWE was terminated. He also became a favorite of the MAGA base publicly endorsing Donald Trump on the campaign trail. So the last few appearances that he made in WWF TV he got booed and he was not ready for that. He thought he was bigger than the business. He thought he was bigger than society in many ways. Authorities responded to calls of a cardiac arrest this morning at Hogan's Florida home. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at the age of 71. His sudden loss was

stunning and tributes poured in on social media. Legendary wrestler Ric Flair couldn't contain his emotion while speaking to entertainment outlet TMZ. People always wanted to paint us as enemies but we were actually very, very close friends. They have this happiness. It's adorable. There's no denying that Hulk Hogan will live on in his big moments in the wrestling ring remembered by millions of fans. I've seen the little Hulkamaniacs that train in the prayers of vitamins. They're gonna live forever.

Hulkamania's gonna live forever. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. And we end off tonight with a Canadian rocker, victim of a theft decades ago and the search for lost guitar. Kim Mitchell has played a lot of guitars over his career, but he's never forgotten the sound of one in particular. Long before hits like Go for Soda and Patio Lanterns, before his Juneau Awards, Mitchell played a 1963

Gretsch, a gift from his father. It's a very, very special guitar to Kim Mitchell. I mean, when you're a teenager and you're starting to learn to play the guitar, that guitar is so deeply important to you. Musician, historian and writer Bob Wagner says Mitchell told him the guitar had the best sound he's ever heard, but Mitchell hasn't heard it since 1975, when it was stolen after a gig Mitchell played with his band, Max Webster, in Hamilton, Ontario. We've been looking for it for 50 years. Well, I got it back.

Searching for long lost musical instruments is having a moment right now. Last year Paul McCartney found his Huffner bass after a long global search. Randy Bachman was united with his stolen guitar after it resurfaced in Japan. Inspired by those efforts, Wegener is launching the Kim's Lost Guitar Project, spreading the word and following leads. I already got an email from someone because they read the CBC Hamilton article and they said, yep I I was playing in a band. I was in Toronto in 1980 and 100% a guy I was playing with in this band had that guitar. Bikener is hoping to get more tips like that, photos or any information that can help get

the guitar back to Mitchell for an encore performance. Thanks for being with us. This has been your World Tonight for Thursday, July 24th. I'm Angie Seth. Thanks for sharing your time with me. Chat soon. Who is gonna be, who would be the first to dance? For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.